stringer bell

Well, I beg to differ, but not totally. I think as long as he's healthy Kirilloff is a mortal lock to start on Opening Day and be considered a regular, no matter what Larnach does. I just think that the best place for Sano is the DH role and by far the best defensive position for Kirilloff is first base. That doesn't leave a lot of room for Sanchez, but I think he's lost his mojo and doesn't deserve playing time other than being the alternate catcher. I hope Larnach lives up to his pre-2021 pedigree. That would give the Twins good options throughout the lineup.

Hasn't it been determined there will be 28 to start the season? That was the announcement that accompanied the "ghost runner" news.

Funny, but who plays in the outfield depends a lot on Gary Sanchez. Some on this site are assuming that he takes over regular catching duties (he was an All-Star and a Silver Slugger and he will make around $9M). If that is the case, then Sano can man the DH role that he is suited for and Kirilloff is freed up to play his best position--1st base. Others, myself included, have seen Sanchez' poor defense, decline at the plate, and think he doesn't deserve playing time either at the plate or behind it, making him an expensive second catcher. Again that frees up Sano to DH and Kirilloff to stay at first. Regardless, Sanchez will probably start at catcher at least once per series. In those cases, I would like to see AK at first and Miggy at DH. Urshela's role should be interesting as well. Certainly, he should play third against left handed pitching (Arraez has notable platoon splits) and I think he's the backup shortstop. If he hits like he did in 2018-19, he's a star. If he hits like 2020-21, he is a platoon player.

Kepler is certainly acceptable to give Buxton a day off and Kirilloff has played a lot of right field in the minors, not much left at all IIRC. A right handed hitting three position outfielder whose calling cards are speed and defense would be ideal for the fourth (maybe fifth) spot. There probably are guys like that available--always seem to be. Signing someone like that to a minor league deal might make sense. I also see Martin as making his debut this year and primarily as an outfielder.

I don't think he has much value on a Twins team that is trying to win if he's the third option at second base and the fourth at shortstop. I'd like to keep someone around who can run, but he's got to be able to hit and defend and so far I don't think he acceptable at either.

Aaaaand the eternal one, Sergio Romo, will be serving up frisbee sliders for the Mariners in 2022.

With Buxton in center and Kepler in right, the Twins are set at two of the three outfield positions, Behind them, however, there is a notable gap, both offensively and defensively. Among the guys that manned the outfield last year are Nick Gordon, Kyle Garlick, Brent Rooker, Alex Kirilloff, Jake Cave and Trevor Larnach. Gordon is an infielder who was pressed into emergency service in the outfield. His defensive marks are so-so and offensively he was not great in about 200 plate appearances. Garlick logged about 100 plate appearances and did well against left handed pitching, his defense was satisfactory but uninspiring, and he even played center field a couple of games before going down with injury. Rooker got over 200 PAs and hit nine homers, but was brutal in the outfield and disappointing at the plate, although he did rake in AAA. Kirilloff was hampered by injury but showed enough to certainly be part of the Twins' plans for 2022, although his best defensive position is definitely first base. Larnach started well, got beat up and slumped at the plate. and finally was sent back to St. Paul. Cave is the most experienced of the candidates, but has struggled mightily the last two seasons after being a valuable fill-in and fourth outfielder in 2018-19. Cave also grades well in left field, but is stretched a bit in center.All but Garlick and Cave are high draft choices by the Twins. Gordon is out of options and Garlick and Cave are not on the 40-man roster. I really don't dislike Nick Gordon or Brent Rooker but I see no role for either of them on a 2022 Twins team that now looks like they want to wrest away the Central title from the White Sox or at least make the expanded playoffs. Among the right handed hitters, Garlick is a better fit for a contending team because he has favorable splits against left handed pitching and is acceptable as a corner outfielder. I'm pulling for Larnach to seize left field. He has good power and a hitting profile that suggests that he could develop into a solid hitter despite last year's slide. As a seldom-used fourth or fifth outfielder, Cave would be okay in that he has lots of center field experience and is a defensive asset in left and he runs better than average. Gordon has very good wheels, but hasn't hit much and additionally with all of the second basemen in the Twins' system, it looks like his chance to be an every day player is non-existent, especially if he's #4 on the depth chart at shortstop. My opinion is that Kirilloff should play first base a majority of the time. He should hit enough to get time in left, but moving him there hurts the team defense at both first and left field. What would be ideal is to have a player with good defense and good speed who hits right handed who can fill left field and cover center in Buxton's absence. The only possibility of that in the organization who could help the club this year is Austin Martin, who does seem a ways away yet and who has played as much shortstop as center field. I am looking for others' opinions on this and checking to see if I'm missing something. What is the opinion of the Twins Daily faithful? Let's hear from you.

Not my question, but the possible choices.

Correct. Also, defensive metrics continue to be inconsistent. DRS and OAA seem to grade players far differently. Throwing arms are also tough to grade, I think. Throwing remains Polanco's biggest defensive problem. He isn't consistently accurate and while second doesn't expose lower arm strength as much, that also has been a problem for Jorge. Jeffers uses the knee-down catching style and it seems to open the door for stolen bases and also makes some lateral movements more difficult. I do think he's a pretty good receiver and do hope that he get the lion's share of work behind the plate. Buxton and Correa are premium defenders at the two most crucial defensive positions in fair territory.

Thanks for the report. I'm glad to hear information about players. I sat next to Tonkin when he was in the Twins organization at a minor league exhibition game in Fort Myers. He had been sent down the day before and wasn't very talkative, to say the least. Big guy (6'7"). Do players still get hard feelings when going through arbitration? It looks like the Twins went slightly above the midpoint for both Sanchez and Arraez. I'm guessing either the players settle or the Twins win if they go all the way through the process.

I am intrigued by the positional flexibility of many of the Twins players. I wonder who the real options are at shortstop if Correa is out for a long period of time (more than a week). It also probably would shed some light on the future for the Twins. Six choices are listed, three of whom are unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster.

I will watch with interest to see the substitution pattern at second and short. Does Polanco move over to short if Correa is out? Does Arraez get time at second if Polanco is out or DHing?

MLB will have the ghost runner rule for extra innings again in 2022. It wasn’t stated whether the free base runner will be instituted for the tenth inning or whether in comes in play later in the game. Also of note, 28 players will be on the active roster until May 1.

I don't think Nick Gordon is a candidate to be a regular in left field. First of all, in 200+ plate appearances last year, his WAR was .2. Secondly, he wasn't rated that high defensively in left (SSS). To keep Kirilloff at first and Sano in the DH role, it would be ideal for Larnach to step up and perform like he did for the first month in a Twins uni. Having Sano at first and Kirilloff in left hurts the overall defense in both positions.

The remaining free agents out there are pretty much bad and old. Cueto might be the best remaining pickup and I'm not sure he's any better than the dreck that the Twins have signed as starters in the past few years (Pineda easily being the best starting pitcher signing the current front office has made). I do think it is time for youth to be served, but I'm afraid that many or most of the guys the Twins try this year will have rookie seasons approximating what Berrios did in his first go-round.

They still have the Enlow roster spot to use. I guess it will be for Cueto. I do hope Garza makes it through the DFA process. He seems like he could be fine as a middle innings guy.

I know that he hasn't exactly like doing it, but Sano is the logical choice to be the DH on this club. I see that Miggy has lost 25 pounds, good for him and his long-term health, but that still isn't going to make him a good defender anywhere on the diamond. Some guys aren't good fielders and two of them are Rooker and Sano. Kirilloff may be needed in left and right field, but easily his best position is first base. I hope he plays a majority of the games there and that the injury bug doesn't continue to follow him. There are knots in this roster that need to be unraveled. It is my hope that youth and superior defense will be served in unraveling most of those knots.

There is Enlow's spot, but if the Twins sign Cueto, then they'll have to let someone go and Romero does figure to be the one.

I wonder if the Twins are waiting to clear some 40-man room. The Correa signing isn’t official and adding Cueto would require another move. They could 60-day Enlow, but then he gets MLB pay (+ service time?). Perhaps a trade including prospects for a established pitcher.

Is there an updated list of ex-Twins and which team they are currently with?

Yet another ex-Twin signs a minor league deal. Andrew Albers to the Mariners.

I would disagree with “square one”. I would expect the Twins will know a lot more about both Martin and Lewis and would know if either would be ready to step in or if they would have to bridge to them or look for a different permanent solution. That Lewis hasn’t played since 2019 and Martin is newly acquired really leaves a lot of unknowns at the forefront. These are among the very top prospects on the team and highly regarded (top 100) in baseball.

Yes, the Twins really are assuming the risk against poor performance and injury. Correa has an injury history and there is a non-zero chance they pay $105M for performance worth considerably less than that amount. On the flip side, if he remains elite, he will be looking for (and getting) more.

Three more ex-Twins, Marwin Gonzalez (Yankees), Nick Vincent (Braves) and Ronald Torreyes (Philllies) have signed minor league contracts.

The Twins signed an elite player at a position of need. They may or may not have him beyond this season. The next three years should be Correa’s peak years and if he does stay for all three years the Twins wouldn’t be paying for his declining years. If Correa leaves next year or the year after, the Twins should have payroll space to add substantial talent.