Opening Day Roster Taking Shape?

[LA Vikes Fan]

 

 

 

MLB Trade Rumors is reporting (from Betsy Helfand ) that Keirsey and Gaspar made the team to open 2025.  They also speculate that locks in Julien on the team. Martin is being sent to St. Paul. Good decisions in my view. I hope all three get enough playing time while Lee and Lewis are out so we can make an intelligent decision as to who to send down when the time comes. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

58 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I also don't get the team's reported desire to keep Castellanos. Is it just to save the Rule V down payment they were forced to cough up?

This organization has NOT suffered starters or relievers with control issues. Why would they make an exception for Castellanos? No way they think they can 'fix' him, that's almost always a fools errand. They don't even draft guys with control problems they have to 'fix', they just avoid those pitchers all together or run them out of the system early if they don't show the ability.

Mostly I've been negative, so I should clarify that the previous paragraph was actually a complement and an endorsement of their pitching decisions. Stay true to it, let Castellanos go.

I would be interested in keeping Castellanos because he could be put at AA in the rotation. He is only 23, and he did show some things as far as stuff that could be valuable down the road. I wouldn't break the bank in trading for him, but we know they've liked his arm for a time. I'm not trading for him to help in 2025, but but adding arm talent is never really a bad thing.

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

And late in the season. I'm still a Royce Lewis believer, but even with him, this club looks to have about 4 players I'm happy to plug into the top or middle of the order, and than about a dozen guys you want hitting 8th or 9th. 

Yeah I like Wallner a lot, and think he’s going to break out this season. 30+ HRs with an OPS above .875. Correa and Buxton I feel confident in them hitting in the .800s for OPS. Maybe one of Larnach and Miranda takes a step forward… Beyond that it could get ugly for the offense. 

[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

4 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

As for Blewitt, let's say they bring someone in. That guy gets cut when Stewart comes back....then two weeks later someone is hurt. Do you not promote Blewitt again because you might lose him later? At what point do you just promote him, if he's one of the 9 best RP on the roster? At some point, you either want him up, or you don't. But there will always be someone hurt, not doing well, ready to be DFA/traded/whatever. At some point, a hurt player will come back....

I basically agree that a guy like Blewett either is or isn't good enough to be the 8th pitcher in an MLB bullpen (or the 9th, depending on injury carousel etc.) A player on the edge of the roster might as well get a chance to play and prove himself, instead of the team being too precious about keeping him under org control.

It seems like the logic is that the team is more invested in some non-roster, minor-league-deal types than others. Of course it doesn't totally square with the fact that those guys didn't get a 40-man spot to begin with. But if they're going to cycle a few lower-leverage relievers on and off the 40 like every year, and they really think based on the injury picture that this is a short-term need in the bullpen... I get why they'd opt for a more fungible player, too.

No real opinion on whether Blewett or any of the other current NRI guys are above that threshold. There has to be someone already in the org who fits the bill. Then again, the roster crunch before opening day is probably the best time to be scouring the waiver wire.

 

[stringer bell]

The MLB Trade Rumors report says that both Blewett and Misiewicz have been informed they won't make the Opening Day roster. Of the options available in the organization, no one jumps out IMHO.

There are several guys who have been cut loose. Personally, I wanted the Twins to pick up Yarbrough, but the Yankees snapped him up quickly. 

 

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Yeah I like Wallner a lot, and think he’s going to break out this season. 30+ HRs with an OPS above .875. Correa and Buxton I feel confident in them hitting in the .800s for OPS. Maybe one of Larnach and Miranda takes a step forward… Beyond that it could get ugly for the offense. 

Yeah, Wallner was in my core-4. 

I would have liked to put Miranda, Larnach, Jeffers and even Julien in that group, but the team keeps going out if it's way to show they they'd rather give guys who'll likely be out of the league in a year or two at-bats instead of those players.

[tony&rodney]

42 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Yeah, Wallner was in my core-4. 

I would have liked to put Miranda, Larnach, Jeffers and even Julien in that group, but the team keeps going out if it's way to show they they'd rather give guys who'll likely be out of the league in a year or two at-bats instead of those players.

Sometimes I wonder how much confidence is lost by certain players from the Twins roster configurations. MLB is a difficult business for the players, coaches, scouts, and trainers. People need to earn their keep. When an opportunity arises it is go time. We are likely to be seeing the last of several Twins this year if the opportunities presented do not result in strong performance. All of the guys you mention may be marked. Will they perform?

[TheLeviathan]

2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Yeah I like Wallner a lot, and think he’s going to break out this season. 30+ HRs with an OPS above .875. Correa and Buxton I feel confident in them hitting in the .800s for OPS. Maybe one of Larnach and Miranda takes a step forward… Beyond that it could get ugly for the offense. 

I think I share a similar conclusion (I'm pretty down on the offense) but my opinion is a bit different.

I trust Correa, Wallner, and Lewis to be really good players when healthy.  I trust Buxton and Jeffers to be good hitters.  If Larnach repeats last year he's in that group.

My issue is that of those 6 guys, I have serious doubts about the health of 3 of them and my confidence is lacking in their potential replacements.

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

I think I share a similar conclusion (I'm pretty down on the offense) but my opinion is a bit different.

I trust Correa, Wallner, and Lewis to be really good players when healthy.  I trust Buxton and Jeffers to be good hitters.  If Larnach repeats last year he's in that group.

My issue is that of those 6 guys, I have serious doubts about the health of 3 of them and my confidence is lacking in their potential replacements.

Jeffers is in the upper echelon of hitting for catchers so I agree with you there. I’m not a huge fan of him at DH. Hopefully he appears in that spot less than the 25 starts he had in 2024. 

[stringer bell]

2 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

I think I share a similar conclusion (I'm pretty down on the offense) but my opinion is a bit different.

I trust Correa, Wallner, and Lewis to be really good players when healthy.  I trust Buxton and Jeffers to be good hitters.  If Larnach repeats last year he's in that group.

My issue is that of those 6 guys, I have serious doubts about the health of 3 of them and my confidence is lacking in their potential replacements.

To put it another way. There is enough talent there, but it's really hard to see enough going right with both performance and injury avoidance to see the Twins as a legitimate playoff team.

[DocBauer]

So the player roster is set for opening day. I think Gasper was the right choice considering the current injuries. A switch hitter with a good OB/contact ability offers potential value at DH/1B and PH. I think him playing any catcher or 2B is more about "break glass" in extra innings games and the such.

I'm pleasantly surprised by Keirsey making the roster. Being LH, having speed and good defense is a better fit at this point than Martin. I don't know that he plays a lot, but Martin needs to play daily to work on defense and prove his offense. 

Keirsey's presence also allows Castro to concentrate more on the INF for now with Lewis and Lee both out. Time for Miranda and Julien to step up with the bats and just not be buthchers with the glove.

I never saw a fit for Castellano in a pen on a team that expects to compete. But I am confused by not keeping a depth piece already on hand instead of grabbing someone off the waiver wire. I guess it makes a little bit of sense if they expect Stewart back up in a couple weeks. But I still struggle a bit with that decision.

If Lee really just has a muscle strain and nothing more serious, someone will be sent down fairly soon to make room for him. I'm in agreement that the potential for a decent offense is there. I still like Miranda quite a bit, but can we get a full season out of him? Has Julien found his stroke again? The opportunity is there for both of them. Of course, i like the potential of the offense more with Lewis back. And while i really, really don't want to say this, does France have the ability to impact the lineup if he's actually back to his 2022 form? I'm not saying he's a difference maker. But from lineup DEPTH, if he's sitting around 7th or 8th with Wallner, Correa, Buxton, Larnach, Correa, and Miranda, and Jeffers as PRIMARY bats, a good, solid France just make some difference.

[TheLeviathan]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

To put it another way. There is enough talent there, but it's really hard to see enough going right with both performance and injury avoidance to see the Twins as a legitimate playoff team.

Well said old man, well said.

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

The offense has so many "IFS". If some guys stay healthy. If some guys bounce back. If some guys don't see regression. I'm pretty skeptical about the offense. I really hope they prove me wrong.

[nicksaviking]

16 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Sometimes I wonder how much confidence is lost by certain players from the Twins roster configurations. MLB is a difficult business for the players, coaches, scouts, and trainers. People need to earn their keep. When an opportunity arises it is go time. We are likely to be seeing the last of several Twins this year if the opportunities presented do not result in strong performance. All of the guys you mention may be marked. Will they perform?

Yeah, they may not, but they are not being given full opportunities to show they can't do it any longer. It would be different if they were bringing in GOOD free agents that they had to climb over and out perform but they aren't. Bader, France, Vazquez, Margot, Gallo? Those guys aren't required to 'earn their keep' but they give long leashes to broken down vets, even when it's clear that nobody else wants to roster them.

[DocBauer]

Good call on Dobnak as the 8th man in the pen!

I kinda makes sense to me. He's that long guy already on hand, can be DFA as soon as necessary, and then sign back with the team for additional depth at AAA. 

[DJL44]

14 hours ago, DocBauer said:

And while i really, really don't want to say this, does France have the ability to impact the lineup if he's actually back to his 2022 form? I'm not saying he's a difference maker. But from lineup DEPTH, if he's sitting around 7th or 8th with Wallner, Correa, Buxton, Larnach, Correa, and Miranda, and Jeffers as PRIMARY bats, a good, solid France just make some difference.

Most good lineups don't have their 1B batting 7th or 8th.

[DocBauer]

7 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Most good lineups don't have their 1B batting 7th or 8th.

I'm with you 100%. France is by no means a savior OR a permanent solution. But he was good in 2021-22, mediocre in 2023 at best, and was off to a good start last year before getting hurt. He's still only 30yr. I don't put a lot of stock in ST numbers, but he's looked good! 

All I'm saying is if we get something resembling the 2022 version of him, he's going to hit behind Wallner, Correa, Buxton, Larnach, and Lewis eventually. He and Jeffers make for a pretty good 6th and 7th place hitters. Obviously there will be some mixing and matching in the lineup. But that's POTENTIALLY a decent and fairly deep lineup 1-7 at least.