Jhoan Duran arrived in the Twins organization as pitcher in the low minor leagues. Griffin Jax was a third-round pick and converted starter; the same goes for Louie Varland, who was a 15th-round gem. Danny Coulombe was a free-agent signing, and Brock Stewart a shrewd waiver claim.

One by one, each was shipped in a different direction at last year’s trade deadline. The Twins’ bullpen was broken apart, and the Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers were the beneficiaries.

Derek Falvey, Jeremy Zoll and Co. once built a bullpen projected to be the best in the majors. The question is can they do it again — or at the very least, come close? And how quickly?

The Twins made one move to improve their roster last week, signing first baseman Josh Bell, but their biggest need this winter is clearly in the bullpen. Additions are expected to come from every which way. They passed on the opportunity to add a pitcher in the Rule 5 Draft earlier this month, but there are plenty of avenues the Twins can pursue to bolster the bullpen.

“Some of it is going to have to come from outside, some of it is going to be guys stepping up. There’s no question,” said Falvey, the team’s president of baseball and business operations. “You’re not going to have an entirely filled bullpen from external (sources). You’re going to have some guys that are already in that group. But I would say that as it stands right now, we’re going to look to add to it.”

In November, the Twins made their first external addition, swinging a trade for right-handed pitcher Eric Orze, who posted a 3.02 earned-run average in 41⅔ innings pitched last season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

They also tendered a contract to Cole Sands last month and agreed to terms with Justin Topa, giving them a pair of returners. Lefty Kody Funderburk could have a leg up for spot after a strong finish to last year. The Twins gave looks to Pierson Ohl and Travis Adams, converted starters, at the end of last season and both should come to spring training fighting for a roster spot.

Otherwise, they have a surplus of major league-ready staters, some of whom could factor into bullpen plans at some point down the road, as well as prospects who might be asked to convert such as Connor Prielipp, who many feel has the potential to become a high-impact reliever.

Zoll said the team should have a better idea about who might be converted to a bullpen role as the nears reporting to Fort Myers, Fla., for spring training in mid-February.

“I think that’s going to help make a lot more sense of how many guys should we be doing this with, who do we want to keep the starter project going for as long as we can? How many decisions do we need to make early, versus mid-year opportunities,” he said. “So, some of that’s going to be fluid depending on how the rest of this offseason goes.”

A major league free agent reliever pick up (or two) seems like a likely path, too, and as always there will be a number of non-roster invites in camp competing for a spot. Recently, the Twins agreed to a minor league deal with Dan Altavilla, who made 28 major league appearances last season, posting a 2.48 ERA for the Chicago White Sox across 29 innings.

“We have to build out our bullpen because there’s so many games won or lost in a bullpen, especially during the regular season,” new manager Derek Shelton said. “Building out our bullpen is going to be extremely important. I think that’s a step we’re going to need to take to continue to get better.”

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In 2015, I penned an article for the Pioneer Press titled, “Somalis are resilient Americans, not terrorists.” At the time, Minnesota’s Somali community was facing a wave of politically motivated rhetoric that cast them as terrorists and called for their deportation. Despite significant changes over the past decade, divisive and racially motivated attacks against minority communities persist, particularly against immigrant communities.

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with over 100,000 Somali Minnesotans across the state. Notably, data from Minnesota Compass indicates that 47% of Somali Minnesotans are under 18, compared with 23% of the overall Minnesota population, making Somali Minnesotans one of the youngest and fastest-growing communities in Minnesota’s demographic landscape. With Minnesota facing a shrinking workforce and aging demographics, Somali Minnesotans have emerged as a vital force, driving long-term economic vitality, and promising a bright future for all.

Economically, Somali Minnesotans play a vital role in the state’s prosperity. Minnesota Compass data indicate 70% of Somali adults are employed, contributing significantly to essential industries such as health care, transportation, production, retail and manufacturing. These sectors were instrumental in maintaining Minnesota’s operations during the pandemic and continue to support its recovery. Concurrently, Somali entrepreneurship has experienced substantial growth. At present, over 3,000 East African businesses, predominantly Somali-owned, operate in Minnesota, revitalizing commercial corridors in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs. They have created employment opportunities and transformed previously struggling neighborhoods into vibrant cultural and economic hubs.

Educational advancement among the Somali community reflects a narrative of both challenges and upward mobility. Many first-generation Somali adults arrived in the United States with disrupted educational backgrounds due to war and displacement. However, the second generation is swiftly bridging this educational gap. Somali students are exhibiting improved graduation rates, enhanced academic performance, and increased enrollment in higher education institutions. The commitment Somali parents place on education remains one of the community’s most powerful forces for change.

Civic participation presents a compelling story of transformation. Approximately a generation ago, voter turnout among Somali Minnesotans lagged behind the state average. Through dedicated grassroots mobilization, civic education initiatives, and successful integration into political discourse, the community has fostered a culture of democratic engagement. Somali Minnesotans currently demonstrate one of the state’s highest voting rates, influencing outcomes in municipal, state and federal elections.

Somali Minnesotans are significantly shaping democracy, as seen in Ilhan Omar’s election to Congress, Omar Fateh becoming Minnesota’s first Somali American state senator, and Nadia Mohamed’s historic role as the first Black mayor of St. Louis Park. In various state representative, city council, school board, and state leadership positions, Somali Minnesotans have progressed beyond mere participation in the democratic process, actively influencing its direction and development.

Despite facing significant challenges and genuine obstacles, the Somali community in Minnesota has made notable strides in integration and is outperforming many of its peers. The assertions made by President Trump and his MAGA base lack factual basis. As I argued in my 2015 commentary, resilience is at the core of Somali identity, born from conflict but transformed into civic participation, entrepreneurship and opportunities here in Minnesota. This observation remains increasingly relevant today: Somalis are resilient Americans. They are students, workers, business owners, public servants and taxpayers. They are neighbors, parents, innovators and elected leaders. They are Minnesotans.

Minnesota has long been defined by its ability to welcome newcomers and allow them to thrive. Somali Minnesotans are carrying that legacy forward, rebuilding neighborhoods, reinvigorating civic life, and enriching the state’s cultural and economic landscape. They are not on the margins of Minnesota’s story. They are essential to it.

Abdirashid Ahmed of Maplewood is a former City of Minneapolis employee and a public policy practitioner with extensive experience across Minnesota’s public assistance systems. He has worked with public assistance programs in Ramsey, Hennepin, and Dakota counties. He holds a master’s degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

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2025-26 BOWL SHEDULE

Today

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Washington State vs. Utah State, 1 p.m., ESPN

Tuesday

Boca Raton Bowl: Louisville vs. Toledo, 1 p.m., ESPN
New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio, 8 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday

Hawai’i Bowl: Cal vs. Hawai’i, 7 p.m., ESPN

Friday

GameAbove Sports Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Northwestern, noon, ESPN
Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. GOPHERS, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
First Responder Bowl: FIU vs. UTSA, 7 p.m., ESPN

Saturday

Military Bowl: Pitt vs. East Carolina, 10 a.m., ESPN
Pinstripe Bowl: Clemson vs. Penn State, 11 a.m., KSTP-Channel 5
Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army, 1:15 p.m., ESPN
Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 12 BYU vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m., KSTP-Channel 5
Arizona Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Fresno State, 3:30 p.m., The CW Network
New Mexico Bowl: No. 25 North Texas vs. San Diego State, 4:45 p.m., ESPN
Gator Bowl: Missouri vs. No. 19 Virginia, 6:30 p.m., KSTP-Channel 5
Texas Bowl: LSU vs. No. 21 Houston, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

Monday, Dec. 29

Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. App State, 1 p.m., ESPN

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech, 1 p.m., ESPN
Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Alamo Bowl: No. 16 USC vs. TCU, 8 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 23 Iowa vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt, 11 a.m., ESPN
Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke, 1 p.m., WCCO-Channel 4
Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan, 2 p.m., KSTP-Channel 5
Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. No. 15 Utah, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
CFP Quarterfinal: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.), 6:30 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 1

Orange Bowl, CFP Quarterfinal: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon, 11 a.m., ESPN
Rose Bowl, CFP Quarterfinal: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 9 Alabama, 3 p.m., ESPN
Sugar Bowl, CFP Quarterfinal: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN

Friday, Jan. 2

Armed Forces Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice, noon, ESPN
Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest, 7 p.m., ESPN
Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona vs. SMU, 7 p.m., KSMP-Channel 9

Sunday, Jan. 4

Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl: North Central vs. Wis-River Falls, 8 p.m., ESPN

Monday, Jan. 5

FCS Championship, Illinois State vs. Montana State. 6:30 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 8

Fiesta Bowl, CFP Semifinal: TBD, 6:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday, Jan. 9

Peach Bowl, CFP Semifinal: TBD, 6:30 p.m., ESPN

Monday, Jan. 19

CFP Championship, TBD, 6:30 p.m., ESPN

Source: NCAA

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RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) — Betty Reid Soskin, who rose to national fame as the oldest National Park Service ranger and used the spotlight to talk about the African American experience during World War II, has died. She was 104.

Her family and the park service announced her death through social media, saying she was surrounded by loved ones at her home in California when she died Sunday. They did not release a cause of death.

“She was a powerful voice for sharing her personal experiences, highlighting untold stories, and honoring the contributions of women from diverse backgrounds who worked on the World War II Home Front. Thank you for your service, Ranger Betty,” the park service said in a statement.

When she was 85, the longtime community activist was hired as an interpretive ranger at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. The site at a former shipyard and other parts of the working-class city honors American civilians, including the women who worked in war-related industries, who worked on the homefront during the war.

Soskin helped plan the park while working as a state legislative aide. She played a key role in shaping and designing the park by ensuring that it included the oftentimes overlooked contributions of Black men and women.

They include the 202 Black sailors who were killed in the July 1944 explosion at Port Chicago, on the northeastern flank of San Francisco Bay, where they were assigned to a segregated unit, loading munitions onto cargo ships bound for the Pacific Theater. Unsafe working conditions led 50 survivors of the blast to refuse loading munitions. They were court-martialed and convicted of mutiny in a trial that exposed systemic racial inequality in the Navy.

As a Black woman, Soskin worked as a clerk for the all-Black boilermaker’s union in Richmond. She advocated for telling the stories of the “non Rosies” who didn’t get to help build the battleships because who didn’t get to help build the battleships because of the color of their skin.

“Rosie the Riveter represents the white woman’s experience on the homefront during the war, but as a woman of color, I was never recognized for my work,” she wrote in an October 2020 essay for Newsweek.

“I had never understood that I had been involved in the building of the ships. Because at the time, I was 20 years old. I didn’t realize what my role was until I began to go back and recount it for others. It was rather amazing.”

Those who got to meet Soskin during visits to the park took to social media Monday to say it was an honor and that she was an amazing woman. One described her as a jewel of the park system, while others said she served as a great inspiration for young rangers.

Born in 1921, Soskin wore many hats throughout her life — a mother, daughter, musician, author, political activist, wife, record store owner, songwriter, painter, grandmother, great-grandmother, prolific blogger and more, as her family recounted.

Her family posted on social media that she had led “a fully packed life and was ready to leave.”

While a public memorial has yet to be announced, the family said people can share their affection for Soskin through donations to a school that had been renamed in her honor: Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante, California.

She had just celebrated her birthday with a visit to the school in September, cheers erupting as she waved to excited children.

In 1995, Soskin was named Woman of the Year by the California State Legislature and about a decade later she received the National WWII Museum’s Silver Service Medallion.

She explored her nine decades of living through extraordinary moments of history in her 2018 autobiography “Sign My Name to Freedom: A Memoir of a Pioneering Life.”

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Her experiences included opening Reid’s Records, an influential Black-owned record store in Berkeley with her first husband, Mel Reid, and being the first Black family to live in suburban Walnut Creek.

Someone burned a cross on their lawn, she wrote, but her family refused to move. She pointed out that the same community that tried to drive her family away elected her 20 years later to serve as a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention.

“That is how fast social change occurred,” she said.

At the park, her weekly lectures drew large audiences. They also garnered national attention, including the chance to introduce then-President Barack Obama at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in 2015. In 2008, Glamour Magazine named her one of its women of the year.

“I became a ranger when most people retire so I had no idea what it required of me, but it opened up a lot of opportunities that would have been closed to me otherwise,” she wrote in her essay.

She retired on March 31, 2022.

Soskin is survived by two of her four children: Bob and Dorian Reid.

Biographical material in this story was written by AP journalist Daisy Nguyen. Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.