Video: What Is This Twins' Roster Construction??

[Matthew Lenz]

With roughly a month until spring training, the Minnesota Twins have a perplexing roster construction… Especially on the offensive side of the ball. How do they think this is all going to work out?

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[stringer bell]

Thanks Matthew. We don't know how Shelton is going to manage this group of position players and the pitching staff. The pitching questions center on how many guys now considered starters are going to be in the bullpen both this year and for their career with the Twins. They've added some minor pieces to the bullpen--Orze and Taylor Rogers--but they are short on back end guys. Could a former starter step in to the back end as Duran and Jax did a few years ago? Maybe. I've projected Prielipp and Festa converting to the 'pen, but it could be Abel, Bradley or Matthews or even Marco Raya. 

On the position player side, I share your confusion. I do believe Caratini will play quite a bit of first base and that Jeffers will get quite a few days at DH. I think it's possible that the Twins will carry three catchers, but more likely that they try to slip Jackson off the roster and to St. Paul. Josh Bell should DH most of the time and first base should go to some combo of Clemens, Caratini and Wagaman. Wagaman has an option remaining, so he could end up starting the season in St. Paul. Second through third should be Keaschall, Lee, and Lewis. I'm not as down on their defense as Matthew. I think Keaschall has been denied a lot of development time due to injuries and with work and reps he'll be fine at second. Lewis was at least okay at third and Lee is sure-handed enough as a shortstop although his lack of range makes him lees than an ideal shortstop. Somebody has to be the backup at shortstop and it would appear to be either Kreidler or Gray, with Kreidler having the better glove, but Gray having some hitting potential. 

If Bell, Larnach or Wallner is the primary DH, there really isn't room for Julien, unless he supplants Clemens, who I think has a job to lose. I don't see Outman making the team either. Martin and Roden can back up center field (and Kreidler if he wins the utility infield job) and he's not as good a hitter as either Larnach or Wallner. Jackson, Julien and Outman don't have options so if they don't make the team, it is DFA time. 

I give Austin Martin a decent chance of claiming left field, at least until one of the Twins' top prospects arrives and Roden a decent chance of filling the fourth outfielder role. The Twins really should have another RH hitting OF and don't really need Larnach and Wallner. To fix the position player imbalance, I think a left hitting corner OF needs to be traded.