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1. What's up with the catching depth?
Kurt Suzuki is locked in as the starting backstop, but it's less clear how things will play out behind him. It appears that the plan is for Josmil Pinto will back him up and start once or twice a week, but the Twins are hardly enamored with his defense and have usually preferred to have a catch-and-throw specialist on the roster. If Suzuki or Pinto gets hurt, who is next in line? Chris Herrmann is on the 40-man roster but isn't a strong option offensively or defensively. Could someone like Stuart Turner emerge?
2. Who gets the fifth starter spot?
This will be one of the most prominent storylines, and it's one we've already been covering extensively here. Make sure to check out Seth's writeups on various candidates for the job, including Trevor May, Tommy Milone, Tim Stauffer, Alex Meyer and Mike Pelfrey.
3. How will the bullpen shake out?
We know Glen Perkins will be there. We basically know Casey Fien, Brian Duensing, Caleb Thielbar and Tim Stauffer will be there. That leaves one or two remaining spots, with a lengthy list of contenders set to make their cases. Hurlers like Michael Tonkin, Stephen Pryor, Ryan Pressly, A.J. Achter and Lester Oliveros will all be in the mix, not to mention the guys that lose out on the fifth starter competition mentioned above.
4. Who plays DH if not Kennys Vargas?
Vargas had an exceptional rookie season, but the Twins have been insistent that nothing will be handed to him this spring. That makes sense, since he had played fewer than 100 games above Single-A prior to his promotion and took a downturn late in the season as big-league pitchers made adjustments. If Vargas doesn't appear up to the task in camp, who will the Twins turn to? Could Pinto be bumped into regular duty? Will Molitor rotate different players through the position? There's no obvious answer.
5. Will Danny Santana get a chance to stick at shortstop?
We know that the Twins would like to give Santana an extended shot at holding down this job, but we also know that they liked what he did last year in center field, a position that remains in limbo. If Aaron Hicks fails to impress, will the club search for another answer so they can stick to their plan of bringing Santana along at short, or will they slide the 24-year-old to the outfield and fall back on Eduardo Escobar, hoping to replicate last year's results? I'm guessing the latter, though I hope that isn't the case; we need to see what Santana can do at shortstop. Where he plays in exhibition games should give us a good idea of the team's mindset.
6. How rusty are Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton?
Sano hasn't played competitively for an entire year and will be learning to man the infield with a surgically reconstructed elbow. Buxton's 2014 campaign was full of fits and starts, and every time he came back from a long layoff, the rust was evident. The way these two start out should set the tone for their seasons. If they pick up quickly, either one could be in line for a first-half promotion to the majors. If not, September or 2016 would seem more likely.
7. Will Joe Mauer flash some power?
You can't put too much stock into the way players -- particularly established veterans -- perform in spring exhibitions, but Mauer's bat was noticeably quiet in Grapefruit League play last year. While he was patient as usual, tying for the team lead with eight walks, Mauer managed just one extra-base hit (a double) in 48 at-bats, posting a .292 slugging percentage. That preceded a season in which he hit just four homers and slugged .371, both the worst marks of his career outside of an injury-ruined 2011 campaign. If Mauer comes out stinging the ball next month, we'll take it as a very promising sign.
8. What will we learn about Molitor?
We likely won't be able to draw any meaningful conclusions about his in-game management, but Molitor's ideas about roster construction should tell us a few things about his general point of view. For instance, will he lean toward a seven-man bullpen at the expense of depth on the bench, as Ron Gardenhire often did? How highly does he value intangible qualities compared to demonstrable skills and production? Might he be more willing to take a chance on younger players given his heightened familiarity with many of these prospects through his work as a minor-league instructor?
9. What happens if Ricky Nolasco is a mess?
Nolasco wasn't very impressive last spring, posting a 5.50 ERA that was highest of any rotation candidate other than Vance Worley. No one made a big deal out of it at the time, but after a disastrous 2014 season, Twins execs have emphasized repeatedly over the winter that nothing will be guaranteed for Nolasco this year despite his contract. It will be very interesting to see what happens if the right-hander comes out of the gates with a few ugly outings.
10. Which prospect will unexpectedly shine?
A year ago it was Danny Santana, who batted .391 with five extra-base hits in 10 games. That wasn't enough to earn him a spot on the Opening Day roster, but the eye-opening production likely helped facilitate an early May call-up that led to an amazing rookie season. Who will be this year's Santana?
Feel free to serve up your guesses on the answers to any of these questions, as well as any topics on your mind with camp approaching, in the comments section below.
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