The Twins want a bounce-back season in 2025, and it’s been suggested the club has the potential to not only win the American League Central Division but also have the best roster.
“I agree with that,” club president Dave St. Peter said yesterday. “We’re better than what the public thinks we are right now. And I recognize…it’s rooted in frustration with payroll, and the fact that we haven’t added (players) to the team. But when you look at the core roster, and particularly the pitching—assuming we stay healthy throughout the roster—we’re going to have a really quality baseball team.
“And again, we have to stay healthy. I think that’s going to be critical for our best players to be on the diamond, (Carlos) Correa, (Byron) Buxton, (Royce) Lewis. And assuming they are, I like our chances to not only win the division but challenge in the month of October (postseason).”
Shortstop Correa, center fielder Buxton and right fielder Matt Wallner are on the short list of the better MLB players at their positions. If Lewis hadn’t experienced a slide toward the end of last season he would be in that company at third base.
Lewis, a .300 hitter prior to last year when he slumped to .233, was frustrated late in the year with not only his hitting but also reportedly the experiment to have him play second base. St. Peter told Sports Headliners Lewis, 25, will play third base in spring training, but didn’t rule out games at second during the season.
St. Peter sees the challenge of last season as being a positive for Lewis’ development. An experience that contributes to his growth and improvement. “…I think we’re seeing that out of Royce, and we believe Royce is really positioned to bounce back in a big way from what we saw at the conclusion of the 2024 season.”
Led by executive Derek Falvey, the Twins are looking for potential opportunities to improve the roster via trades or free agent signings. St. Peter said because of pitching’s importance that category is always a priority, and he mentioned first base as a position the club might bolster.
It’s been suggested a right-handed hitting center fielder to back up Buxton could be a need, too. St. Peter acknowledged that but also said reserve right-handed hitting Austin Martin has “all the tools” and will have an opportunity in spring training to show what he can do in center.
“We have good players,” St. Peter said. “We like our roster. We think we’re in a really good, interesting spot. This is an exciting time I still believe to be a Twins fan. There’s a lot of familiarity and stability within this roster. So, we just can’t wait to get started.”
The Twins began and finished the season poorly in 2024. The culprit in the closing weeks was lack of run production as Minnesota lost eight of its last 10 games and finished with an 82-80 record after winning the division in 2023.
From the new hitting coach Matt Borgschulte and manager Rocco Baldelli there will be emphasis in spring training to have players better prepared at the plate. The focus on improved offense is expected to include better situational hitting to advance runners and score runs.
Minnesota started last season 7-13. St. Peter said in spring training there will be a “mindset” and intensity to achieve a winning record in April. Urgency is expected to be conveyed in spring training that starts next month in Fort Myers.
Worth Noting
St. Peter said there is no “definitive timetable” on the sale of the franchise but there is significant interest from potential buyers. “That should not surprise anybody,” he said. “This is a great market. We have a world-class ballpark. Really solid organization.
“The baseball organization is in a really good spot with a really competitive major league team in a very winnable division. So, all that leads up to a lot of interest and the reality that this is a gem of a franchise.”
February 11 is the first day fans can sign up to watch Twins games via streaming. The cost is $99.99 for the whole season, or $19.99 monthly.
St. Peter is “highly confident” there will soon be an announcement of what channels to watch games on via cable and satellite. Between streaming and cable/satellite he thinks 10-12 spring training games will be available for viewing.
He added there is also the possibility of some games being available free via over-the-air broadcasting.
Minnesota Breakfast attendees in Naples, Florida recently heard from Minnesota Wild newsmakers Bill Guerin and Matt Majka. Guerin, the Wild’s GM, praised John Hynes for helping the team get off to a “strong start” during his first full season while noting the head coach’s commitment to “detail” in preseason training and practice sessions.
While bemoaning “another season filled with injuries” to at least a half-dozen key players, Guerin said the team has a “solid foundation” with young players on the squad and top prospects in the farm system. The Wild, who missed the playoffs last season, has one of the NHL’s top point totals with 64 but is only 4-6 in the last 10 games.
CEO Majka, who’s been with the franchise since its inception, previewed proposed renovations to the 25-year-old Xcel Energy Center. Even though the facility is in good shape, Majka said, upgrading is a “top priority” to keep the aging facility competitive with other venues, particularly Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, as well as to serve the team’s “terrific fan base.”
The 61-year-old Minnesota Breakfast group was started by Minnesota snowbirds and transplants. In winter months, the group hears weekly from prominent speakers. University of Minnesota president Rebecca Cunningham is the scheduled speaker this Friday. https://mnbreakfast.org/schedule/?yr=2025
Reporting from Naples on much of the above via email was Marshall Tanick, the prominent Minneapolis-based attorney who also writes articles for Minnesota and Florida publications.
Tanick offered the following observations about the NFL’s NFC North Division in 2024:
“All season long we were told that the NFC North —the old Black & Blue (B & B) Division—was the best in the NFL—based upon the records of the top three teams: Lions, Vikings, Packers.
“Seeing how the trio performed in the playoffs—each blowing their games by double digit scores—that evaluation needs revision, huh?
“In fact, the B & B has not had a team in the Super Bowl since the Packers won in 2011. In the meantime, every other division in the NFL, except the AFC South (Jacksonville, Houston, Indianapolis, and Tennessee), has had at least one team make it that far. …
“Could it be that the Black and Blue division is over-rated?”
Denny Schulstad, the 80-year-old former Minneapolis City Council leader and retired Air Force Brigadier General, winters in Arizona where he plays tennis “4-6 times each week.”
They DO have good players…but until they get LEADERS in the clubhouse that have the REFUSE TO LOSE attitude (like Gaetti, Hrbek, Viola, Gladden, Morris, Hunter, Cruz) they will continue down the road as wannabes.
It’s interesting. (Dave) St. Peter talks about the Twins core roster…but with this organization that does not seem to really matter. Last season Royce Lewis missed 80 games, (Carlos) Correa 76, (Byron) Buxton 60, (Max) Kepler 57, (Alex) Kirilloff missed 105 and had to retire. The pitching staff also had their issues. The grass is greener attitude every March says, “if everyone stays healthy, we got a chance!” Which is true. But not ever realistic under this regime for whatever reason.