The More Things Change, The More Things Change

Let's break this out into positions. Let's start with the Hitters:

OPENING DAY ROSTER

C - Kurt Suzuki

1B - Joe Mauer

2B - Brian Dozier

3B - Trevor Plouffe

SS - Eduardo Escobar

LF - Eddie Rosario

CF - Byron Buxton

RF - Miguel Sano

DH - Byung Ho Park

Bench: John Ryan Murphy, Danny Santana, Oswaldo Arcia, Eduardo Nunez

MAY 19 ROSTER

C - Kurt Suzuki

1B - Joe Mauer

2B - Brian Dozier

3B - Trevor Plouffe

SS - Eduardo Nunez

LF - Oswaldo Arcia

CF - Danny Santana

RF - Miguel Sano

DH - Byung Ho Park

Bench: Juan Centeno, Jorge Polanco, Robbie Grossman, Darin Mastroianni

HITTER SUMMARY

There was so much optimism for this offense when spring training camp broke and they went to DC to play a couple of games against the Nationals. The offense has struggled at the things it did so well a year ago, especially in that 20-8 May. They aren't bunching hits together or hitting as well with Runners In Scoring Position. The strikeouts are high (though not as alarmingly so as they were early in the season.

This list really doesn't look like as much change as one would think. The change is on the fringes. The veterans are still in there. Byung Ho Park has exceeded early-season expectations and has been good. Joe Mauer had a great April and is back to the 2014 and 2015 version so far in May. Brian Dozier's struggles since last year's All Star break continue. Eduardo Escobar in on the Disabled List. Trevor Plouffe has been just fine, but he missed time on the Disabled List too.

We saw Max Kepler come up to the Twins just four games into the season. He sat on the bench most of the time. Jorge Polanco has already been up three times and aside from a few starts has been on the bench most of the time.

Byron Buxton struck out in 49.0% of his plate appearances and had to be optioned. Eddie Rosario was given over 100 plate appearances to make some adjustments. It just wasn't happening. Oswaldo Arcia started taking some playing time from him. For awhile, he was very good, but he has slumped of late as well.

John Ryan Murphy couldn't buy a hit, so he was finally optioned to Rochester after about a month. Juan Centeno, one of the better stories from spring training, was promoted.

Eduardo Nunez has certainly been a success story. He was place in the lineup early in the year after some injuries and he has continued to hit all year. He's certainly earned his playing time, though it was injuries that gave it to him at first. He took advantage. Polanco and Mastroianni sit on the bench most days. It is perfectly fine for a veteran such as Mastroianni to sit on the bench, maybe making a start a week and playing defense in a couple more, but Polacno needs to play every day and should do so in Rochester until a move is made to clear some playing time for him.

As I wrote earlier this week, the best thing for Buxton, Kepler, Polanco, Rosario, Murphy and other young players is to play a lot. To get repetitions on defense and get a lot of plate appearances. In fact, I wrote about that during the second week of the season when Polanco and Kepler were both sitting on the bench most every day. However, at some point, the organization needs to turn things over to the next group and hope that their talent takes over and they find success in conjunction with some of the veterans.

Now let's take a look at the pitcher comparisons, starting with the starters. .

OPENING DAY ROTATION

SP - Ervin Santana

SP - Phil Hughes

SP - Tommy Milone

SP - Kyle Gibson

SP - Ricky Nolasco

MAY 19 ROTATION

SP - Ervin Santana

SP - Phil Hughes

SP - Ricky Nolasco

SP - Tyler Duffey

SP - Pat Dean

STARTER SUMMARY

By just looking at the list, it doesn't look dramatically different, but there are a few things to note. First, who had Pat Dean in the starting rotation six weeks into the season?

Ervin Santana missed 15 days with some back issues. Kyle Gibson has been on the DL with a shoulder strain. Phil Hughes let it be known after his most recent start that he has been experiencing what they're calling "shoulder fatigue." While it isn't an injury, anyone who has played is aware of what is often called "Dead Arm." It can strike at any time and is a phase, often short-term, where a pitcher just isn't feeling right and able to air things out in the same way as "normal." Hughes has been continuing to pitch while working with the training staff. Those were supposed to be the three givens at the top of the rotation.

Tommy Milone pitched well in spring training and entered the season as the #4 starter. He struggled to be able to eat many innings early in the season and was eventually moved into the bullpen. After just an appearance out of the bullpen, he was place on waivers. He was able to clear waivers and is now in the Rochester rotation and off of the 40-man roster.

Ricky Nolasco beat out Tyler Duffey for the fifth spot in the rotation and looked good his first few starts. He's struggled since then.

It wasn't long before Duffey was back in the big leagues. Right now, he's clearly the Twins top starting pitcher again, as he was over his final nine starts in 2015.

Jose Berrios reached the big leagues and made four starts. He struggled in the first, and despite continued control problems, he pitched well in his second and third starts. However, on Monday in Detroit, he recorded just two outs and gave up seven runs. Most alarming, he walked four batters. Following the game, he was sent back to Rochester.

Pat Dean is set to make his first MLB start on Saturday. He came into the game to replace Berrios and pitched into the 7th inning. The southpaw should get a couple of starts before Kyle Gibson returns from the Disabled List.

The starters began the season by pitching well for the first time or two through the rotation, but since then injury and inconsistency has taken over.

THE BULLPEN

OPENING DAY ROSTER

CL - Glen Perkins

RP - Kevin Jepsen

RP - Trevor May

RP - Ryan Pressly

RP - Casey Fien

RP - Fernando Abad

RP - Michael Tonkin

MAY 19 ROSTER

CL - Kevin Jepsen

RP - Trevor May

RP - Ryan Pressly

RP - Michael Tonkin

RP - Fernando Abad

RP - Brandon Kintzler

RP - Taylor Rogers

BULLPEN SUMMARY

Less than a week into the season, Glen Perkins went on the DL with a shoulder strain and hasn't been able return yet. There still is no timeline for his return. Since then, everyone has moved up one spot. It hasn't gone well. Kevin Jepsen has been unreliable in the close role. Trevor May has been a strikeout machine in the bullpen, but he has struggled his last couple of outings. Ryan Pressly was good the first few weeks but has struggled the last month. Michael Tonkin has certainly had ups and downs all season. Fernando Abad has been very good most of his times out all season.

Casey Fien was also placed on waivers at the same time as Tommy Milone. Fien was claimed by the Dodgers who then placed him on waivers and when he cleared they sent him to AAA.

JR Graham got one appearance before being DFAd and traded to the Yankees. Ryan O'Rourke was DFAd at the same time. He cleared waivers and is pitching well again at Rochester. He actually continued to pitch well against left-handers, as he has his entire career.

Brandon Kintzler was brought in on a minor league contract. He came up when Graham and Fien were let go. Taylor Rogers is already up for the second time. The first time was when Perkins was DLd. He pitched just once and was sent back down. With Dean moving into the rotation, the Twins needed a long reliever and Rogers got the call again.

ROSTER SUMMARY

The Twins have averaged one player sent to the Disabled List each week so far this season including two players in the Opening Day lineup and two in their Opening Day starting rotation. Their closer has been on the Disabled List almost all season.

Three of the four bench players on Opening Day are now starting due to injury or poor play. Fien and Milone were already placed on waivers. Two other bullpen guys have been DFAd.

To this point, the changes have been on the fringes. Changes made (non-DL moves) have been at the back end of the rotation and the bullpen and with the young hitters that have struggled.

The veterans (who are healthy) remain on the roster. Of course, that is subject to change in the coming months as the Twins are clearly "Sellers" at this point in the season and fans look to 2017 and beyond. In my most recent article, I wrote that the Twins should turn over the roster to the future August 1st. That was an arbitrary date. There's no reason at this point to wait to make deals until the July 31st deadline if any present themselves sooner

Until then, we will watch Robbie Grossman, Danny Santana and Miguel Sano in the Twins outfield while an outfield of Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. That is the group that will be fun to watch and think about going forward, especially should Miguel Sano move back to third base.

There have been a lot of transactions and the season is just six weeks old. However, the Twins have ten wins and have been swept eight times already. It is likely there will be a lot more transactions before this season is over. Will there be many more wins?