2017 Opening Day Roster

[TwinsTerritory]

We're well into the offseason and a few big trades have happened, while a few high priced free agents have come off the board.  So far the Twins have made only one big move with the signing of Jason Castro.  What do you think the Twins do next?  What does the opening day lineup look like?  I'll take my best shot.

 

Off-Season Moves

1. Trade Brian Dozier and Brandon Kintzler to the Dodgers for P Jose De Leon, P Yadier Alvarez, C/2B/3B Austin Barnes and SS Ronny Brito.

The Twins need to sell high as Dozier's value will likely never be higher than it is right now coming off a 40+ home run season and under multiple years of control.  Kintzler did a great job last year, but the Twins have young guys that need a shot.  De Leon slides right into the rotation and with continued growth may be a #2 starter in a year or two.  Alvarez is a top 100 prospect that is a bit of a lottery ticket.  If he pans out, he will help the next Twins playoff team.  Barnes is an excellent option as a utility player that can compete for the backup catcher spot while also playing some infield.  Brito is a lottery ticket at 17 years old, but he provides some insurance in case Nick Gordon doesn't develop.

 

2. Sign Neftali Feliz to a 2 year/$13M contract.

Feliz provides some stability and experience while the young bullpen arms get their feet wet.

 

3. Sign Rajai Davis to a 1 year/$8M contract.

Davis can platoon with Rosario, while also giving Buxton and Kepler a day off.  Great weapon off the bench as well as a pinch hitter and base runner.

 

4. Sign Daniel Descalso to a 1 year/$2.5M contract.

Descalso is versatile (played 5 positions last year) and from all accounts would be just the kind of guy needed to work with some of the young infielders.

 

2017 Opening Day Roster

C Jason Castro $8.2M

1B Joe Mauer  $23.0M

2B Jorge Polanco $0.5M

SS Eduardo Escobar $2.9M

3B Miguel Sano $0.5M

LF Eddie Rosario $0.5M

CF Byron Buxton $0.5M

RF Max Kepler $0.5M

DH Kennys Vargas $0.5M

 

C JR Murphy $0.5M

IF Daniel Descalso $2.5M

OF Rajai Davis $8M

OF/IF Danny Santana $0.5M

 

SP Ervin Santana $13.5M

SP Kyle Gibson $3.5M

SP Hector Santiago $8.6M

SP Jose De Leon $0.5M

SP Jose Berrios $0.5M

 

RP Neftali Feliz $6.5M

RP Trevor May $0.5M

RP Taylor Rogers $0.5M

RP JT Chargois $0.5M

RP Ryan Pressly $1.1M

RP Tyler Duffy $0.5M

RP Justin Haley $0.5M

 

Others on DL or in AAA

Glen Perkins $6.5M

Phil Hughes $13.2M

Byung Ho Park $2.75M

 

Other Money Owed

Ricky Nolasco $4M

 

Total Payroll: $111.65M

 

 

[beckmt]

Think your payroll is higher than it will be.  Do not see the Davis signing as Grossman, while not as good a defender or baserunner will do just as good or better against lefties for much less money.  Feliz or like(Holland) will cost that much(but if you are going to spend the money would rather risk Holland).  Hughes will be on the team at that price whether you like it or not as will Perkins(Perkins is a much better chance for and injury settlement if he cannot recover).  Think payroll will be ideal between $90 and $100 million, just guessing budget.  If you can pickup pitchers almost would rather non tender Gibson and use the spot to run tryouts for 2018.  Do not see Gibson being much better.  Notice Kinztler is also gone, do not have an issue with this, but leaves bullpen with little veteran leadership. 

[Linus]

I like your plan other than I would like May in the rotation.

[Pardon My Dinger]

I like your plan other than I would like May in the rotation.

Yeah, I think may's got to be in the rotation. De Leon is in AAA right away. And park will be up splitting DH with Vargas. Other than that, this seems like an accurate projection.

[mikelink45]

So what am I missing.  For two years I keep reading Trevor May needs to be in the starting rotation.  I do not remember his brief starting career being all that impressive so I went to fangraphs and read

Year W L ERA G GS SV IP SO WHIP
2016 Stats 2 2 5.27 44 0 0 42.2 60 1.31
MLB Career Stats 13 17 5.14 102 25 0 203.0 214 1.43

 

He has some talent, but I am fine wherever they pitch him.  He is not the answer to our rotation. 

 

[ScottyB]

Would love to see Barnes involved in the Dozier trade. I love a catcher who can play other positions (esp infield). 

[shs_59]

I too see May in the bullpen, I just do, Wouldn't be opposed to him getting a shot in the rotation, but with a bad bark knock on wood back, 150-200 innings or 45-70 innings for May a year/ season ?~?~?

 

-hmmm not to dificult of the choice to go with the latter, at least for now.

 

I don't think the Twins will sign ANY of the FA's you mentioned except for maaaaybe Neftali Feliz.

 

but still, i am ok with ur "blueprint"

 

$112 Million sounds about right.

[HitInAPinch]

Seems like an awful depends on trading Dozier this year.  Potential to start a playoff run in a couple years.  Also depends a lot on the young veterans continued development.  Overall, I like the team setup here, with few exceptions.     

 

Trevor May can NOT be in the bullpen:

 

http://www.twincities.com/2016/08/10/back-woes-have-minnesota-twins-trevor-may-wondering-whats-next/

 

To summarize:  the extra rest between starts is what keeps him going.  The constant up/down in the bullpen it what aggravates the back problem.  IMO:  as Falvey and Levine build this team towards contention, there will be no spot for May and many others.

 

Neftali Feliz:  Why?  Is this team going to be making a really big jump next year?  Or the year after?  Not against the signing, but is it money well spent?

 

Kintzler:  He was greatly over used at the end of last season.  Reason? Those young relievers.  I'm completely in favor of bringing him back.  For 1 year, only.

 

I can't find any real recent new on Byung Ho Park.  I guess contract puts him on the roster.

 

Kennys Vargas:  IMHO, Times up.  Twins have had some offers for him.  Take one.  Need more contact and speed on this roster.

 

[olivia11]

I really like your blueprint.  I would also have May in the rotation because it looks like relieving is worsening his back problems and, after listening to an interview with him, it sounds like if he doesn't get a real chance to start with the Twins, he'd ask for a trade. 

 

I would also like to see the Twins try and trade Santiago.  And Vargas as long as the offer is pretty good (if not, totally hold on to him).   Same with Kintzler, if there's a good offer definitely trade him... if not, potential trade deadline candidate. 

But that would allow the rotation to be: 

1) Santana

2) Gibson

3) May

4) Berrios

5) De Leon 

 

There are no lefties here but two are close (Mejia and Gonsalves) so that's okay.  There's also room for Hughes to potentially start opening day and have De Leon start in AAA.  If the young guys do well, then we could look to trade Santana or Gibson at the deadline.  Mejia and Gonsalves should be ready sometime this year, potentially even Stewart and Slegers.  Baxendale and Wheeler provide some depth too. 

 

Would be great if the Twins could sign a solid veteran relieve to no more than a 2 year contract.  But I'm not sure I see them doing that quite yet.  I think they want to see what they've got and, I actually think this group could be pretty good this year.  A couple minor league signings for bounce-back candidates (like Abad and Kintzler last year) would be smart.  

 

That leaves us with a bullpen of: 

1) Ryan Pressly 

2) Brandon Kintzler

3) JT Chargois

4) Taylor Rogers (L)

5) Tyler Duffey

6) Justin Haley
7) Tonkin/Boshers/O'Rourke or Light/Reed/Hildenberger/Melotakis or ML signing 

 

All the bullpen spots are essentially open for competition, but we could use the last spot to either give Tonkin a few more opportunities to prove himself before giving up on him.  Or, with a bullpen of all lefties, Twins could go with one of Boshers, O'Rourke or Melotakis.  I think they also give the prospects a shot to prove themselves.  And maybe a solid ML signing emerges.  If they trade Kintzler, then they have two spots to play with. 

 

Everything - on both the pitching side and the position players side - really does depend on if/when Dozier is traded.

[Rosterman]

Basically the Twins have to make a decision about Dozier. Trade him now or extend him. Don't pull a Plouffe and lose any traction in the trading market. You might be able to bargain out a Dozier extension for two more years (so its four) with an option, if you wish to go in that direction, but then you are doing Polanco at short and he becomes the tradable asset if Gordon is in the wings.

 

If the Twins do trade Dozier, they have a glaring hole at shortstop. And we aren't sure what Sano will do at third, although he will have to play there as too many bodies at the 1B/DH inn.

 

The Twins need to address catching. Right now they have little at the top two levels.

 

They have too many pitchers on their roster that would be AAAA fodder. But the pitchers in the minors aren't ready yet. Do they spend more money for more arms that can't find a major league roster spot elsewhere? Or do they wait.

 

The Twins are waiting to see what Perkins and Hughes can produce. Sadly, neither will probably be fully ready when camp breaks, thus Haley is a potential member of the rotation.

 

Wheeler, Baxendale? Will they get shots? Do they need shots?

 

 

[DocBauer]

Good blueprint overall.

 

Changes I'd see/make:

 

No problem keeping Santana but I think we're better in the long run trading him this offseason for a couple really nice prospects.

 

May slides in to the rotation where he needs to be based on ability, team need and physical need.

 

I like Davis as a FA and have for some time. In my blueprint I leaned somewhat to Austin Jackson. Not sure if he's still available or not.