One Fan's Opinion: Rooker is Ready

It could be a roll of the dice to know if/when makes the big league roster. Kiriloff and Sano will likely be at 1b, and we have much better OF options defensively. He is going to have to hit his way onto any roster with OPS. I see him most likely on the 40 man to start 2022 at St Paul, if our core is healthy. 

Thanks for the write up Sherry.

Honestly, I'm not sure what direction the Twins and the FO will go in the spring.  However, I've always liked Rooker and will continue to pull for him.

Funny story though... We were at a game in Jacksonville when Chattanooga (AA) came to town and my kids were at the Lookouts dugout getting autographs from the players, when my son spotted Rooker walking by.  So he calls out super loud "Hey Rook! Sign my ball!"  The look on Rooker's face was hilarious.  You could see the wheels going in his head and he seemed to be thinking "Did this kid just call me a Rookie or was he using a short form of my name?", but he just shrugged, smiled and grabbed the ball to sign it.   

Good article - Rooker's fate is certainly one of the biggest mysteries as the Twins make moves this winter. Nice to see a pro-Rooker article here, as there have been many discussions far more critical. I like the kid too, just not sure where he fits.....we shall see.

Don’t have a clue how FO feels about which to keep, both or neither.  If Rooker is on 2022 Twins it should be as DH.

Don’t understand why so many keep referring to Kirilloff as a corner outfielder.  He was at first last year and will be the Twins first baseman in 2022 and beyond.

If Rooker was not already on the 40 man roster I doubt the Twins would acquire him from another team.

Rooker is 27. That is usually old if a player is just emerging as a  superstar. Rooker has plenty of time to have a fine MLB career. He adapts, has a strong work ethic,, and continually improves as a baseball player. I expect Rooker to be someone who hits 30 home runs and doubles; he has power. 

The skills Rooker has are duplicated by others on the roster and that makes him available as a piece to trade. The NL adding a DH will open up some interest in Rooker as well. The Twins need to get more athletic and trim the number of players whose skills are too similar. DH, 1B/3B, LF/RF: Kepler, Sano, Kirilloff, Larnach, Donaldson, Miranda, Arraez, Garlick, Martin, Gordon, Refsnyder .... who did i miss/this is beyond depth - it's too many.

I do think Rooker can turn the corner and be a productive MLB player given a full opportunity. Somebody has to go from the excess and Falvine must ascertain which clubs have an interest in what combinations of those players currently on the roster that will bring a return which improves the team for 2022. 

I think Rooker will be kept on the 40 man, and be optioned to St. Paul as a backup.  Do not see the value here.  I am much more interested in the pest hitters, then the 3 outcome types.

1 hour ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

To be frank, I would like the Twins to adopt a new hitting strategy, which favors more singles and less strikeouts.

Based on Falvey's quotes in Reusse's article in the Strib today you will be quite disappointed.

"We had LaMonte. He was an on-base, line-drive guy and we liked him a lot but what he and the Giants did this year, he looked like a totally different human at the plte. He was standing upright, swinging harder, hitting for power."

"People complain about the emphasis on home runs, but they win games," Falvey said. "Already in this postseason, teams are 13-1 when they outhomer the opponent."

12 hours ago, h2oface said:

So many other teams have players that are 22 and 23 staring in the show........ and we are hoping someone who will be 27 selected 35th overall is finally ready.  I try to find the positive, here, but it is difficult.

Perhaps to find the positive you have to realize it was an article on a single player not anything really about the team. FWIW the 22 and 23 year old stars are all at home not playing now.

9 hours ago, h2oface said:

So sorry. I was thinking Rooker was on the team, and the article had quite a bit of Garlick on it, as well as age focus.

FWIW, there is a 22yr old (Christian Pache) still playing, 3 23 year olds - Brusdar Graterol who just turned 23 in August, and Huascar Ynoa- remember them? -  and Ian Anderson, and Ronald Acuna Jr is 23 too and would still be playing if not injured. Yordan Alverez was 23 at the start of the season and turned 24 in June, and Austin Riley broke out as a 24 yr old this year and Ozzie Albies is 24 but was in the show since he was 20 in 2018, and Kyle Tucker is 24 and played last year at 23. That's not even getting into all the others who were that young when they made the show and are still playing....... If they are in the show, they are staring in the show. And this is just the 4 teams that are left. Up to you whether that makes them "stars". 

Shame on me for wanting youth for my favorite team, too, instead of possible break outs at 27. But I do pine for it. I bet I am not the only one, either. 

Rookie is on the team  One of more than 40 players. It is rather unfortunate that he is so old that there should be a hole with his name on it. Dug for the inevitable that is so close. Older still is Garlick who is trying to get himself established. Good thing baseball did not jettison Nelson Cruz or Brian Dozier because they were not a star. Where would the Dodgers be without Muncy and Taylor? In terms of age Rooker  still can meet your definition of 22-23 as it shifts to recently 23.   Rooker even matches your definition of stars

If Atlanta had their injured players instead of who they have, they would have a different team with perhaps different outcomes and the Phillies would be playing or the Brewets

Garlick, coming off an injury, pretty much ahs zero trade value. You can argue keeping him on the 40-man roster. The Twins have 10-12 names that they CAN keep once some prospects are added, all of the dozen names replaceable if you sign a free agent or find someone better, which you hope you can do if there are still ten expendable names on your 40-man.

Rooker is home grown, a power guy, and can play 1st base and the corners. Garlick was the surprise (beating out Broxton in spring training). Rob Refsnyder kept himself in the 40-man roster spot hunt until he collapsed in the final month.

Be interesting to see who goes and who stays. Rooker, as a keeper, could actually be a good throw-in if you do perform a trade during  the off-season and the NL is granted the DH.

On 10/19/2021 at 7:36 AM, LA VIkes Fan said:

I think the only way Kirilloff is the everyday 1B next year is if Sano or Donaldson is gone. Think about it. Sano can only play 1B or DH.  Donaldson has to DH at least 50-60 games or more if we want 135 games a year out of him and I think that's an absolute necessity to compete. Arraez needs 30 games at DH to save his knees, so that only leaves a max of 70-80 DH games for Sano. He will play every day. I think Sano is your everyday 1B unless either he or Donaldson gets traded and I think that's a low probability.  

The good news is that Kirilloff can play LF and play it better than Larnach or Rooker. There's no one else pushing for that spot so Kirilloff in LF makes a great deal of sense to me. That's the only way you can get Kirilloff, Donaldson, Sao, and Arraez all in the lineup at the same time. 

Excellent points.

I’m actually a big Garlick fan. When Buxton got hurt, he played an adequate CF with a solid bat. He is a plus defender in the corners, albeit not great. Rooker isn’t a plus at anything, although the dude can mash baseballs a long way. I think it’s clear Garlick beats it out, but maybe starts the year in St Paul. You might be able to trade Rooker for something similar to the Jake Cave trade, and hope whoever you get back turns out as good as Luis Gil did.