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

Buxton, Ryan & Pablo

·27 min·1 clip

If the Twins trade Byron Buxton, Jim Suhan says they have to trade Joe Ryan too.

1. Chin Music w/ Roy Smalley, LaVelle E. Neal III & Jim Souhan centers on Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Pablo López on TalkNorth.com. 2. Roy Smalley, a former Twins star and former Twins broadcaster, and Jim Suhan of the Star Tribune and TalkNorth.com lead the discussion. 3. The episode asks what the Twins should do if their core players become trade candidates and the roster tilts toward a rebuild. 4. Jim Suhan cites Jeff Passan's ESPN report that Byron Buxton is now willing to waive his no-trade clause. 5. Suhan says Buxton's change means he believes the Twins are not trying to win and wants to compete while still in his prime. 6. Smalley agrees that Buxton wants two or three more prime years and cannot wait around for a promise that the Twins will build a contender. 7. The hosts say a Buxton trade would likely lead to a Joe Ryan trade because the club would be moving into a deeper reset. 8. Suhan says the Twins would need to get a 'boatload of young players' and judge every return as a long-term talent package. 9. They compare the situation to watching good players like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on contending teams. 10. The discussion turns to whether Pablo López should be kept as a leader for young pitchers or traded for more payroll relief and prospects. 11. Smalley says keeping Pablo for '10 extra wins' would not reverse a larger collapse in attendance and organizational direction. 12. Both hosts say the front office has to set a high bar and demand value worthy of Buxton, Ryan, and López. 13. They argue that rebuilding is a long process and that the Twins would need a wave of young players to arrive together. 14. Suhan recalls covering Twins teams in the 1990s and early 2010s that lost around 100 games while trying to develop young talent. 15. The prospect discussion names Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Kaelen Culpepper, Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner. 16. Suhan and Smalley note that Jenkins and Rodriguez have been hurt a lot, Culpepper may not stay at shortstop, and Royce Lewis has a very wide range of outcomes. 17. The baseball section sounds conversational and analytical, with Suhan pushing scenarios and Smalley answering in a measured, evaluative style. 18. Later, the show shifts into a music segment and a listener question about Steve Cropper's death. 19. Listeners who follow Twins roster moves and prospect development will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting game recaps or a short news bulletin may want to skip it.

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