Brock Beauchamp

The Twins are listening on almost everybody. Here's the deal in Minnesota: Their payroll in 2023 was $160m. They cut that payroll to $130m in 2024. Just counting their guaranteed contracts and estimated arb cases, their 2025 payroll is already sitting around $135m. To have any roster flexibility this offseason, they're going to need to move some contracts. One of the easiest positions for them to do that is the catcher position.

I think the most damning aspect of it is that it means they don't care if they're a few bucks over the CBT. Which means they won't be going way over the limit in future years because otherwise they'd care about the multi-year penalties and wouldn't have gone over in 2024.

Thanks for voting, everyone! Ranked ProspectsMatt ShawCade HortonOwen CaissieMoises BallesterosKevin AlcantaraCam SmithJames TriantosJefferson RojasJaxon WigginsBrandon BirdsellCristian HernandezAlexander CanarioDerniche ValdezFernando CruzJonathon LongDrew GrayAlfonsin RosarioMichael AriasLuis VazquezPedro Ramirez

Welcome to North Side Baseball! The Twins are beyond payroll-strapped. I think they'll listen to offers on literally anybody making more than the minimum. Jeffers won't come cheaply, though.

I do not see your vote in the tally.

@TomtheBombadil missed those earlier, they've been added now.

And maybe that would be possible if Moreno hadn’t hamstrung his GMs so many times over the past decade+. He’s a terrible owner that meddles constantly.

At the last trade deadline, Jed Hoyer was in talks with the Los Angeles Angels about acquiring 24-year-old catcher Logan O'Hoppe. Ultimately, the deal fell through as the Angels stumbled their way to a 99-loss season. Miguel Amaya, on the other hand, thrived during the second half of the season, posting a .761 OPS in 50 games played. Still, according to sources from The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, the Cubs will pursue catching help this winter and Logan O'Hoppe is a likely target. O'Hoppe posted a 100 OPS+ in 2024 and has a bright future ahead of him; he will not become a free agent until after the 2028 season. The biggest hurdle in any trade is likely Angels owner Arte Moreno; a known meddler in baseball affairs, he often refuses to rebuild when necessary and dislikes trading away young players. View full rumor

Yeah, I’d like to see the Cubs aim higher than this. They’re already last in fastball velo, let’s not double down on it.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported today that 34-year-old Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano will enter MLB free agency this offseason. Sugano will turn 35 in a week and it's hard to predict what kind of results he can expect against MLB hitters. Once a relatively hard-thrower, the righty now sits around 92 mph and controls six pitches. He's the epitome of a crafty veteran, striking out only six batters per nine innings in NPB. Unlike most other Japanese baseball imports, Sugano is an unrestricted free agent. There will be no posting period and all teams can vie for his services as if he was a typical MLB free agent. View full rumor

I tend to have a bias against the newly-drafted unless they're a top pick, like top ten. I weight more toward the upper minors and track record, not pure ceiling.

Done!

Thank you!

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It's prospect voting time! Here's the rundown how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It literally requires 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your dirty little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://northsidebaseball.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple, you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no great way to make something like this be as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you wish to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp or @Seth Stohs as they appear). Mention the prospect you want added and I will do that asap. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in this forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock, asking to have your vote deleted. It will be removed and you can vote again. Voting will close at end of day Tuesday, October 8th!

Why the hell did Swanson not throw to second? He had loads of time.