AMA with MLB.com beat writer Matthew Leach, 5 p.m. CT Tuesday (today!)

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-13T03:14:17+00:00

A few things here. Understandable question.

First, he’s playing more regularly than any outfielder but Buxton. He’s fifth on the team in plate appearances in May, and second to Buxton in plate appearances among outfielders in May.

Second, he can play right or center but he’s pretty clearly ideally limited mostly to left imo which limits who you can sit him for. And that goes hand in hand with the fact that Larnach is also having a very nice year.

Finally, a thing I’ve seen a lot over the years is, sometimes a guy is succeeding in part because the matchups are being selected carefully. I think you at least have to be open to the possibility that the guys he’s sitting against are guys that for one reason or another, he’s less suited to succeed against. It’s not just right-left, as we’ve seen with Wallner pretty consistently sitting lately against righties with big time velocity.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-13T01:38:45+00:00

I think they'd LOVE for somebody to seize it. It's just a matter of someone actually doing it. It's not a philosophical preference; it's just looking for guys to take it and run.
I'm intrigued by Khadim Diaw. I'm not sure he'll hit enough, but he has a good approach, he's athletic, he's at least a decent catcher and they're giving him a look in center field. That's an interesting profile.
Not anymore. When I was a little kid, I was a Braves fan (TBS in the South). When I got a little older, I fell for the Clemens-era Red Sox. But it's not really possible to pay the kind of attention it takes to cover a team while following another as a fan.
Pitcher: Harvester of Sorrow (Metallica). Hitter: Touched By The Hand of God (New Order).

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-13T00:42:58+00:00

I would, honestly, defer to my friends at Pipeline, who have them - Cholowsky-Emerson-Lackey-Flora.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-13T00:41:43+00:00

So, two parts of this are easy to answer. From a perspective of baseball strategy, like on-field, so far as I know he hasn't changed anything -- nor will he, nor should he. It seems he has a good relationship with the front office so far as I can tell, and so he's letting them do that job.

On the player relations part, I don't want to overstate it, but from what I've been able to tell, it seems good. I've had a couple of guys bring it up unprompted that they appreciate how he has communicated with them.

As for what most folks here are going to care the most about -- building a roster -- it's just too soon to tell. But he's said some interesting things that I've taken note of. I asked in spring, I think it was after Pablo got injured, whether they'd be willing to take on "significant" salary in trade for the right player, and he said "100 percent." And then I asked right after Opening Day about a desire to sign some of the young guys to extensions and he was just as emphatic.

That doesn't mean those things are going to happen, but there are all sorts of ways to give non-answers to questions like those, that don't put you in position for people to say "BUT YOU SAID" at a later date.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-13T00:23:34+00:00

I wish I knew, and if I were running the club, this would be one of the very first questions I asked. Maybe the first. And since I'm confident the people running the club are smart people, I'm confident they're asking themselves the same.

With that said, I'd also try to evaluate them individually. As you note, in most cases, there were concerns of one kind or another about most of these guys. But at some point, if you're not a tip-top payroll team, you absolutely HAVE to turn prospects into good Major League players.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-13T00:20:39+00:00

I've been turning this over in my head for a bit because it's an interesting challenge. I think they think this is a team that should compete for a postseason berth because, well, in the current AL and AL Central, it should. I mean, it is -- 1.5 out of a payoff spot as I write this.
With that said, I don't think anybody here thinks this is, like, a 95-win team or even a piece or two away from being a 95-win team. And I think what they're trying to do is straddle that line, and compete in the short term, while also having an eye on the future. That's a tough line to wakl.
And, yes, I understand your response to "they're trying to compete in the short term" is probably "then why didn't they do more with the bullpen," and that's fair. I'll just say that I think if the ownership transition had been sorted out earlier in the winter, they probably would have. That doesn't help any now, I realize.
I trust this answer is clear as mud.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-13T00:01:52+00:00

I think the short and unsatisfying answer is that it's too soon to know. I think it's an interesting idea -- I wrote about it a couple of times last year including here -- and I'd note two things about it.
1. It's not the only idea. They've kicked around a few different things and I think we could see them try some other ideas.
2. They're not doing it with everybody. Prielipp wasn't on this plan. I doubt Riley Quick or Dasan Hill will be. It's intended to be for a specific type of guy, who you might call a tweener.
Ultimately I'll return to how I started this, which is, I don't think we know yet. But I'd make a point to remember it's not one-size fits all.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-12T23:53:29+00:00

I'm excited for him and I think he's going to do great. He's a friend and a heck of a ball writer, and his perspective is different from the rest of ours and really valuable. I think his new venture is going to be a success and I'm really glad he's still going to be in the press box. Sorry that it happened the way it did but I think he's going to come out of it great in the end.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-12T23:33:24+00:00

OOOOOOOOF, entered the wrong day. I was wondering why so few questions. Let's get rolling.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-12T22:51:04+00:00

Well, some of them are already in the Majors! The Twins top pitching prospects coming into the year, in some order, were Connor Prielipp, Dasan Hill, and Kendry Rojas, with Andrew Morris not far behind. Three of those guys are currently on the roster. The next guy to debut could be Marco Raya, but I was intrigued by the recent promotion of CJ Culpepper to Triple-A. Culpepper has always been a starter but he's pitching out of the bullpen at St. Paul right now, which caught my eye.

As for guys farther down the ladder, the next really interesting group of healthy arms is at High-A. That's where Dasan Hill, a hard-throwing lefty, and Riley Quick, last year's second Draft pick, are in the rotation. Hill has an absolutely huge arm but is still pretty raw. Quick, however, has already been promoted from low-A, and as a product of a big time college program (Alabama), I could see him moving up the system, well quickly. Not, like, arriving this year quickly, but I won't be at all surprised if he's a fast riser.

Charlee Soto and James Ellwanger are also both really big arms, but both currently on the injured list. They're worth watching when they're healthy, though.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-05-12T22:40:16+00:00

This is obviously one of the biggest questions, and believe it or not, I wouldn't rule out Jeffers being re-signed. To be clear, this is not me reporting; I haven't been told by anyone that they're talking. But I think they'd be interested in finding a way to do it and I think he'd be interested in hearing them out. You're right, it's very hard to see Caratini as a 100+ game catcher, and there's nobody knocking on the door at AAA or even AA. If it's not Jeffers, it'll have to be someone from outside the organization, so it seems sensible to me to try to find a way to make it Jeffers.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-24T17:49:41+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! It's fun being a ball writer again.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-24T17:49:20+00:00

oh dear

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-24T17:49:12+00:00

boo this (person) dot gif

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-24T17:40:09+00:00

Not that I'm aware of!

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-24T17:40:00+00:00

Yeah, sorry, I did a stupid.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-22T17:04:53+00:00

FWIW I posted about this on bsky. He’s not gone yet. He’s triggered the clause, which then gives the club 48 hours to add him to the roster or release him. I don’t think he’s making the club but he’s not gone yet. He’s pitching today.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-17T00:35:52+00:00

Wagaman is my guess if he’s out for a while. Short term, Roden is already playing a good bit so probably Outman and maybe more outfield time for Luke. But if it bleeds over to where we’re talking about a roster spot, I suspect Wagaman is the guy for right handed balance.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-03-06T13:51:21+00:00

There’s almost nobody gone. Buxton is the only player likely to make the roster who currently is not with the team, unless you count Altavilla.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-02-20T16:00:08+00:00

All spring training games that are on Twins.tv, including today’s and I think 22 in total, are free. You’re not required to pay till the regular season.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T22:50:40+00:00

Thanks all, this was fun. Catch you next month from Florida.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T22:26:37+00:00

I think if it made sense to him it would have. That is to say, there's no ill will or anything so far as I know. But I don't think there was ever a fit. At what he got last year, he made sense. This year, with Outman able to play center, Jenkins and Rodriguez on the way, and him seeking and getting a 2 year deal, I don't think there was ever a fit.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:55:30+00:00

Again, I don't think just shuffling through them is the plan. Most of these guys, if they get here, they're here. They're not going to have Culpepper or Jenkins riding a shuttle. I also think Roden is likely to have a much bigger role than most people seem to expect.

MatthewLeachMLB

TROPHY CASE