stringer bell

He does hit lefties better than right handers. His lifetime OPS vs. LH pitching is far better than Kepler's. Marisnick last year had an .743 OPS versus left handed pitching and his career OPS vs. lefties is .715. Kepler"s career OPS vs. lefties is .632 and last year sank to .509.

I think they are trying to get a better option than Garlick/Rooker. Also, I'm guessing that they want to be sure that Nick Gordon will be able to go from the start. The only other injury concern that the Twins had would seem to be Kirilloff and he seemed to be running okay yesterday.

Here are some numbers--36, 31, 30, 29. That is the age of the four players exchanged with more than a year's experience in the trades made. Donaldson is 36 and when does a real decline begin? Garver is 31 and playing a demanding position. There are exceptions, but players don't generally get healthier as they age, which leads to decreased production. Urshela may or may not hit like he did in '19-'20, but if he doesn't hit, it provides a place for Arraez' offense. Long-term, Miranda could/should be able to supplant Urshela. Who knows, if Lewis isn't ready, he might be the bridge to a shortstop in 2023.

They were scheduled to open on the road. The revised post-lockout schedule starts with what would be the second week of the season. Unfortunately, we're stuck in a weather pattern that is more like late February, early March. As an avid golfer, I look out and mutter every morning! This is also the price we pay for expanded playoffs. In the 60s when I first started following baseball, the season started in the middle of April. The first Twins game was in New York on April 11, 1961, and the home opener was April 21.

Two veteran outfielders (Jake Marisnick and Roman Quinn) have been released in the last couple days. Either would be an upgrade from carrying Brent Rooker or Kyle Garlick as a fourth/fifth outfielder. Both have plenty of center field experience and could provide a platoon advantage versus left handed pitching. I'd prefer Marisnick because he has a bit better bat and much more experience in left field, where he could be used as a defensive replacement late in games with Kirilloff moving to first. Marisnick also hit left handed pitching acceptably (.743 OPS last year, .715 OPS for his career). Kepler is a lifetime .632 vs. LH pitching.

One additional day to ponder who is on the Opening Day roster and if there will be any 40-man roster changes. The weather forecast doesn't look great for Friday either. Look for lots of balaclavas on the field on April 8.

For some of us old-timers, Drew will always be son-of-Sal. Both he and his father could never hit enough, but still carved out big-league careers because they were good catchers and teammates. Drew had a long career and probably will have a job in baseball as long as he wants. To me, that is the definition of success.

Marwin Gonzalez made the Opening Day roster for the Yankees and Drew Butera retired.

It appears that the Twins will go with 16 pitchers and there is a competition for the last position player between Brent Rooker and Kyle Garlick. With cuts coming from all of the other teams, I have been saying there should be someone who fills the bill better than Garlick or Rooker. IMHO, a good candidate came available today. Jake Marisnick was released by the Rangers. Marisnick is 31, has played on good teams (and with Carlos Correa) and is a good glove at all of the outfield positions. Marisnick is also a good base runner. If the price isn't too steep, I think he'd be an excellent fit for the Twins' needs.

Poor command and a bit of bad luck. I’m not ready to buy into “Jax will play up in the bullpen”. We’ll see.

Jake Marisnick anyone? He would come at the cost of a 40-man slot, but IMHO he’s clearly superior to Rooker/Garlick.

Just noticed my DirecTV has the Red Sox/Twins game on NESN. I checked in the game in time to see Buck and C4 go yard. Both teams going with mostly starters. Winder on the mound for the Twins. Kirilloff in left, so I guess he’s good to go for the regular season.

Since no one has answered, I’ll step in (gingerly). I read somewhere that Maeda was playing catch at 30 feet with no issues arising. The report also said that a return in September of this year was possible, but not certain. This is from memory, without finding the report I read, so consider with appropriate caution.

As of this moment there are 30 rostered players and 1 non-rostered player in camp for the Twins. Of the rostered players, Jovani Martin has been told he would be optioned to St. Paul and Cory Stashak will stay in Florida and go on the Injured List. That includes 16 pitchers and 13 position players. The non-roster player is Kyle Garlick, who got a year's service time last year as a backup outfielder who was later injured and never returned to the major league active roster. I assume that the Twins will, in fact, carry 16 pitchers and will either sent Garlick directly to St. Paul or DFA someone and demote Brent Rooker. Either way, the squad will have to be down to 13 pitchers four weeks from today. First of all, this is quite a makeover from the squad that opened in Milwaukee just over a year ago. The starting rotation is 100% turned over, and there are four holdovers in the bullpen. There will be a new DH and new starters at catcher, shortstop, third base and left field. If healthy, three of the Twins starting players project to be elite (Correa, Buxton) or well above average (Polanco). Two highly regarded graduates of the Twins' farm system figure to make their first Opening Day starts, two former All-Stars look to rebound as well as two solid performers in past years who fell on hard times in 2021. There are a lot of ifs, but there is a chance that the lineup can be outstanding. The pitching staff features a rotation where Sonny Gray is the best bet to succeed. After him, the next two guys, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, both started last year in the minors. They combined for 17 big league starts (12 by Ober). The other two guys in the rotation as of today are reclamation projects, roughly equivalent to last year's acquisitions of Matt Shoemaker and JA Happ. The bullpen is a mish-mash of proven arms, potential, journeymen, and converted starters who may or may not last beyond May 1. Probably all year the bullpen will be asked to contribute more than four innings per game, making a 13-man staff a necessity for the bulk of the season. Maybe the most encouraging thing about the pitching staff is the talent in the upper minors, both starters and relievers, so that the Twins might be able to weather a rash or injuries or ineffectiveness from the guys currently on the active roster. Most fans who more than casually follow the Twins view the pitching staff with concern (I know I do), but I see several other several other stumbling blocks/question marks that must be hurdled in order for the Twins to have a successful season (make the playoffs and win at least one game). 1) Betting big on unproven talent. Ryan Jeffers played in 85 games last year and compiled almost 300 plate appearances. He did not break the Mendoza Line (.199) and had a puny OPS of .670. The Twins see Jeffers as a better hit-tool version of Mike Zunino, and maybe he will deliver that kind of production. Alex Kirilloff was a Twins' #1 draft choice. He profiles as a fine hitter and excellent defensive first baseman. So far, he's suffered a lot of injuries and only managed about 230 plate appearances for the Twins. It remains to be seen if the wrist he injured earlier, which eventually shut him down for the season will hold up. If so, the Twins think he could be a combination of Will Clark and Mark Grace as a long-term first baseman. High projection--hit like Will Clark, field like Mark Grace. Low (but healthy) projection--hit like Grace, field like Clark. Kirilloff is a work in progress as an outfielder. There's a gamble in counting on either or both of these players for 2022. 2) The Gary Sanchez Problem--Sanchez had fallen out of favor with the Yankees due to his subpar (I'm being kind) defense and falloff at the plate. He profiles similar to Jeffers as a hitter and offers insufficient value as a DH. Sanchez will get an 8-figure salary in arbitration so it is unlikely that he will only be in the lineup once or twice a week. The Twins already have enough DH candidates so Sanchez clogs up that position. Today, the Twins DFAed the third catcher on their 40-man roster, so it is likely that Jeffers and Sanchez will be the only catchers on the club, at least for now. 3) As a roster, the team is long-ball dependent and will strike out a ton. Sano and Sanchez, in particular are noted for high K percentages. Team speed is another issue. Buxton is one of the fastest players in MLB and Nick Gordon's wheels are perhaps his best asset, but beyond that there are a lot of glaciers in the lineup. 4) Too many DHs. Many are calling for Luis Arraez to be the DH a majority of the time in 2022. He is a man without a position, functional at second and short. Miguel Sano has played first base for two seasons, including the COVID year and has shown to be well below average (again, being kind) at the position and, as mentioned earlier, Sanchez figures to get DH at-bats as well. Brent Rooker is another in the mode of Sanchez and Sano--right handed hitter, plus power, low contact, poor defense--giving the Twins far too many guys to stay off the field defensively. I wouldn't be surprised to see another move or two before the team lines up on Opening Day. Adding an outfielder who could hit left handed pitching and play above-average defense in left field would be good. The door is also open for better pitching than the current crew. We will have answers in three days. It's always good when baseball is back.

Who says Kepler is uncomfortable in center? I do recall reports that the Twins didn’t want to use him in center after he had leg issues, but he’s had all fall and winter to recover. Tampa isn’t going to give away quality major leaguers and the Twins need for outfield depth seems like it could be alleviated as soon as May or June (Celestino and/or Martin).

Yup, saw this coming. Several catchers have become available in the last week and I expect more to come. Sisco looked as good as any offensively and who knows about the defense? Since Sisco and Godoy both hit lefty, I wouldn’t be surprised if Godoy goes to Wichita if he isn’t claimed.

Gordon has logged quite a few innings in left this spring. I don’t know how he’s looked as a left fielder, but he hasn’t stood out “like a sore thumb”. I could see him coming in to run for Sanó and then taking over left, with Kirilloff at first, improving base running and defense at first and probably in left, in the late innings.

Well, Smeltzer is a soft-tossing lefty who is on a minor league contract. He was DFAed last fall and no one claimed him. He has been effective , but it is spring training and he had the advantage of reporting with the other minor league players, thus probably being ahead of the hitters. I think his lifetime log and batted ball metrics should present a better forecast of his performance than 11 spring training innings. I think his performance has raised his stock and he’ll get another chance with the Twins, probably this month.

I think the Twins go north with 16(!) pitchers. That would include Coulombe if I have the numbers right as well as both Duran and Winder. Left field would be manned by Kirilloff mostly and Nick Gordon when AK is playing first base. A three man bench would include two catchers, with Sanchez frequently the DH, Gordon and Arraez, although Arraez will get plenty of plate appearances as the DH, at third and filling in occasionally at second.

I don’t think the need for a backup CF is that big an issue. Kepler can fill in for a Buxton day off and pretty soon, maybe a month or so, one of two prospects (Martin or Celestino) could be very good options to back up Buxton and maybe start in left field. For now, I’d like to see a RH hitting OF, capable of playing center, but I don’t think the Twins need to mortgage their future to get such a player. Smeltzer has undoubtedly pitched well this spring, and would appear to be one of the best options for multi-inning relief since none of the Twins’ starters are totally stretched out. A full 40-man roster and a cutback to 13 pitchers on May 2 complicate the picture. I’m sure he’ll get a chance this year.

But, but ……isn’t the question here who iOS the best center fielder right now? I’ll grant that Buxton has miles to go to catch up to Trout’s career and Trout has a +95% chance of having a better career, but I think Buxton has a legitimate chance to supplant Trout as the best position player in 2022. All he has to do is perform like he did last year over the course of a full season (of course something he’s never done).

I don’t think they can properly put Enlow on the 60-day IL. First of all, he’ll likely be ready to pitch within 60 days and I don’t know if you can retroactively place a player on the 60-day list. Secondly, he’d have to be recalled to the major league team and then earn salary and service time.

Garlick, Cave and Rooker (DH) are all in the starting Grapefruit League lineup today.

Adding a non-40-man now equals exposing someone. As Otto has pointed out, the Twins might have already designated someone if they want to add a non-roster guy. They might have also claimed someone, as well. I can’t see Robertson added unless there is an injury. Adding a Smeltzer or Faria now makes sense only if the club is willing to designate someone at the risk of losing them.

I don’t think there will be that many. First of all, it will probably be 95% pitchers. Some injuries will develop at a convenient time, many will have options remaining.