Minnesota Twins: With the season circling the drain, what comes next?

Well it was fun while it lasted. The Minnesota Twins have slumped to 69-70, two games behind the Chicago White Sox, and four and half games behind the Cleveland Guardians. With 24 games to go (including five against the Guardians), the Twins playoff chances have dropped from unlikely to near-miracle status. With the team likely done, there are a few ways to look at the season:

1. Glass Half-Full: There were a lot of positive takeaways. The Twins are four wins away from clearing their 2021 win total (they’ll clear far past it). They have developed some good pieces from the future (Jose Miranda, Royce Lewis, and Jhoan Duran look like stars). After an abysmal 2021, the team looked like a contender for most of the season.
2. Glass Half-Empty: This team blew it. They led the division for most of the year, but they’ve collapsed epically and once-promising deadline additions look like trash. Fire Rocco, Falvine, and start jettisoning players.
3. Somewhere in the Middle: While they made strides and appear to have some good pieces, an upgrade over 2021 isn’t good enough. This team should have played better. While the sky isn’t falling, the team has its work cut out for them. This is where I am.

After an up-and-down 2022, the Minnesota Twins have some moves to make before a key 2023 season.

The team has flopped in the second half, and this means it’s time to clear up who will remain here and who will be the first to shown the door. This Minnesota Twins team, the most injured in baseball, has a lot of talent, but definitely needs to clean up the depth and the margins. Here are four things to look for as the season rolls to a close.