Dman

Rough outing from Ober. 75 pitches. 

@roger@FlyingFinn
Here's what I found on the Development List:
With approval of the MLB Commissioner, a player on a minor league Domestic Reserve List can be placed on the Development List if the player is at the parent organization's Minor League Spring Training Complex or at a club-approved training facility for the purpose(s) of conditioning and/or development, or if the player has been loaned to a club in another MLB organization, to a club in the Mexican League, or to a club in an independent MLB partner league.
NOTE: There must first be an agreement in place between MLB and the partner league before players under control of MLB organizations can be loaned to a club in that league.
A player on Optional Assignment from an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) can be placed onto the Development List of the minor league affiliate to which he has been optioned, but only with consent of the player.
A player cannot be placed on the Development List for the purpose of injury rehabilitation or disciplinary action.
A player can be placed on the Development List only during his minor league club's regular season, the player must remain on the Development List for at least seven days, and the player must be reinstated from the Developmental List no later than the day after the conclusion of his minor league club's season.
A player on the Development List counts against the in-season minor league 180-man Domestic Reserve List (or MLB 40-man roster if the player is on Optional Assignment), but he does not count against the minor league club's Active List roster.
A player is paid by the MLB club while he is on the Development List.
Source: https://www.thecubreporter.com/book/mlb-roster-rules-presented-arizona-phil-34
Can't necessarily speak to the accuracy, but it's the top result and seems to make sense.

There's some interesting players to watch in Saint Paul. Really want to see how Balazovic responds to a) coming off an injury-filled and ineffective season and b) dealing with the broken jaw and the team's resultant unhappiness.
Wallner is worth keeping an eye on: he'll hit HRs, but I'll be watching to see if he keeps the K rates manageable and makes enough contact.
Hope Martin doesn't need surgery and comes back soon.
Laweryson is an interesting pitcher. Sounds like the Twins may have locked him in to the bullpen and I feel like that's the right choice for him. He did some good stuff in the minors last season and I think we could see him in MLB this season if some guys in the bullpen falter. There's room for a guy with a funky delivery.

Love the pitchers....but only a few hitters I see as future starters in the majors. 

Us chronic overreactors don't usually get these kinds of ups with the Twins, so let us savor it until Saturday please. Because right now, I fail to see how our dear Mr. Holman is even just a bit wrong. If anything, he's underselling it. They may not give up a run all year.

Kudos to Rocco. I feared a Pagan sacrifice.

Sounds good, but...
The first game was scripted, I don't think it tells us anything for the season beyond who he thinks his top guys are...which we already knew. And I don't think that's just a Rocco thing for openers. Pablo Lopez wasn't going more than 6 innings....J Lopez, Jax, and Duran were all going to get an inning (or so).
Thielbar was going to show up if the game situation demanded it. It did. Other than that, he may have had a moment to reflect on the sequencing of J Lopez vs Jax. That's about it.
I'm fine with this on opening day with a scheduled off day. He wasn't going to stretch the starter much right out of the box, and he wanted his main guys to get their feet wet.
I'll look for Rocco to get more 'situational' as the season wears on. But, even though I've been critical of Rocco here, you can only do so much. As they relate to a specific pitcher's strengths, batting orders are random...deliberately so. And then there's the 3-batter rule.
You can't control that much. It's mostly just knowing when (and when not) to pull the starter (both from a tactical and longer-term perspective); only burning your top guys in leverage; and knowing when you can (or have to) give the bottom guys a chance in leverage. This is what Rocco can control, and where I think there's room for improvement. Also, from a mental and preparation standpoint, there is some value in routine (i.e., I know I'm the seventh inning guy). Again how this is balanced against situational needs is where the art (not really science) of being good comes in. 

While there is no question that having more starting pitching is a good thing, I think the real question is where to draw the line and convert guys to bullpen roles. It appears that Sands is already on this track and I honestly think it may be the right role (health permitting) for Henriquez and Winder. 
If Baldelli is committed to having a guy capable of going over 50 pitches in a bullpen role, having the trio of (healthy) Sands, Winder and Henriquez would provide the necessary length and flexibility to help the team in 2023.

Sands was really good through AA.  Nice WHIP, ERA and K rate and that was as a starter. There was concern with his xFIP which has proven to be a more accurate predictor than his ERA, but other that that pretty rock solid.
Once he hits AAA suddenly he is giving out hits like crazy and having trouble keeping the ball in the park.  For the Twins I guess I see the attraction.  Fangraph's gives him an elite curveball and in the pen his fastball plays up to above average as well.  He has an average changeup to go with all that so he has solid tools to be a reliever but the results to this point have not been good.
I agree with @stringer bellthat he doesn't throw competitive pitches out of the zone and then has to throw cookies around the middle of the plate to compete. I don't get the approach and it hasn't been working.  If the curve is that good he needs to use it on the edges and if he can't control it then that is an issue as well.  I have seen his fastball barreled up too many times giving up very hard contact. 
The tools are there but they need to shine through soon or else as others have said Winder and Henriquez will pass him by.  I want to be a believer but as @PatPfundstated his spring numbers are even worse than last years numbers so that doesn't give me much confidence things have changed for the better.

Why does Dylan Cease look like Brad Radke with a mustache, but throw like Randy Johnson without a mullet?
That velocity and body don’t jive.

Looking at their roster, there are 39 guys listed. Supposed to get down 28 active players. Maybe some on the IL but a bunch will get cut, tomorrow I guess. Seems like Lamarre and Soto are safe from getting cut.

Fantastic pitching throughout the game -- Pablo Lopez did a good job getting out of a few jams, and the bullpen was lights out (great to see our 4 big guns in the bullpen looking really good right out of the gate). 

It would have been swell to not leave the bases loaded without scoring as often, but a win is a win is a chicken dinner and I'll take it.
Love the new pace of the game.  Very refreshing!

Third time today, bases loaded and none of the runners are driven in.  As expected.

Spencer Steer with a HR for the Reds!

This just in... new research indicates leaving the bases loaded is massively less disappointing when it happens after scoring runs.

Ha, pinch hitting for Gordon in the 6th was fine by me. Pinch hitting for Joey Gallo, the 11M free agent in the 6th?!? Even better! I wonder how that's going to sit with him?

I really don't like using up half of the bench in the sixth.
Okay, so it worked out. Still don't like it.

Trevor Larnach's mom probably.

Who had Larnach driving in the first run of the year?

Outside of the called third on Larnach, I do believe this ump has done a good job.

No one is afraid of Joey "send him to the" Gallo...

Wee Maxie Keepler's motto: "Hit 'em Where They Is."

Greinke not afraid of Gallo.  He must figure Gallo can't hit breaking stuff as he has pretty thrown him all strikes.

Very nice pitching by Lopez after the broken bat bleeder.  Very nice.