DocBauer

One thing about the Twins currently is they aren't afraid to ZIG when other teams ZAG. Or is it the other way around? The 2020 draft was supposed to be filled with intriguing arms and yet they only drafted HS pitcher Raya in the 4th round. (I'm actually higher on his growth potential and projectability the next few years over maybe any other selection, but I digress). They clearly believe in best player available, and also clearly believe that there is arm talent available past the 1st round. It would appear their philosophy is that unless you draft very high and have as close to a "can't mjss" as possible you don't "reach" for pitching but rather look for things you like and then build on that. Sure has worked for Cleveland. Despite lack of positional flexibility, there is room for someone like Sabato. There is always room for a guy to play 1B only and have a difference making bat. And that big RH bat could play with the port siders like Kepler, Kirilloff and Larnach. I think I would rank him a couple spots lower, even with his 1st round selection, simply because he's a 1B only who hasn't played yet. But I still don't have any problem with his potential value and being a late 1st round selection. Hopefully, we'll continue to draft late for years to come.

Great news. The kid deserves a break and some continuity in his professional life for a change. Hope he has a great year.

With payroll at $130M, accounting for incentives, they are a little short of what I expected. Being more conservative than what I expected or holding out room for a mid-season addition? Hmmm...maybe. But while having yet to make a major mid-season move, they haven't exactly shied away from moves either. (Both ways). They have checked all the boxes. They have a team in place that looks at least as good as last year's despite some turnover. And they have done so...at this point...while keeping their milb system in place, providing depth, promotions and future trades all intact. I just can't see any immediate need or opportunity staring us in the face at the moment. But it's only mid February and this is Falvey and Levine. They have always made a move right around the start of ST or just after previously. Maybe it's another BP arm or a bench option instead of something big, but I would be surprised if we didn't see one more move.

My man, this is a drum I've been beating on for months now! There is no such thing as a perfect roster. But despite some people's various opinions I'd dare say 1-4 the Twins are sitting better at catcher than maybe any team in MLB. I dare say they have some of the best OF depth in all of MLB as well even after trading Wade when you look at the roster, the prosoects and the recent claims/signings/invites. And I'm going to ignore pitching for purpose of this discussion. What about the infield? The Twins, ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, have one of the best infields in all of MLB. 100%! And Arraez as the 10th man is brilliant. Reports indicate he is on board, and his role will be a larger version of what be did his rookie year. BUT...despite talent and optimism, we have a history of ankles and knees and calves in our potentially awesome infield. While we want to roll with Arraez as an outstanding 10th man, history has shown you can't always bet on potential and want and hope. Wouldn't it make sense to have insurance? While Marwin underachieved, and found enough AB to be a starter, there was still room for Adrianza to play. Arraez takes the Marwin role. But what makes more sense for a contending team? Have a couple of experienced glove guys at AAA you have to make room for, OR hope that Gordon and Blankenhorn are ready to help when called on...and maybe they will be...OR, drop a couple $M on a veteran infielder who may play a little, or a lot, and just increase your depth and options there? Forgive my language, but I'd rather "potentially" piss away a couple $M for a proven infield option and hope for the best and let Gordon and Blankenhorn get themselves ready at St Paul.

I'm with JLease on this. I don't even pretend to be an expert on a pitcher's motion and whether or not it's "max effort", which has always been a bit of a misnomer to me because aren't pitchers usually looking for max delivery/effort? I quibble over semantics deliberately merely to make a point. Yes, he has a herky-jerky movement initially, but then there is a brief pause before he delivers. And while some don't like what appears to me as a 3/4 delivery, it appears his motion is fluid once he gets past that brief pause. He himself has stated it's part of his timing mechanism. And while arm injuries can happen to any pitcher, at any time, in their career, it also happens for position players. For something that has worked so well for him so far...and seems smooth to me past that initial leg kick...I can't find myself concerned at this point. I think he has a chance to be a fast-riser and I will be disappointed if he doesn't spend at least a half year at Wichita after beginning the season at Cedar Rapids. With all due respect, hope and optimism to Duran and Jordy Blaze, I wouldn't be shocked if he was our top pitching prospect going in to next season.

While not dancing a jig...and I'm not Irish anyway...Im OK with this. We need depth and competition. Despite all the success of our staff in 2020, even in a short 60G season, we saw the need for depth. We know the recent injury history. The good? 25+ GS 2014-2016 and 14 in 2017, good career ERA, FIP and WHIP with a decent 8+K per 9. I agree with GNess that past injury history does in no way guarantee future injury. I also agree this is a lot like the Bailey signing last year. And that's NOT a bad thing. Bailey had a nice rebound 2019. If 2020 had been a full season, there is a very good chance Bailey would have contributed well over at least a half year. And every season there is someone who gets over the injury bug and suddenly shines like they used to and becomes a "steal" for the team who signed them. Why can't this be Shoemaker? Now, I would have preferred stretching payroll more to $8-10M for the HOPE of Paxton, the STEADINESS of Odorizzi or the UPSIDE of Walker and push Happ down. But 1-4 I really like the rotation we have. (Especially Happ getting out of Yankee stadium). There is still room for Dobnak, who I like, to make a difference. There is also room for Duran and Ober and potentially others over a full season. So again, I'm OK with this move.

Anybody else notice that the Twins won over 100 games in 2019, were on a pace for nearly 100 wins in 2020, and remain one of the top teams in MLB at this point with what is on hand and the moves they've made and have done so without a single trade of prospects? (Thus far). This is NOT by accident. The FO has talked about sustainability about the team. They are not opposed to trades, as we saw with the Graterol trade last year. But so far, they are doing exactly what I had hoped they would do coming off a lost 2020 milb year. They have been taking advantage of the market to build the team, already really good, and holding on to internal assets FOR NOW to further development for promotion and potential future trades. Without surprises, the "honorable mentions" here are potential top 20 options plus really soon. There is real "ammunition" in the system right now for future help as well as trade possibilities. Kudos!

Sudden flashback to my youth in the '80's and LOVE you for the brief flashback visit! Ahhhh....the memories and the music!

To the topic at hand: I see no reason to believe Rogers won't be at least a close approximation to what be bas been previously. There is no injury factor or sudden loss of velocity. He had a short season, OK season in 2020 but wasn't what we'd seen before. There is no major concern at this point, IMO. Nor should there be any concern at this point for sudden regression of Duffey. Where we can debate is Colome vs May for $2M more. Was a mistake made there? May has velocity and K numbers Colome can never match, even if Johnson tweaks his stuff/approach. But you can't deny the proven results of Colome over the past few years. The guy has been consistent and efficient as can be. Better in certain areas. And they are very different pitchers. I don't think it's totally fair to call them a "swap" because they are so different. Colome vs Romo, and how the pen was used, might be a better comparison. And in that regard, Colome might easily be an upgrade. I continue to be very impressed by Stashak with his location, deception and presence. He still needs refinement or a "decent" 3rd offering to take another step. And it is very, very easy to see Alcala taking on a larger role by the end of the season with experience. But to me, right now, to begin the season, the key to the pen is Robles. I toss out his 2020, as the Twins seem to also do, like so many others. I also toss out his 23 saves in 2019 not because he didn't do it, or can't do it, but because I'm focused on his career numbers and results. For his career, he has a higher BB per than I'd like. But his WHIP, ERA, over 9K per and other numbers are very solid. With ZERO Johnson magic, if we just get normal career numbers from Robles we've added a quality, experienced arm for the back half of the pen. The Twins had a surprisingly solid pen the 1st half of 2019 and a better one the last half after changes. They bad one of the best pens in all MLB in 2020. And now they've swapped out May and Romo for Colome and Robles. Even swap or improvement? Factor in Alcala and Stashak getting better, a couple new arms for Johnson to work with, and then add in Colina at some point and MAYBE Chalmers...who is going to remain a SP as long as possible...and I'm just worried right now about the pen. But my sense of any "worry" and key is Robles. If they got that signing right, the back end looks as good or better than what they had last season.

The velocity and spin rate seem to be there. He has learned a slider or slider adaptation off his curve with solid reports from all that I've read. His vaunted curve seems to have regressed, which is a shame because a good curve is still a valuable pitch to have, even with a centric focus on sliders. I admit I've been disappointed thus far because I'm just waiting for the "breakout" that JL mentioned. But then I look at solid numbers, upward movement and his age and I realize "hopeful impatience" is skewing my perspective. I don't know if I'd put him in MY top 10 only because the system is pretty deep with quality prospects all around, but I can't argue with him here.

Here's the thing about these projections; none of them are far-fetched at all! Buxton just has to remain relatively healthy. He and the Twins have taken steps to help in this area. The shot to the head late in 2020 was not his fault. We can't talk about how weird 2020 was an how many players were affected in so many ways, and offer up plausible excuses for those players, and not offer up excuses/exemptions for Sano as well. He probably had his best overall season in 2019 once he got past his bizarre injury and seemed to really mature, he had a good 2020 going until late. Would he have rebounded during a normal, full length season and finished just as strong? Pineda is an interesting study as the arm talent was never in doubt earlier in his career. He had some injuries that held him back for a time and prevented him from reaching his full potential. Except for a few mediocre initial starts in his Twins career, he has been good to outstanding when on the hill. Some of his pure stuff has waned over time, but he might actually be a better, smarter pitcher than he was before. You can say these projections are optimistic, and you'd be right. But that optimism is grounded in sound projectability of talent and production already witnessed.

Hamilton has had a tremendous run of bad luck the past few years between a car accident and a line drive to the face that required several reconstructive surgeries. But the arm talent at least was there, which is why he's been picked up so many times before being waived again due to 40 man crunches. The kid deserves a break and I really hope, this close to ST starting, he clears waivers and remains with the Twins. A chance to stay put for a year and work with Johnson and company might re-vitalize his career.

Forgive me if my numbers are off slightly, I'm sure they are pretty close, but I believe Cruz is 2nd only to Trout in OPS over the past 2yrs. Additionally, were his OPS to drop a full 100 points in 2021 he would still rank something like 7th across MLB the past 2yrs. So yeah, even with a fair amount of regression, he should still be a quality bat this year.

This is not an exciting move. But does it have to be? It's a smart flier for the 5th spot that provides depth and could be really solid. There's really nothing to dislike about this move.

A lot of comments that I'm going to save until the top 20. But in regard to this list: WINDER: Top 20 this time next year if not mid-year from his 2019 results and the reports of velocity and improvement on his own and instructional. CHALMERS: Might still be destined for the pen. Like so many young "big arms" it's the 3rd pitch and overall control that has prevented him from being high on any prospect list. What's encouraging is not pure stuff but his 2019 finish at high A that I think encourages the Twins to keep him in the rotation for now. Never want to give up on a kid too soon in the rotation. RIJO: Velocity and control are there. Both seem to have improved since he came to the Twins. But I keep reading his FB is straight and doesn't miss bats, or won't as he climbs. Can they tweak his FB? VALLIMONT: Small school kid with stuff drafted in the 5tb round in 2018 and basically raked in 2 levels of A ball over a year and a half and reportedly has velocity. No reason at all to place him in any top 20 list. But...could he be a riser in 2021? Not sure how he was a "throw in". JAVIER and SEVERINO: Javier could be a STUD SS and Severino a STUD 2B...POTENTIALLY. I see both as competition with Miranda for the next Twins 3B IF THEY COULD JUST STAY HEALTHY and play! Just too much talent to give up on either at this point. I've had a theory that both of these kids have not only had some bad luck, but part of their problem has just been physically growing and growing out of their positions. Can their body and mind settle down and just play ball? If so, both could vault up the system. 2019 DRAFT: I was really pleased to see a concentration on the infield in this draft. Cavaco developing or not, they brought in a number of intriguing options that were needed to infuse the system. Time will tell, but the selections seemed smart at the time. Numbers aren't everything, but enough well thrown darts at the board usually means you hit. Interesting Sands wasn't listed in the honorable mention. Does that mean he's in the top 20?

ONLY version 1.0 but pretty accurate I'd say. And I agree with about 90% of this. A few thoughts in my suddenly traditional bullet points, lol: 1] Kirilloff: If he rakes, looks ready in the field and at the plate, I'd really like to see the team just run with him. But let's not forget that the Twins didn't invent the service time clause. It's probably gone next CBA, but it still exists for 2021. But let's also not forget that despite his St Paul time and playoff appearance, he bas yet to play a single game at AAA. Would a month at St Paul do anything but help him? Also, it allows time for Rooker to get AB and get his legs under him to begin the season. That's not a bad thing. 2] While Arraez needs AB and opportunity and will undoubtedly get them, I am still in favor of the Twins bringing in another bench option for depth. With health, the Twins have one of the very best infields in all of MLB. Astudillo has a real role to play as the 26th man, and I went in to recent depth in another thread why, but a couple $M spent on Frazier, Miller, Cabrera, etc, would build TREMENDOUS depth for the infield if injuries rear their ugly head again. 3] Astudillo: See point #2. He fits a perfect role, at least to begin the season, so guys like Gordon and Blankenhorn can play daily down the road and get ready. I like him. I appreciate his role. I can see him on the opening day roster with no objections on my part. But I'd rather see him as a 27th man in favor of another FA infielder "value" sign...and the options are out there folks...in case of injury and depth issues. I'd rather see Rocco having a hard time finding enough AB for an 11th at a couple $M than risk not having enough talent available. Again, see point #2. 4] STAFF: We have seen enough of this FO to know late signings and surprises should not be unexpected. I like Dobnak. I think they do too. They've also stuck by Thorpe to this point. They obviously see something. And the ship has not sailed on Thorpe yet, though the boat has weighed anchor and is getting ready to head out. But do we dismiss his milb results and glimpses he showed in 2019 vs a poor 2020? That's kinda short-sighted isn't it? I don't know if the FO will surprise us with a major signing or trade, but they sure could based on past years. But at the least, I'd bet on a FA milb SP signing and invite, if not more, for depth and competition. With the additions of Anderson and Hamilton, plus the signings of Cruz and Colome, someone has to go off the 40 man. And that stinks, but at least 1-2 of the 40 man is going to have to go. Stinks not because of a potentially better addition, but because there are 4 arms with some potential that will have to be passed through waivers that have potential as helpful arms. But that's not necessarily a bad thing in the end. We're 90-95% there. But there should/could be at least an interesting invite away from the final 40 man heading in to ST. Question is, knowing the history of this FO, are we in for a surprise or two?

Whether a fan of Astudillo or not, I think there are points to be made/understoo3 about him that some just don't recognize as to his relative "importance" or place on the roster. And let me be clear here that despite being a fan, for various reasons, I've openly stated I wish the Twins would bring in another catcher for St Paul to join Tellis and I've been hoping the glut of solid/decent FA infielders still available would allow the Twins to spend an extra couple $M to provide even greater depth and flexibility to the bench in case of the injury bug hitting again. Now, barring injury, there may not be a lot of opportunity for games played and AB for a 2nd utility player beyond Arraez, but I'd rather error on the side of caution and bring someone else in. And there are some really solid/interesting options available. But back to Astudillo: 1] While there have been some inconsistencies at the plate, we have seen he can hit. 2] While by no means a great glove man, he fields what he gets to and has a decent arm. He's not just a softball player on a ML team who stands at a spot. That's kinda ridiculous. He's also not bad as a 3rd catcher. And yes, I've watched many games where he is behind the plate. And I've seen some badly played balls. I've also seen him receive quite competently and be the receiver in well pitched games. So again, while a 3rd catcher option he is not just some guy thrown behind the plate. 3] I hold out hope Gordon can turn himself in to a useful utility man. I have even higher hopes that the powerful and athletic Blankenhorn can "settle in/down" as a hitter and defender who I could see playing 5 positions as a great bench piece. But NOBODY is going to put those guys on the bench to play once or twice a week at this point. They still need to play daily, even if it's half a season before production and opportunity come calling. Astudillo is not my perfect choice to be the 26th man. And you don't have to be a fan. That's OK. And he's no super-sub. But when someone just needs a day or two off, or gets tweaked during a game, or you need to shuffle the lineup late in a game, he's exactly what he needs to be: a guy with a decent bat and decent glove who can fill in here and there. I'm OK if and when he is gone because it means someone better has replaced him. But right now, he does hold value.in his role.

I'm a fan. I enjoy watching him and rooting for him. But I have no illusions as to who he is and what his ceiling is. He is an OK glove...not a good glove...pretty much wherever you place him. He can make contact and hit with some pop as long as his free swinging style doesn't get grossly and maddeningly expanded. (Which it did a few times previously). Someone is going to take his roster spot in the not too distant future. But he is a good fit for the last guy on the bench who plays a couple times a week or comes in late if you're shuffling the lineup. But for now I'm more than OK with him as that 26th man. I'm also OK if they have someone they like better. Just not sure who that would be at the moment.

First, just a brief personal bias/rant. I'm fine with 13 pitchers. I love the 26 man roster vs the previous 25 man version. I thought the 28 man roster in 2020 just worked so well I'd like to either see it kept, or compromise for a 27 man. But I admit part of that is I can't get the player roster down to 13 from what I want! LOL I think you have the bullpen just about pegged, with the obvious caveat concerning the 8th spot. Hamilton over Anderson makes sense on paper right now, today but we'll see. The elephant in the room is Thorpe. Despite everything he's gone through injury and illness wise, and despite WHATEVER happened to him in 2020, the FO has stuck by him to this point. Is he on a last gasp? A few thoughts: 1] Robles: He's had a very solid, nice career before 2020 with solid numbers across the board. At only 30yo, I'm going to very surprised if he doesn't have a solid year in the 7th/8th while closing out a few wins. 2] Stashak: I forget his SSS when I take a second look because he's just been so good thus far. And despite lack of great velocity, what I have watched is confidence and control. The guy moves the ball around and just HITS SPOTS ever time I watch him. Foregoing a 3rd pitch, he may always be a middle man. But that's OK. All he seems to do is mix it up, hit spots, and get guys out. I've got him written in pen, no pun intended. 3] Thielbar: I read about increased velocity before his signing that I didn't see in 2020. But like Stashak, he worked his stuff up and down, in and out, and pitched multiple innings at times. He seemed be a PITCHER. But I think the jury is still out. I want to see more, but I'm hopeful for a couple years based on what I've seen. 4] Alcala: I know what he has and what I saw last year. I will be surprised if he isn't part of the back end of the pen before the season is done. 5] PROSPECTS: While I hate to admit it, the reports of Colina just not developing a 3rd pitch and his FB not nasty enough to stay in the rotation appears to be true. But he has enough velocity and a potentially wicked slider to be a BP weapon. He will be in St Paul when they need him. Maybe it's just a hunch, but it seems the FO still believes in Chalmers as a SP. With his pure stuff, I sure hope they are right. But he can't be discounted as a potential major pen weapon, whether it be sooner or later or temporary and transitioning back later. Do I need to say "everyone else"? 6] SURPRISE: And I don't mean Derek Law or Gibault, Waddell, Anderson, Hamilton, Minus or anyone else. I fully recognize we are talking about the bullpen structure NOW, but history has shown us the FO recognizes value when available and pounces on it. I will be very surprised if the current FA options don't allow such an opportunity and someone mentioned above isn't displaced in February for a late sign.

Kinda feels like we signed a waiver wire clone of Shaun Anderson but with a little less ML experience. And that's not a knock just an observation. EVERY team takes fliers on guys EVERY year. The difference is how smart your scouts and FO people are, and what your staff does with them. Example #1: The previous might have "blown it" by letting Hendricks go while he still had options. And that's a mystery we will never have an answer to because that previous FO did a great job of transitioning internal arms to the pen previously. But we also have to remember, it took more than a couple of years before Hendricks found himself as a RP. Example #2: If everyone was always right, the Twins never would have added Berenguer, Atherton, Willis, Gurierr (sp?) back in the day. And that's just a couple older examples I bring up simply because Hendricks has been in the news/conversation as of late. There are, of course, many other examples, including some recent ones, but the salient point is quality bullpen arms come from a lot of places. Some are drafted/developed in the minors. Some are "failed" SP who become quality relievers. Some are guys who fail at the ML level and bounce around and then figure something out and turn out to be good/great bullpen arms. Interesting thought by Seth Hamilton could be passed immediately through waivers and pass a couple more teams and remain in the organization. But the debate still exists as to a 40 man crunch for Hamilton or anyone else. Whether it's a small move or a major move, I believe a SP candidate will be brought on board. Depth and competition are important. The recent additions/moves regarding Anderson and Hamilton would SEEM to indicate the FO is done in the pen. But are they really? We've seen a number of moves made in February previously and there are still decent options out there looking for work. Any combination of Gibault, Waddell, Anderson or Hamilton being run through waivers with the intent/hope of retaining them are a viable option for an addition or two. Whether you like him or not, Astudillo is probably not one of their first choices. Again, whether you like him or not, he has versatility, has shown the ability to hit at the ML level, and can at least field everything be gets to and get in front of the ball for the ones he can't. That may sound like a gross understatement to support the abilities of a ML player, but it's really not if you've watched enough baseball in your life, lol. Point is, there's still room to add to the 40 man.

I really like this signing a lot. Colome is proven and has gotten the job done, and done well, on a very consistent basis. I understand peripherals and some of his aren't crazy good, but those same peripherals don't always add up to what a pitcher actually accomplishes. As an example, and playing a little devil's advocate here, would the Twins have been better off spending $2M more and keeping May? And I'm asking honestly. May has the greater velocity and higher K numbers. May, who I like, MIGHT reach another level yet in the consistency department. But there absolutely were times when he was wild and coughed up a big double or HR before settling down. Again, I like the guy and didn't want to lose him. But is Colome maybe the more experienced, proven and consistent choice? There are a lot of people here at TD, including Parker, who are WAY smarter than I am with statistics, arm side run, and various other portions of pitching discussions. But one thing I do know is having a staff of cookie cutter pitchers is not a good thing. ML hitters make adjustments and love timing. A big part of successful pitching is messing with a hitters timing and approach. You want the guys on your staff to offer some sort of variety. And this goes beyond simple handedness. I mean, if all your pitchers, especially the pen for this discussion, all through a similar fastball and slider with the same arm angle and release point, hitters could just sit back and make their adjustments. While Colome's cutter may have slider characteristics, it also has a variance that offers that different "look". And I like that. I have a really good feeling about Johnson and company getting Robles back on track, same with Rogers, and continuing on with Duffey and Colome to have a strong back end of the pen.

I don't know what to do but shake my head. Twins sign a milb/AAAA journeyman with high BB rates and limited to poor success and turn him in to a solid 60 game contributor. They aren't certain about his future, or his arbitration numbers, and dont like him not having options. Now, they trade a 5th/6th OF who probably doesn't figure in any plans beyond 2021 for a similar version of Wisler...with options...who has just begun to transition to the pen. Same age or younger, just as good of stuff, cheaper, has that option, perhaps even better floor and ceiling...yet to be determined...but the forward thinking Twins are suddenly backward thinking here?

While I like Wade and think this might work out for him, I think there was zero room for him after 2021 with the Twins without a serious jump. Instead, we get a live arm just transitioning to the pen with potential. Probably good for both teams, but think the Twins "win" this one on initial speculation.

This is the Wisler replacement for less money and still having an option. Might be a year or so younger, but not certain. Big slider and mid 90's FB and you expect Johnson to help him improve on either or both. Indiana made a very smart comment while also being funny, he is the perfect scenario this FO and staff look for; former SP with stuff just fully converting to the pen. Johnson will tweak his stuff. With a little luck, his FB will find a little more improvement, or any 3rd offering will give him just that little something extra in addition to his slider. Assuming he takes Wade's spot on the 40 man. Also makes me wonder at this point if Clippard and any other BP arm is done other than a milb signing

At some point, payroll for 2021 will hit a wall. I'm not sure we are there yet considering need, opportunity, FA depth lagging behind signing expectation, and a FO that is known to make late moves based on value and opportunity. We can all debate priority, but there are THREE obvious areas to address IMO. 1} BP: I just don't buy Rosenthal at this point. But the sheer number of RP arms on the market screams a late signing that could pay dividends. The FO is smart enough to identify the options and we don't have to make a list. But for $2-3M I am still shocked Clippard isn't already on board. His only negative is never putting up HUGE numbers to earn big notoriety or big contracts. All he did in 2020 is do what he's done his whole career; get out consistently against batters from both sides of the plate. I will be borderline shocked if he isn't signed the next week or so. He's affordable and needed. 2}SP: I would LOVE the FO and ownership to just accept a $140-150M payroll and just sign Odorrizi, Paxton or Walker on a 1yr or 1+ deal. And I could easily make arguements for any of them from production to "if healthy" to "young and if finally healthy". But even if we didn't go this route, there are going to be guys available for just $3-4M on a 1yr flier that could be worth a look. Some may be available on a milb deal with an invite. The Bailey signing last year was cheap and smart. If we had a normal 162G season, he may have paid a really nice dividend. So while I doubt Bailey would want to come back, and I'm not sure anyone knows what's up with Hill, just think along those lines. And maybe I missed a signing somewhere, but just to toss out a few possibilities; Arrieta, Fiers, Foltynewicz, Hamels, Porcello, Teheran. KNOWING you are a legit contending team, and KNOWING you will need more than 5 SP, do you make the big move to add to your depth? Or do you like the depth you have so much you are willing to gamble a bit and bring in someone on the cheap to compete? Even if it's a milb deal and invite, SOMEONE needs to be brought in. 3} INF: This the CRAZY ONE that nobody seems to pay attention to. Adding another quality infielder would seem to take away from Arraez opportunities, which nobody wants. Additionally, having a 6th INF option means there may not be room for Rooker, unless Kepler is the CF option and Cave and Wade both are left of the roster. OR, you start with 7 BP arms instead of 8. But if you are a legitimate contending team, and you have at least some concern about one of the best infields in all of MLB having a potential ankle, knee, calf injury from being all you can be, would you be smart to enough to take advantage of so many FA options on the market to add depth? Would you bank on Gordon, Blankenhorn and a couple milb infield options to fill in? Or would you spend a couple $2-3M for a 1yr deal on depth and let the chips fall where they may, understand IL time WILL HAPPEN here and there, and trust Rocco to balance playing time? The 40 man is full. There is room for a couple additions/deletions to make an even better one. Adding 3 more could be painful/hard. But if we're talking about real depth, real value/opportunity, real contention and allowable budget, a hard decision or two might be in order to build the best contending team we could have