<!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-pablo-lopez-emerges-trade-candidate');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Twins’ Pablo Lopez emerges as trade candidate');   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/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Twins-Pablo-Lopez-emerges-as-trade-candidate.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Twins’ Pablo Lopez emerges as trade candidate</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T11:57:22-08:00">December 19th, 11:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T11:57:22-08:00">December 19th, 11:57am</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>Despite missing the playoffs in 2024, the Minnesota <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/1-trade-twins-must-make-during-offseason">Twins have yet to make a major offseason splash</a>. However, trading away star pitcher Pablo Lopez would certainly make some noise.</p><p>Minnesota <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/43042910/mlb-offseason-2024-25-free-agency-trade-rumors-update-passan-arenado-bregman-burnes-alonso" rel="noopener">is listening to trade offers</a> for the star right-hander, via Jeff Passan of ESPN. Depending on how the rest of free agency shakes out, those talks could advance to more serious stages.</p><p>Blake Snell signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a five-year, $182 million contract. Max Fried followed it up with a eight-year, $216 million deal with the New York Yankees. Corbin Burnes could make more than both and is still lurking in free agency. Even players like Sean Manaea and Jack Flaherty should earn sizable contracts.</p><p>Many teams across the league may be priced out of free agent pitchers, especially if their deals continue scaling up. If those franchises opt to take an alternative route, the Twins have a bright light at the end of the tunnel in Lopez.</p><p>The righty is coming off of a 2024 campaign that saw him put up 15-10 record with a 4.08 ERA and a 198/41 K/BB ratio. His 2023 campaign was even grander, including Lopez earning the first All-Star nomination of his career. He held a 11-8 record with a 3.66 ERA and a career-best 234 strikeouts to go alongside 48 walks.</p><p>If Pablo Lopez is truly made available, he should attract widespread interest. He is under team control through 2027 after signing a lucrative extension. Lopez would amplify any team in the league’s rotation.</p><p>Including Minnesota’s, which puts the Twins in a rough spot. Injuries to some of their top stars have held the team back. They made the playoffs in 2023, but were taken out in the ALDS. Now, they enter 2025 with a decision to make.</p><p>They can run it back and look to regain control of the NL Central. The Twins still have plenty of talent on their roster, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-trade-rumors-shut-down-by-scott-boras">including star player Carlos Correa</a>. Keeping Lopez would give Minnesota the best chance of actually competing.</p><p>Or, they could focus on their youth and look to recoup Lopez’s value in future assets. It’s tough to imagine the Twins battling with a team like the Dodgers as currently constructed. Maybe they decide to revamp the farm and retool their franchise’s vision.</p><p>Eventually, a decision must be made on Lopez. If the phones keep ringing, the Twins might best poised to swing a trade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Twins’ Pablo Lopez emerges as trade candidate

<!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-suns-owner-making-a-run-at-buying-minnesota');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns owner making a run at buying 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/2024/12/Twins-news-Suns-owner-making-a-run-at-buying-Minnesota.jpg?w=1024"></figure><h1>Suns owner making a run at buying Twins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-13T19:06:38-08:00">December 13th, 7:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-13T19:06:38-08:00">December 13th, 7:06pm</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>Following a 2024 season in which they collapsed down the stretch, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/minnesota-twins-2024-over-under-regular-season-win-total">the Minnesota Twins are looking</a> to reclaim their spot at the top of the AL Central in 2025. Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and manager Rocco Baldelli are in the midst of the offseason, trying to make their team a contender once again. Their plans might end up changing, as <a href="https://x.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1867660741894926355" rel="noopener">a new owner could potentially</a> take the helm in the near future. Reports broke Friday that Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishiba and his brother Justin are interested in buying the team.</p><p>“Sources confirm Phoenix Suns/Mercury owner Mat Ishbia and his brother Justin Ishbia are interested in purchasing the #MNTwins,” posted the Athletic’s Dan Hayes on X, formerly Twitter. “Three days after they were approved as owners in Feb. 2023, the Suns acquired Kevin Durant. Bloomberg was first with the report.”</p><p>The Pohlad family, which has owned the team for over 40 years, put the team on the market in October. This is likely one of the biggest reasons why a new general manager has not been named. Furthermore, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-twins-join-dodgers-padres-in-roki-sasaki-sweepstakes">the Twins have been</a> pretty quiet so far in free agency. Will the Ishiba brothers buy the team? If so, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the club be more aggressive during the offseason. It’s been said that their purchase of the Suns was the clincher for their team to acquire superstar Kevin Durant. A similar type of move could jolt the Twins back on course, for 2025 and beyond.</p><h2><b>Will Rocco Baldelli, Derek Falvey lead Twins if ownership changes?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Twins-manager-Rocco-Baldelli.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-joe-pohlad-sale">The Twins led the</a> AL Central for most of their until their late season collapse. It was another bitter ending for Minnesota, as the team once again failed to make into the postseason. It was their third missed chance in the last four seasons, a stark departure from Baldelli’s first two seasons in charge of the team. During those first two seasons (as well as in 2023), the team made the postseason.</p><p>With Falvey now heading into his ninth season leading baseball operations, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-gm-leaves-team-missing-postseason">the Twins need to once again</a> make progress towards winning a World Series. Their last title came in 1991, over 30 years ago. Since then, it’s been nothing but heartbreak for the organization in the postseason. A culture change could be exactly what’s needed to shock the Minnesota brass and fanbase.</p><p>That is something that would likely happen <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-phoenix-awarded-2027-nba-all-star-game">if the Ishibas take over.</a> They like to win and win quickly. Their time with the Suns is evident of that goal. Two superstars in outfielders Kyle Tucker and Juan Soto have already found new homes. Many other stars have as well, but there are still a lot of studs on the open market. If the Ishibas buy the team, will it be once the hot stove has turned off? Or will they pick up the bill as the stove still burns? For Twins fans, the change will hopefully come sooner rather than later.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns owner making a run at buying 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-rumors-twins-join-dodgers-padres-in-roki-sasaki-sweepstakes');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Twins join Dodgers, Padres in Roki Sasaki 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/2024/12/Twins-join-Dodgers-Padres-in-Roki-Sasaki-sweepstakes.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Twins join Dodgers, Padres in Roki Sasaki sweepstakes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T19:41:39-08:00">December 12th, 7:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T19:41:39-08:00">December 12th, 7:41pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Roki Sasaki is looking like the next big thing coming out of Japan, and all MLB teams seem to be head over heels for the 23-year-old starting pitcher. And it’s not like Sasaki is ticketed to join a big-market team, as he is subject to the league’s amateur signing rules due to his age — which means that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-roki-sasaki-already-chosen-where-hell-sign">the Los Angeles Dodgers,</a> while widely regarded as the favorite to sign yet another Japanese sensation, will have stiff competition for Sasaki’s services.</p><p>To that end, add the Minnesota Twins to the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/roki-sasaki-minnesota-twins-japan-righthander-pitcher-derek-falvey/601194395" rel="noopener">pile of teams</a> that are looking to put their best foot forward in their pursuit of the 23-year-old Japanese starting pitcher.</p><p>“We have interest [in Sasaki]. If you’re in one of the rooms in this building and they don’t say that, that would be shocking to me. Obviously, we just want to understand what he’s looking for,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said during the winter meetings, via Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune.</p><p>At this point, however, it’s not yet a guarantee for the Twins to land a meeting with Sasaki, as according to Nightengale, they are not one of the teams that have already sent Sasaki and his camp video and Powerpoint presentations declaring their interest in signing him.</p><p>Given the Twins’ budgetary limitations, they will want to throw their hat in the Sasaki ring and hope that he decides to take his talents to cold Minneapolis instead of the warmer Los Angeles or San Diego. They can at least boast that they have a $7.65 million in international bonus pool money, although it’s not quite clear how much that would matter in the end when they’re competing with the Dodgers, who already have Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the roster — two of the best Japanese baseball players in the world at the moment.</p><h2><b>Twins join the queue for Roki Sasaki that the Dodgers might be at the front of</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Roki-Sasaki-with-Team-Japan-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It has been rumored all offseason long that the Dodgers are in the driver’s seat of the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes. But the comments of Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, seemingly run in contrast to this notion, as he said that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/roki-sasaki-agent-eye-opening-comment-frustrate-dodgers-yankees">joining a small or mid-market team</a> could be the way to go for his client.</p><p>“I think that there’s an argument to be made that a smaller mid-market team may be more beneficial for him as a soft landing, coming from Japan, given what he’s been through,” Wolfe said.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Twins join Dodgers, Padres in Roki Sasaki sweepstakes

<!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-carlos-correa-trade-rumors-shut-down-by-scott-boras');   ga('set', 'title', 'Carlos Correa trade rumors get shut down by Scott Boras');   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/2024/12/0-Carlos-Correa-trade-rumors-get-shut-down-by-Scott-Boras-0.jpg"></figure><h1>Carlos Correa trade rumors get shut down by Scott Boras</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T08:33:20-08:00">December 12th, 8:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T08:33:20-08:00">December 12th, 8:33am</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>Speculation surrounding <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-twins-president-on-carlos-correa-stance-amid-trade-rumors">Carlos Correa’s potential trade from the Minnesota Twins</a> gained traction during the Winter Meetings. Still, the team and Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, firmly dismissed the rumors. While the Twins have been open to trade discussions involving other players, <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-twins-carlos-correa-trade-speculation-scott-boras/601193954" rel="noopener">there is no indication</a> that the star shortstop is being shopped.</p><p>“The last time I talked to him, he told me the fishing was good,” Boras quipped on Wednesday when asked about Correa’s satisfaction with the Twins. “So, yeah, he’s happy there.”</p><p>Correa, who is set to earn $36 million next season, also holds a no-trade clause, giving him significant control over his future. The Twins’ front office has emphasized that inquiries about their top players, including Correa, are standard due diligence rather than active efforts to move them.</p><p>Team officials have been clear about their stance on Correa amid rumors stemming from the team’s payroll constraints. President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey reiterated that it would take a “high bar” even to consider trading Correa or any of the Twins’ core players, including Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton.</p><h2><b>The Twins will hold on to Carlos Correa despite rumors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Carlos-Correa.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“We’re always open to creative ideas, but players like Correa are critical to our plans moving forward,” Falvey said.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-astros-want-seiya-suzuki-isaac-paredes-potential-kyle-tucker-trade-with-cubs">The trade market has been heating up following major free-agent signings</a>, with teams like the White Sox and Guardians opting for significant trades. However, the Twins have yet to show interest in joining that trend regarding their franchise cornerstone.</p><p>While the Twins face financial challenges, they are exploring other ways to manage their payroll. Chris Paddack, a starting pitcher owed $7.5 million next season, is considered a potential trade candidate due to his injury history and pending free agency in 2025. The rising cost of starting pitching on the free-agent market could increase his appeal to other teams.</p><p>Christian Vázquez, who is set to earn $10 million in the final year of his contract, could also be moved if the Twins find suitable backup options for Ryan Jeffers, who is expected to take on a larger share of catching duties. For now, Carlos Correa remains central to the Twins’ strategy, both on and off the field. Coming off a productive season and viewed as a leader in the clubhouse, Correa’s role is crucial as the team looks to remain competitive in the AL Central.</p><p>With Boras confirming Correa’s contentment and the Twins maintaining a high bar for any trade discussions, fans can rest assured that the shortstop will likely remain in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. As Falvey put it, “Our focus is on building around players like Carlos, not trading them.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Carlos Correa trade rumors get shut down by Scott Boras

<!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-twins-president-on-carlos-correa-stance-amid-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins president vocal on Carlos Correa stance amid trade rumors');   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/2024/12/Twins-news-Minnesota-president-vocal-on-Carlos-Correa-stance-amid-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins president vocal on Carlos Correa stance amid trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T02:20:04-08:00">December 10th, 2:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T02:20:04-08:00">December 10th, 2:20am</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/largest-contracts-mlb-history-after-juan-soto-765-million-deal">Juan Soto off the market</a>, teams that missed out on him may turn their attention to exploring a trade for Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. Despite the Twins’ financial constraints, President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey stated on Monday that while he’s open to hearing trade proposals, he’s not looking to offload Correa’s salary without significant value in return.</p><p>“When (Correa) was on the field, he was one of the best players in the game,” said the Twins president. “Ultimately, he didn’t play as many games as we would have liked because he was dealing with the plantar fasciitis. That was unfortunate. But when he played, he was really good for us. He’s a leader. He’s a key member of the clubhouse. Obviously, you expect teams to call on players like that, especially with where we are and some of the conversations we’re having with other clubs. But we want to win, so a high bar is set.”</p><p>Following a disappointing end to last season and the Twins’ announcement that a sale would be considered, Falvey and Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll anticipated receiving trade inquiries, particularly about high-profile players like Carlos Correa.</p><h2><b>The Minnesota Twins are focused on winning</b></h2><p>While they are open to listening to offers, Falvey and Zoll remain focused on strengthening the team with the goal of winning, not selling off key assets.</p><p>The star shortstop’s performance played a significant role in the Twins’ fluctuating season. He earned his first All-Star selection since 2021, his final year with the Astros.</p><p>However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correas-frustrated-stance-on-lingering-foot-injury">plantar fasciitis in his right foot halted Correa</a> season after the All-Star break, stalling the team’s momentum. By the time <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-carlos-correa-sets-sights-on-injury-return-but-theres-a-catch">Correa returned in mid-September</a>, Minnesota was battling to maintain a Wild Card spot, eventually falling short to division rival Detroit.</p><p>Correa’s struggles with plantar fasciitis continued in 2024, marking his second consecutive season dealing with the condition—this time affecting his right foot, after battling a similar issue with his left foot at the end of the 2023 campaign.</p><p>Along with other injury setbacks in recent years, the frustration was evident. However, the Twins remain focused on one key point: When Correa is healthy, he excels. Even after missing two months, he posted an impressive .960 OPS in September, showcasing his ability to thrive when on the field.</p><p>Considering the Twins’ financial constraints, it’s only expected that teams with larger budgets might consider pursuing Correa, who could provide a major boost to a title-contending roster. Last season, Correa posted a .310/.388/.517 batting line, with 14 home runs and 54 RBIs in 367 plate appearances, showcasing his ability to be a difference-maker when healthy.</p><h2><b>Trading Carlos Correa will be a net loss for the Twins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Twins-Carlos-Correa-on-the-field.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Correa is scheduled to earn $36 million this season and is owed $128 million over the next four years. Moving his contract could free up space for the Twins to make more moves, either through signings or trades, to strengthen their roster.</p><p>However, trading Correa would also mean losing their best player, and his value would be extremely difficult to replace, regardless of how much financial flexibility Falvey and the Twins gain.</p><p>The Twins have an abundance of young infield talent, including Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, and Edouard Julien, but Correa remains the superior option at shortstop.</p><p>It’s more likely that Falvey and Zoll will trade one of those young infielders, possibly alongside a young starter like Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, or Zebby Matthews, to acquire a more seasoned player who can help improve the team in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins president vocal on Carlos Correa stance amid trade rumors

<!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', '/1-trade-twins-must-make-during-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 trade Twins must make during offseason');   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/2024/11/1-trade-Twins-must-make-during-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>1 trade Twins must make during offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-11T05:48:00-08:00">November 11th, 5:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-11T05:48:00-08:00">November 11th, 5:48am</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 had an epic collapse that kept them out of the playoffs. While the Tigers were stealing wins, hearts, and headlines, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-joe-pohlad-sale">Minnesota was collapsing</a>. Part of the issue for the team was their starting rotation, which saw losses and poor performances change the team’s landscape. Now, the Twins should trade for a starting pitcher this offseason.</p><p>The American League Central was a bizarre division in 2024. It featured the worst team in baseball history, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/worst-mlb-teams-history-white-sox-record-breaking-season">121-loss Chicago White Sox</a>, and three teams in the American League Division Series. The Twins are the non-White Sox team that did not make the playoffs. Their collapse left the door open for the Tigers to make the playoffs and cement themselves as the up-and-coming AL team.</p><p>One of the biggest issues for the Twins was their starting rotation. Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober were the only pitchers to throw over 140 innings and many starters struggled. Chris Paddack had a 4.99 ERA in 17 starts, Joe Ryan was shut down in August, and David Fest struggled as the sixth starter. They have two solid options in Lopez and Ober but need a big arm to stabilize the top of the rotation.</p><p>The Twins’ 2025 offseason has plenty of questions. Ownership <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5809110/2024/10/03/minnesota-twins-payroll-offseason-moves/" rel="noopener">has been open</a> about attempting to cut payroll again after slashing expenditures by $30 million after 2023. If they go even further below 2024’s $130 million benchmark, their playoff odds will continue to dwindle. That will necessitate improvement through trades, especially in the starting rotation.</p><p>Max Fried, Blake Snell, and Corbin Burnes are the prized free agents this winter. Each of those starting pitchers will likely earn over $150 million on a long-term contract. They have many suitors but the Twins are not one of them. So who could the Twins grab to improve their rotation?</p><h2><b>Twins’ offseason trade targets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Zac-Gallen-with-Arizona-Diamodbacls.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Every team could benefit from a new starting pitcher, so trade options are few and far between. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/1-trade-diamondbacks-make-during-offseason">Diamondbacks are one team that could trade a starting pitcher</a> this offseason. They missed the postseason after their stunning 2023 pennant win largely because of a poor offseason investment. Jordan Montgomery was brutal in his first season in the desert and just opted into a second.</p><p>The lefty has a lot of experience, dating back to 2017 with the New York Yankees. He was on the 2023 Texas Rangers who beat the Diamondbacks in the World Series and has succeeded in the playoffs. As the Twins add players to their starting rotation, they need to prioritize experience. Montgomery brings that and won’t cost a lot after a brutal 2024.</p><p>Montgomery was brought in to be the second fiddle to Zac Gallen in a strong rotation. He posted an ERA over 6 in his first 19 starts and was kicked to the bullpen. After injuries brought him back to the rotation, he still struggled and could not get them over the hump. With the Diamondbacks missing the playoffs by just one game, it’s easy to say that the Montgomery signing cost them the season.</p><p>The Twins would not have to give up a lot to pry Montgomery away from the Diamondbacks. After some controversial comments by the owner, it’s fair to assume that the pitcher will not return to the desert when he is a free agent. They may as well get out in front of that and get something back.</p><p>Gallen’s name is also in the rumor mill as he approaches unrestricted free agency. Prying the ace away from the Diamondbacks will cost much more for the Twins. While he may be the better pitcher, it is not worth giving up a top prospect when Montgomery is also available.</p><h2><b>Other pitching possibilities for Minnesota</b></h2><p>Erick Fedde is another pitcher who could be traded this offseason. He was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/white-sox-news-erick-fedde-agree-15-million-contract-free-agency">dealt to the Cardinals</a> at the trade deadline but struggled. With the organization heading into a deep rebuild, they should be looking to trade any pending free agents. Fedde is one and the Twins know he can pitch in the AL Central after a solid half-season with the White Sox.</p><p>If the Twins do add a pitcher in free agency, it will not be a big name. Jose Quintana was spectacular down the stretch for the Mets and is one of many free agents in Queens. Sean Manaea and Luis Severino are also free agents, but they will cost much more than Quintana. With Ober taking a step forward, they don’t need to mortgage the rest of the lineup to sign a fringe ace like Manaea or Severino.</p><p>Yusei Kikuchi is another free agent who would be a great fit. The veteran lefty is also a perfect fit for the Tigers, so this would be a double-win for the Twins if they land him. Kikuchi was spectacular for the Astros after the trade deadline and will command a big market. Because he is older, it will not be a long-term contract which is huge for the Twins.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 trade Twins must make during offseason

<!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-alex-kirilloff-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins surprisingly lose veteran utility man to retirement');   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/2024/10/Twins-news-Minnesota-surprisingly-loses-veteran-utility-man-to-retirement.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins surprisingly lose veteran utility man to retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-31T10:37:27-07:00">October 31st, 10:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-31T10:40:03-07:00">October 31st, 10:40am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a>Andrew Meyers is an avid sports fan with a fondness for Philadelphia teams that rarely love him back. He has two degrees from Quinnipiac University, including a master's in sports journalism. Outside of ClutchPoints, Meyers does play-by-play broadcasting for various colleges in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Deciding to retire is never easy for a player. Having to do so because of injuries is something many athletes go through. Minnesota Twins 2016 first-round pick Alex Kirilloff announced his retirement Thursday morning, citing the mental and physical tolls of his ailments.</p><p>Kirilloff called an end to his baseball career nine days before his 27th birthday. He spent his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-joe-pohlad-sale">entire MLB career with the Twins</a>, who took him 15th overall in the 2016 draft.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">After nine seasons in professional baseball, I’m announcing my decision to step away from the game today. Baseball has always been a cornerstone of my life. Starting with my childhood in western Pennsylvania, where I grew up as the son of a baseball coach. Spending countless…</p><p>— Alex Kirilloff (@AKirilloff19) <a href="https://twitter.com/AKirilloff19/status/1851996058777157882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>“Spending countless hours in the batting cages, hitting hundreds of balls daily, fueled my dream of playing Major League Baseball,” Kirilloff said via his <a href="https://x.com/AKirilloff19/status/1851996058777157882" rel="noopener">X account</a>. “Living that dream has been an absolute joy – and this journey has been filled with unforgettable moments, challenges that led to growth, and lasting experiences that have enriched my life beyond measure.”</p><p>Kirilloff made his MLB debut with the Twins in the 2020 playoffs and appeared in at least 45 games each of the next four seasons. He never played more than 88 games in a year, appearing in only 249 regular season games across his four MLB seasons.</p><p>Back issues limited him to 58 total games in the majors and minors. Kirilloff’s last MLB game was June 11.</p><h2><b>Twins try to avoid missing the playoffs again</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/wins-Alex-Kirilloff.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As the Twins begin their offseason, they do so knowing they’ll be without a potential fourth outfielder and key bench piece in Alex Kirilloff. Losing Kirilloff isn’t a huge detriment to the Twins but it’s nice when early retirements can be avoided.</p><p>Long story short, Kirilloff will be missed more in the clubhouse than on the field. The Twins have bigger problems than worrying about his replacement after a September collapse that was unbelievably poor.</p><p>Minnesota won nine games in the regular season’s final month, losing seven of their last eight to crash out of the American League playoff picture. They held a playoff position all summer but floundered during the final two weeks.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-gm-leaves-team-missing-postseason">Twins have now missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons</a>. Although there are three division titles during this stretch (since 2019), the Twins are creeping back into their 2010s history, one that includes no playoff berths from 2011 through 2016.</p><p>Changes need to be made, perhaps the biggest one being the health of the Twins. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-breakdown-late-season-collapse-wont-make-fans-happy">Injuries hurt them in several areas in 2024</a> and just forced a once-promising prospect to retire at 26. Often it’s the healthiest team who’s triumphant in the end. The Twins could use plenty of that in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins surprisingly lose veteran utility man to retirement

<!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-former-all-star-eye-opening-minnesota-ownership-admission');   ga('set', 'title', 'Former All-Star drops eye-opening Minnesota ownership admission');   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/2024/10/Former-All-Star-drops-eye-opening-Minnesota-ownership-admission.jpg"></figure><h1>Former All-Star drops eye-opening Minnesota ownership admission</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-12T13:32:10-07:00">October 12th, 1:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-12T13:32:10-07:00">October 12th, 1:32pm</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While on Foul Territory, former Cleveland Guardians All-Star Jason Kipnis had no issues slamming <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-joe-pohlad-sale">the Minnesota Twins ownership</a> after it was recently announced that the Pohlad family, which has owned the organization for the last 40 years, is <a href="https://x.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1845117224811626631" rel="noopener">exploring a sale</a>.</p><p>“They can’t ever publicly say this. Now that I’m out of the game, I’ve gotta be the one to say it for [the current players]. Players are pissed off. The ones that have been there for a few years and you know your ownership… When you think you’re in the window, when you know you are in the window because you just had a playoff run, and your ownership is not going to help you? Not only are they not going to go out and help you, but they’re going to deduct from your roster? You’re pissed off as a player and you’re already trying to find your way out of that franchise. It sucks.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Even though they'd never say it publicly, Jason Kipnis says Twins players were likely very pissed off to be under bad ownership.</p><p>"You are in the window because you just had a playoff run, and your ownership's not gonna help you? .. It sucks." <a href="https://t.co/jp2JIZ2lV4">pic.twitter.com/jp2JIZ2lV4</a></p><p>— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1845117224811626631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Kipnis played for 10 years in the majors, nine with the Cleveland Guardians from 2011 to 2019.</p><h2><b>Minnesota Twins ownership claims to be not profitable</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Twins-Jim-Pohlad-schmoozing-before-a-game.jpg"><figcaption>© David Berding-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In July, the Twins were mentioned as having financial limitations in a <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/07/twins-reportedly-working-with-payroll-limitations-at-trade-deadline.html" rel="noopener">trade deadline article</a> by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Last November, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told the media the team would be reducing payroll due to reduced revenue coming from the club’s TV contract.</p><p>On Thursday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-joe-pohlad-sale">Twins ownership announced their decision</a> to explore a sale.</p><p>“After months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins,” Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad wrote. “As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.”</p><p>“It’s our objective to find an ownership group who all of us can be proud of and who will take care of the Minnesota Twins,” Pohlad continued. “After four decades of commitment, passion, and countless memories, we are looking toward the future with care and intention–for our family, the Twins organization, and this community we love so much.”</p><p>Major League Baseball’s most recent sale, David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Baltimore Orioles during the summer, netted $1.725 billion. Before that, Steve Cohen bought the New York Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020.</p><p>Only the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies have been led by the same owners for longer than the Twins. The Pohlad family bought the Twins for $44 million in 1984. The organization is estimated to be worth between $1.5 and $2 billion.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Former All-Star drops eye-opening Minnesota ownership admission

<!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-joe-pohlad-sale');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ Joe Pohlad mulling sale after late-season collapse');   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/2024/10/10-10-24-twins-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>Twins’ Joe Pohlad mulling sale after late-season collapse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-10T08:37:40-07:00">October 10th, 8:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-10T08:38:14-07:00">October 10th, 8:38am</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a heartbreaking end to the regular season that saw the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-make-final-rocco-baldelli-decision-epic-collapse">Minnesota Twins fall out of the postseason picture</a>, it looks big changes could be coming to the organization.</p><p>The Pohlad family, who have owned the Twins for the last 40 years, put out a press release on Thursday morning announcing their intent to <a href="https://twitter.com/dohyoungpark/status/1844397107127648542?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" rel="noopener">explore selling</a> the team, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com.</p><p>“After months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins,” Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad wrote. “As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.”</p><p>“It’s our objective to find an ownership group who all of us can be proud of and who will take care of the Minnesota Twins,” Pohlad continued. “After four decades of commitment, passion, and countless memories, we are looking toward the future with care and intention–for our family, the Twins organization, and this community we love so much.”</p><p>The Pohlad’s are the third-longest tenured ownership group in Major League Baseball, trailing only the Steinbrenner family, who took control of the New York Yankees in 1973 and Jerry Reinsdorf, who bought the White Sox in 1981. During the Pohlad’s owning the Twins, they helped win two World Series in 1987 and 1991 and won nine AL Central titles in the 21st century.</p><p>This is not the only organizational change happening for the Twins, with longtime general manager <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-gm-leaves-team-missing-postseason">Thad Levine also departing from the front office</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins’ Joe Pohlad mulling sale after late-season collapse

<!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-gm-leaves-team-missing-postseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins GM leaves team after missing postseason');   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/2024/10/10-04-24-levine-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>Twins GM leaves team after missing postseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-04T09:18:25-07:00">October 4th, 9:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-04T09:22:48-07:00">October 4th, 9:22am</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-make-final-rocco-baldelli-decision-epic-collapse">Minnesota Twins had a disappointing late-season collapse</a> that led to them missing the postseason. Now, the Twins’ front office is seeing a major shakeup.</p><p>Thad Levine is <a href="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-twins-announce-leadership-transition" rel="noopener">stepping down</a> as Twins’ general manager to “pursue new challenges and opportunities, both inside and outside of baseball,” the team announced on Friday.</p><p>“I am grateful to the Pohlad family, Derek Falvey and Dave St. Peter for providing me with such a comprehensive leadership opportunity spanning the last eight years of my career,” Levine said in the announcement. “The time is right for me to pursue my next enriching, professional challenge. I will forever cherish the friendships that I have made in the Minnesota Twins organization and throughout Twins Territory.”</p><p>Falvey, who will remain as the Twins’ president of baseball operations, also addressed Levine’s departure.</p><p>“Thad’s impact on the Minnesota Twins cannot be overstated,” Falvey said. “He has been a true partner and leader, always striving to elevate the organization and care for the people around him. Thad helped create a strong team culture, one focused on excellence and collaboration, that will continue well into the future. While we will miss his leadership, we are equally excited to see the next chapter of his journey unfold, and we wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors. I want to personally thank him for everything he has done to help us get better every day.”</p><p>It is clear that Levine is now open to a job as a team’s primary decision maker. Based on his success with the Twins, he should have no problem finding a new opportunity. As decisions continue to be made and front office positions open up around baseball in the coming weeks, expect Levine to be at the top of teams’ lists.</p><h2><b>Thad Levine’s tenure with the Minnesota Twins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10-04-24-levine-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Levine has found significant success in his eight years with the Twins since joining the organization in 2016 to become their senior vice president and general manager. Levine won three AL Central division titles, made the postseason four times, won the Twins’ first postseason series since 2002 in 2023 and oversaw some huge free agency moves and trades.</p><p>An especially shrewd decision that Levine helped make was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-drops-silver-lining-revelation-after-free-agency-debacle">signing shortstop Carlos Correa</a> to a below-market deal following a drawn-out free agency during the 2022-23 offseason.</p><p>Before joining the Twins in 2016, Levine spent 11 years as assistant general manager of the Texas Rangers following 12 years in the Colorado Rockies organization.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins GM leaves team after missing postseason

<!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-make-final-rocco-baldelli-decision-epic-collapse');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins make final Rocco Baldelli decision after epic collapse');   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/2024/09/Minnesota-makes-final-Rocco-Baldelli-decision-after-epic-collapse.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins make final Rocco Baldelli decision after epic collapse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-29T12:10:40-07:00">September 29th, 12:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-29T12:11:27-07:00">September 29th, 12:11pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins are sticking with their skipper. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli <a href="https://x.com/DanHayesMLB/status/1840453035149217868" rel="noopener">is returning to the team</a> in 2025, per The Athletic. Baldelli’s fate was uncertain previously, after Minnesota <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-rocco-baldelli-shares-striking-admission-amid-fans-firing-request">fell apart this season</a>. The Twins are eliminated from playoff contention despite holding a 70-53 record in August.</p><p>One reason Baldelli may be keeping his job is because of what he did in 2023. The manager helped the Minnesota franchise get to the American League playoffs last season. The Twins manager says he understands the current frustration from the fanbase.</p><p>“The fans, I think, have a right to feel <a href="https://www.startribune.com/twins-manager-rocco-baldelli-responds-to-the-fire-rocco-chants-at-target-field/601153583" rel="noopener">almost any way they choose</a>,” Baldelli said, per the Minnesota Star Tribune. “I believe that. Frankly, any time we haven’t had success here, I’ve heard them in the stadium, and that’s part of managing a Major League Baseball team.</p><p>“I respect the fans. The Minnesota Twins fans showed me last year when we were in the playoffs amazing things, things that can change the outcome of a game in favor of their team. You can’t have greater passion than what I saw. If I’m going to accept that, take that and enjoy that, then I’ll also take the criticism when things don’t go well.”</p><h2>Behind the Twins collapse in 2024</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-25-24-wallner-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© Peter Aiken-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Minnesota went 12-25 following the date of August 17. The Twins are about to finish the season with at least 82 wins, but nowhere near the high mark they saw in mid August. The Twins have lost 8 of their last 10 games, and fans certainly do have a bad taste in their mouth.</p><p>There’s reason to believe in Borelli, despite the struggles. The manager was AL Manager of the Year in 2019, and has won the AL Central three times in his tenure. That includes during the 2023 campaign. Still, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-rocco-baldelli-rally-cry-despite-worrying-injury-pile-up">the team didn’t finish</a> the 2024 campaign the way that the Twins and their fans wanted.</p><p>“I feel like most of the blame should be on the players,” Twins pitcher Bailey Ober said.</p><p>This is the second time in three years that Minnesota faded in the last portion of the season. The last time this happened was in 2022, when the Twins lost 29 of the club’s last 45 games. Again, the collapse began in mid August. Next season, Twins fans will surely be keeping a close eye on what happens in the final six weeks or so of the campaign.</p><p>Minnesota plays the final game of its 2024 season Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:10 Eastern.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins make final Rocco Baldelli decision after epic collapse

<!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-rocco-baldelli-shares-striking-admission-amid-fans-firing-request');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ Rocco Baldelli shares striking admission amid fans’ firing request');   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/2024/09/Twins-Rocco-Baldelli-shares-striking-admission-amid-fans-firing-request.jpg"></figure><h1>Twins’ Rocco Baldelli shares striking admission amid fans’ firing request</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-29T08:31:54-07:00">September 29th, 8:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-29T08:32:13-07:00">September 29th, 8:32am</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">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After collapsing over the last month and a half, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-breakdown-late-season-collapse-wont-make-fans-happy">the Minnesota Twins will officially miss the 2024 MLB Playoffs</a>, with the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals earning their berths as Wild Card teams instead. Throughout the week, manager Rocco Baldelli heard “Fire Rocco” chants from the fans at Target Field and was asked about them post-game on Saturday.</p><p>Baldelli kept it real, making it clear they <a href="https://www.startribune.com/twins-manager-rocco-baldelli-responds-to-the-fire-rocco-chants-at-target-field/601153583" rel="noopener">have every right</a> to feel a type of way about the Twins failing to live up to expectations.</p><p>Via Bobby Nightengale:</p><p>“The fans, I think, have a right to feel almost any way they choose,” Baldelli said. “I believe that. Frankly, any time we haven’t had success here, I’ve heard them in the stadium, and that’s part of managing a Major League Baseball team.</p><p>“I respect the fans. The Minnesota Twins fans showed me last year when we were in the playoffs amazing things, things that can change the outcome of a game in favor of their team. You can’t have greater passion than what I saw. If I’m going to accept that, take that and enjoy that, then I’ll also take the criticism when things don’t go well.”</p><p>The Twins only won 12 of their final 37 games to close out the regular season.</p><h2><b>Twins’ collapse not on Baldelli</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/In-line-image-of-Twins-Rocco-Baldelli.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Baseball is a team sport. All Baldelli can do is put his best players on the diamond and hope they perform. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twins-news-carlos-correa-poison-comment-rocco-baldelli">The reality is they didn’t</a>. Minnesota hit just .219 in the month of September and a mere .235 since the All-Star break. They weren’t great on the mound either, compiling a 4.45 ERA post-All-Star break.</p><p>Baldelli’s contract runs through 2025 and he admitted that being fired hasn’t exactly been on his mind:</p><p>“I’ve never stressed out about that,” Baldelli said. “I stress out about the way we play. I stress out about the results and the process for us to get to those results. I don’t go to bed thinking about my job. I go to bed thinking about the job we do and how we need to do it better. And that’s the reality of it. We’ll let things play out.”</p><p>“I’m fully motivated and enjoy what I do,” Baldelli said. “I appreciate our organization and our fans. That goes without saying, but I still feel as passionately today about doing the job as I did the day I took it.”</p><p>Starter Bailey Ober gave his take on the blame being put on Baldelli’s shoulders, saying it’s not his fault:</p><p>“I feel like most of the blame should be on the players,” Ober said. “But everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. If the players hear that, I don’t think anyone is really agreeing with that. It’s like, seriously, can’t you see what’s going on? He’s not the one at fault for this mishap that happened. We didn’t get it done.”</p><p>The Twins head into the season finale on Sunday with an 82-79 record. With Baldelli at the helm, Minnesota has made the playoffs three times in his six years in charge of the organization.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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