<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jose-altuve-admission-hitting-approach-astros-loss-twins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jose Altuve’s candid admission on hitting approach after Astros’ loss vs. Twins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jose-Altuve-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Jose Altuve’s candid admission on hitting approach after Astros’ loss vs. Twins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-06T00:20:00-07:00">April 6th, 12:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-06T00:20:00-07:00">April 6th, 12:20am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Astros’ legend <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-jose-altuve-hall-of-fame-endorsement-from-ex-player">Jose Altuve has built a career on putting the bat on the ball</a> better than just about anyone in the modern era. But on Thursday afternoon at Target Field, the Astros second-baseman-turned-left-fielder experienced a first…and not a good one.</p><p>For the first time in his 15-year MLB career, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-jose-altuve-new-strikeout-low-vs-twins">Altuve struck out five times in a single game</a>. The moment was so unusual that even Darren McCaughan, the Twins reliever who sealed Altuve’s fate in the ninth inning, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jose-altuve-s-fifth-strikeout-excites-twins-crowd" rel="noopener">was caught off guard</a> by the intensity of the crowd reaction.</p><p>“I figured the crowd was going crazy for a reason,” McCaughan said. “I saw him strike out a few times. I didn’t know the exact number on it.”</p><p>Despite the Astros holding a comfortable 5-2 lead late in the game, fans at the Twins’ home opener came alive for a rare spectacle — Altuve swinging and missing. The former MVP entered the game with a career strikeout rate of just 12.8%, and only two previous four-strikeout games on his résumé. But Twins pitching had his number.</p><h2><b>Twins beat Astros as Jose Altuve lets his bat swing wild</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jose-Altuve-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Starter Joe Ryan got Altuve twice with sweepers early, and reliever Jorge Alcala blew a 99 mph fastball past him for a fourth K in the seventh. Then came McCaughan, a 29-year-old journeyman with only a handful of big-league innings to his name, stepping into the ninth with the crowd behind him.</p><p>“First time I haven’t been able to hear the PitchCom out there,” McCaughan said. “That was kind of new.”</p><p>McCaughan got ahead 0-2 quickly. Altuve battled, taking it to a full count, but on the seventh pitch, McCaughan landed a sinker on the outside edge. Altuve froze, the umpire rang him up, and strikeout No. 5 was in the books.</p><p>After the game, Altuve <a href="https://x.com/Chandler_Rome/status/1908638627304710450" rel="noopener">kept it real</a>: “I like swinging,” he said via Chandler Rome on X. “Sometimes I try to swing at my pitch, sometimes I swing at everything.” Honesty like that is rare — and fitting. Altuve’s aggressiveness at the plate has long been both his weapon and his occasional weakness. On Thursday, it tilted heavily toward the latter.</p><p>Still, the Astros won, and as rough as the individual performance looked, Altuve isn’t likely to dwell too long. He’s been one of the most consistent hitters of his generation, and five strikeouts — even if it’s a first — don’t erase that. McCaughan, meanwhile, may never forget the moment. Not only did he silence one of baseball’s best, but he also delivered a memory to 36,000 roaring Twins fans.</p><p>“I wanted [the 2-2 pitch], but I think it was a ball,” McCaughan said postgame. “Three-two, I don’t know. Looked good to me.” Ball or strike, it was a win for McCaughan, a loss for Altuve’s stat line, and a strange, loud chapter in a long MLB career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jose Altuve’s candid admission on hitting approach after Astros’ loss vs. Twins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-pablo-lopez-gives-twins-lineup-chance-shine-vs-white-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pablo Lopez gives Twins lineup a chance to shine vs White Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Twins-news-Pablo-Lopez-gives-Minnesota-lineup-a-chance-to-shine-vs-White-Sox.jpg"></figure><h1>Pablo Lopez gives Twins lineup a chance to shine vs White Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T00:33:14-07:00">April 3rd, 12:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T00:33:14-07:00">April 3rd, 12:33am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago White Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-byron-buxton-wants-people-quit-freaking-out-torpedo-bats">Minnesota Twins entered Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox</a> stuck in a frustrating early-season funk—and then, the rain came. A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6251430/2025/04/02/twins-white-sox-takeaways-correa-buxton-rain-delay/" rel="noopener">3-hour, 20-minute delay</a> pushed back first pitch and left the team stuck in a holding pattern at Guaranteed Rate Field. But instead of letting the delay derail them, the Twins found rhythm in the chaos, riding a dominant outing from Pablo López and a power surge at the plate to a 6-1 victory and their first series win of 2025.</p><p>“I was going insane,” López said of the delay. “It’s hard to turn it off and then turn it back on. But I was able to relax a little bit.”</p><p>López, who also dealt with a rain delay on Opening Day, took a pregame nap for the first time in his career—just like teammate Byron Buxton, who later joked that the nap gave him “a little extra juice.” On the 10th pitch of the afternoon, Buxton launched a 466-foot solo homer to center field, giving the Twins an early jolt.</p><p>From there, López set the tone. He retired 14 of his first 15 batters and didn’t allow a walk, scattering four hits and one run over seven innings. The only blemish was a solo homer by Brooks Baldwin in the seventh. Otherwise, he was clinical, throwing 12 pitches in the first inning—two for strikeouts—and keeping the White Sox off balance throughout.</p><h2><b>Pablo Lopez dominates on the mound for Twins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pablo-Lopez.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“I talked about it with some of the guys: ‘Let’s just go out there and attack,’” López said. “For the first three, four games, we carried away from that mentality.”</p><p>The Twins backed their ace with timely offense. Buxton’s leadoff homer set the tone, and Harrison Bader followed up in the fourth with a three-run blast to left, extending the lead to 4-0. Bader now leads the team with three home runs and eight RBIs, all coming off right-handed pitchers—traditionally a weak spot in his career.</p><p>“There’s obviously more to it than just pure numbers,” Bader said. “Every time you get a chance to be in a lineup, you get a chance to change that perception.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-carlos-correa-sounds-off-on-minnesotas-quiet-offseason-as-health-improves">Carlos Correa also broke out of his 0-for-18 slump</a>, hitting a single in the third and doubling in the fifth. After reaching first, he lifted his arms in mock celebration as teammates jokingly called for the ball to be saved like a milestone hit.</p><p>“No frustration, just relief,” Correa said. “I didn’t know what to do anymore.”</p><p>Defensively, Buxton and Correa added to their strong nights with highlight-reel catches in swirling wind conditions. With the win, the Twins moved to 2-4 on the season, joining a five-way tie atop the AL Central.</p><p>“It’s like, ‘OK, we remember how to win,’” López said. “Once you get that first one, it’s easier to find your groove.”</p><p>With the rain delay behind them and momentum finally building, the Twins return home for their opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday, hoping this victory signals a turning point.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pablo Lopez gives Twins lineup a chance to shine vs White Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-byron-buxton-wants-people-quit-freaking-out-torpedo-bats');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ Byron Buxton wants people to quit freaking out over torpedo bats');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Twins-news-Byron-Buxton-wants-people-to-quit-freaking-out-over-torpedo-bats.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins’ Byron Buxton wants people to quit freaking out over torpedo bats</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T17:53:30-07:00">April 1st, 5:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T17:53:57-07:00">April 1st, 5:53pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Minnesota Twins fans could use a distraction following an 0-4 start to the 2025 MLB season, and center fielder Byron Buxton might have given them a small one via his recent comments. The 2022 All-Star is the latest player to weigh in on the emerging torpedo bats, which have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-jazz-chisholm-jr-s-torpedo-bat-explanation-hilarious-donovan-mitchell-response">commanded much attention</a> through the first week of the campaign.</p><p>New York Yankees play-by-play broadcaster Michael Kay piqued curiosity when he brought attention to a uniquely shaped bat that Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. were swinging in versus the Milwaukee Brewers last weekend. The team blasted nine home runs and crushed its opponent, 20-9, on Saturday afternoon.</p><p>The torpedo bat is skinnier at the top and carries a thicker barrel, with more wood being moved to the “sweet spot.” This innovative approach is obviously designed to increase contact, something the Yankees and plenty of teams have struggled with in the recent past. While many fans relish the infusion of offense this customized lumber could bring, there is plenty of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-all-star-blasts-torpedo-bats-criminal-take">dissenting opinions circulating</a> among the baseball-watching public.</p><p>Buxton <a href="https://x.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1907195656063832343" rel="noopener">does not want to hear it</a>. “Everyone is blowing up the Yankees about all the homers they hit,” the 31-year-old told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “Same guys you see hit homers are the same guys that hit homers last year. It’s not that big of a deal.</p><p>“Its like when the sweeper came around. We were like ‘what’s a sweeper?’ We never heard of sweepers. And now we’ve never heard of torpedo bats and now they pop. People talk about kick change. What’s a kick change? I don’t know. Its a screwball I guess.”</p><h2><b>Is the Twins star simplifying the issue?</b></h2><p>Byron Buxton is essentially reducing the torpedo bats to the latest controversial change that fans will become accustomed to as time passes. He is probably right, but should the masses become numb to this concept?</p><p>Overcoming hitting slumps by making adjustments is an integral part of baseball. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-gets-100-real-torpedo-bat-amid-controversy">The torpedo bat</a> compensates for a flaw in a player’s swinging approach and presumably ease their burden to induce hard contact. Although it goes without saying that skill is still required to put the bat on the ball, it is fair to raise concerns about the precedent this legal modification can have on the sport moving forward.</p><p>Just because the technology and brainpower to create something exists does not mean it should necessarily be put to use. The late and fictional John Hammond taught us that much. However, considering that Buxton and the Twins are scuffling at the dish (just six runs through their first four games), they might benefit from the torpedo bats.</p><p>Catcher Ryan Jeffers brandished one over the weekend, and the trend could continue to pervade Minnesota and clubhouses around MLB. This will be a storyline worth tracking throughout the season. For now, however, Twins fans just want their team to get a W.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins’ Byron Buxton wants people to quit freaking out over torpedo bats

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-minnesota-designating-veteran-starter-assignment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins designating veteran starter for assignment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Twins-news-Minnesota-designating-veteran-starter-for-assignment.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins designating veteran starter for assignment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T00:00:46-07:00">March 31st, 12:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T00:00:46-07:00">March 31st, 12:00am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Just hours after Randy Dobnak delivered his best big-league performance in years, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-twins-reaction-mat-ishbia-brother-abandoning-bid-team">the Minnesota Twins are parting ways—at least for now</a>. According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Twins are designating the veteran right-hander for assignment following Sunday’s 9-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.</p><p>The move is somewhat surprising on the surface. Dobnak <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/twins-to-designate-randy-dobnak-for-assignment.html" rel="noopener">tossed 5 1/3 innings in relief</a>, allowing just one run after starter Bailey Ober was tagged for eight earned runs in less than three frames. But roster management can be ruthless, and with Minnesota needing a fresh arm in the bullpen, Dobnak became the odd man out.</p><p>“This is the business side of baseball,” one AL executive said anonymously. “You can pitch well and still get moved—it’s about flexibility, not always performance.”</p><p>Dobnak, 30, is in the final guaranteed season of a five-year, $9.25 million extension signed in March 2021. Since that deal, he’s only appeared in 20 MLB games due to injuries and inconsistent performance. He missed the entire 2022 and 2023 seasons at the major league level, spending most of that time either rehabbing or in Triple-A.</p><h2><b>Twins make roster moves early into the 2025 season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Randy-Dobnak.jpg"><figcaption>Tim Vizer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>His contractual situation adds layers to the decision. Because Dobnak has already been outrighted once, he has the right to reject another outright assignment and elect free agency—but doing so would mean forfeiting the remaining money owed to him: a $3 million salary in 2025 and a $1 million buyout on a $6 million club option for 2026.</p><p>Given that, Dobnak is expected to accept a likely outright assignment if he clears waivers. It’s unlikely another club will claim him given the financial commitment attached. For the Twins, this setup provides a bit of maneuverability, essentially allowing them to cycle Dobnak on and off the roster when they need bulk innings or a spot starter.</p><p>Despite a rocky few years, Dobnak showed signs of improvement last season at Triple-A St. Paul, where he logged 133 1/3 innings with a 4.25 ERA and a strong 57% groundball rate. Though his strikeout numbers remain modest, his ability to keep the ball on the ground could keep him in the mix as a depth option going forward.</p><p>Sunday’s outing was a reminder that he still has value. While Ober struggled with diminished energy following a recent illness, Dobnak entered in long relief and stabilized the game, saving Minnesota’s bullpen from being overworked early in the season.</p><p>For Dobnak, this marks yet another twist in what has been an unpredictable journey. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/alds-preview-yankees-vs-twins">From undrafted free agent to playoff starter in 2019</a>, to injury-plagued struggles, to a brief redemption story on Sunday—his story is far from over.</p><p>And for the Twins, Dobnak might not be gone long. If he clears waivers, he’ll return to Triple-A St. Paul with $4 million in guaranteed money still on the table and the possibility of another call-up waiting in the wings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins designating veteran starter for assignment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/fatal-flaw-minnesota-twins-must-address-for-2025-mlb-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Fatal flaw Minnesota Twins must address for 2025 MLB season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Fatal-flaw-Minnesota-Twins-must-address-for-2025-MLB-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Fatal flaw Minnesota Twins must address for 2025 MLB season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-26T19:14:40-07:00">March 26th, 7:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T19:14:40-07:00">March 26th, 7:14pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Last season, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-fatal-flaw-prevent-mlb-playoffs">Minnesota Twins entered September as a near-lock to make the playoffs</a>. From a 91.7% <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds?date=2024-09-01&amp;dateDelta=" rel="noopener">chance to make</a> the dance per FanGraphs when the final month started to missing entirely, it was a freefall. Now, the Twins have to compete in an ascending division with massive injury problems. Can Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton finally stay healthy this year? The injury concerns are Minnesota’s fatal flaw entering 2025.</p><p>Correa played 86 games last season, Lewis 82, and Buxton 102. In his third season in Minnesota, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-carlos-correa-lands-on-il-after-all-star-break">Correa was named an All-Star and had an excellent half-season</a>. But to earn his large contract on a small-market team, he has to play in the vast majority of the games. Lewis’s 82-game sample was his largest of his three-year career. He was a highly-touted prospect and has shown upside when he plays. But he is already hurt this season and<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-royce-lewis-injury-update-absence"> will miss Opening Day with a hamstring injury</a>.</p><p>Buxton is the longest-tenured Twin of this group, making his MLB debut with Minnesota in 2015. Last year was only the second time he has played 100 games in a season, and even in the 2020 season, he missed 21 games. The Twins have built their 2025 team around these three players. That is a great idea on paper, but with a revolving door on the training room, the core is not that strong.</p><p>The best way for the Twins to address this flaw in 2025 is by adding depth. They picked up depth for Buxton, signing defensive specialist Harrison Bader to a one-year deal. But they did not do much else, which means Lewis and Correa will have to keep their spots to give them a full lineup.</p><p>Other parts of the 2025 Twins can be improved. But staying healthy is the most important part of this season.</p><h2><b>The Twins face tough competition</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Royce-Lewis-with-Minnesota-Twins.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The National League is much stronger than the American League, but the playoff races should be equally entertaining. The Twins can compete for the AL Central title, but could also be in the deep Wild Card race. They are <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb?tab=divisions" rel="noopener">slight favorites to win</a> the Central on FanDuel at +210. The Tigers are close behind at +230, and the Guardians are +290 to repeat.</p><p>If one of the other teams jumps up and takes the division, the Twins will be competing for a Wild Card spot. But there are three teams from each of the other divisions with their eyes on the playoffs. The Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Rangers, Astros, and Mariners all expect to make the dance this year. All of those teams can’t make it, especially if Minnesota rises up.</p><p>That is even more reason the Twins need Correa, Buxton, and Lewis to play as many games as possible together. Their pitching staff is not the strongest, but with more games against the White Sox than other Wild Card teams, that could even out. Their health is what will drive them to a playoff appearance in 2025.</p><p>The Twins went 8-18 in September, which included winning their first two games of the month, to miss the playoffs last year. There were injuries in that month but also bad luck that sent the Tigers sailing past them. If their guys can stay healthy this year, the Twins will compete for a playoff spot. But if it is more of the same, a potential ownership change could mean bigger moves coming to Minnesota.</p><p>The Twins open their season with two road series against the Cardinals and White Sox. Their home opener is against the Astros on April 3.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fatal flaw Minnesota Twins must address for 2025 MLB season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-minnesota-owners-could-demand-multi-billion-dollar-asking-price-for-franchise');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ owners could demand multi-billion dollar asking price for franchise');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Minnesota-could-demand-multi-billion-dollar-asking-price-for-franchise.jpg?w=1024"></figure><h1>Twins’ owners could demand multi-billion dollar asking price for franchise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-24T19:11:57-07:00">March 24th, 7:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-24T19:11:57-07:00">March 24th, 7:11pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/minnesota-twins-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick">Minnesota Twins enter 2025 looking</a> to make a return to the postseason. The team collapsed down the stretch after holding a strong lead in the AL Central and looks to redeem themselves this season. With Opening Day drawing closer, the rumors of a potential sale of the franchise have swirled, leading to the air of uncertainty at Target Field. It is believed that the Pohlad family, the owners of the Twins, are seeking over <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6228151/2025/03/24/minnesota-twins-sale-pohlads-valuation-debt/" rel="noopener">$1.5 billion for the team,</a> according to the Athletic’s Dan Hayes, Ken Rosenthal and Brittany Ghiroli.</p><p>“The Pohlad family is believed to be seeking at least $1.7 billion to sell the Minnesota Twins, though it’s unclear whether they can get that amount, and if not, whether they will ultimately keep the team,” reported Hayes, Rosenthal and Ghiroli in their article on the Athletic.</p><p>Despite this high reported asking price, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-joe-pohlad-sale">the Pohlads might not receive</a> it. In that case, there’s a good chance they would maintain ownership of the team. A variety of factors, including the team’s high amount of debt (over $425 million currently) and the market size, might force Joe Pohlad and his family to sell below their asking price, which doesn’t seem likely. If Minnesota remains in their hands, will things change for the better? Or will they continue to fall further behind in the AL Central?</p><h2><b>Will the Twins be sold in 2025?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Twins-chief-baseball-officer-Derek-Falvey.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This saga is the last thing that president of baseball operations <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-twins-president-on-carlos-correa-stance-amid-trade-rumors">Derek Falvey and his staff</a> need over their heads. Not to mention manager Rocco Baldelli and the players. They are still focused on bringing another World Series title to the Twin Cities. If ownership is still unwilling to invest in the team, it can cause problems with both their players and the fanbase. These feelings of uncertainty currently hang like storm clouds over the Twins.</p><p>“The Twins have failed to draw 2 million fans since 2019 despite winning the American League Central in 2023, when they spent a club-record $154 million on payroll,” wrote the trio of Hayes, Rosenthal and Ghiroli. “They were forced to take a lesser broadcast deal in 2024, after their RSN paid them $54 million in 2023. This year, they’re streaming via MLB with the team’s payout to be determined. The Minneapolis-St. Paul television market is the 11th-smallest in the majors.”</p><p>Despite all of these negatives going against the team, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-minnesota-president-drops-intriguing-roster-update-on-top-prospect-brooks-lee">Falvey, Baldelli and their team</a> will continue to push forward. With Opening Day just three days away, a new season brings the feeling of perpetual hope. Can Minnesota capture that hope and make a return to October once again? If so, who knows? Perhaps a sale of the franchise would come sooner rather than later.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins’ owners could demand multi-billion dollar asking price for franchise

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-royce-lewis-injury-update-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ Royce Lewis injury update hints at long April absence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Twins-news-Royce-Lewis-injury-update-hints-at-long-April-absence.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins’ Royce Lewis injury update hints at long April absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-18T07:59:31-07:00">March 18th, 7:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-18T07:59:31-07:00">March 18th, 7:59am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins have been looking for Royce Lewis to establish himself as a star over the past few years. He has played at a high level for the most part while on the field, but Lewis has dealt with no shortage of injury concerns. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-royce-lewis-injury-scare-minnesota-11-days-opening-day">Lewis is expected to miss Opening Day</a> in 2025 with a hamstring injury, adding yet another concern to his unfortunate injury history. According to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, Lewis <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6209658/2025/03/18/royce-lewis-twins-opening-day-roster/?onboarded=true" rel="noopener">could miss an extended period of time</a>.</p><p>“The Twins provided no timeline for Lewis’ return, but based on recovery periods for similar injuries across MLB, it’s possible he’ll be out for most or all of April. In recent Twins history, Jorge Polanco missed about six weeks with a moderate left hamstring strain in 2023,” Gleeman wrote in a recent article.</p><p>As mentioned, the Twins have yet to provide an official injury timeline for Lewis’ return. The infielder is obviously hoping to return sooner rather than later, but he could end up missing most of April with the injury.</p><p>It is worth noting that predicting injury timelines for hamstring concerns can prove to be a challenge. They are not always consistent. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-royce-lewis-bracing-horrible-injury-update-mri">Lewis’ injury history</a> is unfortunate, as he features the ceiling of a star at the MLB level.</p><p>He hit .300 with an .867 OPS after making his big league debut in 2022. He only appeared in 12 games, though. In 2023, Lewis slashed .309/.372/.548/.921 across 58 games played.</p><p>His 82 games played in 2024 set a new career high. Although Lewis’ production declined, as he hit .233 with a .747 OPS, he still displayed signs of stardom. And he may have been able to turn things around had he played a full season.</p><p>The Twins are certainly hoping that Royce Lewis will be able to stay healthy once he returns from the hamstring injury. It remains to be seen when he will return, however.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins’ Royce Lewis injury update hints at long April absence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-royce-lewis-injury-scare-minnesota-11-days-opening-day');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royce Lewis injury scare hits Twins 11 days before Opening Day');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Twins-news-Royce-Lewis-injury-scare-hits-Minnesota-11-days-before-Opening-Day.jpg"></figure><h1>Royce Lewis injury scare hits Twins 11 days before Opening Day</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-16T11:55:19-07:00">March 16th, 11:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-16T12:19:05-07:00">March 16th, 12:19pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-minnesota-agrees-terms-former-all-star-infielder">Minnesota Twins are looking to climb back into the playoffs</a> in 2025 after a relatively disappointing 2024 campaign that saw them miss out on the postseason.</p><p>That quest isn’t getting off to a great start, as starting third baseman Royce Lewis <a href="https://x.com/nightengalejr/status/1901333716573532363" rel="noopener">went down with a hamstring injury</a> during Minnesota’s spring training clash against the Boston Red Sox, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">With 11 days until Opening Day, Royce Lewis exited the Twins’ spring training game with a leg injury.</p><p>Story here: <a href="https://t.co/D7IeUQv0WM">https://t.co/D7IeUQv0WM</a><a href="https://t.co/W7HN4aZxYh">pic.twitter.com/W7HN4aZxYh</a></p><p>— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) <a href="https://twitter.com/nightengalejr/status/1901333716573532363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Lewis pulled up while legging out a ground ball during the second inning and immediately was pulled. The Twins later clarified that <a href="https://x.com/nightengalejr/status/1901334281177231446" rel="noopener">it is a left hamstring strain</a>, which puts Lewis’ status for Opening Day in 11 days time in serious jeopardy. No timetable for Lewis’ return has been officially announced, but given the lingering nature of hamstring injuries it’s safe to assume that this could bleed into the season.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-royce-lewis-reveals-plan-to-contain-troubling-injury-concerns">injuries have become somewhat of a theme of Lewis’ career</a> so far. He hasn’t played in more than 82 games in a single season in any of his previous three seasons and has made just 152 total appearances so far in his career.</p><p>If Lewis can stay on the field for an extended period of time, he has shown that he has the talent to be a star in the middle of the Minnesota lineup. In those 152 games, Lewis has crushed 33 home runs and 104 RBIs with an OPS+ of 126.</p><p>Last season, Lewis got injured on Opening Day and immediately went on the injured list. He later hurt his adductor, which caused him to miss even more time.</p><p>If Lewis can get back from this setback sooner rather than later and then stay healthy, it’s reasonable to assume the Twins can improve on that 82-80 record that they notched last season with their star at the hot corner playing just part time. After a season where they finished just four games out of the final wild card spot, Lewis could be the key for Minnesota to crack into the postseason.</p><p><i>This story will be updated.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royce Lewis injury scare hits Twins 11 days before Opening Day

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-players-break-silence-on-traumatizing-near-car-accident');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins players break silence on ‘traumatizing’ near car accident');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/unnamed-1_05a444.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins players break silence on ‘traumatizing’ near car accident</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-27T19:18:33-08:00">February 27th, 7:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-27T19:18:33-08:00">February 27th, 7:18pm</time><address><a>Daniel Locke</a>Daniel Locke covers the New Orleans Pelicans and is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints. He will graduate from Auburn University with a degree in Journalism in May. Daniel has covered Auburn Athletics for the entirety of his time as a student, focusing on football, men's basketball, and baseball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On the way to the spring training facility, three members of the Minnesota Twins were nearly involved in a car accident. Edojuard Julien, Jorge Alcala and Matt Wallner <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/twins-players-avoid-near-car-crash-at-spring-training-complex" rel="noopener">saw a car fly over them</a>.</p><p>“We were just driving straight on that street, and we see a car that was going pretty fast, but honestly, Wallner let me know,” Julien said via The Athletic. “He started screaming, like, ‘Oh my God! Oh my God!’ He was cussing a little bit, and I’ve never heard Wallner scared like that.</p><p>“So I look up, and I just see a car that’s in a ditch, like in the middle of the road, just going through bushes and going through trees, smaller trees. And all of a sudden, he just jumps up, like six feet in the air.”</p><p>The experience left a mark on Alcala.</p><p>“It was something really scary, a little traumatizing,” Alcala said through an interpreter.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/perfect-trade-twins-make-2025-spring-training">Twins are looking to take a step forward</a> in 2025 after a mediocre campaign last season. The team will look to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-agree-contract-ex-rays-mariners-pitcher">make some additional moves</a> before the season begins.</p><h2>Jorge Alcala primed for breakout season with Twins</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/unnamed-2_c62e15.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Minnesota Twins are looking to make progress in 2025 after an up-and-down season in 2024. Right-handed relief pitcher Jorge Alcala is expected to be one of the Twins’ most dependable arms this season.</p><p>The 29-year-old from the Dominican Republic made a TwinsDaily.com list of three arms that could be impactful for the Twins this season <a href="https://twinsdaily.com/news-rumors/minnesota-twins/3-minnesota-twins-pitchers-who-will-impact-2025-despite-not-making-the-opening-day-roster-r17840/" rel="noopener">despite not making the opening day roster</a>.</p><p>“Despite dealing with various injuries and inconsistency throughout his career, Alcalá has shown flashes of being a very good reliever,” Matthew Lenz wrote. Before imploding in August last season, he carried a 2.93 FIP with a 24.7% strikeout rate and an opponent OPS of just .500.</p><p>There’s also some strategy to starting him with the Saints: Alcalá is a mere eight days from five years of service time, at which point he can no longer be optioned without his consent. Although he did find his footing in September, the Twins’ best strategy may be to open the season with him in St. Paul and make him one of the first calls when a bullpen spot opens. PECOTA projects Alcalá to be an above-average reliever, with a 3.80 ERA across 60 innings.”</p><p>Alcala appeared in 54 games for the Twins last season. He ended the campaign with a 3.24 ERA through 58.1 innings pitched. He had 58 strikeouts to 20 walks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins players break silence on ‘traumatizing’ near car accident

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-twins-reaction-mat-ishbia-brother-abandoning-bid-team');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ reaction to Mat Ishbia’s brother abandoning bid for team');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Twins-news-Minnesotas-reaction-to-Mat-Ishbias-brother-abandoning-bid-for-team.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins’ reaction to Mat Ishbia’s brother abandoning bid for team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-22T09:21:13-08:00">February 22nd, 9:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-22T09:21:13-08:00">February 22nd, 9:21am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For quite some time, Mat Ishbia’s brother, Justin Ishbia, was pursuing ownership of the Minnesota Twins. Fast forward to Friday night, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-mat-ishbias-brother-drops-pursuit-twins-ownership">Ishbia announced he was abandoning his bid for the Twins</a>. However, it sparked reactions from Minnesota themselves about the move.</p><p>Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6152097/2025/02/21/justin-ishbia-out-minnesota-twins-sale/" rel="noopener">what’s been going on within the organization</a> and the next steps.</p><p>“Several team officials in spring training camp were caught off guard Friday when Ishbia’s plans came to light,” Hayes reported. “The Twins’ process continues to move forward, according to a person with knowledge of the sale details, who said a number of “interested parties” remain engaged. Some of them have already been vetted.</p><p>“However, the team’s current ownership group, the Pohlad family, could also pull the team off the market if its price isn’t met.</p><p>Said the source: “Everything’s on the table.”</p><p>In October 2024, the Pohlad family announced that they were selling the team. They’ve had plenty of suitors, with Ishbia being the most prominent name. His name has been discussed about buying the team. However, his name has been involved with the Chicago White Sox.</p><p>Instead of going after the Twins, he’s made it clear that he wants to keep investing in the White Sox. The two American League Central teams might have another rivalry as well: If Ishbia joins, what team will he be committed to?</p><h2><b>Justin Ishbia’s move leaves the Twins ready</b></h2><p>As that anonymous source said, everything is on the table. Ishbia could come back and make another offer, or he could not. However, both <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-suns-owner-making-a-run-at-buying-minnesota">Ishbia brothers were interested in buying the Twins</a>. They could grow their influence, with Mat being the majority owner of the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>Still, owning a team is hard work, especially when it’s one like the Twins. The MLB has plenty of rules that Justin might not be aware of. Although they would likely be committed to the team, there’s a significant learning curve. Plus, Justin already owns part of the White Sox.</p><p>Because of his decision, it’s becoming more and more likely that the Pohlad family’s reign as owners will not end. Justin was the only serious buyer and the <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/twins/minnesota-twins-news/report-pohlads-could-take-minnesota-twins-off-the-market-after-ishbia-surprise-01jmq0jpxra4" rel="noopener">only one who had public interest</a> in purchasing the team. Either the current ownership group will continue to find potential buyers.</p><p>If not, it’s back to where it all started for the Twins. It might not make many happy, but if there’s no buyer, then the options are limited.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins’ reaction to Mat Ishbia’s brother abandoning bid for team

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-mat-ishbias-brother-drops-pursuit-twins-ownership');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mat Ishbia’s brother drops pursuit of Twins ownership');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Twins-news-Mat-Ishbia-s-brother-drops-pursuit-of-Minnesota-ownership.jpg"></figure><h1>Mat Ishbia’s brother drops pursuit of Twins ownership</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-21T22:42:57-08:00">February 21st, 10:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-21T22:42:57-08:00">February 21st, 10:42pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In a surprising turn of events, Chicago billionaire <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/twins-news-suns-owner-making-a-run-at-buying-minnesota">Justin Ishbia has dropped his pursuit of purchasing the Minnesota Twins</a> and will instead increase his minority stake in the Chicago White Sox, according to The Athletic. This shift comes as a major blow to the Twins’ ongoing efforts to find a new owner, as Ishbia had emerged as a leading contender to acquire the franchise from the Pohlad family, who have owned the team for four decades.</p><p>Instead of taking over the Twins, Ishbia <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/justin-ishbia-abandons-pursuit-of-twins-will-increase-minority-stake-in-white-sox.html" rel="noopener">will buy additional shares</a> from other limited partners of the White Sox, increasing his stake in the franchise he has been a part of since 2021. While speculation has already begun about whether this move could lead to him eventually taking control of the team from longtime owner Jerry Reinsdorf, White Sox officials have denied that notion.</p><p>White Sox vice president of communications Scott Reifert<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6150455/2025/02/21/white-sox-twins-justin-ishbia-jerry-reinsdorf/" rel="noopener"> issued a statement to clarify</a> the situation.</p><p>“Similar to an opportunity in 2021, White Sox limited partners have received an offer from a third party to purchase their shares in the team, providing liquidity for the limited partners on their long-term investment in the club. This offer to limited partners has no impact on the leadership or operations of the Chicago White Sox and does not provide a path to control.”</p><h2><b>Justin Ishbia will remain focused on the White Sox, not the Twins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Mat-and-Justin-Ishbia.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite this, many believe <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/bulls-news-fans-slapped-with-harsh-jerry-reinsdorf-reality-amid-white-sox-sale-rumors">Ishbia’s increased stake positions him as the likely successor to Reinsdorf,</a> who has previously stated that his family should sell the team after his passing. Reinsdorf, who turns 89 next week, has been exploring options regarding the White Sox’s future, including potential sales and efforts to secure public funding for a new stadium in Chicago’s South Loop.</p><p>For the Twins organization, Ishbia’s withdrawal is a major setback. The team had been actively seeking a new owner since October 2023, with reports indicating that the goal was to finalize a sale by Opening Day 2025. Ishbia had reportedly been aggressive in his pursuit, holding meetings with Minnesota officials, community leaders, and potential minority owners in December to discuss his interest in purchasing the franchise.</p><p>The Twins were blindsided by Ishbia’s decision to remain with the White Sox. Many within the organization believed that a deal was close to being completed, making this unexpected shift all the more frustrating for both team officials and fans.</p><p>Twins fans, in particular, had high hopes that Ishbia’s deep pockets and competitive mindset—which he and his brother, Mat Ishbia, have demonstrated as owners of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury—would bring much-needed change to an ownership group criticized for hesitancy to spend money.</p><p>With Ishbia out of the picture, the Twins are now back to square one, forced to resume their search for a new buyer. While there were reportedly multiple interested parties, Ishbia was seen as the frontrunner, and his decision to pivot to the White Sox leaves significant uncertainty about the timeline for a potential sale.</p><p>At the same time, White Sox fans are left wondering what Ishbia’s increased stake in the franchise means for their team’s future. Though Reinsdorf has not publicly committed to selling, his efforts to secure public funding for a new stadium and past statements about selling the team after his death suggest that ownership changes could be on the horizon. For now, the Twins must regroup, while Ishbia’s growing presence in Chicago raises questions about the long-term direction of the White Sox.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mat Ishbia’s brother drops pursuit of Twins ownership

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/perfect-trade-twins-make-2025-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Perfect trade Twins must make before 2025 Spring Training');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Perfect-trade-Twins-must-make-before-2025-Spring-Training.jpg"></figure><h1>Perfect trade Twins must make before 2025 Spring Training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-17T05:22:41-08:00">February 17th, 5:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-17T05:22:41-08:00">February 17th, 5:22am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins collapsed at the end of the 2024 season. They went 9-18 in September, falling <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-breakdown-late-season-collapse-wont-make-fans-happy">out of the American League Wild Card race and making way for the Detroit Tigers</a>. Despite that, they did not add enough in free agency to make a significant push in an improving AL Central. Before the offseason ends for good, the Twins should trade for Yankees starter Marcus Stroman.</p><p>After a tough first season with the Yankees, Stroman was a part of trade rumors all offseason. Because of that, he did not show up to the first two days of spring training. He did finally appear on Friday, telling reporters he was a starter and would not pitch out of the bullpen. He has a contract reason to refuse the bullpen, as an innings-based vesting option that could give him another year for $18 million. The Twins can give him a spot in their rotation and give up very little to do it.</p><p>At the <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/twins" rel="noopener">top of the rotation</a>, the Twins have Chris Paddack and Pablo Lopez. But beyond that, they do not have enough MLB-caliber pitchers to compete in the American League Central. They would not have to part with a high-quality prospect to land Stroman if they take on his whole salary.</p><p>Despite not being one of the three teams who made the playoffs from the Central, the Twins still have a great chance of making the postseason. They have elite offense from Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis, when healthy, and have solid bullpen arms. But without starting pitchers, the other Central teams will dominate them all year.</p><p>Stroman’s bad season with the Yankees was partly because of the bad defense behind him. If he went to Minnesota, he would have a stronger infield behind him, and his numbers would improve.</p><h2><b>What would the Twins have to give up for Marcus Stroman?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Marcus-Stroman-with-NY-Yankees.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The deal would be simple if the Twins were willing to take on all of Stroman’s $18.5 million salary. They could trade a journeyman minor-leaguer to the Yankees to get him off the books. By trading Stroman, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-are-yankees-in-nolan-arenado-trade-red-sox-alex-bregman">New York would be able to swing a deal for Nolan Arenado</a>, which fills a desperate need.</p><p>The only thing the Yankees are looking for in the trade market is an infielder. After Gleyber Torres left for the Tigers, manager Aaron Boone announced that Jazz Chisholm Jr would move to second base. That opens up third base for an outside option like Arenado or an internal option like Oswaldo Cabrera or DJ LeMahieu. If they wanted to finish their offseason trading in just one move, Minnesota would not be the team to do it with.</p><p>The Twins have a lot of high-value players playing infield positions that they should be unwilling to trade. Royce Lewis is their third baseman and rookie Brooks Lee is slated to be their second baseman. Both of those players are former first-round picks and Lewis has shown incredible promise. So if the Yankees are looking for their final infielder back for Stroman, the Twins won’t be the team.</p><p>But the Yankees should not be prioritizing that in a Stroman trade. They must find the best suitor and one that takes the most amount of money in the deal. If that is the Twins, he would be a perfect fit into their rotation and help them in a tight division race. But the Twins have not added much this offseason because of <a href="https://twinsdaily.com/news-rumors/minnesota-twins/latest-update-suggests-new-twins-owner-will-be-identified-by-opening-day-many-bidders-involved-r17637/" rel="noopener">financial and ownership issues</a>.</p><p>If this deal happens, it should go down before spring training games start this month. The Twins need Stroman ready to go for opening day and bringing him in now would be the best way to make sure he is.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Perfect trade Twins must make before 2025 Spring Training

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/twins-news-agree-contract-ex-rays-mariners-pitcher');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins agree to contract with ex-Rays, Mariners pitcher');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Minnesota-agrees-to-contract-with-ex-Rays-Mariners-pitcher.png"></figure><h1>Twins agree to contract with ex-Rays, Mariners pitcher</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-15T16:37:17-08:00">February 15th, 4:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-15T16:55:16-08:00">February 15th, 4:55pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>If the Los Angeles Dodgers are the future of baseball with an ownership group willing to engage in unprecedented spending in an effort to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-rob-manfred-defends-dodgers-aggressive-free-agency-pursuits">stack the team with unparalleled talent</a> in a single-minded pursuit of greatness, the Minnesota Twins are… not that.</p><p>As Minnesota works through another quiet offseason, the team announced its <a href="https://x.com/nightengalejr/status/1890841860828004683" rel="noopener">latest move</a>. The Twins signed righty reliever Erasmo Ramirez to a minor-league contract, according to the Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale on X. Ramirez’s deal includes an invitation to spring training, giving him the chance to compete for a spot with the big league club.</p><p>Ramirez spent the 2024 season with the Tampa Bay Rays where the 13-year veteran posted a 4.35 ERA with an ERA+ of 93. He finished the year with 15 strikeouts in 20.2 innings. Ramirez was designated for assignment twice by the Rays last season and outrighted off the roster before becoming a free agent in October. He did, however, produce a 1.065 WHIP in 13 appearances. So that’s something.</p><p>The Twins came in fourth in the AL Central last season. While Minnesota finished above .500, with an 82-80 record, the team missed out on the playoffs as division rivals the Guardians, Royals and Tigers all qualified for postseason play.</p><h2><b>Can the Twins compete in the MLB’s new spending era?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Erasmo-Ramirez.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Twins did make some moves in an effort to improve the team for 2025, although they stuck to short term deals. The team will bring back <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-minnesota-reunite-stud-reliever">reliever Danny Coulombe</a> on a one-year, $3 million contract after a successful two-year stretch with the Baltimore Orioles. And Minnesota <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-harrison-bader-contract-details">signed centerfielder Harrison Bader</a> to a one-year, $6.5 million pact. Finally, the Twins landed first baseman Ty France on a one-year, $1 million deal. And… that’s it. Minnesota doesn’t plan to make any additional <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-twins-stern-free-agency-decision-spring-training-looms">free agent moves this offseason</a>.</p><p>In a new era of spending in baseball, the Twins remain unwilling to break the bank – or even really make a modest withdrawal from the bank – content to roll out a mix of homegrown talent and under-the-radar signings to compete with baseball’s new mega rosters.</p><p>To be fair, the Twins’ approach hasn’t led to an entirely embarrassing showing. The team has won the AL Central in three of the last six years. Of course, that relative regular season success resulted in Minnesota winning just one postseason series during that stretch – a Wild Card round victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023.</p><p>The Twins have won a total of just two playoff matchups since the team beat the Atlanta Braves in the 1991 World Series – that’s one Wild Card round and one Division round win in 33 years. So, the thrifty approach may not be paying off in Minnesota.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins agree to contract with ex-Rays, Mariners pitcher

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-twins-stern-free-agency-decision-spring-training-looms');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Twins make stern free agency decision as spring training looms');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Twins-news-Carlos-Correa-sounds-off-on-Minnesotas-quiet-offseason-as-health-improves.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Twins make stern free agency decision as spring training looms</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-14T15:07:57-08:00">February 14th, 3:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-14T15:47:11-08:00">February 14th, 3:47pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins dragged their feet through much of the offseason, waiting until February to complete their most notable free-agency signings.</p><p>They added former Gold Glove outfielder Harrison Bader, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-minnesota-reunite-stud-reliever">reunited with reliable left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe</a> and then <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-minnesota-agrees-terms-former-all-star-infielder">scooped up 2022 All-Star Ty France</a>. That last move is apparently the last one management intends to make before the season starts.</p><p>With pitchers and catchers already getting to work at spring training, the Twins’ roster might be finalized. Their decision to sign France to a one-year contract essentially <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6135495/2025/02/14/jhoan-duran-twins-offseason-workouts/" rel="noopener">prevents them from filling another area</a> they wanted to address before Opening Day.</p><p>“A week ago, the Twins were looking for a backup shortstop,” The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported. “That’s no longer the case. A team source confirmed the Twins are likely done in the free-agent market after signing first baseman Ty France to a nonguaranteed MLB deal for $1 million on Tuesday. The one-year deal is still pending a physical.”</p><p>Minnesota has made a concentrated effort to exercise prudence when assembling its payroll, so it is not surprising to see ownership potentially put up the stop sign for first-year general manager Jeremy Zoll. But this club could definitely use middle-infield depth.</p><h2><b>Can Twins trust their star shortstop to stay healthy?</b></h2><p>Three-time All-Star Carlos Correa played in only 86 games last season due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Yes, the 2017 World Series champion thrived when healthy– .310 batting average, 14 home runs, 54 RBIs, .517 slugging percentage, .905 OPS and five outs above average– but he is a frequent injury risk. The Twins can benefit from investing in an insurance policy.</p><p>Clubhouse igniter and breakout Latin pop star Jose Iglesias is still available. If Minnesota opts to change its free-agency stance, the veteran infielder can be a valuable addition in more ways than one. Heck, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-nick-castellanos-eye-opening-jose-iglesias-nl-mvp-take">Nick Castellanos was ready to crown the man MVP</a> for the galvanizing effect he had on the 2024 New York Mets.</p><p>Twins manager Rocco Baldelli can move Iglesias around the infield and slot him at shortstop if Correa succumbs to injury once more. Paul DeJong is another option to consider.</p><p>Assuming the franchise is in fact content with its roster, fans better bring some good luck charms into Target Field because, for all its pungent charm and mystique, Minnesota’s rally sausage was not powerful enough to keep its star players healthy. And in the suddenly intriguing American League Central, durability is of paramount importance.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Twins make stern free agency decision as spring training looms

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/twins-news-minnesota-agrees-terms-former-all-star-infielder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins agree to terms with former All-Star infielder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Minnesota-agrees-to-terms-with-former-All-Star-infielder.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins agree to terms with former All-Star infielder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-11T13:54:43-08:00">February 11th, 1:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-11T13:54:43-08:00">February 11th, 1:54pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins collapsed to miss the playoffs in 2024. They were firmly in the playoffs and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tigers-news-riley-greene-truth-bomb-detroits-return-playoffs">contending for the AL Central title heading into September but won just nine games</a> down the stretch. After that disaster, they needed improvements this offseason but did not add much. The Twins signed Ty France <a href="https://x.com/MillerStrib/status/1889408657680633987" rel="noopener">as their third</a> free agency move to play first base, per Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.</p><p>“Twins have signed former Mariners All-Star IF (mostly 1B) Ty France to a one-year contract. Pending physical,” Miller reported. ‘Takes [LHP Brent] Headrick’s roster spot, and is an interesting addition to 1B mix. .813 OPS in 2021.”</p><p>Headrick was placed on waivers and claimed by the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Once his roster spot was open, the Twins signed France as another bat in their lineup. France spent five seasons with the Mariners, posting a 100 OPS+ each season from 2020-23. But his offensive decline was a significant part of Seattle’s issues in 2024.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/reds-news-ty-france-trade-mariners">France was waived by the Mariners</a> and spent the last 52 games of the season with the Cincinnati Reds. His offensive numbers got worse moving from T-Mobile Park to Great American Ballpark, showing that there is an issue with his swing. Minnesota hopes to capitalize on a depressed asset with this signing.</p><h2><b>Can the Twins strike gold with Ty France? </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ty-France-for-Seattle-Mariners.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Twins got a Gold Glove season from Carlos Santana at first base last year. At 38 years old, he posted a 109 OPS+ and was dominant on the diamond. But he left for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-reunite-with-carlos-santana-after-josh-naylor-trade">a third stint with the Cleveland Guardians</a> which puts Jose Miranda back at first base for now. Miranda primarily played third last season, but with Royce Lewis starting the year healthy, he could play first base. France is coming in as a backup option for a team who has dealt with injuries.</p><p>In his three-year career, Lewis has never played more than 82 games. When he plays, he is among the best young third basemen in the league. But his injuries are frequent and they need to be planned for. Miranda has had his injury issues as well, so France could play more often than not.</p><p>Whether it is at first base or designated hitter, France could be a diamond in the rough for the Twins. He has four seasons with 50 RBIs, which is the type of production the Twins need. After a poor season, adding any offense is a solid move for Minnesota.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins agree to terms with former All-Star infielder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/twins-news-harrison-bader-contract-details');   ga('set', 'title', 'Harrison Bader’s Twins contract details, revealed');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Harrison-Baders-Minnesota-contract-details-revealed.jpg"></figure><h1>Harrison Bader’s Twins contract details, revealed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-07T17:43:35-08:00">February 7th, 5:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-07T17:43:35-08:00">February 7th, 5:43pm</time><address><a>Josey Curtis</a>Josey Curtis is an avid sports fan, with passions for MLB, the NFL, and college basketball. Josey has been writing about sports since middle school, including a seven-year stint at SB Nation. She also interned as a Baseball Video Scout at Sports Info Solutions. When she's not catching a game, you can find Josey in a barn. She has backgrounded 200 head of beef cattle annually since 2021.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins officially <a href="https://x.com/Twins/status/1887950075076427807" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Friday that they have signed outfielder Harrison Bader for the upcoming 2025 season. The deal is for a guaranteed $4 million and features a $750,000 signing bonus. The contract also includes a mutual $10 million option for 2026, with a buyout of up to $1.5 million — depending <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1888000817749189075" rel="noopener">on the number of plate appearances</a> Bader collects this year, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. For the Twins, this is only their second Major League signing of the 2024-2025 offseason.</p><p>Bader is entering his age-31 season, and the Twins are the fifth stop on his MLB journey that started with the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2017. Bader spent nearly six seasons in St. Louis before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-harrison-bader-sends-emotional-farewell-video-to-st-louis-fans-following-yankees-trade">stints with the New York Yankees</a> and Cincinnati Reds in 2022 and 2023. Bader spent his 2024 campaign with the New York Mets, who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-new-york-10-5-million-contract-yankees-harrison-bader">signed him for over $10 million</a> back in January of that year.</p><p>A career .242 hitter, Bader slashed .236/.284/.373 in 143 games for the Mets last season. Not known much for his power, Bader slugged 12 home runs last year — his most in a season since he hit 16 back in 2021. Bader’s 57 runs scored and 51 RBIs in 2024 were both career highs. Bader’s OPS+ of 86 for the 2024 campaign is considered below league-average, but it is Bader’s highest mark dating back to 2022.</p><p>Praised for his defense, Bader is a natural centerfielder, as he has logged every defensive inning there since 2018. Bader posted a 2.45 RF/9 last year, slightly off his career-average of 2.62. Bader, a Gold Glove winner in 2021, will join a Twins defense that already has a strong centerfielder in Byron Buxton; nonetheless, Buxton has dealt with plenty of injuries in his career, and the Twins have made it clear they want a defensively-savvy fourth outfielder after losing both Max Kepler and Manuel Margot to free agency this offseason. It’s worth noting that Minnesota does not have a surefire designated hitter, so it’s possible Buxton could DH some, allowing Bader more playing time in centerfield.</p><p>The Twins will kick off the 2025 regular season against Bader’s former team, the Cardinals, in St. Louis on March 27th.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Harrison Bader’s Twins contract details, revealed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cardinals-news-st-louis-twins-agree-trade-before-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals and Twins agree to trade before spring training');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/St.-Louis-Twins-agree-to-trade-before-spring-training1.jpg"></figure><h1>Cardinals and Twins agree to trade before spring training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T17:50:07-08:00">February 6th, 5:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T18:20:57-08:00">February 6th, 6:20pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-top-4-bargain-bin-free-agent-targets">St. Louis Cardinals have finally made their first major league transaction of the offseason</a>, as the team has completed a trade with the Minnesota Twins, acquiring utility player Michael Helman <a href="https://x.com/Cardinals/status/1887635485406728239" rel="noopener">in exchange for cash considerations</a>. This move finalizes the Cardinals’ 40-man roster as they prepare for spring training.</p><p>At 28 years old, Helman’s journey to the majors hasn’t been easy. The Twins originally drafted him in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Texas A&amp;M, but injuries slowed his career and kept him from advancing as quickly as he’d hoped. But in 2024, after years of perseverance, he finally got his shot at the highest level.</p><p>Helman’s debut with the Twins may have been brief, just nine games, but he certainly made the most of it. He posted a .300 batting average and a .500 slugging percentage over 10 at-bats, with two runs and three hits.</p><p>Before his call-up, Helman put together an impressive season at Triple-A St. Paul. In 72 games, he hit .271 with a .439 on-base percentage and a .772 slugging percentage, smacked 14 home runs and 18 doubles, and drove in 49 runs. But his value extended beyond the batter’s box. Defensively, he demonstrated his versatility by playing all three outfield positions, as well as third base, with additional experience at second and shortstop.</p><p>The Twins made this move because they needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to finalize free-agent signings for Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe. Before the trade, their roster was full, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-add-ex-cardinals-gold-glover">and with Bader coming in</a>, Helman’s chances of sticking around in a bench role were pretty much gone.</p><p>Even though Michael Helman isn’t expected to be a star, his right-handed bat and ability to play multiple positions make him a valuable depth piece. With the St. Louis Cardinals, he’ll have a chance to compete for a bench role or start the season at Triple-A Memphis.</p><p>The Cardinals’ offseason has been slow. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-why-cardinals-struggling-find-nolan-arenado-trade">Trade talks involving Nolan Arenado have stalled</a>, and they haven’t made many big moves. Fans are hoping for something more exciting before spring training, but for now, Helman is a low-risk addition who gives them some extra depth as they finalize their roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals and Twins agree to trade before spring training

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/twins-add-ex-cardinals-gold-glover');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins add ex-Cardinals Gold Glover');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Minnesota-adds-ex-Cardinals-Gold-Glover.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins add ex-Cardinals Gold Glover</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-05T12:05:35-08:00">February 5th, 12:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-05T12:05:35-08:00">February 5th, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the Minnesota Twins have had a slow offseason, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-minnesota-reunite-stud-reliever">they’ve begun adding in free agency</a>. Their latest addition will provide a boost all over the outfielder.</p><p>The Twins <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1887205942858502591" rel="noopener">have signed</a> Harrison Bader to a one-year deal, via Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Bader’s contract comes with a mutual option for the 2026 season.</p><p>The right-hander will be playing for his fourth team in four years after spending the 2024 campaign with the New York Mets. Over 143 games, Bader hit .236 with 12 home runs, 51 RBI and 17 stolen bases. While his numbers don’t jump off the page, if Bader was on the Twins, he would’ve led the team in stolen bases.</p><p>At this stage of his career, Bader won’t suddenly make the Twins World Series favorites. But he is a well traveled outfielder, playing in 778 games over his eight-year MLB career. He is a .242 hitter with 71 home runs, 268 RBI and 94 stolen bases to his name. Bader even won a Gold Glove with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021.</p><p>While most of his games have come in center field, the righty still has experience playing in the corners. That will come up clutch in Minnesota, where Byron Buxton patrols center. Trevor Larnach is expected to play in left while Matt Wallner patrols right. So for now, Bader will be a bench bat.</p><p>But Buxton has dealt with injuries extensively and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/phillies-news-max-kepler-agrees-1-year-10-million-contract">Twins lost Max Kepler</a> to the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency. Harrison Bader will undoubtedly have opportunities in the lineup. At the very bare minimum, he’ll provide a solid glove whenever Minnesota needs some extra defense.</p><p>Still, player and team are hoping for a bit more. The Twins have made the playoffs once in their last four seasons. While he won’t be a featured player for the twins, Bader is now on board to help get Minnesota back to prominence.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins add ex-Cardinals Gold Glover

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/twins-news-minnesota-reunite-stud-reliever');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins reunite with stud reliever');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Twins-reunite-with-stud-reliever.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins reunite with stud reliever</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-04T07:46:46-08:00">February 4th, 7:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-04T07:48:04-08:00">February 4th, 7:48am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins are bringing back a familiar face to their bullpen for the 2025 season.</p><p>The ball club has <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1886777643594399891" rel="noopener">reached an agreement</a> with reliever Danny Coulombe, who played for the Twins from 2020-2022. Via Jon Heyman:</p><p>“Danny Coulombe to the Twins, pending physical. Very solid back end bullpen now for Minnesota with Duran, Jax, Sands, etc.”</p><p>Coulombe played the last two seasons for the Baltimore Orioles and was absolutely lights out. In 2023, he compiled a 2.81 ERA in 61 relief appearances, striking out 58 in 51.1 innings of work. Last year, he was also solid, posting a 2.12 ERA in 33 appearances.</p><p>The Twins’ bullpen is actually quite loaded after signing Coulombe, but the front office is likely taking injuries into consideration here. Things happen throughout a season and it’s better to have a plethora of arms than not enough. Plus, Coulombe has been with the organization before and has shown well.</p><p>Also, the pen has a ton of righties. Bringing in a left-hander was certainly a priority for Minnesota. They lost Caleb Thielbar to the Chicago Cubs this offseason, which means Coulombe could be seen as his immediate replacement. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-sounds-off-on-minnesotas-quiet-offseason-as-health-improves">It’s been a very quiet offseason</a> for the AL Central club as Coulombe is their first free-agent signing of the winter.</p><p>The Twins’ bullpen wasn’t great last season, ranking 19th in the big leagues with a 4.19 ERA. Hopefully, Coulombe can help bring that down. The 35-year-old has pitched 10 seasons in the Majors, also suiting up for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Athletics.</p><p>Minnesota had a disappointing ’24 campaign, finishing in third place in the division with an 82-80 record, ultimately missing the playoffs. Despite the lack of moves this offseason, this is still a strong roster that is capable of competing. After the brutal ending to last season though, the Twins will be motivated to bounce back in ’25 and return to the postseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins reunite with stud reliever

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-twins-enter-padres-dylan-cease-trade-sweepstakes');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Twins enter Padres’ Dylan Cease trade sweepstakes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/MLB-rumors-Twins-enter-Padres-Dylan-Cease-trade-sweepstakes.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Twins enter Padres’ Dylan Cease trade sweepstakes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-31T14:40:34-08:00">January 31st, 2:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-31T14:40:45-08:00">January 31st, 2:40pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Since the San Diego Padres are now entertaining <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-cubs-talk-to-padres-on-dylan-cease-trade">Dylan Cease trade talks</a>, a crowded group of suitors should emerge. Few people would expect the Minnesota Twins to include themselves in this high-profile sweepstakes, especially given their exceedingly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-sounds-off-on-minnesotas-quiet-offseason-as-health-improves">conservative approach to the offseason</a>. But they are indeed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6102377/2025/01/31/dylan-cease-trade-twins-tv-2025/" rel="noopener">a team to monitor</a> in this league-wide Cease pursuit.</p><p>“Last week, The Athletic reported the Twins inquired about Cease when discussing potential trades with the San Diego Padres earlier this winter,” Dan Hayes of The Athletic writes. “Multiple team sources confirmed the club’s interest in Cease, a free agent after the 2025 campaign who has finished in the top four of the Cy Young Award voting twice in the past three seasons.”</p><p>Minnesota continues to rely on an oft-injured core group of position players that includes Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda, so adding more star power to the top of the starting pitching rotation is a practical idea. After falling four games short of an American League Wild Card slot, the Twins could view Cease as their postseason propellant. He will not come cheap, though.</p><p>“Increased chatter in the industry over the past few days suggests the Padres have discussed trades for Cease and fellow starting pitcher Michael King,” Hayes said. “The Padres, seeking to remain competitive, are asking for significant major-league value in exchange for Cease, a factor that makes a deal far less likely, according to industry sources briefed on their discussions.”</p><h2><b>Can the Twins take advantage of the Padres’ capricious tendencies?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Dylan-Cease-of-the-Padres.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Last offseason, the Padres straddled the line between being financially responsible and building a viable roster for the 2024 MLB campaign. They traded Juan Soto to the New York Yankees for multiple players who could make an immediate impact at the big-league level, including pitcher Michael King. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller also acquired fellow right-hander Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. Those moves paved the way for a roaring comeback.</p><p>San Diego’s bolstered starting rotation added essential balance to the roster and resulted in a playoff berth. The Friars entered October as one of the most dangerous clubs in the field, poised to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers and vie for their first-ever World Series championship. Ultimately, though, they endured a crushing National League Division Series defeat and watched their detested foe win it all a few weeks later. Now, management <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-padres-potential-dylan-cease-trade-comes-with-free-agency-contingency-plan">finds itself in a pickle</a>.</p><p>The Cease and King acquisitions went a long way in reviving the Padres, but they did not catapult them above the Dodgers. Their market value rose, while the team still finished well short of its goal. Much like the Soto trade, the organization could be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-michael-king-dylan-cease-possible-padres-trade-chip">compelled to part ways</a> with looming contract situations after failing to capture a title. The Twins, another franchise that has focused on cutting payroll in recent years, is an unlikely candidate to capitalize.</p><p>And yet, they are right in the mix for one of the more talented arms in the game today.</p><h2><b>Minnesota can do a 180</b></h2><p>New general manager Jeremy Zoll could resume his chase for Dylan Cease. The 29-year-old posted a 3.47 ERA, 224 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP in 189 1/3 innings and threw a no-hitter in July. He can form a superb one-two punch with 2023 All-Star Pablo Lopez.</p><p>Twins fans will not hold their breath, however. The organization has to win back some trust. Trading for and extending Cease could potentially accomplish exactly that.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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MINNESOTA

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MinnesotaTwins NEWS

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Twins’ owners could demand multi-billion dollar asking price for franchise

Twins’ Royce Lewis injury update hints at long April absence

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Mat Ishbia’s brother drops pursuit of Twins ownership

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Cardinals and Twins agree to trade before spring training

Twins add ex-Cardinals Gold Glover

Twins reunite with stud reliever

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MINNESOTA

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