tony&rodney

While I agree with this statement, I still am amazed that Rooker was essentially released. Rooker is the absolute prototype of a Falvey player. He swings hard and bashes the ball around the park. While I'm not a Rooker style guy, I do see the value in a good DH and was flabbergasted that an exact replica of a Falvey dream pick was so easily let go.

In consideration of the roster budgets among the AL Central foes and our neighbor Milwaukee, it is beyond time to stop using money or ownership as a crutch for how the roster is constructed. The Pohlad budgets under Paul Molitor were quite different and much more a factor than anything in the Falvey/Baldelli era.

You answered your own question with the post. Seattle and San Diego are in different divisions and have markets that might be seen as dissimilar to the Twin Cities. Both of these teams proceed with confidence in transactions even if some of their deals are wonky or turn out poorly. The Twins are uber hesitant. We repeatedly, in nearly every article, read that the financial constraints are difficult for the Minnesota Twins. Yet, as of today, the Twins have the most money of any team in their immediate competitive area, the AL Central and Milwaukee. Perhaps it is past time that everyone realize that it isn't money that holds back the Twins from improving the roster. I doubt whether Detroit, Cleveland, Kansas City, or Chicago South are feeling sorry for the financial challenges their coldest division faces.

The discussion this year on the TD GM pretend rosters was a complete flop, almost no replies across the board. Now with the non-tenders we are beginning to see a return to the Twins preferred path, adding players from the scrap heap in hopes that a shower, new clothes, and a different setting uncovers the loss of past skills and potential. I hope it works this time. One can never predict if Dylan Carlson (or others) suddenly resurrects a career.

Pinellas County decided not to fix the roof. I would say MLB has another problem on their hands. Has Las Vegas broken ground on their new project and do they have definitive approval from the legislature, county, and city? Manfredball.

Singer has some promise but the Royals did fine by adding India and Wiemer.

This guy is going get a flunking grade on his predictions. Sometimes it is simply amazing how unaware experts are with the goings on of different organizations. I'm taking his big smile to mean, "Just kidding."

Topa has to be pretty happy.

The picture makes you look six decades behind me.

The Twins have open spots on the 40 person roster. Tendering everyone doesn't really matter that much. Topa could have some trade value as a toss in. Castro certainly has some value. Tonkin has a rubber arm and the recent article nailed it on him. I'm unsure about Henriquez. Still think that if Falvey just does his job and makes a few trades, the Twins actually send away more players than are returned in deals. The roster budget ($130M) is doable because it is a reality and none of these guys bust the bank.

No problem with that. Some of us older retired guys who are increasingly less mobile and no longer busy 16 hours a day spend time watching milb.com, where we can watch any number of prospects in A, A+, AA, and AAA ball. I doubt if I would be as familiar with prospects other than reading Baseball America if I'm still working.

Totally exceptional circumstances regarding the Dodgers. Ohtani and many others returning from serious injuries which result in both pitch counts and innings limits. The reason I put Sandy Alcantara #4 in my rotation is to protect him and Sandy had surgery longer ago than the Dodgers guys.

Using a six person rotation would not reduce the risk of injury. Starting pitchers have a fairly common routine which involves rest to recover, throwing between starts, and preparation for their next start. A pitching arm requires recovery time dependent on the individual and the number of pitches thrown. Some starters never are able to transition to a bullpen because their arms need more than two days to return to normal. We often see poor results from starters brought back on short rest in the playoffs (yes, there are a couple of exceptional exceptions). Some relievers cannot be effective beyond a certain number of pitches. A select few have rubber arms and seemingly can pitch an inning or two most days. The use of a four person rotation would be more likely, especially considering that pitchers seldom are allowed past the fifth inning. Miami claims that Alcantara will be their Opening Day starting pitcher. They still need some decent players to fill out the roster and their farm system needs help. I think they would see more value in receiving both quantity and quality for Alcantara than receiving little for Luzardo. Luzardo is not that appealing for other teams because he would struggle to go beyond 125 innings next season, even if he was really good. Those innings fit better for the Marlins. Miami also has another high potential, oft-injured pitcher who is out of options, Edward Cabrera. Edward would not bring back too much for Miami but he might be a good option for another team's bullpen. The problem is that he is out of options.

Ryan has such a good feel for pitching and also seems like he is tuned into his mechanics and stuff in most of his outings. He likely tailors his pitches to the opponent and how his pitches are working on any given day. While that may be what all pitchers are attempting to do, Ryan has a better handle on his game than many pitchers. He is still improving at his craft. While I like and appreciate the idea of the post, it may be that Ryan's pitch usage just reflects how he stays a step ahead of the hitters. Thus the percentage of fastballs and his other pitches changes from month to month and year to year based on how Ryan perceives the challenge of getting through the at bats. Ryan just needs to stay healthy to be good.

Just forget Luzardo due to injuries. I suggested a trade for Alcantara in my roster guess, Take 2. I sent Miranda, Gonzalez, Billy Amick, and Charlee Soto along with Paddack (reduces cost of trade and gives Miami a starter for a year) for Sandy.

Ok. Fair. Just think both of you add decent comments to TD and prefer things to stay positive, even in disagreement.

Seems like any trades would send more Twins away than come back in return. This means there is plenty of space on the 40 person roster. None of these guys are so expensive that a DFA will hurt the Twins. Tender all of them.

It is possible to strongly state your position without denigrating another opinion. The chance that people agree is less than disagreement. Disagreement is ok or should be. FWIW, I was a fan of Rortvedt as a back up catcher. The Twins didn't agree. I also like Vazquez but believe that money is a reality too, which makes Christian a tough choice for an AL Central type roster budget.

Great question. This is something that we are unlikely to see in comments from Twins employees. I believe the gentle approach may have been due to his slight build. Jose Berrios was/is a physical beast, totally into the weights. It worked for him. I have no knowledge of whether Raya has any similar interests. We can be certain he has worked hard on building strength in various ways but he still looks small for someone as tall as he is.

There are two issues with Emmanuel Rodriguez. He has been injured too often to fully judge what he does in a full season of games. He strikes out a ton. We don't know if the injuries will return or not, but it is likely that EmRod strikes out more than I would like to see. Yes, putting him in the lineup would be aggressive. That is what one does with young players who are potential stars. As far as earning a shot, he already has earned an opportunity. Emmanuel has totally destroyed every league. He is a good baserunner, is very good with a glove, has great power, and has a high on base percentage. I'm aware that very few believe EmRod is ready yet. Some are actually down on ER's potential to handle MLB. I think he is ready right now. I also would not be surprised if Falvey chooses to trade Rodriguez. Sticking Emmanuel in LF, or CF with BB going to LF, would immediately strengthen the defense. Larnach and Wallner can switch between DH and RF. Maybe one of them has an ability to pick up first base, although that seems like a stretch.

By June we will all know if the Twins continue with him as a starting pitcher or look to see what he can do as a reliever. If he only is allowed 3 innings and 50-75 pitches in 2025, it will tell us that Raya is destined for the pen. If Marco pitches into the 5th and 6th inning during May, he is still being groomed as a starter.

This is an excellent article, well done. The two are both capable players who can provide a ton of value at the plate. I wouldn't say they are redundant, necessarily. I think one fits in the field and the other is a DH. "A team like the Twins, who value defensive chops," - How did you drop this line in your article? Currently the Twins are mostly a team of DH's, with a couple of exceptions. Falvey has drafted bat first guys, signed bat first guys, and looks bat first. When I go to a Twins game or watch them on TV there is a noticeable difference between their opponents glove play and what the Twins offer defensively. One wonders whether either Larnach or Wallner is capable of playing first base? I would keep both of these guys, but rarely use both in the same outfield arrangement.

Pitchers who gain command and control are able to keep the ball away from the sweet spot on the barrel, subsequently earning employment at the MLB level. Adams has a chance. He will need to earn the opportunity.

My roster called Take 2 included a trade for Sandy. I send different players, maybe more in value, but believe this deal can be done. I also want both of Teel and Quero. I would acquire Quero first because we match up with the Brewers.

I too am very frustrated by the Twins. The public relations are not good. Falvey needs to shake things up a little. While the ownership frustrated very many of us it is worth noting that the Twins still have the largest payroll in their division and also eclipse their neighbors in Wisconsin.