John Bonnes

You're right. I'll adjust that. I worded it poorly. I meant that he is in his fifth year.

Also some notes from the press conference and stuff after: The question about Polanco was raised a couple times after the conference. Rob Antony's response is that Polanco is no guarantee - remember, they thought Dozier was going to be a shorstop, so things don't always work out the way they think they will. And, of course, that's where the fact that there is no no-trade clause is important, too. This contract, assuming Dozier continues to perform, could be an asset instead of a liability in trade discussions. Also, talking to Damon Lapa, Dozier's agent, it sounds like hitting free agency as a 31-year-old was VERY important to them. Any attempt to delay that was going to require some big adjustments to the deal to include that.

The easy answer is they have a LOT less leverage. At this time next year, assuming Dozier has a year similar to last, he's making close to $4M in guaranteed money for 2016 and already has a lifetime of security locked up. He isnt willing to give nearly as much as a discount on years two and three, if a deal even happens. In fact, I can' see a deal working out unless it inlcludes free agency years.

The Minnesota Twins announced today that they and second baseman Brian Dozier have signed a 4-year guaranteed contract that will pay Dozier $20 million guaranteed through the 2018 season. The deal buys out Dozier's arbitration years but not any of the years in which he will be a free agent.The contract makes sense from both sides. Dozier gets $20 million up front, as opposed to having to work on year-to-year agreements over the next four years. He also gets a significant bump in salary this year. The Twins take on the risk of Dozier, who had a breakthrough season last year, severely regressing or getting injured. In return, they should see overall savings in future years compared to what Dozier would have received in arbitration over the next four years if he continues to play at a fairly high level. Dozier's .242 batting average last year disguised an outstanding year. His patience at the plate led to a .345 on-base percentage and he powered out 23 home runs, all while playing a middle infield position at an above-average level. His OPS last year was fourth among qualified MLB second baseman, above that of better known names liks Chase Utley and Dustin Pedroia. He's certainly shown no sign of regression this spring, as he is hitting .462. The contract pays him $2 million dollars this year (as opposed to $590,000) and then $3M, $6M and $9M in his three years of arbitration. It is an inexact science to estimate exactly what future arbitration awards would have been, but for any starting player, those values are on the low end. And for player who is an all-star, they could be very low. For instance, Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, who had similar production to that of Dozier last year, is making $8M in his second year of arbitration - and he lost his case. compare that to the $6M that Dozier is now guaranteed. Correction: Walker's 3rd year of arbitration wa $8M, but it still compares to Dozier's 2nd year of arbitration, because both are in their fifth year of service time. Walker was a Super-2 player, so he was able to reach arbitration a year earlier. Plus, the average arbitration awards tend to go up from year to year because they reflect the free agent salaries at the high end, and those values are also increasing significantly under the new collective bargaining agreement. The trick with a lot of these contracts, and particularly with this one, is how long the deal should be. Dozier's case is a little unique in that he is old for a player entering his 3rd year; he's 27 years old. That means he won't become a free agent until he is 31 years old, which is often on the downside of a player's career. So it is of questionable value to guarantee money out that far. Often when a team signs a deal like this, it is to guarantee that they buy out a free agent year or two for a player who will hit free agency in their 20s. This deal ignores that option and strikes a different balance. It runs exactly the same time frame at whcih the player would have been under team control, but it gives enough potential future savings to take on the risk of guaranteeing the money. As with any deal, both sides probably wish it were a little different. Dozier's side likely wishes it was for more money or had another guaranteed year. The Twins side likely wishes they would have made it for a little less money, or had a team option when Dozier reaches free agency. But it looks like a solid, thoughtful agreement for both sides. Click here to view the article

The primary drama for the Twins-Phillies game on Monday surrounded Twins starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey looking to stake his claim on the last spot in the Twins rotation. The Phillies did their part to make the litmus test feel real. Their lineup featured Ben Revere, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz in the top five spots. So how did Pelfrey do?He was "OK." He described it as such. He didn't dominate (only two strikeouts amid seven hits and two walks in 4.2 IP) but also didn't give up many runs (only two, and only one was earned). His control wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't stellar. He was hurt by his defense. (Eduardo Nunez had and error and a couple he probably could have fielded.) He was also helped by it. (Eduardo Escobar and Reynaldo Rodriguez both made wonderful plays, and Escobar's probably saved more runs.) In short, it wasn't the dominant game he probably wanted to lay sole claim to the job of fifth starter with, nor was it a step backwards. Both he and Twins Manager Paul Molitor said he "battled" and that's about right. When asked about the competition for fifth starter, Pelfrey deferred and talked about how he's just happy to feel healthy. "I feel good. In 2013, I came back from Tommy John in eleven months for opening day. Maybe it was too early," said Pelfrey. "Last year, it faded off pretty quick. But I feel good again. I expect good things to happen - to be successful - when I feel good. At the end of they day, as long as I feel good, no matter what happens, so be it." So this was not a knockout. Instead, it looks like we're going to have at least one more round as Molitor said after the game that both pitchers competing against Pelfrey, Tommy Milone and Trevor Mays, will get another start this week. It is not clear if both would start on the same day - both of them should have their next turn on Thursday. If that happens, one would need to start in one of the minor league games. But the Twins could bump one of them back a day to Friday - the day that Phil Hughes is scheduled to pitch - and have Hughes throw to minor leaguers instead. Whatever the decision, Molitor doesn't seem to be overly worried that he isn't going to be stuck with someone who isn't prepared. He finished his postgame talk by saying "I like my options." Escobar's Day Last night I wrote that we should trust Eduardo Escobar's bat more than we do, so today he struck out in his first three at-bats. He had only struck out twice over 32 at-bats in spring training prior to today. However, he made two very good defensive plays at third base. In the first inning, he started a double play that Molitor talked about at length, praising Escobar's patience. "On the first double play, we try to preach a lot: don't let the speed of the ball speed you up," reflected Molitor. "That was a play with a left-hand hitter, where the double play wasn't there yet. A lot of time, that guy catches that ball and turns and fires and there's nobody there yet, but he let the play kind of develop, and it made it close at first [base], but that was the right way to go about it." Then, in the second inning, following a two-run home run, the Phillies got runners on the corners with only one out. Ben Revere hit a hot grounder down the third base line where Escobar was playing inside the bag, but he ranged to the line, speared it, and caught the runner off base after an efficient run down. Pelfrey's outing might have looked a lot worse if not for that play. By the way, Molitor also had Escobar play a little in the outfield in the late innings today. He did not get a chance to field a fly ball. "A Real Fine Play" Escobar's play was topped the next innings when Twins first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez dove and speared a hot grounder by Chase Utley, turning it into a leadoff out. When Reynaldo came up to bat at the top of the next frame, there was a memorable scene. One of the beer vendors at the Phillies park has a resonating voice that you can hear throughout the park. When Reynaldo was batting, the vendor happened to be working the aisle right behind home plate and had made it all the way to the bottom, right next to the netting. Midway between yelling "Water! Soda! Beer!" he looked up, saw Rodriguez and boomed "That was a REAL FINE PLAY at first base. JUST GREAT." Not only did Rodriguez hear him - he was only about 10 yards away - but I bet Aaron Hicks heard him in center field. Hell, Eddie Rosario might have heard him, and he didn't make the trip to Clearwater. Rodriguez just looked around as if thinking "Am I not in the middle of an at-bat here?" One More Defensive Play As Pelfrey was battling, trying to get through the fifth inning, the leadoff hitter laid down a successful bunt single. Suddenly, a tiring Pelfrey was faced with a speedster on first and Utley, Howard and Ruiz coming up to bat. Utley laced a line drive to deep right-center field but (at least from my angle behind home plate) it looked like Hicks got a great jump on the ball and raced it down. I asked Molitor about it after the game and Molitor thought he might have started to turn the wrong way but caught up to it. "We all know he can play the position out there." Center Field Battle Hicks started in center field, made that catch, but went 0-2 with a strikeout. He was facing a right-hander. Shane Robinson also made the trip and started in right field. He went 1-3 but also drew a walk. Before the game, I asked Twins general manager Terry Ryan if the Twins felt that Rosario or Hicks would need to play every day to make the 25-man roster. "You could give it some thought with Hicks," replied Ryan, "but I don't see falling into that situation at all. If he's going to be on this team, he's going to have to be a player." I got the sense the Twins are resistant to that idea for Hicks and dead set against it with Rosario. Boyer Continues To Roll Blaine Boyer relieved Pelfrey and continued his streak of strong pitching. He got through 1.1 innings on 14 pitches, and Molitor wanted to bring him back for one more inning, so Boyer had to bat in the National League park. It was not a comfortable moment. "I was just saying 'Don't get hurt. Don't get hurt,'" grinned Molitor. He didn't, by the way. He grounded out. Boyer is an interesting dark horse candidate to make the bullpen. The 33-year-old right-hander retired from baseball in 2012 but then went to play in Japan in 2013 and came back to play with the Padres last year. He's on a minor league deal. He hasn't posted impressive strikeout numbers - just 6.9 K/9 last year in San Diego - but was very effective with only 8 walks in 40.1 innings and a 1.04 WHIP (walks + hits divided by innings pitched). For reference, the only Twins pitchers that matched that WHIP were ... nobody. Not Phil Hughes. Not Glen Perkins. Nobody. Click here to view the article

If you're talking about Friday's game, Molitor didn't have any problem with Hicks' actions on that ball. He would have liked him to catch it, but said he did what he was supposed to do but just didn't get it. Terry Ryan said today that if this was the regular season, Pinto would have been put on the DL. Since it is not, and they have time, they're going to see what happens. They don't need to put anyone on the DL for two weeks, I don't think, so which DL he might go on is kind of moot. And he may not go onto one at all. One thing I didn't mention is that Ryan said he saw Pinto this morning and was very encouraged by his condition.

FWIW, I don't think that is the case. I think they were just giving Plouffe some experience there in case he needs to move there during the season. (I think it's much more likely that Molitor is thinking ahead to what his options might eventually be if Sano is promoted. )

Reading is hard. That's why, for your conveniece, Parker dialed up John reporting Sunday live from Twins batting practice in Jupiter, Florida. They talked about Josmil Pinto's injury, the roster decisions the Twins face, why Eduardo Escobar is getting a raw deal, why you should be going to spring training, the Twins reaction to Trevor May's impressive gameand John's favorite beer in Fort Myers. Plus, you get to see John look like a witness protection enrollee. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about Paul Molitor showing stat-head tendencies, Ron Gardenhire going full-on dad mode, gambling on the over/under win totals for AL East and AL West teams, giving away season ticket packages from the Minnesota Farm Growers, top prosopects Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Jose Berrios, and Alex Meyer going to the minors, and the best and worst leadoff hitters in Twins history. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. Click here to view the article

I’ve been married to The Voice of Reason™ for nearly 25 years, and I can say with confidence that I’ve never called her “solid.” Because she’s from Philly. And I like my teeth. Wisely, I choose a lot prettier adjectives, but I have to tell you, it’s the substance beneath that veneer that has sustained 21 years of marriage. (And here’s the point in the story where I compare my betrothed to Eduardo Escobar. Hmm. That’s going to cost me a bicuspid. Can we keep the rest of this story between ourselves? We all agree? Ok, let’s go on.)Watching Eduardo Escobar play shortstop on Friday afternoon, it’s understandable why he does not excite a lot of people. He isn’t smooth. He is not stylish. You catch yourself holding your breath watching him … (I’m having coming up with a verb here. He doesn’t race. Stumble is too harsh. Let’s go with hustle, as it conveys both the cynical and positive connotations.) You catch yourself holding your breath watching him hustle towards the hole, field the ball, pivot and make the throw to first base. He looks like he is laboring. He does not inspire confidence. But he made the plays. Asked about Escobar’s defense after Friday’s game, manager Paul Molitor portrayed it as “solid.” “He made all the plays,” reflected Molitor. “That’s typical of what we expect out of him because he’s going to do that.” It’s expected because he made damn near all the plays last year, too. You might be surprised to hear that Eduardo Escobar’s shortstop UZR last year was +2.1 which means he saved approximately two runs more than the average shortstop over the 771 innings he played. Don’t trust the defensive metrics? Let’s do some old school scouting instead. Inside Edge counted 252 ground balls to Escobar last year that were “routine” meaning they are turned into outs 90-100% of the time. Escobar turned all but 6 into outs, or 97.6%. As you might expect, he was not as solid for the plays which are less routine, making a handful fewer outs than one might expect in those cases. Again, not flashy, but solid. His bat, on the other hand, has been eye-catching, especially this spring. He knocked in his 11th RBI on Saturday to lend further credence to the .721 OPS he put up last year over 465 plate appearances. You would think posting an OPS equivalent to Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins, while playing solid defense would cement a 26-year-old’s spot in the lineup. You would be wrong, because Escobar is being crowded out of an everyday spot in the lineup so Danny Santana, who filled in as a center fielder last year, can have his turn at shortstop. What isn’t as clear is why that is happening. Why not keep Santana in center field? The obvious reason is that Santana’s future is likely at shortstop, and so why not start that future that right now? But that raises the question: why not start that future last year? The easy answer is that center field was a disaster last year – but it doesn’t looks like a lot has changed. Just like last year, the Twins are throwing a lot of players at the problem in hope that one of them sticks. The other question it raises is: why not start that future, you know, in the future? By then, maybe Aaron Hicks has a track record in AAA that inspires some confidence. Maybe Byron Buxton is ready to take over center field for the next decade. Maybe Escobar has established himself as an everyday shortstop in the eyes of the league and becomes a much more valuable asset in a trade. Or, maybe, Escobar flames out. His doubters can point to last year’s 93 strikeouts (versus just 24 walks) as evidence that his success is far from assured, or that he’s ill-suited for the adjustment pitchers are likely to make this year. But that still is a solution, only now Hicks and Buxton (or Eddie Rosario?) have had more time to establish themselves in center field. In short, the Twins seem to be embracing a solution in search of a problem - except that the problem is fairly obvious. It hasn’t moved; it is where it was last year, in center field, not at shortstop. Escobar’s results should rank higher than whatever potential the Twins still see in their center field candidates. He may not be as stunningly beautiful as my lovely wife, but he’s dependable. Shouldn't that be the priority? Click here to view the article

“Don’t wait for it to happen. Don’t even want it to happen. Just watch what does happen.” - Sean Connery as Jim Malone in The Untouchables The Twins schedule has necessitated keeping the clubhouse pretty crowded so far in spring training. But even if the schedule cooperates there are enough questions still unanswered that a padded roster would make sense.About the only question that seems to be answered is who the starting shortstop will be. Manager Paul Molitor says he still wants the competition between Danny Santana and Eduardo Escobar to play out, but all indications are that it will be Santana. Escobar has continued to hit well, but so has Santana and the Twins want his athleticism in the lineup. Furthermore, Molitor says he hasn’t considered moving Santana back to center field. This brings up the other positional battle that was supposed to sort itself out this spring. It hasn’t. “I don’t think anybody has really separated from the pack. We’ve got time to sort it out. I think it’s safe to say it’s wide open,” Terry Ryan summarized before today’s game. Molitor was even more blunt when asked if he had a better feel about what he was going to do about center field. “No,” he simply replied. The Twins keep giving the four candidates opportunities. Each has found himself starting in center field at least once over the last four days. Eddie Rosario started there on Thursday, but was relegated to corner spots Saturday and Sunday while Shane Robinson and Jordan Schafer got the starts in center. Hicks also received two starts, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Entering today, the one with the highest batting average was Robinson at .269 – but his career average in the majors is just .231 and he’s 30 years old. The fact that he’s still even in camp tells you all you need to know about the rest of the candidates. Of course, there are a lot of guys in camp, and that has something to do with the schedule. The Twins had a split-squad on Saturday and have three-hour bus drives on Sunday and Monday. Generally, those long trips have a minimal veteran presence, so it’s not too surprising that the Twins are keeping some warm bodies around. An extra body or two might be necessary for the final roster, too. One option the Twins have at least considered for center field is a platoon, but it doesn’t sound like they’re too excited about it. “That’s not ideal,” says Ryan. He added, “But if you have to, you have to.” If the Twins have to, they could try a platoon a couple of different ways. Half of the platoon could be Jordan Schafer, who bats left-handed and has a career on-base percentage of .328 against right-handers. I supposed it could also be Eddie Rosario, who also bats left-handed, but I presume the Twins would rather he play every day in the minors. The other side is more problematic. Robinson hits right-handed, though his performance against any pitcher with hands has been pretty anemic in the majors. But he would be the short side of the platoon and could also serve as a defensive late-inning specialist in either of the corners. Or the Twins could try Hicks, who is a switch-hitter but has really only hit southpaws. (And he has hit them well; he has a 758 OPS over 127 at-bats in his career.) But again, unless the Twins want him to acclimate himself to the majors or want Torii Hunter to mentor him, he would probably be better off playing every day in Rochester. The Twins also still have a question as to who will be their fifth starter, courtesy of Trevor Mays’ excellent outing yesterday. “I was impressed,” Ryan reflected today. “As was everybody that saw that.” But Ryan wasn’t sure what was in store for Mays, or even if he would have another start scheduled for this spring. If the Twins want to see more of him, they’re going to need to make a decision fairly soon since both May’s and Tommy Milone’s next turn in the rotation will be Thursday, and there is no split squad this time to help them out. Only one can get that start at JetBlue Park and whoever it is will need to be further stretched to close to 80 pitches. But of course, Mike Pelfrey is also in the discussion. Wait. Watch. Finally, a new question was raised, courtesy of Adam Jones' bat. Jones hit catcher Josmil Pinto in the head three times in one at-bat on his backswing and the backstop then came out of yesterday’s game. Molitor characterized Pinto as “dizzy” and Ryan used the term “groggy”, and today Pinto didn’t feel quite right. Ryan labeled the injury as “concussion-like symptoms” but said the CT scan was negative and they would need to wait a few days before they officially diagnosed it as a concussion. Either way, Pinto will be held out of baseball-related activities for a few days, which could open up the backup catcher roster spot for Chris Herrmann or Eric Fryer. More waiting and watching. The Twins would like to spend the last week playing their regulars, which really only gives them another week to make some final decisions. Molitor, Ryan and staff met for a 40-minute meeting yesterday to talk about how the roster might take shape. “We’re going to keep gathering information in the near term before we finalize what we want to do,” said Molitor. So there is still a little time left to wait. And to want. And to see what does happen. Both for their Twins and their fans. Twins 5, Marlins 3 The Twins beat the Marlins in Jupiter on Sunday, fueled by a potent top of the lineup. Phil Hughes started, went 4.2 innings, gave up three runs, walked two, struck out four, and then gave such an insightful and entertaining postgame interview that I may need to write it up word for word later this week.Tim Stauffer relieved Hughes in the fifth and ended the inning with one pitch. He gave up a couple of hits but no runs the next inning.Caleb Thielbar threw a couple of innings, got two strikeouts but walked one. Molitor was impressed with the depth of his curveball.Casey Fien closed it out.On the offensive side:Danny Santana led off, went 4-5 and darn near beat out the ground ball on which he was thrown out.Jordan Schafer hit second and had three hits with two RBI. Yes, mostly it was against right-handed pitchers, but he got a hit against southpaw swingman Brad Hand in the 8th.Eddie Rosario went 1-5, but hit the ball well.Trevor Plouffe also got a couple of hits and a walk, raising his batting average this spring to .200. He also was moved from third to first base late in the game. Molitor said he made that move to give Plouffe some experience over there. Click here to view the article

Giggle. Let's not fight it, OK? Let's embrace the schadenfreud. For years, small market wallet watchers have been predicting the Yankees were due for a fall as the Bronx Bombers relied more and more on free agents, big contracts and an aging roster as revenue sharing limits gained more and more teeth. Last year, we finally got a taste of what that will be like, and it was delicious. Vegas noticed too, and have picked the best team money can buy to finish fourth in the AL East. Ooh-ooh-ooh - and did I mention they also get to pay Alex Rodriguez $20M to strut around the locker room for the next three years? I'll say it again: giggle.Year In Review Like the fall of most empires, it wasn't a huge implosion, but a series of ever-widening cracks that led to deterioration. Vegas watched the Yankees offseason spending spree and set a number in the mid to high 80s to meet, but a lot of the big signings came up short. Biggest among them was (and continues to be) ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Tananka dominated to the tune of a 2.77 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning, but there were too few of those innings - just 136 - because he was limited to 20 starts with a sore elbow. Worse, he still has pain that he's just (effectively) pitching through. So there is no guarantee that he'll be healthy for the duration of this year. Tanaka's status mirrored that of a lot of the team. The new slimmer CC Sabathia was limited to only eight starts, big free agent signee Carlos Beltran played in only 109 games, Mark Teixeira struggled with a wrist injury and of course A-Rod was suspended. The Yankees are counting on bounceback seasons from these guys, and if they stay healthy, the could get it, but here are their respective ages as of July 1: 34, 38, 35, 39. Their expected health is debatable. Add that all up, and the Yankees still finished over .500 with 84 wins, which is an accomplishment given that they were outscored on the year. With those results amid all their injuries, it may not be surprising that the Yankees had a pretty quiet offseason. They replaced free agent closer David Robertson by signing setup stud Andrew Miller, but other than that, the Yankees treated this offseason like a do-over. They let Hiroki Kuroda walk. He was their most durable and effective starting pitcher. The other two big departures are probably more about losing big names than impact players, but they're still losses: Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter. Vegas Says “There are enough Yankees bobos betting money in New York that the number has to be higher than they deserve, and maybe they'll get lucky and keep people healthy. Still, I'm lowering last year's 86.5 line.” = 81.5. Beating Vegas I try not to bet on the Yankees for the same reason I try not to bet on the Twins; wishful thinking gets in the way. But if I had to bet, I'd bet the under. Practically, their run differential is more like a 77 win team than the 84 wins they tallied last year, and there is a lot more room for downside than upside given the age of this team. And karmically, it feels a lot like a franchise that just lost its identity, is floating through purgatory and is a lot closer to hell than heaven. . Click here to view the article

Trevor May made the Twins decision-makers job a little tougher on Saturday afternoon. In his return to Grapefruit League action, he threw an efficient, fast-paced four innings, giving up zero hits, striking out three and walking zero. Manager Paul Molitor was impressed. “His first three innings were clean [with] nice variety [and he] commanded well.” Twins fans recognize that command is the key for May, and he knows it, too. That’s why this outing was so impressive. He threw only 12 balls among 42 pitches, and most of those in his last inning. He was so efficient he needed to go to the bullpen after to throw another 15 pitches so he can continue to build arm strength for the season.So why was he lifted? The Twins certainly wanted to get some innings for relievers Mark Hamburger, Aaron Thompson and AJ Achter, who are all competing for a bullpen role. But manager Paul Molitor added that May’s pitches were changing and elevating in the fourth inning. “Out of the stretch, he started elevating. He got the strikeout on the high fastball but his pitches were changing,” said Molitor. Whether the Twins were guarding against a negative impact to May’s confidence or his health isn’t clear. Both have been issues. May started spring training with the flu that was going around the Twins clubhouse, and that gave his candidacy for the fifth starter’s spot an early setback. Today’s game marked his return to an official Grapefruit League game; his last (reportedly impressive) start was on the minor league fields due to limited Grapefruit games and the Twins crowded rotation. The topic of May’s confidence came up in the pregame meeting with Terry Ryan, and Ryan says he sees a difference between May and the pitcher who took the mound last August and September. “For me, that experience that he got from August and September, looks to me like it’s been beneficial to him. He looks like he wants to fit in and belong. His body language is pretty good. His confidence level looks pretty high.” May also says he feels confidence is playing a part in how he is performing. “You gain confidence from a level of comfort, and having done it for a while and throwing to the hitters and in front of the crowd and stuff a few times, it’s easier to push that out of the way.” We’ll see if today’s effort earns May yet one more Grapefruit League start. He would be in line to pitch again on Thursday, though the Twins could juggle things a little, because they won’t have the luxury of a split squad game that day and Tommy Milone would also be in line to start. Milone pitched today in Fort Myers and also lasted four innings, but gave up five hits, two walks and four earned runs courtesy of a rocky second inning. Regardless of what plays out this week, in Terry Ryan’s mind, May looks like someone who can play a big role in the future. “I’m eagerly anxious to see him perform today, because we’re counting on this guy,” said Ryan before the game. From the glimpse we saw, that future looks a lot brighter now than it did last August. And maybe, just maybe, that future is now. Escobar Keeps Doing His Job – Whatever That Job Is Eduardo Escobar added an eleventh RBI to his spring training totals by driving in the game’s first run in the fifth inning. He was praised after the game by Molitor, just like he was praised after yesterday’s game when asked about Escobar’s production. Today Escobar played at second base, because “We want to get him prepared possibly to be a guy that will play around a little bit to get at-bats.” That sounds a lot like Escobar won’t be the Twins everyday shortstop unless something changes, and playing every day is one of the reasons Escobar thought he had such a good season last year. But regardless, he seems to be ready to embrace whichever role he has. “I come into the stadium ready to play. I’m here for Molitor. I’m ready for my chance,” stated Escobar. “When I have my opportunity, I play hard.” Roster Will Be Pitching Heavy Both Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor shared today that they expect the Twins to come north with a 12-man pitching staff, meaning they’ll break camp with seven relievers and four bench players. Asked about what the left-handed/right-handed makeup of that bullpen might be, Molitor was more guarded. But Ryan was fairly blunt that he just wants the seven best pitchers, regardless of role. “We might not go with a left, period, if we didn’t have to. We’re going to go with the best guys. Obviously we’ve got [Glen] Perkins, so he’s going to be a left, but whether or not we have any more lefties, that’s going to be up to how they end up responding here.” For what it’s worth, it sounds like Molitor is already including lefty Brian Duensing in one of the bullpen spots. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be others. One of the guys competing for the left-handed spot pitched today in Port Charlotte. Aaron Thompson threw two innings and Molitor noted that he continues to show that he has a good strikeout pitch against left-handers and enough pitches to be effective against right-handers. Click here to view the article

They've been the sabrmetric darling for years, and Vegas finally bought in last year - just in time for things to fall apart. Vegas noticed and further noticed the offseason in which the Rays looked like they were embracing a rebuilding philosophy. So how about this year?Year In Review Year after year, as free agent after free agent left the Rays, we would see stories about how the Rays successful run was over and a betting line that matched it. And year after year, that meant easy money for anyone betting the "over." Finally, last year, that was not such an easy call when a value of 88.5 was established, a higher number than even the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox had to beat. Sure enough, it all went to hell. Their pitching mostly held up, finishing with a 3.56 ERA. But the Rays finally ran out of patches for their lineup, scoring 88 runs fewer than the year before and sinking to last in the American League in runs scored. By midseason, they had traded away their ace, David Price. They finished with just 77 wins, their lowest total since 2007, when Rays were still preceded by "Devil." And then things got worse. The changes this offseason were probably more symbolic than impactful; they may not cost the Rays many wins this year, but the message is clear: their window of opportunity slammed shut. Both their GM, Andrew Friedman, and their manager, Joe Maddon, bailed on them for more promising (and - surprise - cash-rich) teams. (The lesson? It turns out that in the long run in MLB being richer is better than being smarter. And if you doubt it, just watch where the smart guys end up going.) There are also plenty of changes on the field. They turned over their starting shortstop, second baseman, catcher and two outfielders and replaced them with...well, mostly with patches and prospects for the next rebuild, which they hope to start sooner rather than later. Vegas Says "I won't make that mistake again. They're done. But they still have a pretty good pitching staff." - 78.5 wins. Beating Vegas On the one hand, this franchise has been underestimated for most of the last eight years by the betting public, so I can't blame anyone for betting the over. But two things lead me to the "under", one spiritual and one practical. Spiritually, it's hard to rally when hope has left the building. Sure, an organization can embrace a "last stand" mentality, but that usually requires a cause a little more noble than a third-place finish. If the Rays don't thrive immediately, there is going to be enormous pressure to continue to look at the future. The team already consists of more than their share of "stop gap" players, and that's the sort that are easily traded away for some future chits. And sooner or later, they're going to get around to wondering just what kind of return Evan Longoria and his technicolor contract can fetch. And practically, this looks like the worst team in the AL East. Personally, I don't think they're going to be all alone in that regard; one of the other four will likely unexpectedly flame out. But the worst team in a division can have quite a bit of room to sink below their Vegas total. So I'm not sure I would bet on it, but put me down for the "under". Click here to view the article

Thanks everyone. The beer shake will need to wait until the middle of the week, unfortunately, but I'm really looking forward to it. And Thrylos, it was good to meet you and thanks for the Summit tips. I'm going to update the story with those. I was surprised I didn't see it, because I saw ads for it.

If the Twins don't want to put Stauffer in the bullpen, I wonder what their options are. Do they need to expose him to waivers?