Where Are We Now?

If the Twins did sign a free agent starter or trade for one on a major league contract it will be interesting to see what they do with Mejia.  Will they try to deal him before the end of spring training or utilize him out of the 'pen in some capacity.  

On the other hand, we only need to look back to last spring and the Ervin Santana saga to realize nothing is etched in stone at this point in the offseason.  Plans can change in a hurry as we get closer to opening day.

As the saying goes...can never have enough pitching.

The payroll is too low not to grab another arm or two. Given that injuries happen and Pineda is likely to get hurt some time this season, I think the Twins should heavily consider adding Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, or even Clay Bucholz as well as Ottavino to round out the bullpen.

The lineup looks very solid on paper. Sano and Buxton can get this team to 90 wins alone by each having a 2017-like year. The powerful additions of Schoop, Cron, and Cruz will make the middle of the lineup very dangerous. There's very good potential for this team to have 6-7 20 HR hitters. Add in improvements from Kepler and Castro and you've got a rock solid lineup top to bottom. 

The only thing that will hold this team back is most likely that 5th starter spot (if no additions are made), and the back of the bullpen, which is relatively unproven. That's why getting Ottavino would be huge. 

I would say we will either acquire a pitcher through a trade like last year or we will pick up player released during spring training. My guess we sign a reliever before spring training from free agent market. These are moves i expect us to make before season starts unless we have major injury then we could make a move.

I was pessimistic about coming season but i can see possible path where we could make a run this season. I also could se where we just post another bad season again and wait for the prospects to arrive here.

I also wonder what are long term plan is when we haven't locked up any players for the future. I look at where we stand even if we have decent year what is the plan for the 2020 year when we will be loosing three of projected starters for this year to free agency. Pitching has improved for the Twins but not if we loose all three of these starters because following year we will be looking for starting pitching and we don't have that kind of depth in minors to just fill these openings and pitching on free agent market is always expensive and risky. The chances of resigning our pitchers could become expensive and not lock to get them back on the pitchers we would want back to pitch.

I feel they need to sign another reliever as the bottom end looks weak.  I also favor Vasquez over Moya.  Maybe a better utility player than Moya and one less pitcher and have Astudillo up.  Would like to have seen what Austin can bring for a full season, but the front office does not seem very sold on him, so I guess barring Cron having a very bad spring, he is gone.  

Worried about the lack of OBP type players, as this club looks like it could have problems scoring if the ball does not leave the park.  

Pitching rates to be better, but would like one more stabilizer in the pen.  At least this club has hope if at least one of Buxton and Sano rebound to be upper 80's to low 90's in the win column. 

The roster resource has Duffey with 1 option.

If that is the case the Twins must not have used an option in 2015 or 2016.

Curiously absent from this discussion is the word "closer". Maybe that is too old school, but, this team will regret not having one.  The guys on our roster are fill-in level not stopper level.  This team had and AL leading 30 blown saves last year with the best team being 14 and the league average being 21.  There is a potential for 9 wins if we just become average.  Get a stopper if possible.   

Am I correct that the Twins have ZERO dollars guaranteed to anyone next year (notwithstanding buyouts)? Talk about playing for their jobs.

That colors whether we "should" add anyone. This looks like Falvine are ready to see whether the team competes in the first half. If so, add some oomph at the deadline, and expect to pick up options and start signing extensions next year. If not, they can clean out a lot of roster spots, and still keep enough talent to jump-start a rebuild.

The roster guess sounds reasonable. I think it's possible for Vasquez, Astudillo, and/or Austin to break camp with the team, with Duffey being the most likely to drop on performance alone.

I would like to see Astudillo get a chance, and not just for entertainment. He seems the easiest way to add consistent OBP, which is the missing element in this lineup.

1.  Will the Twins add another bullpen arm, or two?  

Very possible.   For some reason my hindbrain keeps coming back to Cody Allen being announced here before too long... but then I may have eaten too many paint chips as a kid.

2.  Will the Twins add another starting pitcher? Free agent, or a possible trade option?

Also for some reason I don't see this happening other than a possible bullpen piece (I.E. Allen), but we shall see I suppose.

3.  What is the role for Fernando Romero?

This one really intrigues me.   Romero just has too much potential to leave in the wings waiting.   I like the Adam Wainwright comparison to this one (just hear me out).  When Adam broke into the league he pitched out of the pen mostly during his rookie year.   The comparison?   His stuff was too good not to use and the team had a need that he could fill.  

Yes, he was and had been a starter his whole career, but he was happy to fill the role to help the team.   My feeling is that the pen is not the "death sentence" that some make it out to be.   I feel that Romero's stuff could play well there and if he is needed to move back to the rotation, then he is slotted back there.

4.  CJ Cron or Tyler Austin?

Honestly, I don't prefer one over the other.   I think they both have a lot of talent and potential (whether that is fully realized and maximized we shall see), and I for one am more than happy to let people far more intelligent than I in baseball matters make that decision.

I'll admit, I read the title as "Where are THEY now" and got very confused as to why our current roster was in an article with that title.

That's all, carry on

Tyler Austin will probably hit 30+ homers this year ............................................... for Kansas City, Detroit or Baltimore.

Perhaps i'm off base, but I don't see why the Twins wouldn't be at least interested in either Harper or Machado at this juncture seeing as how most of the big name teams are out. Singing either would immediately put us into another competitive echelon. 

Magill and Duffy don't belong on a team that's trying to contend.

Perhaps i'm off base, but I don't see why the Twins wouldn't be at least interested in either Harper or Machado at this juncture seeing as how most of the big name teams are out. Singing either would immediately put us into another competitive echelon. 

Please, no one like either one on the 2019 Twins until we see who the 2019 Twins are. Harper has peaked and should be called Mr. April. What he would cost would be a clubhouse disaster. Same for Machado, to a lesser degree, whose middle name(s) should be hot dog. Both think they are walking.championships and neither will ever play on a championship team. Either would cause big problems especially for an essentially new team with a new manager to boot.

There could be a nice chunk of change coming off the books after this year - Reed, Pineda, Castro, Odorizzi, Schoop, Cruz.  Where we are now seems to be at the cusp of a rebuild

I will be very upset if the Twins go into the season with Duffey and Magill in the bullpen. There are FA's available that can greatly improve the bullpen.