That caused the story to mostly fizzle out. That is, until Thursday when Bender broke his silence. But before we jump ahead to what the former Twins catcher prospect said in his interview with The Athletic, let’s start with a clip notes version of what happened, so everyone can get caught up to speed.

What’s the story with Derek Bender?

Back on Sept. 6, 2024, Bender and the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Minnesota Twins’ Single-A affiliate, lost their seventh-straight game, this time falling to the Lakeland Flying Tigers, knocking them out of playoff contention.

After the game, Lakeland coaches were told by their players that Bender was telling them what pitches were being thrown by his pitchers. Lakeland coaches then informed the Fort Myers coaching staff after the game. This led to Bender spending the final two games of the season in the bullpen, before being kicked out of the organization.

Here’s a Derek Bender home run, #MNTwins fans pic.twitter.com/XClqdEJrZo

— JD Cameron (@J_D_Cameron) July 15, 2024

During the streak, and in the weeks leading up to the end of the Mighty Mussels’ 2024 season, Bender had been telling teammates about how badly he wanted the summer to be over, even “joking” with that they should let a grounder or two slip under their glove, if that’s what it took to bring the season to an end.

While Bender admits he did want the season to end, he told Blum the comments he made to his teammates were not serious. He was not intentionally trying to throw the game, and while he was desperate for a break from baseball, Derek Bender insists he never did what he is being accused of.

Bender: “A lot of us are coming off of college seasons, coming off of a pretty grueling summer schedule. Then you get there and you’re hitting .200, you’re facing some of the best stuff consistently you’ve ever seen. You’re sinking or swimming, and you’re pretty close to sinking.“

Blum: “You were accused of giving away pitches as they were coming up to bat. Did that happen?”

Bender: “No, and I’ll live with this until the day I die. I never gave pitches away. I never tried to give the opposing team an advantage against my own team.”

The Athletic

The Mussels’ losing streak is important to this story because, prior to their end-of-season debacle, the Mighty Mussels were on pace to make the playoffs. A main part of the accusations stem from Bender’s apparent eagerness to end the 2024 baseball season, which couldn’t happen if the team made the playoffs..

Derek Bender pleads his innocence

Bender originally kept his silence because of advice given by his agency. They didn’t want him to make any comments during an ongoing investigation. Bender took that advice up until the moment he decided to do The Athletic interview.

Related: Minnesota Twins Sign Another Lefty to Compete at Spring Training

If found guilty, Bender will be banned from Major League Baseball for life. That’s why he felt like he had to speak up, even if everyone around him advised against it. In fact, the interview he did with The Athletic cost him a spot with the agency that was representing him.

“It’s about gaining control over my life, and this whole situation. I’m not doing this as a last-ditch effort to get back into affiliate ball. It’s more of this is the start of me taking control of my life again. Because I’ve let this completely control me for months now.”

[Bender’s] primary agent, Jake Rosner, said he was unaware the interview had taken place. And after The Athletic reached out to Rosner to request comment, Octagon dropped Bender as a client.

The Athletic

The Twins were originally willing to keep him as long as he apologized. Bender did, but he didn’t feel like he had anything to apologize for. Minnesota Twins GM Jeremy Zoll led an internal investigation that ultimately led to the team terminating Bender on Sept. 12.

MLB, Minnesota Twins supposedly has hard evidence against Bender

No team or former teammate was willing to speak with The Athletic, on the record. Off the record, however, it was noted that the MLB’s investigation has supposedly found evidence that Bender was giving away his pitchers pitches, but as of now, we do not know what that evidence is.

League sources briefed on the investigation say the inquiry has uncovered evidence against Bender. More than a dozen people have spoken to investigators, including multiple with direct knowledge of the alleged conduct. Notably, there was no video broadcast of the game, despite the other five games in that series being aired. If the league finds he violated the rules, he’d be looking at a permanent ban, with the opportunity to apply for reinstatement after a year.

The Athletic

In 19 games in Fort Myers, he hit .200 with two homers, eight RBIs and five walks. He will be playing independent ball this summer for the Brockton Rox of the Frontier League. He has no ill-will towards the Twins, but he doesn’t feel like they ever had his back throughout the process.

Related: Minnesota Twins Flamethrower Has a New Pitch

This stint with the Rox is a chance at redemption. Bender wants to prove to GMs like Zoll that all he cares about is winning. It might involve a move to first base, as most pitchers will likely be hesitant to throw to him now, but that’s fine with him. He just wants to play. We’ll see if that will ever happen with an MLB affiliate.

Farm system more than just Minnesota Twins graduations

Rocco Baldelli’s team went through a myriad of different injuries last season. The lack of consistent stars remaining on the field meant putting together a lineup card changed on a daily basis. That also brought plenty of rookie debuts along the way.

Fans saw Brooks Lee, David Festa, Zebby Matthews, and others all take the field at Target Field for the first time. Despite graduating multiple projects from their farm system, the group is still well stocked. MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra called the group one of the most improved across baseball.

“Despite an early hamstring strain, 2023 fifth overall pick Walker Jenkins solidified his place as one of the game’s best hitting prospects with his climb to Double-A Wichita, and he gives the Twins a potential superstar in the making at the top of the pyramid. Below him, Luke Keaschall, David Festa and Zebby Matthews (the latter two have since graduated) all pushed their way onto the Top 100 with breakout seasons. Marco Raya‘s career-high 97 2/3 innings certainly helped the top of the pitching group as it stands now. At the time of our midseason farm system rankings, Minnesota boasted six Top 100 talents and placed second. The graduations will probably cause them to slip, but there’s no ignoring Jenkins up top alongside the toolsy Emmanuel Rodriguez.”

Sam Dykstra on the Minnesota Twins system (MLB Pipeline)

There’s a pretty solid chance that Walker Jenkins winds up being baseball’s top prospect before making his big league debut. He made it to Double-A last season and played in 82 games across all levels. His .282/.394/.439 slash line was impressive and the six home runs with 17 steals showed off the power and speed combination.

Walker Jenkins last game of the season was his best game at Double-A, recording his first XBH and RBI

2-for-5
2B (110 mph)
RBI
R

The 19-year-old started the season at Low-A and is currently ranked the No. 2 prospect in MLB by @MLBPipeline🌟#MNTwins

pic.twitter.com/ZzcbvHA8Ek

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) September 16, 2024

Emmanuel Rodriguez could be the first prospect called upon by Minnesota with questions in the corners. He hit .280 with a 1.026 OPS and blasted nine home runs in 47 games. It’s too bad he isn’t right-handed from a roster construction standpoint, but even as a left the Twins are already considering his timeline.

Related: New Minnesota Twins President Has His Eye on One Almost Ready Prospect

It isn’t just the best of the system that is notable for Minnesota either. Luke Keaschall went from top-10 depth to top-100 talent. Kyle DeBarge is a notable name from the 2024 draft and arms like C.J. Culpepper and Cory Lewis being around 15th in the organization is crazy.

C.J. Culpepper (@Twins' No. 8 prospect) ties his career high with eight strikeouts through six perfect innings for the High-A @CRKernels. pic.twitter.com/9WTsOBjqeA

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 24, 2024

Related: Why Can’t the Minnesota Twins Beat Good Teams?

There’s no reason to believe that Minnesota will avoid injuries this season. Last year they used 21 position players and 32 pitchers toed the rubber. That means utilizing the farm system will again be a must, especially considering a lack of free agent spending. It’s great to have a unit that is truly an asset.

MLB Pipeline organization rankings love the Minnesota Twins

Derek Falvey was brought in to generate a consistent winner at the major league level. He also was tasked with creating sustainability for the Minnesota Twins. He has worked to accomplish both of those realities despite an ownership group unwilling to invest. The farm system is now overflowing with talent and national outlets are taking notice.

Ranking @MLB's farm systems, 1-30.

More: https://t.co/ktxxuqdvcs pic.twitter.com/aVAdhssNAL

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 15, 2024

MLB Pipeline writers Johnathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra had plenty of positives to say about the farm system. They ranked the group second overall.

Not only do the Twins have three players in the top 25, they are one of five teams with six players in the Top 100. They’re finding top-tier talent from their first-round picks and big international signees, but also in the later rounds. Matthews and Festa are the biggest examples, but the Twins continue to find big league pitching from just about every stage of the Draft, and in addition to the talent at the top, this is a deep and robust system.

MLB Pipeline writers on the Twins farm system

Minnesota landed six prospects in the recent MLB Pipeline top 100 rankings. They weren’t the only organization to do so, and that meant there would be some parity between those franchises.

Related: Minnesota Twins System Explodes in MLB Pipeline Update

Behind only the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota has to feel good about their internal development.

Minnesota Twins farm system is also about depth

It’s not just that the Twins have Walker Jenkins as a top five prospect across baseball. It isn’t only that Minnesota has six top 100 prospects. Depth has been a key contributor to the success of the farm system. Charlee Soto was a top five prospect last season after being a first round pick. He has improved and now is outside of the top ten.

Charlee Soto, our second pick in the 2023 draft, with another shutout performance in the @MightyMussels win💥

5 IP / 4 H / 0 R / 2 BB / 4 K

He averaged 96.7 MPH on his fastball yesterday which was his highest average FB velo of the season⛽️#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/MSpBGOypp8

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) August 15, 2024

Luke Keaschall wasn’t among the Twins ten best prospects last season. He made the Futures Game and is now a top five prospect in the organization. He also accomplished that rise while dealing with a torn UCL. Multiple Twins pitchers this season have developed as late round picks.

Related: Exclusive: Twins Top Prospect Opens Up About Torn UCL That Eventually Ended His Season

It is because of the infrastructure that Falvey has hired that Minnesota finds themselves in this position. The Twins have continued to employ consistent draft and scouting folks, but how they develop talent has changed. The Twins are an organization on the rise.

The Twins have one of the best outfields in the Majors. With Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler holding down the corners, the speedster Byron Buxton has room to operate from center field. I mean, just look at Buck’s range!

BYRON BUXTON IS SUPERMAN#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/DfZSvs0VEH

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) July 14, 2019

So, not a bad trio, huh?

via GIPHY

Well, I’m here to tell you why one of those three should be shown the door. Yes, I’m talking about Eddie Rosario.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Eddie and have been a huge fan of his since he came into the league. The Twins could get something very valuable back for him, though. The move might not be popular among fans, but we’ve seen success come from fan favorites being traded. It just happened at a much larger scale, when the Toronto Raptors traded DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard.

Eddie finished 18th in AL MVP voting last season and many still consider him to be one of the top left fielders in the MLB. This isn’t so much about Rosario, as it is about two prospects waiting for a shot in the majors.

Trevor Larnach and Alex Kirilloff are both corner specialists in the Twins farm system… but they aren’t just any outfield prospects. As the 3rd and 2nd ranked prospects respectively, the duo falls only behind 2017 first-overall pick Royce Lewis.

Lewis could even find himself playing in the outfield, with the infield crowded too…

Why Rosario?

I get it, Kepler is also a corner outfielder, why don’t we look into trading him?

Kepler himself was 20th in the AL MVP voting last season, only two spots behind Rosario. He’s also a year and a half younger than Eddie and is locked up until 2024, a few years longer than Rosario.

Sure, Rosario’s batting average is slightly higher, but Kepler bests him in the other three major batting stats categories. So with a younger Max already locked in on a more team-friendly contract, Rosario seems like the odd man out.

Who would we trade him for?

Now, I’m not saying we just throw Rosario out for nothing. He has value and could possibly snag the Twins a solid pitcher, either in the rotation or out of the bull pen. The Twins’ lineup is solid, but the pitching rotation and bullpen could always improve.

He won’t fetch an ace for the Twins, but he definitely could bring in someone who would fill out the rotation nicely. I don’t know exactly who that player would be, but trading Rosario seems like a solid move for the Twins.

via GIPHY

Here are a few potential targets:

1. Texas Rangers’ Starting Pitcher, Mike Minor
2. Arizona Diamondback’s Starting Pitcher, Robbie Ray
3. Oakland Athletic’s Starting Pitcher, Chris Bassitt

None of these three will challenge José Berríos as the Twins’ ace, but they would solidify the rotation.

Let me know you thoughts, Twins faithful.

Since the Twins punted on the 2018 season at the trade deadline by sending Eduardo Escobar, Ryan Presley, Zach Duke, Lance Lynn and Brian Dozier to greener pastures, the question turns to…. now what? The Indians have started to pull away, and although the Twins squeeked one out in Cleveland last night, their playoff odds are basically non-existent. So, what do we do now? The answer is simple (and reoccurring)…look to the future:

via GIPHY

Now I know you’ve heard that over and over and over and over and over and over (I could go on) again. And trust me I have too. But this time should be different. This future feels even brighter. This future goes by the name of Royce Lewis, or goat if you prefer. Check this out:

Royce Lewis went 4-for-6 with two homers tonight. He’s now hitting .329/.418/.506 with a 15/13 K/BB ratio through 21 games at high Single-A as a 19-year-old.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) August 7, 2018

The Twins drafted this kid in 2017. The sweetest swing in the Twins entire system is just cracking the surface on his seemingly unlimited potential. Royce is too busy being awesome to even bother with any form of social media. He just flat-out rakes and MLB experts are taking notice. MLB.com has Lewis as their #10 prospect in ALL OF BASEBALL already and the Twins system has vaulted up the ranks as it continues to mature.

Lewis makes for a very shiny star atop the proverbial prospect tree, but he’s certainly not alone. The Twins are riddled with prospects who are tearing the cover off the ball.

Take outfield prospect Brent Rooker for example:

Brent Rooker has been on a tear recently, hitting .315 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs & 29 RBIs in the second half!
?https://t.co/M4TuNrsIku pic.twitter.com/Gb0NMkbG6u

— Chattanooga Lookouts (@ChattLookouts) August 3, 2018

Rooker is currently the 7th best prospect in the Twins system. He profiles as a 1B/Corner OF/DH type in the field. But his bat WILL find the lineup every day.

Oh and Alex Kirilloff is a pretty damn good hitter too:

Alex Kirilloff 2 oppo hits were a thing of beauty. The hands stay back, the front shoulder stays closed, and he barrels up. This is the type of approach that not only says .300 hitter in the big leagues, but potential batting champ. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/soapEMXESy

— Jason Woodell (@JasonAtTheGame) August 7, 2018

Kirilloff is the 2nd best prospect in the Twins system. Who knows where Alex would be

And with all of these younger studs, I keep forgetting about the guy who will likely be the first top-prospect, currently in the system, to reach the big leagues. His name is Nick Gordon. Gordon has been struggling at AAA since his call up. But with Dozier now gone there is a spot for him to get some run in September, if he can get things together. Logan Forsythe is currently manning that spot since he came to the Twins in the Dozier trade, but he’s just keeping the seat warm.

I haven’t even touched the pitching side of this equation. Aside from Berrios and Gibson the rotation is very much in flux. One potential option to fill a spot next year is this guy:

WATCH: Stephen Gonsalves went 5.1 innings allowing 2 ER on 5 hits and 3 walks last night against the @PawSox.

He struck out 3 batters. pic.twitter.com/Za2ebhiqLH

— Morrie Silver (@MorrieSilver8) August 4, 2018

Stephen Gonsalves is straight FILTH. 7-3 at AAA since his promotion with 81 K’s in 88.1 innings and 10-3 overall with 106 K’s in 108.1 innings this year. He’s struggled a bit with control, walking 60 hitters this year, but he’s been better of late and control problems haven’t been his MO coming through the system. He might not be a top of the rotation starter but we already have one of those in Señor Berrios. You probably remember Fernando Romero from his hot start with the Twins. He will also be a factor in the rotation over the next couple of years.

And don’t forget the best name in the Twins minor league system: BRUSDAR GRATEROL

Brusdar Graterol was ? for @MiracleBaseball:
6 IP
5 H
1 R (0 ER)
0 BB
5 K
Graterol in the #MNTwins No. 4 prospect: https://t.co/QHu30m3ymE pic.twitter.com/BtagVmrL4Z

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 4, 2018

Throw all of these names together in 2 years and you have something like this:

C: Mitch Garver
1B: Brent Rooker
2B: Nick Gordon
SS: Jorge Polanco
3B: Royce Lewis
LF: Eddie Rosario
CF: Byron Buxton
RF: Alex Kiriloff
DH: Miguel Sano

SP: Jose Berrios
SP: Kyle Gibson
SP: Fernando Romero
SP: Stephen Gonsalves
SP: Adalberto Mejia

And, obviously this lineup doesn’t include the $80-100 Million that is falling off of the books after this year as contracts from the previous regime start to fall off. If you can’t get hyped about what lies ahead, then I don’t know what to tell you. Because the future is so bright for this Twins team you have to wear shades to see it.

via GIPHY

Seth Toupal @SethToups

Minnesota Sports Fan