Gleeman and The Geek

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' dwindling playoff chances with three weeks left, Byron Buxton admitting he'll eventually need hip surgery, Joe Ryan nearing a return, first impressions of Walker Jenkins, and takeaways from the Angels selling for $4 billion.
0:00 Intro
0:48 Twenty-two games left and a 3-3 homestand that wasn't enough
2:02 Playoff odds at nine percent, and the 14-8 finish they'd need
4:30 Resilient, or unable to handle success
6:38 Trying to avoid a third straight second-half collapse under an all-new regime
9:45 Now or never, starting with the White Sox in Chicago
11:47 The early-season bullpen and infield defense that cost them
13:00 Opponents' bad defense has handed the Twins 20-plus runs
14:33 The bad bullpen was the plan, and the plan worked
20:34 Byron Buxton says he needs hip surgery
23:48 When playing through pain stops helping the team
27:08 The 2023 knee surgery that bought Buxton three good years
32:17 First impressions of Walker Jenkins after a week
35:23 Why Culpepper hit right away and Jenkins hasn't
40:26 Why Jenkins is batting ninth, and where he belongs later
42:51 Watching a pennant race and the future at the same time
46:54 The last times the Twins got to do both at once
51:32 Garrett Acton up, Ben Ross up, Kyler Fedko released
55:43 Shelton explains why Emmanuel Rodriguez stayed at Triple-A
1:02:42 Joe Ryan's rehab start, and whether he skips the second one
1:08:51 What the final three weeks do to Joe Ryan's trade value
1:11:03 Connor Prielipp's workload, and stuff that hasn't faded
1:14:45 Andrew Morris opens a game, and his future in the bullpen
1:20:25 Matt Canterino pitches for the first time since 2022
1:26:00 The Angels sell for $4 billion after twenty years of failure
1:26:45 What the Padres sale should teach Tom Pohlad
1:31:40 Are the Twins suddenly worth $2.3 billion?
1:38:35 Back Monday on Patreon

Aaron and John talk about the Twins calling up top prospect Walker Jenkins, why Byron Buxton's hip injury was the biggest factor, what to expect from the 21-year-old consensus top-10 prospect, and the team's shrinking playoff window after a brutal road trip.
0:00 Walker Jenkins is coming up! It's an Emergency!
2:17 Twins playoff odds fall from 40% to 10% after a 1-5 West Coast trip
5:33 Byron Buxton and Miguel Sanó in 2015 — which debut does Jenkins resemble?
8:49 Kaelen Culpepper set the bar for what a great three weeks looks like
10:17 Resiliency, or an inability to build on anything?
12:37 White Sox and Tigers at home: now or never in the AL Central
14:11 The call-up is about Byron Buxton's hip, not Jenkins' bat
15:57 The Triple-A prospect wave that injuries wiped out
22:44 Ticket sales, attendance and a packed press box for the debut
25:30 Luke Keaschall in center field has been rough
29:14 Jenkins' defense and the young Max Kepler defensive scouting report
34:18 Debunking the 40-man roster and lockout excuse for keeping Jenkins down
35:48 365 days at Triple-A: Jenkins has more experience than you think
38:39 The best Twins prospect since Buxton, and how few holes are in his game
50:46 Why Walker Jenkins' swing looks like Joe Mauer's
1:00:42 Target Field is a tough park for left-handed power
1:05:27 What's a good baseline for Jenkins? 
1:06:59 Buxton, Mauer, Rivas, Guzmán, Ortiz: the five Twins to play at 21 years old
1:15:24 When does playing hurt stops being selfless?
1:19:00 The roster math: Buxton, Alex Jackson or Alan Roden — pick two
1:25:39 Joe Ryan is nearing a rehab assignment
1:27:14 Emmanuel Rodriguez is healthy, hot, and out of options
1:32:34 Vahn Lackey promoted to High-A after passing the lemon test
1:39:43 Aaron on the Dane Moore show — and the Jonathan Kuminga timing

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' having a playoff spot there for the taking with six weeks left, why the rotation desperately needs first-half Joe Ryan back, the dramatic in-season bullpen turnaround, why Alex Jackson is such an uninspired choice for a roster spot, and what lessons Tom Pohlad can learn from the Padres.
0:44 Swept by the Phillies, then a sweep of the Braves
2:32 Where things stand: 63-65 with 34 games left
3:32 Twins hold the final AL wild card spot — 40% playoff odds
4:20 Fourth-easiest remaining schedule in baseball
5:04 The seven-team wild card logjam
5:56 Tiebreakers: the Twins have them over almost everyone
8:14 AL Central odds and the six games left vs. the White Sox
12:16 Why the AL playoff field is wide open
15:52 What this season still has to accomplish
21:14 Last August's fire sale and the joylessness of a lost season
25:43 The rotation is the problem: worst ERA in the AL since the break
29:46 This rotation could really use Joe Ryan
35:06 Kendry Rojas as rotation depth at Triple-A
36:16 Derek Shelton's quicker hook
40:53 The bullpen is now the strength of the team
43:34 Reading the Opening Day bullpen out loud, one disaster at a time
52:17 Luke Keaschall is back to his rookie form
58:00 Royce Lewis and the shortage of right-handed bats
1:00:29 Why not Walker Jenkins?
1:01:39 The Alex Jackson move: DFA'd, cleared waivers, recalled two hours later
1:06:57 Byron Buxton isn't 100%, and Jenkins is a real center fielder
1:09:47 John pushes back: where do the at-bats come from?
1:16:52 Kaelen Culpepper's first 10 games
1:22:00 Attendance is down 83,000 
1:27:23 What Tom Pohlad should take from the Padres sale
1:36:32 The 2023 payroll cut and kneecapped a five-year plan
1:42:07 Coming up: Padres, A's, then 15 straight vs. the AL Central

Aaron and John talk about the Twins playing the Field of Dreams game and the Bonnes' experience in Iowa, the return of Byron Buxton, what to make of Luke Keaschall, Kaelen Culpepper's debut, why calling up Walker Jenkins makes sense too, and celebrating the 15-year anniversary of the podcast.
0:00 Dubuque, Iowa and Aaron's Iowa exile
3:58 Netflix's Field of Dreams broadcast was rough
7:36 The "beloved" Pohlad ownership?
8:51 In the stands it didn't feel like a game that counts
11:59 MLB nailed the logistics including the walk through the corn
19:36 Super Bowl ticket prices, cheesesteaks and wild rice brats
21:13 Hunting Kyle Schwarber's homer in the cornfield
25:13 A national event, not a Twins broadcast
36:21 Byron Buxton returns, Taj Bradley lays an egg
37:07 Luke Keaschall's near-robbery of Schwarber
42:45 Keaschall's quiet .290/.400 since April
49:40 Reset: 60-63, 29% playoff odds, chasing the Tigers
56:04 Buxton back, Alex Jackson DFA'd
59:33 Walker Jenkins vs. Alan Roden
1:15:40 Joe Ryan's timeline
1:19:21 The RISP magic is gone
1:24:31 15 years of Gleeman and The Geek

Aaron and John recap the Twins' trade deadline moves to add Jeff Hoffman, A.J. Minter, and Dean Kremer, speculate about the moves they didn't make while keeping the lineup intact with Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach, and wonder what's wrong with Joe Ryan.

0:00 Family Feud, Steve Harvey and we got a good one for you today
2:06 Twins add Jeff Hoffman, AJ Minter and Dean Kremer at the trade deadline
3:51 Twins slip below .500 while the AL wild card race stays wide open
5:35 Front office and ownership did their part — now the players have to play
7:52 A rebuilt bullpen is useless if you can't build the bridge to it
10:44 Tom Pohlad in Kansas City: payroll will rise, trust takes longer
14:14 Aaron gets punched in the shoulder by Tom Pohlad
15:51 The looming lockout and a possible $150 million payroll floor
20:08 Toronto sends $3.75 million to cover Jeff Hoffman's 2027 salary
22:14 Jeff Hoffman under control for 2027 at $7 million is the real prize
23:35 AJ Minter was the no-brainer; Dean Kremer cost a premium
24:53 Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani go to the Mets for AJ Minter
27:45 Johnnardo Reyes, the 19-year-old given up for Dean Kremer
29:15 Dasan Hill headlines the Jeff Hoffman package to Toronto
31:41 Why the Twins traded low-minors upside instead of Double-A depth
36:10 Grading the deadline
39:24 A thin right-handed bat market
45:13 Get to know Jeff Hoffman
49:00 Losing the closer job to Louie Varland — the strangest domino of the fire sale
49:40 Why Hoffman's ERA lies: 97 mph, a 50 percent whiff slider, 12.3 strikeouts per nine
54:00 Why Shelton keeps Gomez as closer and uses Hoffman earlier
58:19 Dean Kremer and the 2024 scars: Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, rotation question marks
1:06:30 The trade that died: Trevor Larnach to Houston for Bryan Abreu, nixed by Jim Crane
1:11:37 Trevor Larnach's arbitration raise and his offseason trade market
1:13:19 Ryan Jeffers stays as the Rays and Red Sox pay up for catchers
1:16:01 The qualifying offer case: pay Ryan Jeffers $24 million next year
1:19:17 No bats added — Josh Bell, Larnach and the lineup stay intact
1:21:06 Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins and Byron Buxton's hip
1:27:39 The bullpen remodel: Hoffman, Gomez, Morris, Minter and Tommy Nance
1:29:38 Joe Ryan's discouraging start against the Royals
1:31:37 A 3.17 first-half ERA and a 4.93 second-half ERA — the most extreme split in Twins history
1:32:11 Joe Ryan's cryptic quotes and performance
1:36:25 Dead arm or something worse? 
1:39:45 Why selling Joe Ryan stopped being an option once his trade value cratered
1:41:41 Joe Ryan's performance also affects the offseason. 
1:44:51 Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton matter more than the entire deadline
1:48:56 Field of Dreams game in Iowa, Patreon Q&A Friday, and a wide-open American League