4 Non-Roster Invitees That Can Still Make the Twins’ Opening Day Roster

Geez Louise……..

Willi Castro is by far my vote. He's a handy INF glove, a switch hitter who's bat is starting to click. Someone we really need if Polanco is held up.

Does it help Castro's chances that he apparently has some base stealing ability (9 last year and 100+ in the minors)? This will be "The Year of the Stolen Base" according to someone somewhere.

Garlick is the new Cave - he'll hang around & I agree we'll see him at some point in 2023. 

Hoffman, yes. My preference is Ober in the rotation in St. Paul until/if he's needed. I want him ready to go with 35 minutes notice, not misused in a "long relief" role by the current manager, then having to go down to be built up for a month again. Hoffman was OK last year & OK as a last option in the bullpen in my eyes. 

White, no If he's on the team for any length of time, we'll know where 2023 is headed (i.e. nowhere). 

Castro, no. We have Solano, Farmer, & Gordon for utility depth already on the roster - why add a guy with borderline mediocre power, speed, & a .292 career OBP? Like White, scraping bottom if we have Castro on the roster other than in a national emergency. 

DANNY COULOMBE

Castro is younger than Larnach. He put up a really good AAA season and was rushed to the majors very young. There are plenty of examples of players being called up too young and struggle yet still find success in their prime. It happened with Escobar and Hicks. I have hope for Celestino. It can happen with Castro. 

I'm intrigued by Oliver Ortega and he's had a solid spring. But I believe he's behind Hoffman and Coulombe based on experience, if nothing else. 

I'm giving the nod to Hoffman over Coulombe, grudgingly, due to the fact Hoffman has an out clause, and he fits the role of being able to throw multiple innings as a valuable middle man. With Pagan...ugh and crossed fingers...we have a pair of arms that can throw a couple innings at a time as bridge relievers.

On the player side, I have to agree with chpettit19 that I don't see keeping a player on the opening day roster that you are willing to lose in April if either Polanco or AK are ready within a few weeks, or maybe even a month. In regard to White, we already have Solano and even Miranda as 1B options. I don't see a fit for White. So the last position spot has to be Garlick or Castro.

I believe Gordon and Farmer will probably cover 2B while Polanco is out. That means room for Garlick as a LH masher in the OF here and there. And with Buxton spending a lot of time at DH to begin the season, as reported, Taylor will already be in the starting lineup a lot initially. But when Buxton starts playing the field more, and someone gets healthy again, Garlick may have to be passed through waivers to keep. Do the Twins risk losing him?

Meanwhile, Castro, a year younger than I thought he was, offers the ability to "replace" some of Gordon's and Farmer's versatility as a super utility player. I don't believe his ST numbers are indicative of a sudden progression. But I like his milb numbers. I like his speed and some pop, switch hitting potential, and the ability to play 6 spots. When you look at his milb career and athletic ability and versatility, and still only 25yo, why on earth did Detroit give up on him so quickly? Makes ZERO sense to me!

I have no illusions Castro will turn in to anything special, other than a potentially nice, well rounded utility player. But what's wrong with that? He's at the age now, 25, where many decent/solid prospects just reach the majors, or are going in to their 2nd year. But he was pushed too soon, hasn't been anything but mediocre to this point, despite solid milb production, and offers potential growth still. AND, he's still got an option. 

To me, the logical choice is Castro as the final 13th man to begin the season. Speed, defense, the ability to play all over, makes him the best choice as a temporary fill in for a few weeks, or a month. After that, he can be optioned down to continue to develop and provide depth.

Hoffman and Castro are the choices. Everyone else is at St Paul awaiting opportunity to contribute as needed.

Ugh... a prolonged need for any of the above is not compatible with a championship season

We just can't get rid of Garlick. Unbelieveable. And to even consider White is just horrible. This is depressing. And with all the "stud" prospects, this is where we are?

7 hours ago, Bamboo Bat said:

Garlick is the new Cave - he'll hang around & I agree we'll see him at some point in 2023. 

Hoffman, yes. My preference is Ober in the rotation in St. Paul until/if he's needed. I want him ready to go with 35 minutes notice, not misused in a "long relief" role by the current manager, then having to go down to be built up for a month again. Hoffman was OK last year & OK as a last option in the bullpen in my eyes. 

White, no If he's on the team for any length of time, we'll know where 2023 is headed (i.e. nowhere). 

Castro, no. We have Solano, Farmer, & Gordon for utility depth already on the roster - why add a guy with borderline mediocre power, speed, & a .292 career OBP? Like White, scraping bottom if we have Castro on the roster other than in a national emergency. 

 

I was really hoping to never hear the name Cave again.

I gotta think Hoffman makes it. 

It looks like both Polanco & Kiriloff will open the season on the IL, so we'll two spots available.

Castro gives the team even more flexibility, he's young, athletic & has had some success at the MLB level (2020 shortened season). It's possible we keep Hoffman as the 13th pitcher which likely means Ober is in AAA, don't want to see that. If we keep Ober then there is another spot open for a position player & not sure who that goes too, maybe Garlick.

Hoffman makes it as the long man who will likely be up and down multiple times this season.  

the position player part is more difficult.  If Polanco and Kirilloff are out more then the first week or 10 days OR I’d Miranda still can’t play 3B then Castro makes the team.  If they just need a guy to fill in and add insurance and may not even play it could be White or Garlick. 

If I were the Twins right now I would have Edouard Julien start as DH/UT type roll and possibly stick with that all season.

I don't want Julien or Wallner given the last man off the bench positions those should be given to vets or guys they determine to not be worthy of a starting job but at least average major league players. Currently Wallner is in a real bad position being left handed and the top three outfield fielders being left handed (Gallo, Larnach, Kepler) and the Twins really need to see what Larnach really is before handing the spot to Wallner so he really isn't an option. 2B opened up and Julien should be given that opportunity since the Twins seem to have a handful of utility guys, if nothing else it gets his feet wet and if he has to go back down the Twins should feel more comfortable bringing him back up later (He turns 24 next month so I am not really worried about his options)

I do like Castro but he seems kind of redundant with Gordon on the roster.

As for pitchers I would rather just have them give the spot to somebody on the 40.

I can't believe we are seriously having to talk about Willi Castro over Edouard Julien right now.

I am not a fan of the Garlick or White ideas to be just a right handed bat against lefties.  I mean that is super limiting a roster spot.  If they need to play because injuries okay, but to use up a full roster spot simply because you want a small edge against lefties in the very few times you face them just does not seem to make much sense.  I do not know White well, but if he just a 1B then similar to Garlick they offer little than a bat against lefties and to me is not worth the negitive value they offer in other areas.  I hated seeing Garlick pinch hit in the 4th or 5th for someone like Gordon against a lefty.  Sure, sometimes Garlick would get a hit, but how much more likely was his at bat going to be better than Gordon's?  Not a huge upgrade, but then you have a terrible defender rest of the game, getting 2 more at bats most likely against righty the rest of the way and will then have lower value. 

That article made me sad.