Chin Music w/ Roy Smalley, LaVelle E. Neal III & Jim Souhan - Minnesota Twins Podcast · Talk North Podcast Network

Where do Twins stand?

·32 min·2 clips

LaVelle Neal III says the Twins are "not going to contend in 2026."

1. Chin Music w/ Roy Smalley, LaVelle E. Neal III & Jim Souhan centers on the Twins' offseason direction in "Where do Twins stand?" 2. Roy Smalley, a former Twins star and former Twins broadcaster, and LaVelle E. Neal III, a Star Tribune baseball writer, join Jim Souhan to parse the roster. 3. The episode asks whether the Twins are trying to contend now, trade stars like Byron Buxton, or keep building around young pitching. 4. The conversation starts with Bobby Nightingale's winter-meetings reporting and the idea that Luke Keaschall could end up in the outfield. 5. Roy says the move would make sense if the Twins need right-handed corner outfield production and believe their middle infield is covered. 6. LaVelle pushes back by asking who would play second base if Keaschall moves out of the infield. 7. The hosts also question whether Keaschall has enough arm for right field and suggest left field may be the likeliest fit. 8. Jim lists the outfield mix as Roden, Keaschall, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Buck, Royce, Wallner, and Larnach. 9. LaVelle says Trevor Larnach may not be on the Opening Day roster and calls Matt Wallner a "put up or shut up" case. 10. The discussion then widens to the Twins' stockpile of young pitchers and how that affects roster decisions. 11. Jim argues the club has become dependent on trading good major leaguers for prospects, which can leave the team permanently "on the verge" of being good. 12. Roy compares that strategy to par-fives in golf, saying it requires too many things to go right on the same day. 13. The hosts cite Nelson Cruz for Joe Ryan, Pablo López, and the Jhoan Duran and Louis Varland trades as examples of the Twins' front-office record. 14. Roy also recalls the Corey Kluber path from a three-way trade involving Jake Westbrook and later a deal that brought back Emmanuel Clase. 15. Jim and Roy agree that the Twins have made some strong trades, but not enough clear "holy cow" wins to prove the model works every time. 16. The episode turns to Byron Buxton after reports that he would waive his no-trade clause and the team said it wants to keep its best players. 17. LaVelle says he does not believe the Twins will contend in 2026 and remains skeptical that the club will keep every core player if the offers get large enough. 18. Roy says the ownership-sale confusion created a mess, and the club's changing debt and investor story makes every baseball decision harder to read. 19. Fans who follow Twins roster construction and trade logic will get the most out of this episode. 20. Listeners looking for deep analytics or a guest interview should probably skip it.

As heard by us

A blunt winter-meetings check on the Twins' roster math, from bullpen doubts to trade regrets.

Roy Smalley, Lavelle E. Neal III, and Jim Souhan work through where the Twins stand after the winter meetings without pretending every rumor carries the same weight.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the Twins' winter-meetings talk without the usual fog.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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