Article: Roster Becomes Clearer With More Transactions

[Seth Stohs]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1479-Roster-Becomes-Clearer-With-More-Transactions

[SweetOne69]

Seth, Where would the roster space on the 40-man for Ramirez come from?

 

Will the DFA someone or will the take the temporary easy route and put Guerra on the 60 Day DL (Nevermind, I see this isn't an option since Guerra isn't on the 40-man anyway)?

[Oldgoat_MN]

Thank you Seth.

I am really happy for Ramirez. Hope this works out for him and the Twins.

 

Kind of wonder, though, how long they will keep Arcia down. Unless he uncharacteristically falters he is one of the best bats we have coming. Having Ramirez, a fifth OF, on the bench complicates things a bit.

[cmathewson]

They can put Guerra on the 60-day DL, opening a spot on the 60-day DL for Ramirez. I think Walters hurt his chances yesterday pitching against major league hitters. Robertson really hurt his chances the other day. So I'd say it will be Reonicke and Burnett going north, with Robertson optioned and Walters reasigned.

[cmathewson]

Doh, Meant to say They can put Guerra on the 60-day DL, opening a spot on the 40 mn for Ramirez.

[matthew0211]

They can't put Guerra on the 60-day DL, he's not on the 40-man roster. I think Pedro Hernandez would be a good bet to be outrighted to make room for Ramirez.

[raindog]

Rejoice! I'm pleasantly surprised they sent Butera down.

[beckmt]

I think will all are happy the Butera went to Rochester. Best bet is they could outright a pitcher to Rochester, most of them are not that highly regarded anyway. Swarzak would be a candidate to be outrighted if healthy, but do not know the rules for pitchers on the DL.

[cmathewson]

Huh, I didn't realize they had DFAed him. Well, I'd say Theilbar, then. Hernandez had a great spring and is needed for the Rochester rotation.

[jun]

Seth, Where would the roster space on the 40-man for Ramirez come from?

 

Will the DFA someone or will the take the temporary easy route and put Guerra on the 60 Day DL (Nevermind, I see this isn't an option since Guerra isn't on the 40-man anyway)?

 

I would like to see Florimon sent down to the minor and Hernandez be called up to get the last spot in the bullpen, PJ Walters and Petro Hernandez should be the last two for the bullpen spot. Robertson and Burnett are horrible, Roeniche is not good, Fien isn't that good either. When Deduno gets healthy, he should be the long reliever/6th starter. He could replace the worst pitcher in the bullpen.

 

De Vries has earned the spot in the rotation.

[jun]

They can put Guerra on the 60-day DL, opening a spot on the 60-day DL for Ramirez. I think Walters hurt his chances yesterday pitching against major league hitters. Robertson really hurt his chances the other day. So I'd say it will be Reonicke and Burnett going north, with Robertson optioned and Walters reasigned.

 

Walters is still in good position, remember he had an ERA of 0 in 11 innings before the outing. Robertson is a lefty, he still has a chance. I really believe Hernandez should be the lefty in the bullpen other than Duensing and Perkins.

[ThePuck]

I believe they want Hernandez to eventually be a MLB starter, do they not? If that's their plan, it's best he goes down and start instead of relief up here.

[ThePuck]

Just an off the wall question. How long ago was it that MLB went to a 25 man roster, or has it always been that number?

 

I ask because back in the day, we didn't have 5 man rotations, we didn't strictly adhere to pitch counts, we needed less of a relief corp, so we had more options off the bench....or so it seems. Shouldn't they think about adding to the active roster limit? One, maybe two more players?

[jokin]

Just an off the wall question. How long ago was it that MLB went to a 25 man roster, or has it always been that number?

 

I ask because back in the day, we didn't have 5 man rotations, we didn't strictly adhere to pitch counts, we needed less of a relief corp, so we had more options off the bench....or so it seems. Shouldn't they think about adding to the active roster limit? One, maybe two more players?

 

Actually, there was an 11 year period, ending in the late 60s, when teams could carry 28 players on their active roster for the first 30 days of the season, before 1957, clubs could theoretically carry up to 40 players for the first 30 days. And conversely, in the late 80s, clubs had the option of carrying only 24 players, if they so chose.

[stringer bell]

To me, Roenicke makes the club for sure now. Due to his minor league contract, Walters is on the outside looking in. That leaves the real competition between Robertson and Burnett. I saw Robertson's best outing in person and asked JR about it (he was impressed) while I saw Burnett struggle in person. Both have options left, so I'm guessing whoever is more effective this week gets a job to start the season. As for who leaves the 40-man, perhaps the Twins trade Gardy's security blanket or maybe Rohlfing had a strong enough ST that they would consider DFAing Herrman.

[ThePuck]

Actually, there was an 11 year period, ending in the late 60s, when teams could carry 28 players on their active roster for the first 30 days of the season, before 1957, clubs could theoretically carry up to 40 players for the first 30 days. And conversely, in the late 80s, clubs had the option of carrying only 24 players, if they so chose.

 

Thanks for the info...it makes my question make even more sense...why is it still just 25?

[matthew0211]

If they want to keep 13 pitchers (there ought to be some kind of law against that!) then they keep Robertson and Burnett, put Wood on the DL, and Walters stays off the major league roster - easy-peasy, no 40-man roster moves needed.

 

But if they want to keep Wilkin, they have to move someone off the 40-man. Hernandez makes the most sense to me; as a soft-tossing AAAA type, he would seem to be the least likely to be claimed. He'd get outrighted to AAA after he clears waivers and stay in the organization.

 

Also, don't the call-ups from last November have to stay on the 40-man for a certain amount of time? Herrmann, Theilbar, Hermsen, Pinto, etc. all fall into that category. But even so, I'd expose Hernandez to waivers and try to outright him to AAA. Sure, he had a good spring, but then again Walters looked good in the bullpen before his start yesterday, too.

[cmathewson]

The 26th man question has come up the last two times the owners and PA have negotiated. The players and managers want the 26th man. The owners don't.

[twinsin17]

Thank you Seth.

I am really happy for Ramirez. Hope this works out for him and the Twins.

 

Kind of wonder, though, how long they will keep Arcia down. Unless he uncharacteristically falters he is one of the best bats we have coming. Having Ramirez, a fifth OF, on the bench complicates things a bit.

 

I think the only way Arcia is called up is if a full time position opens i.e. Morneau/Willinghammer is traded or injured. It doesn't help him or the Twins any to have him riding pine.

[Rosterman]

I would go with Thielbar taken off the 40-man. When Swarzak and Diamond comes back, who goes down?

[Blackjack]

So who is going to be the new whipping boy for the blogging community? For awhile it was Punto, then Butera, now who?? My guess is Florimon...

[Brock Beauchamp]

So who is going to be the new whipping boy for the blogging community? For awhile it was Punto, then Butera, now who?? My guess is Florimon...

 

He's certainly next on my list.

[cmathewson]

I would go with Thielbar taken off the 40-man. When Swarzak and Diamond comes back, who goes down?

 

My votes would be Hendriks and Burnett, right now. But that might change in the next couple of weeks.

[sorney]

So who is going to be the new whipping boy for the blogging community? For awhile it was Punto, then Butera, now who?? My guess is Florimon...

 

 

Slama. It's gotta be him. When is he ever going to produce in the minors so he gets a shot with the big club?!?!?!

 

Kidding aside, I would envision there isn't a whipping boy because there is just going to be too many candidates for sucktitude. Punto was a weak link on a good team, so he was an easy target, Butera was historically bad; another easy target. With this team, there could be multiple players to fit the bill....

[twinstalker]

Ramirez, Deduno, Walters all present the same problem. Which other bad guy who's actually on the 40 that we're overrating because so many are so bad that we're scared to lose him can we take off the 40?

 

I'd say Burnett is the most likely candidate. At least with Thielbar, you have no real proof he's bad at the MLB level. Roenicke probably doesn't get much rope. Knowing the Twins, though, they'll decide Ryan Pressly has to go back to Boston so as not to hurt anyone's feelings.

[Teflon]

Glad to see somebody saw the light as to the questionable value of carrying a third catcher to counter the situation that might occur in ONE GAME should either Doumit or Mauer have to leave.

 

Encouraged by this display of roster logic, can I now suppose that the Twins will also start putting injured players on the injured-reserve list promptly instead of leaving them on the active roster as "day-to-day" and THEN putting them on the injured reserve list?

[Seth Stohs]

Just a few thoughts from the comments above:

 

1.) Butera was optioned. Doesn't mean he's gone. He was optioned at this exact time a year ago and was up again in late April. The Twins (and many other organizations) value his glove as a backup catcher.

 

2.) The guys that were added to the 40 man roster in November could not be taken off the 40 man roster for a period of time, but that time is up. I think it was somewhere around the start of spring training. That puts many in consideration.

 

3.) Hernandez isn't going to be taken off the 40 man roster (or I would be surprised if he was). He is young. He is left-handed. He has options. He had a strong spring and a good track record.

 

4.) Herrmann is not going to get DFAd. I really, really like Rohlfing and I believe in his improvements. But take a quick look at their stats the last couple of years at New Britain (and half of that time Rohlfing was in Ft. Myers) and see if they would really do that.

 

5.) I'll never understand the whipping-boy concept of "fans," but clearly it will be Florimon. Fair or not, some fans just think it's good to have one of those.

 

6.) Cmat- Guerra was DFAd right before the Rule 5 draft (like the last days they could)

[cmathewson]

The whipping boy needs to be someone on the bench who gets more playing time than he deserves. Punto and Butera fit the bill. This year, it's either Escobar or Mastroianni. Let's say Gardy platoons Mastro and Parmelee, the Twins play against several lefties in a row, he's in a slump and Parmelee is hitting well. He would be a candidate for whipping boy.

[jun]

If they want to keep 13 pitchers (there ought to be some kind of law against that!) then they keep Robertson and Burnett, put Wood on the DL, and Walters stays off the major league roster - easy-peasy, no 40-man roster moves needed.

 

But if they want to keep Wilkin, they have to move someone off the 40-man. Hernandez makes the most sense to me; as a soft-tossing AAAA type, he would seem to be the least likely to be claimed. He'd get outrighted to AAA after he clears waivers and stay in the organization.

 

Also, don't the call-ups from last November have to stay on the 40-man for a certain amount of time? Herrmann, Theilbar, Hermsen, Pinto, etc. all fall into that category. But even so, I'd expose Hernandez to waivers and try to outright him to AAA. Sure, he had a good spring, but then again Walters looked good in the bullpen before his start yesterday, too.

 

I really don't think it's going to be Hernandez since he had an excellent spring and he is a lefty starter.

[nicksaviking]

5.) I'll never understand the whipping-boy concept of "fans," but clearly it will be Florimon. Fair or not, some fans just think it's good to have one of those.

 

 

I agree that the whipping boy concept is a bit childish, though to be fair, I think most fans know better than to take out their frustrations on the players themselves. Florimon, Correia, Butera, Punto; all have taken criticism but I think most of it is correctly laid at the feet at the GM who misguidedly signs them and/or the manager who continues to play them when they likely shouldn't.

 

Of course if you make the case that Ryan is the whipping boy, well guilty as charged and no clemency requested. He has control over his decisions where as the players have little control over their physical limitations (which still are superior to everyone of us.)