Article: How Do You Feel About This Year's Roster?

[Parker Hageman]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1488-How-Do-You-Feel-About-This-Year-s-Roster

[sorney]

500 April - Nope. 500 for the season - Nope. The sentence *While the success of the team is dependent on the rotation..* says it all. They just switched bodies around, never really *upgraded* the rotation

[Dave T]

The Twins will score more runs, play better defense, pitch no better than last year for the first month or two. If we finish April near .500, it's because we won a lot of high-scoring games, like we did in spring training.

Defensive improvements: Hicks has Span's range and Cuddyer's arm. Dozier played a sick second base in spring training. Mauer actually threw out a baserunner this spring.

For the duration of the season, well, jeez, how do you develop young pitchers? You throw them out there and take some lumps. My beef with the Twins front office is, the Twins are also going to take some lumps when their veterans pitch. What I hope to see is, if a veteran (I'm looking at you, Correia) keeps getting pounded, move him to the bullpen and bring up another youngster.

[ThePuck]

How do you figure our defense will be better?

 

Hicks is great, but Hicks/Parmellee isn't an improvement over Span/Revere. Our middle IF is still bad. Our 3B is still bad.

[matthew0211]

One thing I would like to have seen is another strong bench bat, a lefty, instead of having two utility infielders.

[greengoblinrulz]

sixty something win team. Cmon, Wilkin Ramirez made this team and they still have no idea who to start opening day.

Goin in right direction tho. Hope Hendriks/DeVries pitch well in first couple gms to make the Diamond activation difficult

[markominne]

They won't win - or compete for - the division title, but may not be nearly as bad as last two years. (I saw someone on Twitter ask Dave St. Peter if he thought they'd be over or under 20 wins - that's snark on a major level.) There is some upcoming depth in starting pitching (Gibson, Harden, Deduno, Walters, and maybe even May and Berrios) that, while not overwhelming, promises more than last year, when they were bringing up many of the same folks with zero major league experience. Despite what someone said above, spring training appears to indicate that middle infield will be massively improved. If they regular rotate Mastro into LF and RF (DHing Willingham more), then the OF combo of Willingham - Hicks - Parmalee should be on the field less, and thus less of a concern. Offense has been consistent this spring, largely driven by the guys on the 25-man. Last year, the inconsistency of the offense was maddening - if they can increase output from their regulars, and with a stronger bench, the offense could make the pitching less crucial than last year. The bullpen, unlike last year, looks like a crapshoot to me, outside of Perkins and Burton. Overall, I'm hoping for somewhere between 75 and 80 wins - optimistic, but not without reason.

[Ultima Ratio]

Besides the two worst things about the 25 man 1) that KC is on it and 2) not any better pitcher we could and should have signed, I'm not sold on the bullpen at least the long and middle relief. I know its ST, but I have not been impressed by the guys fighting for a spot except for Pressly. This could be a Bullpen blowup like 2011. I'm optimistic that while the MI will OPS in the lower third of the league, they will be almost average on defense -- serviceable I think they say. Also see a lot more of Willingham at DH and Doumit on the bench to PH this year -- also because of not carrying a third catcher. I'm fine with this.

[ashbury]

If they regular rotate Mastro into LF and RF (DHing Willingham more), then the OF combo of Willingham - Hicks - Parmalee should be on the field less, and thus less of a concern.

 

With 2013 being a transition year, I think the goal has to be to develop the guys who will be contributing to a contending 2015 squad. What better way to let a young center fielder blossom than to surround him with two slow guys, so that he can gain the final polishing of taking charge in a major league outfield on every ball hit his way, and be ready to continue to lead when better fielders surround him in two years?

[ThePuck]

'Despite what someone said above, spring training appears to indicate that middle infield will be massively improved.'

 

let me preface this by saying I was fine with Casilla leaving...but we're talking about how the defense has supposedly improved. There were 24 2Bs who played at least 700 innings in the majors last year at 2B. He had the 3rd best UZR/150 behind only Ellis and Barney. If we expand that to 550 innings, 28 2Bs played that many and while Casilla was still 3rd, Carroll was 7th.

 

Now, I like Dozier, but he's learning a new position and defense at the 2B spot was very good last year for us. So not sure how anyone can saw our MI will be MASSIVELY improved cause of a few ST games when we've very likely downgraded at 2B defensively.

 

Spring training indicators are, well, not very indicative of what goes on during the actual season

[Rosterman]

Yeah, you wonder how the jettisoned made the club in 2012.

 

This year a starting rotation of: Worley, Pelfry, Correia, Hendriks, DeVries. We all know there were comparable names out there for what we paid for Correia. Pelfry is a comebacker. DeVries is that guy you stash in the minors. In the wings we have Gibson and Deduno....not to mention Hermsen, Hernandez and the other dfa's Walters, Vasquez, Elarton, Davies et al. We could've spent and got one more proven name (no, harden doesn't count, yet).

 

We have Mauer at catcher and Doumit at catcher/DH. We really don't have a DH, unless we play musical chairs and rotate Mauer, Doumit, Parmelee, Morneau between C/1B/RF/DH. That is good. That is...well, we never know what the true line-up will probably be. Or do we? It's a nice luxury to have.

 

But that brings us to the bench. We have Escobar and Carroll, two of the same. We have Ramirez and Mastro, one a centerfield backup, which you supposedly need. We are set if Doumit plays every game somewhere. We don't need a Thome, for example. It might be nice if we had a little bit mroe bat, repalcing one of Carroll or Escobar (I would go with Carroll because of age and salary). Olmedo might've been a better choice. A Sean Burroughs who actually still pounds the ball and can play the field and come off the bench would be nice. Inge could've been a longshot choice if the Twins had signed him for peanuts, plus be the third catcher. You eitehr need someone for a bat or someone for defensive purposes. The only reason we have Carroll is because...

 

Infield: It doesn't send shudders down my spine. Dozier, Florimon and Plouffe could all be job seekers in 2014. Or they could be place-setters. Or two of them could be long-term (2-3 years) holders of a place on the roster. I want to believe Plouffe was hampered by his thumb at year's end. I want to think Florimon can get on base and cover ALL the ground between bases. I want to think Dozier can hit 10 homers, bat .260, and not strikeout, plus do the pivot and dive for those balls between the other two bases. Replacements for these parts are still at least 2015 away. That is why Carroll is still here, today. He can play any of those positions and give us fielding and get-on-base.

 

The Bullpen: Duensing should never stray from relief. Perkins is the closer. Burton, I wouldn't have signed for multi-years. Sorry. He was affordable, but not sure he is on par with Guerrier or Crain from our past. I think he is totally replaceable. The Twins think highly of Wood, they are paying him not to pitch by keeping him on the 40-man. But they can never send him to the minors or they lose him (or he is not worth keeping). Roeinke is a placesetter. Should we have grabbed Rauch, Hawkins, Capps for the same money? He has to get his act together or he is gone. Robertson is here because he is the lefty. He only needs to face 1-3 batters to be effective IF the starters give us the innings. I can actually live with Pressly. He showed he wants to pitch. He may be around for awhile. Casey Fien showed some stuff last year. But the Twins can play musical chairs. Hey, they aren't competing, or so we think. They have Slama, Perdumo, Thielbar, Burnett and a whole host of others to move in an out. Who are the relievers of the future in the system, the short and long guys, the closer heir? You tell me. Tonkin shined. Slama ages. Guerra is injured. You can always sign a middle-relief guy, this year the Twins played cheap.

 

So who won't be here in 2014? Pelfry, Swarzak, Fien, Roeinke, Slama, Butera, Mastro, Ramirez, Carroll, DeVries, Walters, Vasquez, Lanigan, Turpen, Sattler, Blackburn, Perdomo, Fryer, Dinkelman, Boggs, Thomas, Clement, Olmeda will all be seeking jobs and probably find a place on some other teams minor league roster. Mastro, Pelfry and Carroll are the only ones that MAY make the majors in 2014.

 

Hopefully all will be replaced by very promising talent in 2014, for sure in 2015.

[gunnarthor]

I think the Twins will be surprisingly competitive for the first half or so based - say 37-41 - based on strong play from the middle order bats and some decent (compared to last year) starting pitching. But they'll be stuck far behind the Tigers. Ryan will then trade Willingham and Morneau and the Twins will have a horrible second half when some of those pitchers get hurt/struggle - something like 30-54 - and finish 67-95.

 

On the plus side, they play September with an outfield of Benson/Hicks/Arcia who all do enough to make fans excited about next year. May also gets a Sept callup. They draft a college arm #4 which helps the fan base, too.

[cmathewson]

First, it's amazing to think how few players are left from the 2011 team that opened the season. If my maths are right, it's just four (Duensing, Perkins, Mauer and Morneau).

 

As far as this year goes, I am cautiously optimistic. I think the Twins have improved at several positions over the team that went north last year. Really, all the positions except 2, 3, 7 and 10. I also think the bullpen is better with the subtraction of Capps and Gray and the additions of Fien and Roenicke.

 

The rotation is the big question mark. I'm more optimistic than I was last year at this time, especially after the Baker injury. I had little hope for Blackburn or Marquis. I thought Pavano would be OK. I thought Hendriks wasn't ready. Now I'm confident in Diamond, I think Worley will be OK. I think Hendriks is ready. And I like Pelfrey's chances. I am not confident at all about Correia, but with Devries and Deduno ready to step in and with Gibson and Meyer waiting for their chance, I feel the rotation will eventually settle out to be pretty decent.

 

I don't think it will be good enough to help the team contend. But I think it will be competitive. I'm betting on 83-79.

[jay]

I'm betting on 83-79.

 

Sounds like you need to put some money down on the Vegas over/under line!

 

I'm hoping for 75... and that feels optimistic.

[Mr. Brooks]

How do you figure our defense will be better?

 

Hicks is great, but Hicks/Parmellee isn't an improvement over Span/Revere. Our middle IF is still bad. Our 3B is still bad.

 

I must be in the minority, but I actually think we will see an improved Plouffe this year, defensively.

I don't think he's ever going to be a great 3B, but I think he'll be right around average, defensively.

He was playing a new position last year, and as a natural SS, it's not as if he's completely void of defensive skills.

[ThePuck]

I must be in the minority, but I actually think we will see an improved Plouffe this year, defensively.

I don't think he's ever going to be a great 3B, but I think he'll be right around average, defensively.

He was playing a new position last year, and as a natural SS, it's not as if he's completely void of defensive skills.

 

Braun started his MLB career at 3B, converted from shortstop, and was so bad he had to be moved to LF.

 

I hope Plouffe has better luck

[luke829]

As long as we have someone willing to take those head-first dives into first base, everything should be a-ok.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Braun started his MLB career at 3B, converted from shortstop, and was so bad he had to be moved to LF.

 

I hope Plouffe has better luck

 

Braun was also a butcher at every position he ever played whereas Plouffe stuck at short for years and was in the running for a MI spot just last season.

[Highabove]

The off season has showed, that the Twins are again operating as a small market team. Most of the low cost moves made for the Big Club are similar to the the moves Ryan made back at the Dome. It Didn't take long, did it.?

[DAM DC Twins Fans]

Sounds like you need to put some money down on the Vegas over/under line!

 

I'm hoping for 75... and that feels optimistic.

 

I am also hoping for 75--feel 72-90 is about right. I think keys are comeback from Pelfrey, limited regression from Diamond and trading Morneau for either a good MI or SP and moving Parmalee to 1B and recalling Benson. I think 2 of 3 may happen--if none do--could be looking at 66 wins.

[ThePuck]

Braun was also a butcher at every position he ever played whereas Plouffe stuck at short for years and was in the running for a MI spot just last season.

 

In the running only because he ran out of options and we didn't have anyone there remotely deserving to be a starter. He still butchered it...and he's butchered every spot he's been in too...though not as badly as Braun at 3B. Never seen a 3B worse than him on defense.

[Riverbrian]

I feel OK about the roster... just ok... The teams success depends on pitching. We have the offense to compete... If the pitching can be at least average... We got some bats who can take it from there.

 

I'm not OK with the quality of arms but I am OK with the quantity of them. In terms of pitching... I will be watching one thing primarily. If a pitcher is struggling... Do they let him work through the struggles on a major league mound or do they replace them. I don't know what the correct answer is but if a pitcher is allowed to toe the rubber repeatedly with an ERA plus 5... The Quantity of arms isn't doing us any good.

 

The Key is... How does Gardenhire and Ryan handle the struggling pitcher this year because you know someone is going to struggle... Just average pitching will go a long way for us.

[Rosterman]

First, it's amazing to think how few players are left from the 2011 team that opened the season. If my maths are right, it's just four (Duensing, Perkins, Mauer and Morneau).

 

As far as this year goes, I am cautiously optimistic. I think the Twins have improved at several positions over the team that went north last year. Really, all the positions except 2, 3, 7 and 10. I also think the bullpen is better with the subtraction of Capps and Gray and the additions of Fien and Roenicke.

 

The rotation is the big question mark. I'm more optimistic than I was last year at this time, especially after the Baker injury. I had little hope for Blackburn or Marquis. I thought Pavano would be OK. I thought Hendriks wasn't ready. Now I'm confident in Diamond, I think Worley will be OK. I think Hendriks is ready. And I like Pelfrey's chances. I am not confident at all about Correia, but with Devries and Deduno ready to step in and with Gibson and Meyer waiting for their chance, I feel the rotation will eventually settle out to be pretty decent.

 

I don't think it will be good enough to help the team contend. But I think it will be competitive. I'm betting on 83-79.

 

Wow! Talk about a roster turnover. Still adding in Plouffe (who was the shortstop) and Swarzak (currently DL), the only prospects to see time were Parmelee and Hendriks. Quite a turnover since that season.

 

And considering Morneau MAY be gone next year, and Swarzak is arbitration expensive!

 

Out of the other 35 players who played, 17 are still in the minors, 7 aren't playing, and 11 have jobs this opening day in the majors.

[Jack Torse]

The starting pitching is not just terrible it's terrible with question marks. Of the new guys, 2 are coming back from arm surgeries and the other lost his starting role with pittsburgh last year...Twice. Diamond, their best of 2012 also coming back from surgery. Naming the opening day starter was an elimination process if not russian roulette. It's bad, like the worst in the game and it's not even close. 100 losses is a possibility this year.

 

I don't see where they upgraded defensively. Hicks is great but span was good too. That leaves rf, lf, and 3b as pretty big liabilities. Of course the s.s. is rookie who at best cannot hit.

[Mr. Brooks]

In the running only because he ran out of options and we didn't have anyone there remotely deserving to be a starter. He still butchered it...and he's butchered every spot he's been in too...though not as badly as Braun at 3B. Never seen a 3B worse than him on defense.

You either are not able to see Plouffe objectively, or you don't watch very much baseball, because the numbers show someone who was not very good defensively, but nowhere near as bad as you describe him.

[ThePuck]

You either are not able to see Plouffe objectively, or you don't watch very much baseball, because the numbers show someone who was not very good defensively, but nowhere near as bad as you describe him.

 

ah, since I don't agree with you those are the only choices...interesting...and not the least bit condescending.

 

Last year, at 3B, Plouffe had a -9.2 UZR/150. Of the 18 guys who played as many innings as him or more, he ranked 15th...below Hanley Ramirez who is pretty bad there. Miguel Cabrera, who was the worse, was only 2 points behind him with -11.2. He was 16th out of 18 in defensive runs saved with -8.

 

For his career: -15.1 in the OF, -21.1 at shortstop, -42.9 at 2B

 

source: fangraphs...they must not watch too much baseball either

[Mr. Brooks]

ah, since I don't agree with you those are the only choices...interesting...and not the least bit condescending.

 

Last year, at 3B, Plouffe had a -9.2 UZR/150. Of the 18 guys who played as many innings as him or more, he ranked 15th...below Hanley Ramirez who is pretty bad there. Miguel Cabrera, who was the worse, was only 2 points behind him with -11.2

 

For his career: -15.1 in the OF, -21.1 at shortstop, -42.9 at 2B

 

Right. Like I said, he wasn't very good.

However, you said he was the worst you had every seen.

He wasn't even the worst in the league last year, so like I said, you don't watch much baseball if he is the worst you have ever seen.

 

Wasn't meaning do be condescending, just pointing out that the numbers do not show someone who was historically bad.

[ThePuck]

Right. Like I said, he wasn't very good.

However, you said he was the worst you had every seen.

He wasn't even the worst in the league last year, so like I said, you don't watch much baseball if he is the worst you have ever seen.

 

Wasn't meaning do be condescending, just pointing out that the numbers do not show someone who was historically bad.

 

No, I said BRAUN was the worst I had ever seen.

 

here's the quote 'though not as badly as Braun at 3B. Never seen a 3B worse than him on defense.'

[Mr. Brooks]

No, I said BRAUN was the worst I had ever seen.

 

here's the quote 'though not as badly as Braun at 3B. Never seen a 3B worse than him on defense.'

 

I misread your post then, I apologize.

[ThePuck]

I misread your post then, I apologize.

 

Happens...no problem