stringer bell

Two parts to the backup catcher as DH: 1) The DH replaces the catcher and the team loses the DH. This never happened with the Mauer/Doumit duo. Why? There was no real strategic reason for either guy to be replaced. Mauer being the best hitter on the team and Doumit being a top 5 hitter on the team and being a switch hitter. The only reason to replace either would be to run for the slow-footed Doumit. However, with Suzuki and Pinto as the two catchers, Gardy would pinch hit for both if he has good LH options. This would either tie his hands for pinch hitting or expose the loss of DH situation much more often. 2) Using the emergency catcher. Would only happen if both catchers went out of the game. Obviously again with Doumit/Mauer it didn't happen because they never were hit for, but with Suzuki/Pinto, it could happen, because the Twins should hit for Suzuki close and late and might on occasion hit for Pinto against a tough right hander.

Thanks for an evenhanded view of the 25 man roster. The two Jasons plus Hicks and Colabello didn't have much major league success in their last go-rounds, but as you stated, they took jobs from no one and Hicks and Colabello performed well in the spring.

After a bit of a hiatus, here is the completion of my blog: 6) Josmil Pinto--I was glad that Pinto made the club. Along with Arcia and Hicks, these guys are the start of a new infusion of talent that could and should make the Twins contenders again. It looks to me like Pinto can hit--he's advanced from Class A in the last two years and has shown that he gets it. His defense seems to be lagging, but he has the tools and the work ethic to become a decent receiver. Pinto has some power and has shown good plate coverage and patience. While I doubt he will contend for Rookie of the Year, I think he will get his chance to become a mainstay this year. I don't think the Twins should bother with DHing him much, but rather he needs to get more and more time playing the game. I'll be quite satisfied with 80-90 starts at catcher and a 100 OPS+. 7) Chris Colabello--It appears to me that Colabello has the most tenuous hold on a roster spot since he has options remaining. Yes, he was the AAA MVP and yes, he has been strong during the spring, but he is 30 years old and last year he hit .194 with a 75 OPS+ in 181 plate appearances. IMHO, that is more than a cup of coffee. The Twins played him in right a few games, but he is really only a first baseman. I've said it before, but I will repeat that I can't help but be skeptical of a supposed power hitter who isn't able to pull the ball with authority. Colabello's story is heart-warming and shows that almost anything can happen, but I can't see him as more than a fringe major leaguer. 8) Oswaldo Arcia--One of the key guys this year for the Twins. Despite some monumental strikeout numbers, Arcia showed good power. His minor league stats showed him to be a better percentage hitter. Arcia also has to improve in the field. It looks like he'll be the everyday right fielder so he can concentrate on one position. A more well-rounded all-around game would set him up as a key member of the good Twins teams to come. 9) Pedro Florimon--The Twins got him for nothing a few years ago. He's given them more than nothing in return. How is that for damning with faint praise? Actually, Florimon proved in a year of full-time duty that he is a really good defender at a key defensive position. Offense? Not so much. He intrigues me because he has a little pop in his bat (9 homers) and good wheels. His splits showed a RH bat that was abysmal, although in the minors, he had hit better from that side. He strikes out too much and walks too little. AT 27, it is unlikely that he'll improve much with the lumber. I think he needs to concentrate and making contact and using his legs to get on more. He can be an asset with an 85 or 90 OPS+. 10) Jason Kubel--I'm surprised that Kubel made the team based on his past season and his spring training. In person, Kubel's bat looks slow, but to me, Kubel's bat always looked slow except when he made contact. He's going to get some chances to play outfield and he's going to DH a lot. I am thinking his decline will continue, but perhaps there's something left if he's healthy. IMHO, Kubel is a Band-Aid solution to bad offense, but if he's healthy he will put up won't be an embarrassment.

Unless the Twins make a waiver claim, their roster is set for the start of the 2014 season. Several players have been hot topics here on Twins Daily. I will offer my takes on 10 players and hope that they stimulate some conversation. 1) Joe Mauer--Now the Twins regular first baseman and unquestioned best player. Mauer is the biggest certainty on the team. He will hit and he won't say anything controversial. Joe still needs to learn a little about first base, he has struggled some there this spring. I expect that problem to be temporary, and I expect that Mauer will be an excellent defensive 1B by midseason. It does show that even a premium athlete like Mauer can't necessarily be bounced around the diamond. I am a traditionalist, I guess. I have always believed the team's best hitter should hit third. Tony-O, Kirby, Knoblauch, and Molitor to name just a few examples. Mauer is the best hitter--he should bat third and the other guys should fill in the spots around him. 2) Aaron Hicks--After reading the "Put Me in Coach" blog about Hicks, the phrase "fool me once, shame on you--fool me twice, shame on me" comes to mind. The posters are basing Hicks' future performance on his obvious athletic gifts and (gulp) strong second half of spring training. Aaron Hicks fell somewhere between "failure" and "disappointment" in 2013. To expect him to excel is a huge jump. I'm hoping for extreme improvement where most metrics show him to be average. I have posted quite often on Hicks' future. I believe Byron Buxton is the real deal--a future All-Star fixture with a near unlimited ceiling. If that is true, Hicks would have to move to a corner to have a future as a Twin. I remain unconvinced that he will hit enough to ever justify such a move. I believe he will hit and field well enough eventually to be an above-average center fielder, which makes him a valuable trade chip. I like what Hicks brings to the table. I hope he succeeds, but I don't think he will ever hit enough to be a regular left or right fielder. One more cautionary thought: Hicks has to go some to be better than average defensively. Last year he struggled early and settled in and was pretty good. That doesn't make him elite. With more experience, he has the tools to be an elite defender and I would expect he can get there, but that isn't a done deal yet, either. 3) Trevor Plouffe--He actually had a pretty good spring FWIW. Baseball curmudgeon Patrick Reusse had a nice article on "Plouffsie", which captured the ups and downs of a flawed, but serviceable player. Plouffe is perhaps the Twins best hope to hit for power from the right side, he seemed to show a better approach at the plate late last year and this spring. Let's not kid ourselves, unless Plouffe exceeds 20 long balls, the flaws will exceed the improvements as a hitter. Trevor is neither one of the current wave or an aging veteran. He and Dozier and a couple of pitchers are bridges to the next surge for the Twins. Plouffe doesn't seem to have the instincts to ever be a truly good defender or baserunner, but if he can bash the baseball, we can forgive much of his downside. I've never met him, but I've read his tweets and comments in the papers and I like what I've read. It's a huge season for Trevor--if he disappoints, he could be non-tendered and perhaps become a baseball nomad, like his friend Delmon Young. If he steps forward, he could become part of the Twins future (maybe in left field) and probably garner a very nice contract. I'm cautiously optimistic. 4) Josh Willingham--Speaking of RH power, there is the Hammer. Willingham is a bat-first "corner outfielder". Obviously, he needs to hit to be an asset. Last year, he didn't hit. This spring has offered no encouragement that he will hit, but it's only Spring Training. Willingham is 35, making him the oldest Twin and it is possible that his decline has started and was escalated by injury last year. It is also possible that Willingham has a lot of good swings left. Last year was ruined by injuries but this is a contract year, so Willingham will have every incentive to play and produce as much as possible. I think that the most important (and uncertain) man in the lineup is Hammer. If he resembles his Silver Slugger self of 2012, Mauer will get a lot of good pitches to hit and Willingham will have a lot of runners on base to drive in. If he's more like last year, the lineup really crumbles around him. Defensively, Willingham's best postion is DH. I hope the Twins can find three better outfielders that can hit a little so that Hammer can just hit. I have speculated that it is truly unlikely that Willingham remains a Twin. I hope he hits enough to net something by the trading deadline. 5) Eduardo Escobar--He is this year's second-string quarterback. His hitting flaws are minimized because everyone saw that Florimon is a poor hitter. In my book, Escobar is a very nice three-position utility infielder. Besides this, he might play a few innings in the outfield and (shudder) might even find himself behind the plate. Why is Esco a utility guy? He doesn't hit enough to be a regular and he's not a defensive upgrade at the two middle infield positions. Escobar looks to have a better bat than Florimon, and plays better in the field than Plouffe. He has soft hands and a really good arm, but I don't think his has plus range at short and he doesn't have great footwork at second. Escobar is an injury or implosion away from starting at second or short. As a switch hitter, he might get quite a few PAs at third, as well. I don't see Escobar as a regular, but I think he could be a fine utility guy for a long time. If his hitting tools steps forward, he could be more. Since this post is getting pretty long, I'll continue later with a new blog.

Agree, agree, agree! Unless the Twins somehow catch lightning in a bottle and everybody has a peak year and they contend, they must turn over the roster to younger, higher ceilinged players. Every player over thirty not born in Minnesota really should be on the block. I was thinking that success this year would be measured by the progress of the young players and when I mentally went through them, I realized how many over-30s were on the team. I still stand by that definition of success: It will be a good year if Arcia, Gibson, Pinto, and Hicks establish themselves and I'll add Plouffe to that list. The Twins will open with only one player born in the '90s (Osvaldo Arcia) and two born in the '70s (Bartlett & Willingham)

1) All baseball fans that have the capacity to visit Spring Training should do so. Hope springs eternal, but more than that, fans can watch drills and minor league games and scrimmages. At Fort Myers, we can sit next to minor league prospects, scouts, and knowledgeable fans. In past years, TR was on the premises and talked with fans sharing much more than makes the papers. It is great to watch both the top prospects and the most anonymous players. Autographs are fairly easy to get and the atmosphere is almost as warm as the weather. 2) Joe Mauer is where he should be, batting third and playing first base. After the concussion, Mauer needed to get out from behind the plate. First base is the proper position for him to transition to at this point. Mauer is a three-time batting champ and former MVP--he is a great hitter. He needs to be able to have the best chance to hit and stay strong and being a first baseman fills that bill. Further, I think that by midseason Mauer will be a fine defensive 1B. He still has good reactions, has a long reach and is accustomed to digging balls out of the dirt and he has played more than 50 games at first. Catching has robbed Mauer of most of his speed and he wouldn't cover much ground in the outfield. Perhaps he could have moved to third, but Miguel Sano lurks and he has never played the position. The team's best hitter should hit for a little more power and in my book profiles as the ideal 3-hole hitter. 3)A position player other than Buxton or Sano will develop into an All-Star for the Twins. DH Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker, Danny Santana, and Josmil Pinto are some names in the upper minors. Vargas is drawing comparisons to Big Papi, Santana has shown an improved hit tool at a position of need and Pinto is on the cusp after a very good September audition. Walker is a strong, raw talent. There are many more talented prospects and I think someone will break through in the next couple of years. 4)Pitching will be the strength of the Twins minor league teams. Signing three free agents has the side effect of packing each level with high quality arms. From Cedar Rapids to Rochester, the Twins will have guys who perhaps merit competing at a higher level. In other years, Tonkin, Guerra, Pressly, and the loser(s) in the fifth starter competition would be on the major league roster. Thielbar would be a lock most years, but it is possible he will be optioned to Rochester. 5)Defense and lack of speed will be glaring weaknesses for the Twins in 2014. Florimon, Dozier, and Hicks have good, not great, speed. Most of the rest of the squad lacks speed and several are glacier-like. The gloves at third, left and right are below-average and it is probably more important for a pitch-to-contact staff that the Twins will field. 6)The 25-man roster going north this year will change dramatically over the course of this year. Given the contracts of the players, some obvious replacements making their way up the ladder in the minors, and (finally) pressure from within to start winning, transactions are bound to happen. I foresee Willingham being traded before or at the deadline. Plouffe and Parmelee, among others, could be traded off. Several pitchers should be available out of the bullpen, plus Correia. The Twins also have the payroll space to add a veteran for a prospect to fill a hole (SS or C, perhaps DH or OF). 7)There will be positive surprises. This is a karma thing. So many things have gone so wrong for the last three years, it seems only right and fair that the Twins have positive performances from unexpected sources. Maybe it will be Chris Colabello, maybe one of the Jasons, maybe a call-up like Danny Santana comes up and performs like an All-Star. Perhaps someone acquired in a trade will overperform. 8)Power will be key. With little speed, questionable defense, and many questions about the pitching, the Twins need to slug better. They have guys--Arcia, Willingham, Plouffe--need to hit balls over the fence, hopefully with more than a few runners on. Many guys have OK or better power--Mauer, Pinto, Hicks, Dozier, Kubel, Colabello or Parmelee--so that if they hit homers, the Twins might produce a few more runs than projected and that could mean quite a few more wins. 9)There will be debuts of significant players. I think we'll see Alex Meyer and Byron Buxton. Santana has a good shot to start his ML career and I expect the proceeds of a trade to get their first looks in a Twins uniform. 10)We Twins fans will feel much more optimistic about the team one year from now.

1) All baseball fans that have the capacity to visit Spring Training should do so. Hope springs eternal, but more than that, fans can watch drills and minor league games and scrimmages. At Fort Myers, we can sit next to minor league prospects, scouts, and knowledgeable fans. In past years, TR was on the premises and talked with fans sharing much more than makes the papers. It is great to watch both the top prospects and the most anonymous players. Autographs are fairly easy to get and the atmosphere is almost as warm as the weather. 2) Joe Mauer is where he should be, batting third and playing first base. After the concussion, Mauer needed to get out from behind the plate. First base is the proper position for him to transition to at this point. Mauer is a three-time batting champ and former MVP--he is a great hitter. He needs to be able to have the best chance to hit and stay strong and being a first baseman fills that bill. Further, I think that by midseason Mauer will be a fine defensive 1B. He still has good reactions, has a long reach and is accustomed to digging balls out of the dirt and he has played more than 50 games at first. Catching has robbed Mauer of most of his speed and he wouldn't cover much ground in the outfield. Perhaps he could have moved to third, but Miguel Sano lurks and he has never played the position. The team's best hitter should hit for a little more power and in my book profiles as the ideal 3-hole hitter. 3)A position player other than Buxton or Sano will develop into an All-Star for the Twins. DH Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker, Danny Santana, and Josmil Pinto are some names in the upper minors. Vargas is drawing comparisons to Big Papi, Santana has shown an improved hit tool at a position of need and Pinto is on the cusp after a very good September audition. Walker is a strong, raw talent. There are many more talented prospects and I think someone will break through in the next couple of years. 4)Pitching will be the strength of the Twins minor league teams. Signing three free agents has the side effect of packing each level with high quality arms. From Cedar Rapids to Rochester, the Twins will have guys who perhaps merit competing at a higher level. In other years, Tonkin, Guerra, Pressly, and the loser(s) in the fifth starter competition would be on the major league roster. Thielbar would be a lock most years, but it is possible he will be optioned to Rochester. 5)Defense and lack of speed will be glaring weaknesses for the Twins in 2014. Florimon, Dozier, and Hicks have good, not great, speed. Most of the rest of the squad lacks speed and several are glacier-like. The gloves at third, left and right are below-average and it is probably more important for a pitch-to-contact staff that the Twins will field. 6)The 25-man roster going north this year will change dramatically over the course of this year. Given the contracts of the players, some obvious replacements making their way up the ladder in the minors, and (finally) pressure from within to start winning, transactions are bound to happen. I foresee Willingham being traded before or at the deadline. Plouffe and Parmelee, among others, could be traded off. Several pitchers should be available out of the bullpen, plus Correia. The Twins also have the payroll space to add a veteran for a prospect to fill a hole (SS or C, perhaps DH or OF). 7)There will be positive surprises. This is a karma thing. So many things have gone so wrong for the last three years, it seems only right and fair that the Twins have positive performances from unexpected sources. Maybe it will be Chris Colabello, maybe one of the Jasons, maybe a call-up like Danny Santana comes up and performs like an All-Star. Perhaps someone acquired in a trade will overperform. 8)Power will be key. With little speed, questionable defense, and many questions about the pitching, the Twins need to slug better. They have guys--Arcia, Willingham, Plouffe--need to hit balls over the fence, hopefully with more than a few runners on. Many guys have OK or better power--Mauer, Pinto, Hicks, Dozier, Kubel, Colabello or Parmelee--so that if they hit homers, the Twins might produce a few more runs than projected and that could mean quite a few more wins.

I have been in Fort Myers since last Tuesday. I have seen four Twins games and a large amount of minor league games plus a full allotment of drills and BP. Today was the first day when the weather was subpar, and coming from the frozen north, the sunshine and warmth were much appreciated. The major league talent held few surprises. The Twins will field a team of position players who, as a group, are weak-hitting, lack power and speed, and aren't that good defensively. The pitching staff would be classed as "hittable" and lacking in power arms. Sure there is hope, but in order for the game to contend, they'll have to roll a lot of sevens. On the minor league side, there is a lot of exciting talent in addition to top prospects Buxton and Sano. There is a multitude of hard-throwing pitchers. There are several big strong hitters like D. Hicks, Vargas and Walker and a lot of speed. Watching Danny Santana run out a triple today was exciting. Better days are ahead for the Twins. I met two members of the Twins Daily community. "Madre Dos" is the house mother for many of the Latino E-Town Twins. She provided my brother and I with some perspective of what those young men go through. I think every baseball fan should hear her stories and better understand the challenges these young men face in rookie ball. I also met moderator Chi-Town Twins Fan. Chi-Town and I are from the same area and roughly of the same generation, so it was good to compare notes. My brother and I will check out the minor leaguers tomorrow before we head back. He's the big guy with a scooter. We would enjoy meeting a couple more TD regulars and I know Halsey and Thrylos were near us today. Maybe you guys can convince me you're right about who to keep on the 25-man roster!

Great stuff Thrylos! I saw quite a bit of the action. I will echo the comment about Berrios. He looked too good for the opponents. I didn't realize how hard he was throwing.

There will be improvement from within, I think. Also, I think that there will be a changing of the guard during the season this year. First, I doubt Willingham lasts the season as a Twins, secondly, younger higher-upside players should claim three positions sometime this year: Pinto (who, in my book starts in the minors), Sano, and Hicks. I don't think any of those three is on the Opening Day roster, but they will supplant the season starters and improve the offensive productivity going forward. Arcia will likely move forward and backup options look to be far better than Doug Bernier and Clete Thomas.

I'd certainly like to see Pinto start the season as the Twins regular catcher, but I won't be overly concerned if Suzuki starts the season getting most of the starts. Pinto has a bit of work to do, having played just a month in Rochester. I hope he starts the season with the Twins, but if he doesn't, good play at Rochester will get him back to Minnesota soon enough. It's a long season, first of all, and secondly, everyone will get a chance to play and if Pinto is better, I trust he'll get plenty of work.

All good choices. Perhaps you could add Parmelee and Plouffe, who have tantalized the fan base for a few years but haven't sustained the productivity of their "hot" streaks.

On the first thought here, I agree that there will be a decision between keeping two or three catchers and logic indicates keeping two in this era where we see bloated pitching staffs. However, I doubt there will be any times where one catcher replaces the other when the Twins are in the lead. Pinch hitting the better hitter would probably only happen late and close or in extra innings. I have posted my take that Suzuki is a lock, Pinto has a very good chance to be the primary catcher, but it wouldn't surprise me if he started either on the DL or in Rochester. If they choose to keep three catchers, I think it gives Herrmann a leg up because he is pretty established as an outfielder and might get some reps in the infield this spring. Also, he is a left handed hitter and the other prospective receivers are all right handed. As far the rest of your blog-wow I disagree all over the place! First of all, especially with so many candidates for fifth starter out of options, I foresee 12 hurlers going north and probably another one stashed on the disabled list, that leaves only 13 position players. You didn't list Brian Duensing, but with all the right handed starters, a flexible left handed reliever would be a big asset. Next, with Escobar the ideal three-position utility infielder, I only see the need for only one backup infielder--Escobar. I can't see Bartlett beating out Florimon at short and I would expect him to head for Rochester or be released. For the outfield, you have both Hicks starting the year in Minnesota as a reserve. I don't buy that. I actually see no scenario where Hicks starts the season in Minnesota. Presley starts in center, with Mastroianni as his backup. Arcia moves back and forth between left and right with Kubel starting in the outfield some and DHing and the same for the Hammer. I'd love to see Parmelee step up and earn at-bats, but if he makes the club at all, he's probably a bench player at least to start the season. To balance things out, it would probably be wise to carry a right handed hitter to be a corner OF-1B.

The trade of Ryan Doumit seems to make acquiring a veteran catcher a necessity. It would be best if the veteran hit lefty and was above-average defensively, but there aren't a lot of guys like that available.

Oh yeah, exactly what I thought!

Yes, yes, and yes! Improvement has to come from within, although free agents to augment the staff this year make perfect sense. I have said on another thread that the players that will play supplementary roles need to be developed and last year was disappointing because only one guy, Dozier, stepped up and established himself. It would be great if half of the guys mentioned by Jim H establish themselves this summer. It would be great if one new pitcher steps up and is part of the future.

In most science fiction shows I have seen, somebody is in stasis (I hope I spelled it right and I am using it correctly). That means that the person or creature in question is in an unchanged state as time goes by. It is my opinion that the Twins basically spent 2013 in stasis. I expected at the start of 2013 the Twins would move some veterans, find out about some prospective regulars and start in the development of a starting rotation. None of that happened. almost all of what was unsettled going into the season is still unsettled. Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham are still Twins and Morneau was on the team until September 1. The Twins have no more answers about their starting rotation than they did a year ago. Further, almost no positions have a regular. We Twins fans still have Chris Parmelee competing for a starting position and Trevor Plouffe as the nominal regular at third base. We don't know for sure if Joe Mauer will be the primary catcher, and we aren't sure who will start at any of the outfield spots. The aforementioned Plouffe and Parmelee are bigger question marks going into 2014 than they were heading into this year, along with Scott Diamond, Vance Worley, and probably Kyle Gibson. The team lost 90+ games again and really didn't move forward at all. Exactly one starting pitcher is guaranteed to be in the rotation next year and exactly one position player established himself as a major league regular. I find those results totally unacceptable for a rebuilding team. It makes 2014 a virtual certainty to be another losing season and has delayed the needed roster turnover until the coming season. I expected improvement this past season, whether or not it was reflected in the won/loss record. Instead we saw stasis.

I agree that both players were disappointing in 2013. I think it is to the point where Parmelee will have to win himself a spot on the 2014 Twins and if he doesn't hit, he will be sent to the minors. I believe he is out of options, so if he fails to stick with the team, he would be exposed and I don't think the Twins will worry further about losing him. Plouffe, OTOH, did play slightly better defense and lifted his average above .250. The power never materialized as it did in 2012. Providing the most charitable take I can for both players: Parmelee seemed lost and drained of confidence this year. Perhaps he will "find his mojo" and be the good hitter he was in September 2011 and at AAA in 2012. Plouffe has a miserable two months, but was otherwise more than serviceable and was one of few bright spots in September. He could benefit by healthy and productive players hitting in front of him. There is room for him to grow defensively and maybe the sight of Sano in his rear view mirror will make a more focused Trevor into a better ballplayer.

Good article, Nick. I agree with much you wrote, but have less patience. I think some of the talk needs to be backed up by a changed approach and new personnel. While I think Gardy is a good baseball guy and a good manager, his extension also symbolizes more of the same from a franchise that is a good bet to lose 90+ games for the fourth straight season. Ryan is doig a lot of talking and his rhetoric suggests to me that he hasn't bought in to the realities of this decade--that the Twins are a mid-market franchise, that the team needs to augment their talent by being a player in the free-agent market and that they need pitchers in the rotation that can make hitters swing and miss.

I could call it mixed feelings, I could call it being worn down by all the bad news from my favorite team, or maybe it is that I don't think it will make much difference whether Ron Gardenhire was retained. I can't get too worked up about the move. I heard the news and didn't respond. Maybe I'm numb. About 10 hours later, though, I'm starting to think about the whole process. What did Gardy do to get two more years? In my humble opinion, there was more justification to extend him a year ago than there is now. A year ago I thought Gardy should stay, but coming into today I thought it would be best for the organization if someone else took the helm. What does this move say about the Twins Front Office? Is three years of dreadful baseball acceptable? The Twins had one player make significant progress this year on a team where there were opportunities for many to make a place for themselves for the long term. Is that okay? In what area or what level did the Twins make real progress? After hearing Terry Ryan making circular arguments about free agency which virtually guarantee that there will be no top tier signing from the Twins and hearing him brand play as "unacceptable" but have no real plan to compete, I can't be optimistic. It seems the whole plan is "wait for Buxton and Sano" and that isn't a plan, it is just hoping. Ron Gardenhire is a good baseball guy and seems like a decent human being. I respect Terry Ryan's knowledge of the game of baseball and his ability to find talent. I just don't think either man fits in rebuilding a pretty good franchise and developing a team that can win it all. I hope my opinions are wrong, but I have seen precious little to refute my opinion.

I don't get the Ramirez love. He's an older basically career minor leaguer with no real obvious big-league strengths and a real stretch to put in center field. He would be on top of my DFA list. On the other hand, Mastro played most of last season for the Twins and demonstrated ++basestealing skills and enough defense to be okay in center field. This year was ruined by injury and he can't hit like he has since he returned to the Twins, but I think that Mastroianni breaks camp with the Twins in 2014 as the fourth OF and a platoon option for Presley.

I base my optimism for Pinto on 1) minor league performance--he swung at strikes in NB and Roch. He was very consistent--not many o'fers and a lot of game with a hit or walk. A lot of extra base hits. 2) Eyeball test--compared to Colabello, he looks like Paul Molitor. Quiet at the plate, not off balance, able to adjust to hit off-speed stuff. He hasn't appeared to be fooled very often. 3) Almost all of his hits have been hit hard--when he had three doubles, the ball was stung each time. He isn't dropping bloopers over the infielder's heads.

The Twins will finish their third straight losing season late this month. In a year where I expected they would not contend, they haven't but more to the point they have had precious few players step up and establish themselves. All true-blue Twins fans know that there is impressive talent on it's way to Minnesota, especially among the position players. What was needed this year was to have some of the current roster establish itself for the second half of the decade. With the exception of second baseman Brian Dozier, that hasn't happened. Looking forward to 2014, the Twins will have far too many moving pieces and unproven parts to contend. I viewed 2014 as the transition season where the Twins would become a good team again with a refurbished roster. It could still happen, but too much talent is unproven and there are several holes to fill. I expect quite a bit of off-season activity for the Twins--perhaps trading a veteran (Doumit or Willingham), probably adding a starter or two, but I will project 2014 as if no significant moves are made. Here is my Opening Day projections for both starting lineup and 25-man roster. Starting lineup: Presley CF, Dozier 2B, Mauer 1B, Willingham DH, Arcia LF, Plouffe 3B, Doumit C, Parmelee RF, Florimon SS, Correia P. 25-man roster: Starters--Correia, Gibson, Diamond, Pelfrey, Worley. Bullpen: Duensing, Thielbar, Roenicke, Fien, Swarzak, Burton, Perkins. Catchers: Doumit and Herrmann Infielders: Mauer, Dozier, Florimon, Plouffe, Escobar. Outfielders: Arcia, Presley, Parmelee, Mastroianni DH: Colabello, Willingham. The biggest and most important moving piece is Joe Mauer. I am projecting he will be a first baseman and third catcher, playing behind the dish less than 10 times in the coming year. Mauer being a first baseman makes it possible that Josmil Pinto could start the season as the Twins regular catcher--if the Twins don't move Doumit, I think that move will wait, but barring injury or severe regression by Pinto, it would happen. I've listed Colabello and Willingham as DHs. I expect they would play in the field fairly often, with Mauer DHing some. I've penciled in Plouffe at third despite his disappointing 2013, with Escobar as the only infield backup. I am not really sure that Parmelee will open the season as a starter, but with no acquisitions he has a path to starting in the outfield. I am projecting that Presley (a better Clete Thomas) will open as the center fielder (probably platooning with Mastro), but Aaron Hicks could win back center with a good spring training and probably will reclaim center field sometime in the first half of 2014. I have also included Pelfrey in the starting rotation. He may not be back, but if he isn't I would expect the Twins would sign a similar veteran. In summary, I am seeing a non-contender opening 2014. I expect the season to transition from subpar to something much brighter. The front office can speed the transition up by adding to the starting rotation and perhaps adding a middle of the order hitter. Many players will need to establish themselves, but I think the bottom-out phase will be reached early and that the club will be better and more competitive at the end of the summer than when they start in April.

The Twins put three minor league teams in the playoffs and have seen them all falter. Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers both were defeated 2-0 and Rochester trails 2-1 in a best of five series. The Red Wings will need to win two straight at Pawtucket to advance in the International League playoffs. When the Red Wings are eliminated, the Twins will call up a few of their players. Depending on injuries, that number could be as low as three or as high as five or six. My guess is that the Twins will recall only four guys--relief pitcher Michael Tonkin, 1B/RF Chris Parmelee, IF Eduardo Escobar and starting pitcher Scott Diamond. If a fifth player is recalled, I would guess that it would be Cole De Vries. All of these guys have seen time with the Twins and none profile as potential All-Stars. Notable in not being called up would be the Twins Opening Day center fielder Aaron Hicks. I have stated that Parmelee's role has changed from a guy given a job with a chance to establish himself to a guy who has to win a job. Parmelee could have a chance to win an outfield job or first base next year, but more likely will be competing to be a bench bat to start the year. Chris just hasn't hit enough to merit consideration to start at either first base or right field. He would figure to get quite a few at-bats upon his recall and the hope would be that some solid hitting would build his confidence heading into 2014. Escobar has had a good stint in Rochester. He hit .307 with an .880 OPS in nearly 200 plate appearances. He is regarded as a fine three position defender and should be a favorite to make the Twins as a utility infielder. If any of the three incumbent starters falter or are injured Escobar would be the #1 candidate to take their role. Being a switch hitter and seeing the platoon splits of two Twins' infield starters, Escobar could be in line for considerable playing time next year, whether or not someone struggles or is injured. Escobar has logged a lot of major league bench time in the last two years and his time in Rochester may have helped his development more than more pine time in Minnesota. It will be interesting to see how much he plays and whether he can continue to hit upon returning to the majors. Tonkin had a very good season. He started in New Britain and was a mid-season callup to the Red Wings. He had two appearances with the Twins, one impressive, one not so much in a blowout. Tonkin features a big fastball and a power slider IIRC. On a team with few power pitchers, the Twins would love to see him thrive for them next year. Tonkin seems to have struggled in his last couple weeks. I am not sure what to expect from him and if the team decided he's thrown enough, I guess he might not be recalled at all. I'm a Diamond fan. He went down to Rochester and after a rocky first appearance has pitched very well. Diamond is in the mix for a starting job in 2014 and a couple of good starts would help his confidence heading toward the new year. Diamond will start the Red Wings playoff game tonight, so how he throws would have a direct bearing on when and if he is recalled soon. Diamond's numbers at Rochester: 4-0 record, 33 H in 41 IP, 9 BB and 19 K and a 2.41 ERA. De Vries is my sneaky candidate for recall. He started 2013 on the Twins' DL after probably winning a spot in the rotation, had a couple setbacks, performed poorly, but since rehabbing he has been very effective. De Vries was a pretty effective major league pitcher in 2012. He hasn't been mentioned much as a candidate for the 2014 rotation, but a few good starts might open some eyes going forward.

Great season at a key time in Pinto's career. He really sets himself to be a key guy for the developing Twins of mid-decade.