Jeremy Nygaard

P.J. Walters becomes the first official invitee to Spring Training. While it's interesting he's the only one known to have declined his assignment, I would assume that we may hear the other names when the list of minor-league free agents are announced. Stay tuned.

Given their current predicament, they absolutely should be interested. I'm not sure they'll bid a lot - and by the sounds of it, his posting fee might be out of their range - but it wouldn't hurt them to bid $5-6m and see what happens.

From BA: "The other exemption involves players coming to MLB from foreign professional leagues. Players who are at least at least 23 and have played five years in a recognized professional league, such as Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, will be exempt." It appears that he wouldn't be subject to the international spending pool.

Moonshot Scott said it best himself: LINK

Last night, Wikipedia had announced (and I mentioned) that the Twins were declining Baker's option. Joe C., you got scooped!

Prickly? Not so much. Remember when Mark Rosen reported that the Twins agreed to sign Mauer to a 10-year extension but didn't have contract details or any idea when it would get done? I think we've come to expect/accept that the Twins will re-sign Baker. And if it happens to be a 3-yr deal like Thrylos suggests, I will tip my hat and wait for him to break news again.

If the Twins have to give up a really good prospect (Hicks?) for the Marlins to eat $20 million, getting Buehrle for 3yr/$28m is better than they could do on the free agent market. Especially considering how low-risk he is compared to the field.

Color me extremely interested. Link

other than this, I don't know but it is a fact... I tried citing myself when I wrote a paper once. It turns out that I would have been better off citing Wikipedia (which currently has the Twins declining his option, but not ruling out his return).

After many attempts to update this table, I think it's right. I took the guys out of "organizational limbo" and placed them all as Minor League Free Agents. I do believe that, technically, they need to elect to become free agents, but that's where they'll go for now. The Twins re-signed a few more minor league FAs: Aaron Thompson, Shairon Martis and Wilkin Ramirez. They also signed Indy P Tom Boleska.

The Twins made their first moves geared towards 2013 by trimming the fat from their 40-man roster. Carlos Gutierrez was claimed by the Cubs. Matt Carson, PJ Walters, Esmerling Vasquez, Jeff Manship, Luis Perdomo and Kyle Waldrop were all outrighted off the roster. Most of those players should have the right to become free agents if they so choose. At this point, I've placed them in a new category called "Organizational Limbo". At some point, they'll either be removed or placed back on the AAA roster. My guess is they were at least given a spring training invite and that most (if not all) will remain in the organization. (The definition of "outrighting" a player can get tricky, so I'm going to wait to jump to any conclusions.) Also, the pending free agents remain on the 40-man, though their removal will become a technicality within the next 10 days. After the three of them come off, the Twins will be at 32 players.

Japanese and Cubans and everyone else not eligible for the draft count as "international" signings and are limited by the cap. That's why the Dodgers/Puig signing went down right before the July deadline, otherwise he would have been limited in the amount he would receive. There is going to be a dead period next June (I believe) where teams are not allowed to sign international players. Then MLB will review their signings over the previous 11 months and their caps will be determined sometime in June. I'm not sure how that number will be determined.

I think the OF situation is more a product of the numbers. There are seven legitimate outfielders on the roster already, plus Parmelee and Herrmann. Add to that the year-round-trade-Span speculation, is-it-time-to-move-Willingham talk and trying to figure it all out becomes messy. I'll put Mastro's name in pencil as the 4th OF. Ben Revere's name is the only name in pen... and I don't even want to guess at what position. Burnett appears to be short of Super-2 status, he's still young (only a couple months older than Tyler Robertson and two years YOUNGER than Kyle Waldrop) and has an option left. I think his spot in the organization is safe. De Vries is interesting. His stuff obviously isn't scary, but his peripherals were more similar to Scott Diamond's than anyone else. His WHIP was lower, his K/BB was higher. He did allow more home runs, but was really still (re)adjusting to a starting role. With that being said, now that teams have seen him, he might get drilled. He did regress as the season progressed, but he's a guy who threw 157 innings. He threw 148 in 2007 and hadn't thrown more than 91 since 2009. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think he did enough to at least get a chance to win a rotation spot and if he doesn't, head to Rochester and anchor that rotation.

Tosoni is still in the organization. Guerra, if he doesn't make the 25-man roster, could still clear waivers and remain property of the team.

As the Twins enter their second straight offseason following 90-plus-loss seasons, I find it really hard to write a "blueprint". There are many directions the club could go to improve their team. Without any real idea which (if any) of those "directions" are feasible, I'm going to break it down into a series that previews upcoming roster moves. So far this offseason - besides the news that a few coaches wouldn't be returning - the only news has been the re-signings of a handful of six-year free agents. While those announcements may continue to trickle in, I'm going to turn the page to the next (and first) significant moves of the offseason: The outrighting of 40-man flotsam. The roster plus the use of the 60-day DL means the Twins technically have 42 men on the 40-man roster. Semantics. Players 41 and 42 are both free agents-to-be (Scott Baker and Carl Pavano), so it's really only the other 40 we need to be concerned about. Each year, between the middle of October and when rosters have to be set in advance of the Rule V draft (mid- to late-November), teams will remove some players from their roster to create wiggle room to sign free agents, add players who will be Rule V eligible and allow for flexibility to add players through the Rule V draft. So what's next? The Twins taking a look at the guys on the 40-man roster and deciding which guys should stay and which guys should go. "Go" is a general term, though, because many of those guys will clear waivers and be sent outright to Rochester. They'll then be invited to Spring Training. The only difference is that they are not on the roster. Let's take a look: I think many will hope that Drew Butera will be removed from the roster. While I don't necessarily agree with that thought, his time wouldn't come until it's time to offer arbitration. Same as Alexi Casilla. It appears to me that all the other infielders and catchers are safe enough to make it through this first roster cleansing. The outfielders, though, are another story. There are two names here that I'm sure will be discussed thoroughly - Matt Carson and Darin Mastroianni. Neither player figures much into the Twins plan of 2013, but both offer benefits. Carson offers some pop from the right side of the plate and Mastroianni adds center field depth, solid defense and speed on the basepaths. Both still have options remaining, meaning they could stay on the roster, but play for Rochester - which is needed anyway. What's not working in their favor, however, is the number of outfielders currently on the 40-man (7) and the need to add Aaron Hicks. While Carson was signed as a minor-league free agent last year, Mastroianni was claimed off waivers from Toronto. To me, that is a suggestion that Carson might be easier to pass through waivers. I also value Mastro's speed and D over Carson's bat. Regardless, I fully believe that one of those outfielders (if not both) will be outrighted off of the roster. The pitching staff is a little more difficult to predict. Scott Diamond is obviously safe. Liam Hendriks still has room to grow. I feel that Samuel Deduno will get a chance and that P.J. Walters at least did enough to earn a look in Spring Training. Cole DeVries - the Minnesota native he is - probably gets a little more leash. That leaves Esmerling Vasquez. Vasquez adjusted well to being a starter, but since he's out of options it could benefit the Twins (and Red Wings) for him to be a non-roster invite. The hairy part is that he's been outrighted once before, so he would have the option of becoming a free agent. If the Twins get the feeling that he'd elect free agency - and they want to keep him around - that might be enough to keep him on the roster. Personally, I would take my chances. This opens up a spot for Kyle Gibson. The bullpen is a crapshoot. There are a lot of younger, newer arms that are taking up roster spots. It's just impossible to draw a clear line between who is worth keeping and who isn't. I've seen enough of Jeff Manship to risk losing him. Even though he's out of options, I think he'd clear waivers and stay in the organization (if the Twins want him). Luis Perdomo was a minor-league free agent that didn't exactly close the minor-league door behind him when he came up this year. Knowing what he offers, I'd rather give some other six-year free agents a shot. I'm not sure how it would work to make a move with Lester Oliveros (who is out recovering from Tommy John surgery), so I'll leave him on. Deolis Guerra and Carlos Gutierrez are both roster "bubble guys", but for now I'll leave them on as well. So what's the next bit of Twins news I expect to hear? I expect to read that the Twins are outrighting Matt Carson, Esmerling Vasquez, Jeff Manship and Luis Perdomo. I would imagine that all would clear waivers and head to Rochester with an invitation to Spring Training. After this happens, the Twins will start adding guys to their 40-man roster. Some guys that will definitely be added are Hicks and Gibson (who I previously mentioned). B.J. Hermsen should also be added. Adrian Salcedo (on his way down) and Josmil Pinto (stock up) are others that may have been in the discussion.

As the Twins enter their second straight offseason following 90-plus-loss seasons, I find it really hard to write a "blueprint". There are many directions the club could go to improve their team. Without any real idea which (if any) of those "directions" are feasible, I'm going to break it down into a series that previews upcoming roster moves. So far this offseason - besides the news that a few coaches wouldn't be returning - the only news has been the re-signings of a handful of six-year free agents. While those announcements may continue to trickle in, I'm going to turn the page to the next (and first) significant moves of the offseason: The outrighting of 40-man flotsam. The roster plus the use of the 60-day DL means the Twins technically have 42 men on the 40-man roster. Semantics. Players 41 and 42 are both free agents-to-be (Scott Baker and Carl Pavano), so it's really only the other 40 we need to be concerned about. Each year, between the middle of October and when rosters have to be set in advance of the Rule V draft (mid- to late-November), teams will remove some players from their roster to create wiggle room to sign free agents, add players who will be Rule V eligible and allow for flexibility to add players through the Rule V draft. So what's next? The Twins taking a look at the guys on the 40-man roster and deciding which guys should stay and which guys should go. "Go" is a general term, though, because many of those guys will clear waivers and be sent outright to Rochester. They'll then be invited to Spring Training. The only difference is that they are not on the roster. Let's take a look: I think many will hope that Drew Butera will be removed from the roster. While I don't necessarily agree with that thought, his time wouldn't come until it's time to offer arbitration. Same as Alexi Casilla. It appears to me that all the other infielders and catchers are safe enough to make it through this first roster cleansing. The outfielders, though, are another story. There are two names here that I'm sure will be discussed thoroughly - Matt Carson and Darin Mastroianni. Neither player figures much into the Twins plan of 2013, but both offer benefits. Carson offers some pop from the right side of the plate and Mastroianni adds center field depth, solid defense and speed on the basepaths. Both still have options remaining, meaning they could stay on the roster, but play for Rochester - which is needed anyway. What's not working in their favor, however, is the number of outfielders currently on the 40-man (7) and the need to add Aaron Hicks. While Carson was signed as a minor-league free agent last year, Mastroianni was claimed off waivers from Toronto. To me, that is a suggestion that Carson might be easier to pass through waivers. I also value Mastro's speed and D over Carson's bat. Regardless, I fully believe that one of those outfielders (if not both) will be outrighted off of the roster. The pitching staff is a little more difficult to predict. Scott Diamond is obviously safe. Liam Hendriks still has room to grow. I feel that Samuel Deduno will get a chance and that P.J. Walters at least did enough to earn a look in Spring Training. Cole DeVries - the Minnesota native he is - probably gets a little more leash. That leaves Esmerling Vasquez. Vasquez adjusted well to being a starter, but since he's out of options it could benefit the Twins (and Red Wings) for him to be a non-roster invite. The hairy part is that he's been outrighted once before, so he would have the option of becoming a free agent. If the Twins get the feeling that he'd elect free agency - and they want to keep him around - that might be enough to keep him on the roster. Personally, I would take my chances. This opens up a spot for Kyle Gibson. The bullpen is a crapshoot. There are a lot of younger, newer arms that are taking up roster spots. It's just impossible to draw a clear line between who is worth keeping and who isn't. I've seen enough of Jeff Manship to risk losing him. Even though he's out of options, I think he'd clear waivers and stay in the organization (if the Twins want him). Luis Perdomo was a minor-league free agent that didn't exactly close the minor-league door behind him when he came up this year. Knowing what he offers, I'd rather give some other six-year free agents a shot. I'm not sure how it would work to make a move with Lester Oliveros (who is out recovering from Tommy John surgery), so I'll leave him on. Deolis Guerra and Carlos Gutierrez are both roster "bubble guys", but for now I'll leave them on as well. So what's the next bit of Twins news I expect to hear? I expect to read that the Twins are outrighting Matt Carson, Esmerling Vasquez, Jeff Manship and Luis Perdomo. I would imagine that all would clear waivers and head to Rochester with an invitation to Spring Training. After this happens, the Twins will start adding guys to their 40-man roster. Some guys that will definitely be added are Hicks and Gibson (who I previously mentioned). B.J. Hermsen should also be added. Adrian Salcedo (on his way down) and Josmil Pinto (stock up) are others that may have been in the discussion.

I'm excited to see mine show up. Though many ideas I've had to write about, I've decided to wait until the Handbook comes out because I'm sure it's covered in there and covered better than I could do. Knowing it comes out the first day of the World Series has me looking forward to the World Series.

Will all four of Butera's arbitration years be bought out with a long-term deal? Or just a couple?

Some more minor-league re-signings to report: Deibinson Romero and Brian Dinkelman

While I don't think the Twins will or should trade Joe Mauer, I would hope that coming off two 90-plus loss seasons that our GM takes every call with the intent of never fielding a 90-loss team again. So I'll play along... Xander Bogaerts is a lot like Sano. I'd love to have them both. Maybe Bogaerts moves to 3B. Maybe that moves Sano to RF. It's all good. The best story about Xander is that their was a tryout in Aruba and the Red Sox liked his brother, Jair. After signing Jair (or agreeing to sign him), he told them they should think about signing his brother. They asked which one he was. He told them his brother wasn't there because he was home sick. All the Red Sox needed was one look... Blake Swihart is a name that wasn't mentioned. If the Red Sox acquire another catcher, though, Swihart may become available. He would immediately become the Twins best catching prospect. I would take either of these hitters, plus Webster or Barnes and one other mid-level prospect for Baby Jesus. But there are a lot of reasons I'm not a GM... and this might be one of them.

I never responded to this but I don't think the Twins will rank anywhere near #19. The twins were 20th last year and there were several players that had great seasons while they only had a few disappointments and graduations. they also added Buxton and Berrios to the system. I think they will fall just outside of the top ten. tbh they even have a chance to crack the top 10. this is a pretty strong farm system even if there isn't a lot of pitching. I've think we've discussed this on other threads - and disagreed. The Twins are a few years away from being a Top 10 system... I put them in the 14-18 range and I would be more surprised to see them ranked higher than that than lower than that.

I'm on the Hernandez bandwagon for sure. I think he'll get a big-league deal, but Cleveland can't wait to send him on his way and I would think he would jump at the chance to get to face them a bunch next season. Other than that, none of those guys do anything for me. In fact, I'd rather watch the same group as last year pitch over the other guys.

The Twins are going to hire a Spanish-speaking coach because their Spanish/English translator is hitting arbitration for the first time this off-season and he's not worth the raise.

I had the same deal too. So instead of reading what John had to say, I just turned on KFAN and listened to him.

Now that 2012 is in the books, the page has been turned to 2013. You'll no longer find all of the 2012 salaries on this page (though a link to it should be available soon). I hope to weigh in with some opinions about how this roster could change over the next couple of months, but that would most likely be done with an article... not here.