Examining Pre-Arbitration Players

40-MAN SITUATION

The Twins have 38 players on their 40-man roster currently. They will need to reinstate both Phil Hughes and Glen Perkins. Kurt Suzuki will be a free agent and I suggested the Twins non-tender Trevor Plouffe (if he isn’t traded) and Tommy Milone. That leaves three spots.

A YEAR FROM ARBITRATION

Danny Santana, Util.; Robbie Grossman, OF; Trevor May, P; Michael Tonkin, RP. None of these players are going to go into the winter in jeopardy of losing their roster spots. You could argue Santana could be, but I’d be surprised to see him not make it to spring training.

ONE-PLUS

Eddie Rosario, OF; Miguel Sano, 3B; Juan Centeno, C; Kennys Vargas, 1B; Tyler Duffey, SP; Byron Buxton, CF; John Ryan Murphy, C. Vargas is in the process of doing enough to save his winter roster spot. (Has he done enough to push Byungho Park from the 40-man? I don’t think so.) The other names that pop out are Juan Centeno and John Ryan Murphy. 40-man spots are valuable; catchers are valuable. When Suzuki leaves via trade or free agency, that leaves only Centeno and Murphy on the 40-man. Can you risk exposing them to waivers? Centeno would clear (and I’d take that risk). Murphy has been atrocious, but he had some success in New York and has some name recognition. I’d keep him around.

LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF SERVICE

Buddy Boshers, LRP; Ryan O'Rourke, LRP; Max Kepler, OF; Taylor Rogers, LP; Jorge Polanco, INF; Pat Dean, LSP; Jose Berrios, SP; J.T. Chargois, RP; Andrew Albers, LP; Pat Light, RP. O’Rourke and Albers have already cleared waivers once and they should again. Pat Dean, a surprise addition last year, hasn’t proven that he deserves to stay on the roster and would likely clear waivers as well. Boshers strikes me as the next most-expendable player in the organization, but he’s left-handed, gets some swings-and-misses and is super cheap, so unless I need his spot, he’s staying on the roster.

SERVICE-LESS

Yorman Landa, RP; Mason Melotakis, LRP; Randy Rosario, LP; Adam Brett Walker, OF; Adalberto Mejia, LSP. Unless a guy really backs up in the minor-leagues after being added to the 40-man, they’re not typically in danger of being removed. I don’t see any of these guys being sent through waivers.

CONCLUSION

Coming in with three spots, we’ve made room for four more (Albers, Centeno, Dean, O’Rourke) to give enough room to add all six of my suggested players from last month: Daniel Palka and Zach Granite (OF), Engelb Vielma (SS), Mitch Garver © and Felix Jorge and Fernando Romero (P). There would still be one more spot going into free agency and/or the Rule 5 draft.

How would you handle the 26 pre-arb players?