Seth Stohs

In just over two weeks (November 20th), the Twins and the rest of the league will have to submit their additions to their 40-man rosters. 2020 was a lost season for many minor leaguers, so who do the Twins need to add… or risk losing to the Rule 5 draft?As Nick wrote earlier this week, this will be an offseason filled with uncertainty. How much will payroll be decreased? When will free agents sign? Will anything much happen before February? Will there be Winter Meetings? Well, certainly there won’t be a big gathering in a hotel as there normally is. But there certainly will be a Rule 5 draft… right? And with that, teams have until November 20th to add players to their 40 man roster. With teams less likely to spend big money in the offseason, could acquiring players in other ways, including the Rule 5 draft, be an option? On the other side, will teams wanting to cut back want to spend $100,000 to add a player that may or may not be offered back to their previous team for $50,000? Since the completion of the World Series, the Twins have been able to remove their free agents from the 40-man roster. Sergio Romo also became a free agent when the Twins declined his option for 2021. The Twins have claimed pitchers Ian Gibaut and Brandon Waddell. Nick Gordon will need to come off of the 60-Day Injured List, and when that happens the team will be at 34 players on their 40-man roster. Will he stay on the 40-man roster? If not, he would need to clear waivers, and even if he did, he would become a minor league free agent. Also before then, teams will need to offer 2021 contracts to their current arbitration-eligible players. If they don’t, those players will become free agents as well. Certainly Eddie Rosario is the most likely to be non-tendered, but the team has several arbitration-eligible players. With that as the backdrop, the Twins could potentially add as many as eight or even nine players from their system to their 40-man roster (pending others being removed from the 40-man). So, here is a quick reminder of what players will be eligible for the 2020 Rule 5 draft if not protected on the 40-man roster. Here is this year’s criteria: Players who signed when they were 18 or younger in 2016 (during the minor league season).Players who signed when they were 19 or older in 2017.Players who were eligible in previous seasons are also eligible again.Players drafted or signed during the 2014 season became free agents after the World Series was complete.So, let’s take a look at the eligible players, starting with The Givens: THE GIVENS When I first reviewed which players might need to be added to the 40-man roster (last January), I felt that there were four “Givens.” Three of them made their MLB debut in 2020. Alex Kirilloff (#1) - The 2016 first-round pick was added to the Twins rosterfor the 2020 playoffs. He became the third player to make his MLB debut in the playoffs, the first ever to start a game in that scenario. (The other two were A’s Mark Kiger and Royals Adalberto Mondesi) Kirilloff is such a natural hitter, he was an easy choice to add. It’s done. Brent Rooker (#3) - The Twins Competitive Balance pick after the first round in 2017 from Mississippi State has provided a lot of power with his bat since the team drafted him. A few weeks before Kirilloff, Rooker made his big-league debutand hit well. He knocked his first home run in a game in St. Louis. Unfortunately, he was hit by a pitch and needed season-ended surgery. But again, was an easy choice then, and it happened in-season. Edwar Colina (#4) - Colina was the one maybe surprising name to some that he would have been included in the Given category. He was signed in late September of 2015 and has slowly but consistently worked his way up the organizational ladder. But when a pitcher hits triple digits with a fastball and is known to have “the best slider in the organization,” he’s a given. He was added to the 40-man roster and called up on the final weekend. His one game did not go well, but that shouldn’t change anyone’s opinion on his upside. So, ,who was Given #2 when this was done in January? RHP Jordan Balazovic - The right-hander from Canada remains an easy choice to be added to the Twins 40-man roster. He’s 6-5 and lean, though he has also added strength and velocity to his frame over the past couple of seasons. People believe that he can be a starting pitcher, which is a key point.OTHER POSSIBLES This is where it gets more difficult. When so few players get selected in the Rule 5 draft, is it necessary to protect as many players? Or, are so few players selected because more (or the right) players get added to 40-man rosters. Of course, making it even more difficult to determine who should be added is the fact that there was no minor league season. These players did not get a typical, normal opportunity to earn a spot on the 40-man roster or not. So, for me, I saw many of the players for a week in spring training. They had a few more days of spring training after I left there before they were sent home. They were quarantined and there was no minor league season. A few of these players were at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul. Approximately 60 players were invited to the instructional league. Those are the new points for the Twins to factor into their decisions. That’s not a lot. While I have this group ranked by how I would consider adding them, I think the Twins should have a good conversation to consider each. (which they most certainly have) OF Akil Baddoo - The 74th overall pick in the 2016 draft out of high school in Georgia. Missed most of 2019 season with Tommy John surgery, but is a great athlete who has a good approach at the plate and great power-speed combination potential. Had there been a 2020 season, he likely would have began as a DH before gradually moving back to center field.C Ben Rortvedt - 2nd round pick in 2016 from Wisconsin. He has moved up the system pretty quickly and spent half of the 2019 season at Pensacola before a knee injury ended his season. Terrific defensively and very strong. Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers are likely going to be the big-league catchers. Williams Astudillo may or may not remain on the 40-man roster and in the organization. Tomas Telis has been re-signed on a minor league contract. Rortvedt should be considered for a roster spot.SS Wander Javier - Left off the 40-man roster last offseason, he went unclaimed. Still immensely talented and could break out at any time. The hope would have been that after a strong 2020 season, he would have been a Given. He didn’t play in 2020, another missed season. But, they have invested in him and he is still young and still immensely talented.RHP Luis Rijo - 21-year-old from Venezuela posted a 2.86 ERA in 107 innings in Cedar Rapids in 2019 but still went unclaimed in the Rule 5. Of all the players left off the Twins 40-man roster last year, Rijo was the one I was most worried about losing. Still young, he was throwing 95 at times in 2019 with three pitches. Now he’s a year older, hopefully more mature and strong.3B Jose Miranda - The 73rd overall pick in 2016 draft from Puerto Rico, Miranda has hit some and displays a lot of power potential. Has played some second base but profiles much more as a third baseman. He’s got good size and strength and could develop into a power hitting option.RHP Griffin Jax - Jax was also left unprotected and went unclaimed this year. He’s already had success in AA and could be MLB ready sometime in 2020. He was invited to big-league spring training, but he was not in the Twins player pool. But he is another guy who profiles as a starter, which matters.2B Yunior Severino - Enough of an international prospect that he received two nine-figure signing bonuses. He had a solid season in E-Town in 2018. Unfortunately fractured his thumb early in the 2019 season. Could break out in 2020 if he stays in the lineup. He got into several games in spring training and did a nice job.OF Gabriel Maciel - Signed with the Diamondbacks in June 2016 from Brazil. Came to the Twins in the Eduardo Escobar trade in July 2018. Not a big guy, but he hits a lot of line drives, runs really well and plays good outfield defense. Twins bench coach Mike Bell is very familiar with Maciel and his potential.LHP Charlie Barnes - 4th round pick in 2017 from Clemson. He lefty pitched at three levels in 2019 (8 starts in Ft. Myers, 13 starts in Pensacola, 4 starts in Rochester). Barnes was invited to Twins spring training and had a nice showing. Originally, he was not added to the player pool, but he was added later in the summer and got a couple of weeks of work in that atmosphere.RHP Bailey Ober - Twins 12th round pick in 2017 out of the College of Charleston, he has put up video game numbers when he has been on the mound. If healthy, he’s got a chance. He did not work at the Twins alternate site or participate in instructional league.LHP Jovani Moran - The lefty dominated the lower levels of the minors, but injuries cost him time in 2019. But, he’s young, left-handed and has a couple of plus-pitches. Definitely could contribute in 2021, and because of that, he probably profiles well as the type of player that does get selected in the Rule 5 draft.RHP Tyler Wells - Wells may have been an easy add in 2019 if he hadn’t missed the season due to Tommy John surgery. He rehabbed most of that year and had all of 2020 to keep working his way back to full strength without rushing. Can he get back to his 2018 performance level? If so, he’s worth a roster spot.LHP Bryan Sammons - The Twins 8th round pick in 2017 from Western Carolina, he dominated at Ft. Myers in 2019 before spending the final four months of the season in Pensacola. Left-handed, he has four quality pitches.He has proven strong and durable as well.1B/OF Trey Cabbage - 4th round pick in 2015 from high school in Tennessee. Broke out early in Cedar Rapids in 2019 and showed some of his immense power potential in 2019. 2020 was a big year for him as he was starting to really come into his own. Hopefully that can happen in 2021.1B Zander Wiel - Twins 12th round pick in 2015 from Vanderbilt. Wiel wasn’t added or selected after his 2019 season in Rochester in which he hit 40 doubles and 24 home runs. He was invited to Twins spring training and performed well. He also spent the 2020 season at the Twins alternate site in 2020.Others in their first year of eligibility:Tyler Benninghoff, David Banuelos, Andrew Bechtold, Mark Contreras, Ernie De La Trinidad, Calvin Faucher, Jordan Gore, Derek Molina, Ricky Ramirez, Joe Record, Yeremi De La Cruz, Jesus Feliz, Osiris German, Jimmy Kerrigan, Michael Montero, Junior Navas, Daniel Ozoria, Ruben Santana, Jesus Toledo, Janigson Villalobos.Others returning to Rule 5 eligibility after 2020.Melvi Acosta, Adam Bray, Yeltsin Encarnacion, Zach Featherstone,Tom Hackimer, Caleb Hamilton, Hector Lujan, Ryan Mason, Alex Robinson, Carlos Suniaga, Tyler Watson, Lachlan Wells, Aaron Whitefield.SUMMARY The Twins again have several interesting options for guys who could be added to the 40-man roster or potentially be lost in the Rule 5 draft. Like the rest of the offseason, it’s hard to feel confident about anything that’s going to happens and that includes what the Rule 5 draft might look like. PREDICTION If forced to make an official prediction, I think that the Twins will only add Jordan Balazovic and Ben Rortvedt to the 40-man roster in two weeks. Balazovic is the given. I just think that having strong catchers is important, and Rortvedt fits that category with his defense, and there is still offensive potential too. I think they’ll be busy in free agency and will want those roster spots available to them. They may be busy with trades too, including some of these players mentioned on the Possibles list. What do you think? Click here to view the article

At noon (central time) Wednesday, Seth chatted with Minnesota Twins infield prospect Travis Blankenhorn. The discussion was available live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages, and are available to watch again now. Travis Blankenhorn was the Twins 3rd round draft pick in 2015 out of high school in Pennsylvania. He has gradually worked his way up the team's organizational ladder. In September, the Twins had a need, and Blankenhorn got the call. He made the start, and he went 1-for-4 with a double. He was sent back to the taxi squad the next day, but we will discuss his big-league debut and much more. Again, if you weren't able to watch LIVE on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages live, check it out now. Also feel free to ask questions in the comments below and we'll ask them. Subscribe to the Twins Daily podcast on Libsyn, Apple iTunes or anywhere you download podcasts. Here is the YouTube link: More on Travis Blankenhorn Get to Know: Infielder Travis Blankenhorn (October 2015) Catching Up With Twins Infield Prospect Travis Blankenhorn (November 2016) 2017 Twins Daily Prospect #9 (February 2017) 2018 Twins Daily Prospect #17 (February 2018) 2018 Twins Daily Midseason Prospect #13 (July 2018) 2020 Twins Midseason Prospect #20 (June 2019) Episode 6: Get to Know Travis Blankenhorn, LaMonte Wade (October 2019) Duran Headlines Twins Roster Additions (November 2019) 2020 Twins Daily Prospect #18 (February 2020) 5 Questions with Twins Prospect Travis Blankenhorn (April 2020) Play Blankenhorn Everyday! (September 2020) Travis Blankenhorn Makes MLB Debut, Doubles (September 2020) Follow Travis on Twitter at @tblank7. Check out his Instagram page at @travy_bags. Previous episodes Episode 1: Tom Hackimer Episode 2: Matt Canterino Episode 3: Aaron Whitefield Episode 4: Spencer Steer View full article

That does seem to be true, though they called up most of the guys that they had to add to the 40-man roster, so they have plenty of spaces to keep Littell too... Still a couple of guys that could come off the 40-man roster as they sign free agents.

At Monday at noon (central time), I will be chatting with Minnesota Twins infielder prospect Spencer Steer. Join the chat live on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages to watch it live. Spencer Steer was the Twins third round draft pick in 2019 out of the University of Oregon. The infielder debuted with the Elizabethton Twins but wasn't in the Appalachian League long. He moved up to Cedar Rapids for the rest of the season. In late August, he had two walk-off hits for the Kernels in a week. https://twitter.com/JimCrikket/status/1167631572369125376 Despite just a partial season, he was voted the Twins Daily Minor League All Star third baseman after the season . https://twitter.com/twinsdaily/status/1179135144009113602 He had moved up prospect rankings and most reports were telling me that I was ranking him too long. So let's find out even more about an exciting Twins prospect, Spencer Steer. We'll discuss being drafted by the Twins, making his pro debut, and this strange 2020 season. We will also take any questions that you may have. Find out more about Spencer Steer, his story, and what else he's got going on Twins Spotlight. More on Spencer Steer: Get to Know: Twins Infield Prospect Spencer Steer (August 2019) Follow Spencer on Twitter at @spenc__er. Check out his channel on Twitch at SpencerSteer7. Previous episodes Episode 1: Tom Hackimer Episode 2: Matt Canterino Episode 3: Aaron Whitefield Subscribe to the Twins Daily podcast on Libsyn, Apple iTunes or anywhere you download podcasts. View full article

On Saturday morning, I chatted with Twins outfielder Aaron Whitefield about a variety of topics, including getting a big-league opportunity. Join the conversation live on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or pages. The Twins signed outfielder Aaron Whitefield out of Australia despite very limited baseball experience. He was a star fast-pitch softball player and represented his country internationally in that sport. He's a great athlete with lots of tools, and he's gradually worked his way up the Twins organizational ladder. He reached Double-A Pensacola in 2019. He was likely headed there to start 2020, and then came a global pandemic. However, Whitefield was a surprise late addition to the Twins Summer Camp in July, and he made the Twins Opening Day roster. His big-league time was short-lived, but even in his two games played, his most elite tools were on display. Aaron Whitefield is fast. Really fast. And he's very good in centerfield. He also runs the bases well. Find out more about Whitefield, his story, and what else he's got going on Twins Spotlight. https://twitter.com/twinsdaily/status/1322569586970013696 More on Aaron Whitefield: Get to Know: OF/2B Aaron Whitefield (Dec. 2015) Aaron Whitefield: From Softball Diamonds to Diamond in the Rough (May 2017) Previous Episodes: View full article

Every team makes moves like these every offseason...

Pete Rose's suspension was absolutely justified. He broke a very clearly written, no questions about it, long-time baseball rule. He himself. AJ Hinch broke the not-yet-written rules that have since been much more clarified.

I have no problem with the Hinch hire.. makes sense. Larussa is ridiculous. I wonder if he'll go to his old White Sox tactics and use the centerfield technology to help his players, or if he'll use his tactics from his Oakland days and "not know" why Canseco and McGwire and all those Bay Areas got so good and so big.

There has been a flurry of roster decisions made by all 30 MLB teams in the days since the end of the World Series. Today, the Twins announced that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Ian Gibaut from the Rangers and left-hander Brandon Waddell from the Pirates. Since the completion of the World Series, the Twins' roster has already seen change. On Wednesday morning, their impending free agents became free agents. That includes Nelson Cruz, Alex Avila, Ehire Adrianza, Jake Odorizzi, Rich Hill, Tyler Clippard, Trevor May. On Wednesday, the Twins bought out the final season of Sergio Romo's 2021 contract, making him a free agent as well. On Friday, the Twins claimed two recently DFAd players, RHP Ian Gibaut and LHP Brandon Waddell. That puts the current Twins 40-man roster at 34 players. IAN GIBAUT The right-hander was the Rays 11th round pick in 2015 out of Tulane University. He made his MLB debut with one game for Tampa in 2019. Before the July trade deadline, he was sent to the Rangers. He pitched in nine more games out of the Texas bullpen. This season with the Rangers, he pitched in 14 games, though just 12 1/3 innings. In his 24 MLB games, he is 1-2 with a 5.84 ERA. In 24 2/3 innings, he has walked 17 but struck out 28 batters. Gibaut is a big kid, standing 6-3 and weighing in at 250 pounds. He throws a fastball that has averaged 95.3 mph. He also throws a slider in the mid-to-upper 80s, and a mid-80s changeup. Here is a 6 1/2 minute review of ONE of Gibaut's pitches in the big leagues. BRANDON WADDELL The southpaw was the fifth round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015 from the University of Virginia. He split both 2018 and 2019 between AA Altoona and AAA Indianapolis. He made his MLB debut in 2020 with just two games and 3 1/3 innings pitched. He gave up just one run on two hits and a walk, and he struck out two batters. While there isn't much big-league sample, his fastball clocked in at 93 mph. He throws a lot of sliders (41%) at 86 mph, and also throws a changeup. Here is some video of Waddell's MLB debut: Both pitchers are 26-years-old. Clearly the Twins scouts and research and development group like something they see. Now they will get the opportunity to work with Wes Johnson and his coaching staff to see if they could be the 2021 Matt Wisler. View full article

Oh, for sure... I guarantee any Twins media that has read this article have thought about who they would vote for this year and over years past.

Nelson Cruz votes "No."

It's satire... Check out RandBall Stu's weekly articles every Friday morning for more.

At spring training, we were all excited about the Bomba Squad with Josh Donaldson. How many runs would the offense score? Instead, to all of our surprise, the Twins success in 2020 largely came as a result of very good pitching. The team has a Big Three going into the offseason, but how might they replace Jake Odorizzi and Rich Hill in their starting rotation? Free Agent Starting Pitchers at a Glance The Need: The Twins have Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios and Michael Pineda at the top of their 2021 rotation board. Randy Dobnak had one of the best ERAs in baseball through the first five or six weeks of the season. While the likes of Lewis Thorpe and Devin Smeltzer are options for the team’s fifth starter job, and the Twins have some very intriguing, exciting prospects getting closer, there would appear to be a need for one, and maybe two, starting pitchers this offseason. The Market (This list is not comprehensive): Trevor BauerMasahiro TanakaMarcus StromanJames PaxtonJake OdorizziJose QuintanaRobbie RayKevin GausmanMike MinorAlex WoodJulio TeheranTyler ChatwoodGarrett RichardsRick PorcelloRich HillMike FiersJeff SamardzijaDrew SmylyBrett AndersonTaijuan WalkerMichael WachaBrad Peacock Our Targets: Mike Minor Age: 32 Former Team: Oakland 2020 Stats: 56.2 IP, 5.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: Coming off of an All Star 2019 campaign with the Rangers, Minor struggled to a 1-6 record despite a career high in strikeout rate. The former first-round pick from Vanderbilt features four pitches. He saw his velocity dip a bit in 2020. Estimated 2021 Salary: $10 million Marcus Stroman Age: 29 Former Team: NY Mets 2019 Stats: 184.1 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 (opted out in 2020) Why He’s a Fit: Stroman stayed on the Mets roster (Injured List) just long enough so that he could opt out and still become a free agent. The former top pick from Duke debuted in 2014 has consistently put up solid numbers and, when healthy, he eats innings. His 7.8 K/9 in 2019 was easily the best of his career, but he gets good fastball movement and gets a lot of ground balls. Estimated 2021 Salary: $13 million Trevor Bauer Age: 29 Former Team: Cincinnati 2020 Stats: 73.0 IP, 1.73 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 12.3 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: Because he is one of the Top 3-4 pitchers in baseball. Bauer should be the NL Cy Young winner for 2020 when he put up the remarkable stats for the Reds. He will still be just 30 years old in 2021. There is the perceived Derek Falvey connection as well. Basically, how would a rotation of Bauer-Maeda-Berrios-Pineda-Dobnak look? That said, could the Twins do anything else this offseason if they signed Bauer? Estimated 2021 Salary: $30 million Drew Smyly Age: 31 Former Team: San Francisco 2020 Stats: 26.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 14.4 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: Smyly came up as a top prospect of the Tigers, got traded and then the injuries came. He missed the entire 2017 and 2018 seasons. He returned in 2019 with a 6.24 ERA over 114 innings, though he struck out 120 batters. He pitch adjust 26 1/3 innings in 2020, but he had an incredible 42 strikeouts. His fastball velocity was up nearly three mph compared to the rest of his career. Estimated 2021 Salary: $4 million Kevin Gausman Age: 29 Former Team: San Francisco 2020 Stats: 59.2 IP, 3.62 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 11.9 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: Gausman was a top pitching prospect from LSU when he was the 4th overall pick in the 2012 draft. He spent years in Baltimore unable to take his talent to a next level. In his time with the O’s, he topped out at 8.7 K/9, a solid number. The last two years, that number has increased to 10.0 K/9 in 2019 and 11.9 K/9 in 2020. He’s always had good control and he still throws 95 mph with the fastball and throws four pitches. Estimated 2021 Salary: $10 million Robbie Ray Age: 29 Former Team: Toronto 2020 Stats: 51.2 IP, 6.62 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, 11.8 K/9, 7.8 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: Ray had a rough 2020 season posting an ERA and a WHIP well worse than anything previously in his career. However, his K/9 rates since 2016 are 11.3, 12.1, 12.0, 12.1, and it was still 11.9 in 2020. Ray threw 93.7 mph fastballs, consistent with his entire career. He threw 31% sliders and 16% curveballs, so I am quite intrigued by what Wes Johnson and the Twins pitching gurus might be able to do with him. Estimated 2021 Salary: $10 million Brett Anderson Age: 32 Former Team: Milwaukee 2020 Stats: 47.0 IP, 4.21 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: Anderson has always been an intriguing pitcher going way back, but he just was unable to stay healthy most years. In 2019, he made 31 starts. It was just the third season in which he had more than 19 starts since his debut season in 2009. And in 2020, he made ten starts. It sure sees he’s been around forever, but he’ll spend the entire 2021 season at age 33. He rarely hits 90 mph (though that’s not new) and his 6.1 K/9 was higher than all but one of his previous six seasons. Estimated 2021 Salary: $4 million Tyler Chatwood Age: 30 Former Team: Chicago Cubs 2020 Stats: 18.2 IP, 5.30 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 12.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: It’s fair to say that things didn’t go as he’d hoped when he signed a big, three-year contract with the Cubs. That first season, he walked way too many. The next season, he worked out of the bullpen. In 2020, he made just five starts before experiencing a forearm/elbow injury. So, why is he a fit? I mean, those strikeouts were nice. Estimated 2021 Salary: $6 million Mike Fiers Age: 35 Former Team: Oakland 2020 Stats: 59.0 IP, 4.58 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 5.6 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 Why He’s a Fit: Veteran of 10 big league seasons has gone 21-7 over the past two seasons, though his numbers in 2020 with the A’s were not great. He throws strikes, and he is a veteran. He could be a Homer Bailey type signing for veteran leadership, but will his “tattling” on his former Astros teammates hurt him in the industry now that he is a free agent? Could that bring down his asking price, and if so, he’s not a bad #5 starter for any team. Estimated 2021 Salary: $5 million Let us know in the comments who you like at these positions, or if you'd rather stick with Rosario and Cruz. In the meantime, check out previous episodes of Offseason Live and see what's upcoming: Ep 1: (Thurs, 10/8)Ep 2: (Tues, 10/13)Ep 3: (Thurs, 10/15)Ep 4: (Tues, 10/20)Ep 5: (Thurs, 10/22)Ep 6: (Tues, 10/27)Ep 7: Free Agency – Starting Pitchers (Thurs, 10/29)Ep 8: Free Agency – Relief Pitchers (Thurs, 11/5)Ep 9: Twins Trade Targets (Tues, 11/10)Ep 10: Offseason Blueprints (Thurs, 11/12) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

I'll take it when it's giving me positive feedback... Ha!

No surprise, but the Twins are declining the 2021 option on RHP Sergio Romo's contract. He will receive $250K for the buyout rather than paying him $5 million for 2021. https://www.startribune.com/twins-decline-2021-option-on-pitcher-sergio-romo/572904701/ Your thoughts?

With the completion of the World Series, Jake Odorizzi and Rich Hill are no longer Twins. How will the Twins try to replace them in the rotation for 2021? On Thursday night, we will dug into some of the potential starting pitcher options on the free agent market.The Twins have three starters at the top of their 2021 rotation that are locks. Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios and Michael Pineda are an exciting trio for the Twins. Maeda was the Twins Daily choice for both Best Pitcher and MVPof the 2020 Twins. Berrios is a two-time All Star, and Pineda returned late in 2020 to the form we saw before his suspension a year earlier. Randy Dobnak was fantastic through the first five or six weeks of the 2020 season before struggling late in the year. Lewis Thorpe and Devin Smeltzer both pitched in bullpen roles in 2020 after encouraging debuts in 2019. And pitching prospects such as Jhoan Duran, Jordan Balazovic, Dakota Chalmers may be ready sometime in 2021, and pitchers like Blayne Enlow and Matt Canterino could soon follow. With that as the backdrop, how active do you think the Twins should be in searching for a free agent starting pitcher? Who are some of your favorites for the Twins to consider in free agency over the coming months? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday night, I was joined via live-stream by Nate Palmer and Tom Froemming to discuss several options for the Twins to consider in free agency. Each of us brought a few candidates to the discussion table and argued about each. We shared many of your thoughts as well. You can tune into future live broadcasts via Twins Daily's Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube page. It'll be an interactive show where viewers help steer the conversation via comments and questions. You'll also be able to watch the replay tomorrow here on the site, or via audio by subscribing to our podcast. Who are the names to watch in free agency this year? Watch and find out. In the meantime, check out previous episodes of Offseason Live and see what's upcoming: Ep 1: (Thurs, 10/8)Ep 2: (Tues, 10/13)Ep 3: (Thurs, 10/15)Ep 4: (Tues, 10/20)Ep 5: (Thurs, 10/22)Ep 6: (Tues, 10/27)Ep 7: Free Agency – Starting Pitchers (Thurs, 10/29)Ep 8: Free Agency – Relief Pitchers (Thurs, 11/5)Ep 9: Twins Trade Targets (Tues, 11/10)Ep 10: Offseason Blueprints (Thurs, 11/12) Click here to view the article

It'll be available right after it is complete on the same sites.

Earlier this morning (Wednesday), Seth chatted with Twins right-handed pitching prospect Matt Canterino on a live episode of Twins Spotlight. You can watch it live on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages. (or below)With their second-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft in 2019, the Minnesota Twins selected right-handed pitcher Matt Canterino from Rice University. After signing, he made a couple of tune-up appearances in the GCL before joining the Cedar Rapids Kernels. he went 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA in five starts. In 20 innings, he struck out 25 batters. While the 2020 minor league season was cancelled, Canterino did spend the last couple of weeks at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul. From there, he went to Ft. Myers for Twins Instructional League. We discussed several topics from his introduction to pro ball, his strange 2020 season, and what he's hoping to do this offseason. Find out his thoughts on the draft, his short spring training, quarantine work, getting the call to work at the Twins Alternate site in St. Paul, and instructional league. Feel free to leave some questions below in the comments or you can include comments when you watch live on these social media platforms. You can watch the show LIVE on YouTube here: More on Matt Canterino: Twins Select Matt Canterino with 54th Overall Pick (June 2019)Matt Canterino: Pitcher and Problem Solver (Sept 2019)Matt Canterino Highlights (Tom's YouTube page, Jan 2020)Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects: 11-15 (Feb 2020)Follow Canterino on Twitter at @cotton_cante. Click here to view the article