Rosterman

Twins added three pitchers as minor league free agents. Juan Minaya returns. He actually was called up to the big leagues and was an official roster addition in 2020 but never pitched. Anyone know the other players who have been on the Twins roster but never played during the season? Glenn Sparkman joins from the Kansas City organization and Luke Farrell from the Rangers. Both have big league experience and are righties but appear to just be minor league depth at the moment.

They need innings. But could see the Twins doing a rotation of guys in and out, although we have to remember that you have to stay at AAA for more days these days once sent out. Be interesting to see if the season in 2021 is shortened, or if more double-headers are added. That could be a plus with your minor league team so close. The question is who is on the 40-man that will be out of options and will have to go thru waivers if you decide to add a non-roster guy like, say, Jax.

You will be able to BUY players this year!

We see Jeffers maybe being here all year. Kirilloff, Larnach and Rooker will be Twins for most of 2021. Is there any hope of Gordon doing something, anything...or just being a reserve. Royce Lewis could also push for a team spot if Polanco goes down for a count. Is Royce truly a shortstop of the future? The Twins need one bonafide starter. They need to sign a real closer. If the Twins sign anoptehr catcher, does Garver become a good bench bat/DH/1B who can also catch?

Looking at Saints game of the past...good luck getting tickets!

I always wonder how strikeout pitchers fare overall in pitch counts. Do they need 5-7 throws to get a batter out? Do modern pitchers work the counts more rather than just dominate? Even a specialist like Wisler got the "k"s but also walked a lot of guys. The plus is leaving runners stranded. Some pitchers also work well on contact (Kintzler) and if you have the fielders, that is a plus. Do you want the double-play ball or a strikeout? And you have to get the batter to see at least three pitches for a strikeout. That's two pitches that the batter MAY have a solid attempt at connecting and causing trouble.

Looking at the right price on a multi-year deal, at least two years and an option. Then he will go down from there.

Twins also signed Rob Refsnyder, an outfielder out of the Rangers system. He has played in the majors for Texas as well as Tampa Bay and the Yankees. http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=608701#/career/R/hitting/2021/ALL

Shades of Nick Burdi. Two players that the choosing team may be able to disable for most of next year, just needing to find the allocated time to keep them on the major league roster before optioning them to the minors. All players lost are probably behind other players in the organization, and because of a lost 2020 we really don't know...do we?

Sometimes the overall prospects have been better at the AA level than the AAA level for the Twins in the past. But Wichita and Cedar Rapids will get many Twins fan visits during the season. The change in St. Paul won't be a difference in the overall fun and games of the minor league experience. It will be in the caliber of play. Maybe not as overall competitive, as the roster is now a pipeline to the majors and has ups and downs accordingly. Instead of people who want to play ball (a step above Town Ball) and hope to get into a minor league system, you will be looking at bonafide prospects on the cusp and other players capable of filling in on a major league team if given the opportunity. It will be as much about player development as well as putting competitive play on the field, but winning is not exactly the main reason for minor league team affiliate baseball. Because you are playing teams that have no salary caps, no age limits on prospects, no non-experience levels, and full of very talented people who are trying to improve their game as well as get comfortable in team play. A lot of hardcore Twins fans may find themselves unable to get single game tickets. That will be the key...will the Saints continue to sell well, or will they turn-away from being the bad boys of baseball. Expect to see cross promotions, a lot of Twins merchandise for sale (moreso than in Rochester). It will benefit players on both fronts. Able to get workouts at either facility and work with trainers, probably with no need to go to Florida for rehab.

The trade alone with the Yankees worked out well, considering the yelling and screaming of Chuck. But all the other pieces over time...whew!

Twins sign Tzu-Wei Lin to a minor league contract. The former Red Sox adds depth to the infield in the system.

I remember all the talk about second base being the better position for Polanco. He made a smart move, signing for the distance. If his value increases, he becomes a tradable sort. But in the scheme of things, I would not have seen the Twins going to arbitration. They would've pushed Lewis faster. Now they don't. WIll be interesting to see Arraez in 2021. And also if Nick Gordon gets some playtime. Sano. We want him to be our answer to Boston's Ortiz. We fear cutting him loose (or trading him) and having him become the second-coming of Ortiz for someone else. The Twins kinda got a bargain to wait-and-see. The question is if he has a huge season in 2021, do you longterm him even more? (I keep remembering Dark Star talking about Cristin Guzman getting the multi-year contract rom the Twins, how IT WAS A great deal for the Twins, but a better deal for a guy who not feel he ahs to play that hard anymore). Kepler is a student of baseball. He is a sponge. He seems to be over analyzing things at times. He has the talent, he has the drive. But at some point you weigh the cost vs. replacement cost. He would be gambled on for anotehr arbitration season, but the Twins (and him) did good with the extension. Which shows you the foibles of arbitration. Eddie entered 2020 knowing he would make $8-12 million in 2021 with the Twins, if he put up the numbers. He wasn't going to make less, unless the Twins cut him. At worst, NO ONE WANTED TO GRAB HIM FOR ARBITRATION. He was maybe hoping he would be offered $20 mil for two seasons...maybe. Now that he is free, he might only be signed for $5-7 million, and for a single season. Or maybe he takes that contract for a guaranteed $20 million for three years. You can't pay your own players less, unless you come back at them again from the free market, and then you have maybe burned bridges...so why would the play wish to return if still in a good position in their career. Same with Wisler. A gamble for another year perhaps. But the chance of a $2 million fightout was considered unnecessary. Maybe Matt will get a two-year deal for that from someone else, or maybe not. This one will be interesting to watch. It is why you look at trading players before they go to year three or arbitration, if they don't love you back. And, like pending free agents, the ball IS in the court of the player playing for that BIG contract tomorrow or long-term. It's the gamble where you also sign guys pre-arbitration for 4-5-option years if possible.

Opening the season: Garver/Jeffers catching. But Garver can play 1B and also DH. Sano at 1B. But Sano, for all intents and purpose, would be the long-term DH of the future who can also play 3B. Rooker. Corner outfield. Possible 1B. Possible fulltime DH. Kirilloff. Corner outfielder. Also called a first baseman. Doesn't need to DH. Donaldson. 3rd baseman. Because of his contract and age, will he switch to, say, 1st base, or need to be only a DH? You got five guys for 1B/3B/Corner OF/DH. Not to mention fill-ins if someone NEEDS to not be in the field. Not taking into account keeping a Jake Cave. And Trevor Larnach is in the wings, looking for work, too. That is where 2 years for Cruz becomes problematic. And Sano is still the dark horse/elephant in the room. Will he produce, or will he just be...okay. We all want HIM to be the next David Ortiz. Admit it!

As long as Minnesota can pay, they won't lose. Plus, the titles. I was sad that Rowson did leave, but you never know the preferences for organizations or locations. I do thinkj Falvey and Levine have a plan that they BOTH wish to see thru to an end.

There has to be other pitchers to spend that money on that don't involve trading any prospects.

Thorpe will have to stay, so he will be a rotation arm, a bullpen arm (hopefully long), or gone. Could the Twins go after Hand? I still would like to see a bonafide closer and let Rogers do set-up. Colina is better poised for the bullpen. Wisler would be a nice protection additions, as would a return of Clippard. Picture the Twins adding one starter, 2-3 back-end bullpen arms from free-agency. That's it. I would like to see Cruz return, but am doubtful.

Sacrifices are made in the name of payroll. Is it spent more wisely somewhere else? Pocketed? That is always the question. Sometimes you wonder how far out the team looks at players and how those actions happen in earlier off-seasons. Like what is the future outcome of Berrios or Buxton, for example. We can feel sad that the Twins lose players that might have some value, minimal value of return of some prospect, or packaged for a real team need. 2020 was a horrendous season. It was not the year to trade off potential free agents that you feel you might not sign, otherwise the Twins probably would've dealt Eddie sooner rather than never and gave someone like Kirilloff an earlier chance. And May would've had some value in the greater mix.

We saw it with Pierzynski. We saw it with Mientkiewicz. You move on when the guy MIGHT become too expensive. Be interesting to see who he lands with. He wasn't tradable, because you would have to pay him $10-12 million. If some team thought he was worth that, they would knock on the Twins door.

I would have happily gambled two more seasons. Hoped the last two that he would develop into the Twins closer. The last guy left from all those deals for centerfielders that the Twins traded away starting with Carlos Gomez, then Denard Span and Ben Revere and ending with Aaron Hicks. Six seasons of May and one of Worley as Revere played five.

Will be fun. But sad as I wonder what happens to all the teams in the American Association from Fargo to Winnipeg to Sioux Falls and more. Plus how the staffing of Saints land ends up happening. Sad to see Tsamis end a long career as the Saints manager. The joy is the Saints still get to be a fun place and make money, and probably keep selling out...and the Twins will be paying the salaries of the roster and coaching staff. Sure, revenue splits will happen, but the potential is there for better ad revenues. Be interesting to see how the television contract and radio airtime will play out. The Twins now have four wonderful ways to see the minor league teams. Cedar Rapids Kernels. Wichita, can be combined into a trip to Kansas City, and the Saints. Wichita will actually benefit from hardcore road trips by Twins fans, as often that is the best place to see top-flight prospects. And Ft. Myers as Low-A will be great for working the other 50 guys in instructional camp onto the roster and games during the minor league season. The Big plus for the Twins is transportation costs for rehab, as well as the ability to have players workout of Target Field. Not that the Saints don't have top-flight facilities now. But can you ask for anything better than to have your taxi-squad 15 miles away? Now, how and where will the Triple-A players live. Jammed into apartments downtown St. Paul? Wish I still lived next to the Saints Stadium!

Looks like St. Paul (AAA) and Wichita (AA) to be announced this week!

The Twins don't need to trade the upcoming future. Their current trade chips are guys currently on the roster: Garver, Sano, Arraez, Polanco, Kepler, Buxton, Rosario, Berrios. You either sign them ALL long term, or trade them. And those that you have signed, if they have value, trade them when the time comes. Not all this year. Maybe not a complete shakeout by next year, but I see few of these guys holding down the fort 4 years in Minnesota's future.

4 years $50 million with an option for a fifth. Yes, Celestino should be groomed as backup starting next season, although he could start the season in the minors playing regularly. Royce Lewis is a possibility until you need to think about replacing or moving Polanco. But the Twins are sorta shortstop rich in prospects right now.

If decide to accept arbitraion with Rosario, then NO to Cruz. We have Sano then, who can also play first and third. We have a spot for a new first baseman, be it Rooker or Kirilloff or maybe even Kepler. Not sure if Kirilloff OR Rooker would start the season as a starter with the Twins, but if they do...you got them as backup outfielder, playing first or DHing. Which bring up Mitch Garver. Who can catch, but has never done much beyond 80 games. He can also play fist. He can also designated hitter. Do the Twins carry a third catcher? Two big questions. Fate of Rosario as a Twin. And the future of Sano in the organization. The millions could betetr be spent elsewhere. But...Cruz does bring spirit, comradeship, leadership.......