Article: Minnesota Twins Roster Projection 3.0

[Seth Stohs]

So, how do people see the situation where likely two of Colabello, Kubel and Parmelee make the roster?

 

Colabello's 'won' spring training. He has two options remaining, but is the lone right-handed bat with some power.

Parmelee's been good as well, and he's out of options.

Kubel is on a minor league deal, but can he opt out? Would he? He's still young and has a track record with a lot of success.

[beckmt]

It may be painfull, but this is a sort out year. Find out which of the Twins young players that are ready have a future here. That is why I am hoping there is no room for either Kubel or Bartlett. Parmelee, Florimon, Escobar, Plouffe, Hicks and Arcia all need to play and see which ones can grow and which ones will need to be pushed or replaced next year.

[Squirrel]

So, how do people see the situation where likely two of Colabello, Kubel and Parmelee make the roster?

 

Colabello's 'won' spring training. He has two options remaining, but is the lone right-handed bat with some power.

Parmelee's been good as well, and he's out of options.

Kubel is on a minor league deal, but can he opt out? Would he? He's still young and has a track record with a lot of success.

If it were me, Kubel would be the odd man out. I'm not sure what 'promises' were made or implied, if any for sure, but he just hasn't done enough to justify bringing him north.

[stringer bell]

My projections for the roster have changed. I had Mastro and Fryer on the team and neither made it. Unless the Twins pick up an outfielder capable of playing center, Hicks has again won the job in spring training. Colabello is perhaps the only guy who has played his way onto the team, and I am quite skeptical of him having success when the games count. Kubel, Bartlett and Presley seem to have blown opportunities here. I have Presley as the fourth OF and the Jason's off the team. Parmelee seems to be a redundant piece, probably getting some starts against RH pitching, but having no real role. Do the Twins want the versatile LH batting Herrmann or do they go with Pinto? I'm going with Herrmann, even though I want Pinto.

 

On the pitching side, there are many settled jobs--the first four in the rotation and Swarzak and the back of the bullpen are set. I think Deduno has earned a trip north. The easiest answer would be to make Deduno the fifth starter and stash Diamond and Worley in the 'pen at the expense of Tonkin, Thielbar and Pressly. I think Gibson is the key. I think he pushes Deduno to the bullpen and Diamond to DFAland.

 

Here's my new Roster 3.0--Pitchers (12) Nolasco, Correia, Hughes, Pelfry, Gibson, Deduno, Swarzak, Worley, Fien, Duensing, Burton, Perkins. Catchers (2) Suzuki, Herrmann. Infield (6) Maher, Dozier, Florimon, Plouffe, Escobar, Colabello. Outfield (5) Willingham, Hicks, Arcia, Presley, Parmelee.

[stringer bell]

Damon auto correct! It should be MAUER and JASONS

[jimbo92107]

I've always liked Jason Kubel but right now his niche is the same as Parmelee's, and Parms wins that battle.

[jmlease1]

So, how do people see the situation where likely two of Colabello, Kubel and Parmelee make the roster?

 

Colabello's 'won' spring training. He has two options remaining, but is the lone right-handed bat with some power.

Parmelee's been good as well, and he's out of options.

Kubel is on a minor league deal, but can he opt out? Would he? He's still young and has a track record with a lot of success.

 

I think it's a reasonable scenario, barring a trade that brings back a bench bat. Colabello is probably the odd man out because I suspect Gardy would prefer the known quantity, veteran presence of Kubel and TR won't want to lose Parmelee for nothing (I doubt he would get through waivers) while he still has a chance to be a productive MLB player (although his window is closing fast). The options may be what decide this one, not what might be the best fit for the roster this season. But it's possible Gardy could insist to TR that he give him a RH bat.

[slash129]

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in Bloomington. My wife had asked me to run the tiller over an area where she wanted to garden. The Twins had already lost the first two games of the series to the Yankees (which I'm pretty sure put them at double-digit consecutive losses to the Bombers), so I figured I could cut in and out of the game "on break" to till and watch the game. The Twins were down late in the game, so my concentration definitely swung more to getting the tilling done. Luckily, my chronically drunk neighbor had a decent-sized TV in the gazebo of the house he rented that I could see looking over the hedge. He also provided some relatively entertaining slurred play-by-play, so I knew when to peer over and catch what was going on. Most of you already know what happened, but I'll continue. The Twins got the bases loaded and Rivera came in to save it. My neighbor was sounding more and more like a sailor with each pitch. Then I hear "C'mon Kubel you #$#$%!!, It's Lefty on Righty!!! Just as I'm peering over, this happens:

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100516&content_id=10084276&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=min

 

.... And that is how I'd like to remember Jason Kubel

 

I see some logos here and there about getting 400 PAs for Eduardo Escobar. I'd like to see the same for Parmelee this season. He can play right field, DH and spell Mauer 2-3 times a month at 1B. If he doesn't prove himself this year with a reasonable look, then I think the Twins can say they game him a fair shot. I look at Garret Jones, then stretch a bit and look at Big Papi, and then stretch even more to a different org and look at Chris Davis and think patience and a decent shot at regular playing time could pay off.

 

Kubel doesn't do much for me in the now. DH? Pinch-Hit? Pair with Willingham to cover the least amount of ground in the corners in MLB? It can be fun to think about one of your favorite bands getting back together until the singer steps up to the mic. Then you wish you would just have kept reliving the memory of seeing them in '92.

[Boom Boom]

There's no way that Colabello, Kubel, and Parmelee all make the roster (especially if it results in 26 players).

 

Right now Kubel would be the odd man out. I know there's a rumored "gentleman's agreement" between the Twins and Kubel, but I wouldn't be very happy if Parmelee was let go so that they could bring Kubel north.

[cmathewson]

I'm with the general consensus. What good is a competition if the results aren't honored? I wouldn't be surprised to see Kubel start the year at Rochester to resurrect his swing, while Parmelee stays with the big club. Make Kubel beat him out. If he can't, let him opt out.

[Shane Wahl]

Kubel should be willing to play in Rochester as he can be assured that any injury to a position player and he is likely the guy brought up. He and Guerrier are competition for the younger guys. Younger guys win.

[Cris E]

If there was any gentleman's agreement, it certainly would have included some sort of expectation that Kubel or Bartlett wouldn't be utterly terrible. You can hear the discussion already: "Jason, if you'd given me any excuse at all I'd have made a place for you..." The team isn't at a point where they can be fine tuning the 25th man selection. It's still in a raw rebuild state and these guys are not moving the team forward. I like the idea of placeholding with easily discardable oldsters from happier days, but there are actual players to evaluate and the old guys are not filling the places.

[tobi0040]

I'm with the general consensus. What good is a competition if the results aren't honored? I wouldn't be surprised to see Kubel start the year at Rochester to resurrect his swing, while Parmelee stays with the big club. Make Kubel beat him out. If he can't, let him opt out.

 

 

I comletely agree. We don't owe Kubel anything. If he can't make this roster, than he would not make any roster out there. He is battling a pair of players that were never top prospects, are older, and have not really done much of anything up here.

[SweetOne69]

So, how do people see the situation where likely two of Colabello, Kubel and Parmelee make the roster?

 

Right now it looks like Willingham, Hicks and Arcia will be the starters with Presley the 4th OF.

 

Parmelee and Colabello are mirror images of each other. It seems to me they are ideal platoon players as the both are OF,1B,DH players and just bat opposite.

[tobi0040]

If there was any gentleman's agreement, it certainly would have included some sort of expectation that Kubel or Bartlett wouldn't be utterly terrible. You can hear the discussion already: "Jason, if you'd given me any excuse at all I'd have made a place for you..." The team isn't at a point where they can be fine tuning the 25th man selection. It's still in a raw rebuild state and these guys are not moving the team forward. I like the idea of placeholding with easily discardable oldsters from happier days, but there are actual players to evaluate and the old guys are not filling the places.

 

I can't imagine a gentlemans agreement existed. I guess I don't see the point of signing a guy to a minor league deal and saving a spot for him. Why wouldn't we just have signed him to a major league deal then? I think Terry is a straight forward guy and probably said, look around. This is who you are up against. Maybe because they have a relationship Terry told him we don't have any plans to bring in anyone else (which he has not).

[TheLeviathan]

I'm with the general consensus. What good is a competition if the results aren't honored? I wouldn't be surprised to see Kubel start the year at Rochester to resurrect his swing, while Parmelee stays with the big club. Make Kubel beat him out. If he can't, let him opt out.

 

That's just it, these are rarely genuine competitions. There is always a horse given a lead (how much of one depends) and the actual results are only a fraction of the decision. It's why people need to be cautious before a season starts to proclaim that people will have to "earn" their way into anything. Rarely is that even possible and usually minds are made up long before ST anyway.

 

There might be some genuine competitions, but I think by and large it's a falsehood teams all over the league tell their fans in all the major sports.

[tobi0040]

Right now it looks like Willingham, Hicks and Arcia will be the starters with Presley the 4th OF.

 

Parmelee and Colabello are mirror images of each other. It seems to me they are ideal platoon players as the both are OF,1B,DH players and just bat opposite.

 

Agree on the Parmlaee and Colabello comparison. I favor Colabello because he has fewer AB's up here. So I am more comfortable that Parmalee is not an MLB player.

[Jim Crikket]

I think sometimes we're a bit inconsistent. On the one hand, I think most of us generally agree that it's not advisable to put much (if any at all) stock in ST stats. On the other hand, we want to keep the guys who we think have won a competition in ST.

 

I think if the coaches and FO evaluators watching the players every day think the guys who don't have options have a legitimate shot at performing adequately enough, those are the guys they'll take north. The players with options will go to Rochester. The 5th starting pitcher spot MIGHT be the exception to that.

 

I can envision a situation where Kubel and Bartlett are kept and given some regular playing time. I sincerely doubt either will be with the team past midseason. If they perform well, they'll be flipped for prospects. If they don't, they'll be DFA'd. Either way, the Colabellos and Santanas (and maybe the Buxtons) of the world will be getting their MLB time by midseason. And if it means the organization gets anything of value out of Kubel/Bartlett, then it will have been worth the effort.

[stringer bell]

Costello and Parmelee are not mirror images in one respect--Parmelee is an acceptable outfielder, Colabello is not.

[JustinCB]

Any chance Deolis Guerra makes the team? He's had a near perfect spring so far, albeit over a small sample (7 Ks in 4 IP w/ 0 RA).

[Rick Niedermann]

If they go with Suzuki at Catcher instead of Pinto you have one more glaring hole in an already terrible offensive club. So, no matter who has to go, be it Diamond, Worley or whoever. The Twins must bring North the best pitching staff they can put together. I agree with the 5 starters. Perkins, Duensing, Thielbar, Fien, Burton, Swarzak and Tonkin. Pitching will be the only chance for this team to have a slight chance at being competitive. Because you just have to many "ifs" offensively. If Willingham comes back, if Hicks can be productive, if Arcia doesn't K every 3 AB's, if Plouffe, Colabello, and Parmelee can hit for some power and not strike out every 3 AB's. And most importantly, if these guys can start hitting with RISP.

[jimv2]

 

I think if the coaches and FO evaluators watching the players every day think the guys who don't have options have a legitimate shot at performing adequately enough, those are the guys they'll take north. The players with options will go to Rochester. The 5th starting pitcher spot MIGHT be the exception to that.

 

I can envision a situation where Kubel and Bartlett are kept and given some regular playing time. I sincerely doubt either will be with the team past midseason. If they perform well, they'll be flipped for prospects. If they don't, they'll be DFA'd. Either way, the Colabellos and Santanas (and maybe the Buxtons) of the world will be getting their MLB time by midseason. And if it means the organization gets anything of value out of Kubel/Bartlett, then it will have been worth the effort.

 

It MIGHT be an exception, but I'm guessing no. I think the Twins will want somebody in Rochester who can be called up to effectively replace an injured starter, and that needs to be someone who's stretched out and on the 40 man. Gibson is far and away your best choice for that, although I guess Kris Johnson is in the picture too. And assuming that Deduno keeps pitching well this spring, that allows him to be the 5th starter--which I think is more likely to suit his talents than being a reliever.

 

Your Kubel/Bartlett scenario is interesting/very plausible. But I sure wouldn't want to lose somebody who is out of options on the chance that either of those two returns to form, expecially since we presumably don't risk losing them by sending them down. IF we had been seeing great results from either, that's one thing. But despite the "hitting the ball hard" quotes, I think the best chance for your scenario to play out is to send them to Rochester where they can get more at bats and prove they can at least handle AAA pitching. Then maybe they can get added to the 40 man and brought up.

 

I do think we have to be looking at trading some relievers for something useful down the road (or maybe even now.) And I don't necessarily mean Diamond/Worley--as someone pointed out, teams know there's a good chance of those guys being DFA'd. I'm thinking more about a Burton, Duensing, Swarzak, Fien type guy in whom other teams might see value, perhaps even considerable value, and for whom we may have some guys like Tonkin or Hoffman or even Diamond/Worley able to step in.

[DocBauer]

I keep coming up with a 26 man roster. Now, someone could pull up lame over the next two weeks I suppose. But I feel Gardy has to be realistic and cut Kubel. He just hasn't shown anything resembling production or a consistent stroke from what I've seen in ST so far. I don't know if he'd accept time at AAA to work some issues out, possibly Bartlett for that matter. But you have to live in reality, not simply pine for hope and past production. And I don't feel at this time that Kubel can be counted on.

 

Colabello and Parmalee have outplayed Kubel and offer flexibility and better defensive versatility. Despite Presley having a bad camp thus far, he's the default 4th OF, back up CF to begin the season.

 

Escobar is the utility INF, and from what he has proven so far, Gardy even talking about him growing and learning at the ML level, I believe Pinto is the other C.

 

There is surprising competition in the bullpen. I have a hard time not seeing Thielbar making it though based on what he did last season as well as how he's looked so far in ST. Tonkin vs Gurierre is interesting and unexpected.

 

With all the sudden injuries to SP throughout the league, do we trade Correia before the season starts?

 

Dont fall asleep on D Romero. Even if he doesn't make the roster initially, doubtful, don't discount an early promotion if he continues to hit and play the way he has thus far.

[jokin]

Dont fall asleep on D Romero. Even if he doesn't make the roster initially, doubtful, don't discount an early promotion if he continues to hit and play the way he has thus far.

 

What scenario, besides Plouffe getting injured, do you envision in which Romero gets called up?

[Willihammer]

I wouldn't be so quick to cut Kubel. He has at least as much upside as Colabello or Parmelee IMO. Same for Bartlett. More upside there than Escobar or Florimon.

[stringer bell]

D Romero could replace Colabello if CC flounders (and makes the team).

[jokin]

D Romero could replace Colabello if CC flounders (and makes the team).

 

A one-position guy? It seems to me that they would go first the familiarity route with Wilkin Ramirez as the RH bench bat if CC flounders.

[Physics Guy]

Parmelee and Colabello over Kubel.

[highlander]

Deduno has impressed me with the action on his pitches for two years now. That being said I am not the one evaluating the team. Looking to see the best team that the Twins can put forward, whomever that is. Would not mind seeing the "gas can toting" Burton traded for quality help. Look forward to Hicks having a strong year.

[oldguy10]

Having any combination of Kubel, Parmelee and Colabello on the final opening day roster is a sure recipe for another 90+ loss season. NONE of the likes of them belong any place close to a MLB roster. Name me one more MLB team that would even be considering such ludicrous roster moves, ONE!