Rosterman

You add in Bard and Jones down the line, and the Twins have some power arms. But they need to see some major league action and will have some ups-and-down. If Perkins doesn't come back strong, he could still be that 8th inning lefty. That the Twins weren't able to move Kintzler speaks loads for that guy. Nothing special. It's like Boyer, do we keep him or let him walk. You don't want them to wear out a welcome as in Fien or Burton or even Guerrier. Hey, anyone know what happened to Jesse Crain?

Escobar is the perfect utility guy. Happily, he should still be a reasonable bargain next season and should be kept around. Not sure what his third year salary will be in 2018. That is assuming Polanco is a true shortstop and will play it for the Twins, which he is doing well, now.

It will be interesting to see what kind of contract he can get from the Twins if he alsts towards his second year of arbitration. It may be a respectible contract (similar, say, to Span's) and if he keeps producing at his current level, he will always be a fine trade chip. But at some point, he will be passed by others in the system. 2017, a keeper. 2018, will have to produce well to keep a job. 2019....how much does he cost for what. Of course, Buxton, Walker will also touch upon his career with the Twins.

The whole thing makes little sense. In some ways, there was no need to add Dean, just go straight to O'Rourke. Now if we are going to start adding guys, let's see Wheeler and Wimmers, or maybe even Baxendale. People who we MIGHT want to keep away from otehr teams next year. Yes, adding Albers, than Dean, means we get a checkmark on their "thanks" list and they may resign for added depth (and the paycheck it does bring, which is substantial) next season.

Grossman or Santana. Choose one.

You could've gone outside the organization, but maybe your true answer is sitting right there in Chattanooga, with a guy who has managed these players and seen them progressed and tends to get the most out of them. From overuse of bullpen, to lineup construction, to not putting down his foot and getting batters to do something (take pitches, maybe work on bunting more, anything to change what they are doing badly)...you can/can't blame the coaches. Ultimately, their work reflects on the manager. Yes, there were lots of new coaches and maybe they all don't mesh, and then that becomes a problem because it is the manager's job to set the overall tone and on-field direction. 2015 was a decent season. We have to remember that the Twins were a tad over .500 and due to the weakness of the division and the runaways at top stayed in the wild card. But there was a lot of smoke and mirrors. They happily produced offense, which is showing up again in the second-half...with a rotation that has totally fell apart. Even some comments, to paraphrase, that came out of Molitor talk about Nunez NOT being a regular player, or would play rookies but the team still wants to win (sheesh!). To saddle a new GM with the old manager is vile! Part of a total system breakdown. You don't require that to happen.

Oh, and rumor has it that some guy named Jepsen will be the player to be named later. Why not, I say. We are already paying his salary!

Sadly, the names you mentioned don't have to be considered for additions until the off-season. I imagine Granite, and maybe Gonsalves, will go to the AZFL for some regular play. Garver would be interesting. If Suzuki goes, then Murphy gets the call. It would be nice to see a courtesy call and early add with Garver, but it probably won't happen. You first have to look at all names on the 40-man. Then you look at names like Wimmers that you might care to get a look at. They you think about rewards (Beresford, perhaps). Any other names at Rochester stand out? Not for the moment. Reed is there, Baxendale is there, Wheeler should get a look but they will probably hold off. The bigger question is where the Twins will find the 6-7-8 spots to add guys in the off-season, and the two names that will stay there (you need guys on the current 40-man to remove if, say, you sign a free agent). Not that the Twins don't have bubble names like Duffy, and Santiago and Escobar, both of whom could be denied arbitration, for example. Even Palka will be ignored. Will theyc all up Walker? Is he deserving? What to do about Park! I would love to see Mitch catch all the games, but he is currently adjusting to the Rochester staff, and not sure that the best use of his talents is to have him totally adjust to the major league staff, or even catch one or two guys regularly until seasons end. But having him sit on the major league bench, watch and listen the game, become a late-inning replacement...I think...would be rewarding to him and set the bar for next season.

You need to rush. You need that body at the World Series talking with others in the baseball field. You need to start looking at available players RIGHT after the seasons end. You need full evaluation of your system as guys are in Arizona and you prepare the 40-man roster and the winter meetings. Hey, the Arizona group may be available. Cutting ties after two seasons. Whew! There's only 30 of these jobs out there and there are easily 30 hungry assistants and a comparable enough of people who have done it and looking for a job,or in other areas of a team or in the major league structure. You are not working with a lack of candidates, many on par with Anthony (who by having this chance is positioning himself better for the job internally, posssibly elsewhere). Any delay means that the powers that be are still acting in total system failure and have no idea what they want and will be twiddling their fingers listening to people offering possible results and direction, then putting their minds together and deciding they have no idea what will work.

Yes, May didn't shine in 2014 as a starter. But he did show promise. He was also a bit rough in 2015 and pulled it together in a role out of the pen. But he still has the mix. He learned. Come 2016, he was used a lot out of the gate...multiple days, short stops in a game. Not a long man, not a setup, not given a role. Just put out there as a member of a bullpen. This is 21st century baseball. We now have roles. We have top of the rotation starters who can give us 200 innings and a chance to win every time they pitch. We have middle guys who might just keep us in the game. We have that 5th guy who might reach 125-130 innings and then be replaced by a similar soul. We have specialists in the bullpen. The closer. Two guys who see the ball in the 9th. We have a long guy. If you have the luxury, someone who can get a groundball, someone who can get a fly ball, someone who can strike someone out. And you have a couple of them coming in from the left side who can do more than jsut get their one guy out. Maybe The Twins Way is that everyone can play anywhere on the diamond when called upon. Sometimes it works for awhile (Nunez this season), but at some point, you develop a player and you leave them there and you either trade that player eventually when someone else comes along (Dougie M and A.J.) or move that prospect (Polanco, Sano perhaps). But you don't start shuffling guys around for the heck of it. Your system should be strong enough that are are always looking at depth of three at a position for the next five years (like the Twins at catcher right now, eh). Someone is moving the little standups around the cardtable and seeing what your lineup would look like with so-and-so, and what it MAY look like next year, or three years down the line. If you need to change a position, you do it BEFORE you egt to the majors. Of course, starting pitchers are a different case. You can get by with 2 or 3 pitches in the minors, but once you hit the majors, you better have four. Maybe you can be role arm in the bullpen if you don't adapt. Going to the bullpen is not necessarily a step-down...it is, afterall, a major league job. But it is also a mindset, like how every bullpen guy can't close a game...how every starter has trouble getting thru that batting order the third time, how batters can't adjust when the other team actually looks at the tape they have on your swing. At best, when they IMMEDITATELY moved May into the bullpen in spring training, I was hoping they would still stretch him out, making him that - most time - minimum three inning guy, possibly becoming a spot starter rather than dipping down to the Deans and Albers in the organization. At worst, when Perkins started to falter, I was wondering if they would try him at closer, which almost seemed the case when he was working consecutive days, but not in the high pressure situation. Somehow, I think, we have THE LOST SEASON OF TREVOR MAY. Nothing was accomplished. He moved backwards more than forwards. Even if you to rebrand him as a starter, can he pitch 150 innings in 2017...can he go 175...and what is his homework assignment for the off-season. Are the Twins thinking that far ahead? Or is/was it a total system failure.

He will go the Fall League,right?

There's some major league meetings coming up next week and expect St. Peter and Pohlad will both be there doing some interviewing, or so I would hope.I wou ld really love to know the true exact questions they are asking new candidates. Vision of the organization?What kind of team do you see us fielding?What do you need for front office support? How much money do you need to do this?

It makes you suddenly realize how foolish it is to make a single player the brand of a team...either when they drafted Joe Mauer in the first place, or gave him the extension. Of course, the thought still remains of Joe Mauer being a lifetime boon to the organization, if he so chooses to remian anywhere in the game of baseball. But it also shows that when a player diminishes in value (this time because of a position change), it can also hurt the team in the long run. If we had never signed Joe, we would've had Prior and that baggage of an overpriced draftee who would've hated being signed by Minnesota (assuming he would've signed). We would've kept A.J. and not have Liriano and Nathan and Boof. Wow, suddenly things start to look royally different. We could've traded Mauer, too. I wonder what the backlash would've been like. Of course, we could part ways with him right now if any other club saw $20 million of contributions from him on the field. And I think we could happily absorb the ramifications of such a move. But it ain't happening. In hindsight, we didn't need to move Ramos. We should still have Pinto. Heck, we should've developed Danny Rams! Two questions remain. The game of baseball has changed. ANy money you give to a player is a sunk cost for one season or multiple seasons. At some point, you may jump on your desk and say you were the "master of the game" and did something totally right. On the other end, you suddenly say I am paying a guy $30 million a year for his good years, write-it-off and move on. I think the sport will be seeing more and more BAD longterm really rich contracts, but if they give results for one or two important moments in the team's game, it will continue to happen. The money, sadly, is there. The other question is "What is Joe's longterm situation with the Twins organization?" Will he retire in two seasons or continue on in the sport, and if not with the Twins, where? Is he worthwhile signing to a lifetime "end your career with us/personal services contract" or do the two parties part ways and maybe in a couple of years Joe joins the likes of Hrbek and such as a roving ambassador and batting consultant. Will Joe continue his career as a hitting instructor (and can he do that). Will he buy a team? It will be interesting to see what happens to the "Mauer" brand as his career winds down.

I almost think the fans would boo him more than come out, if they do. Sadly, NO. There is no place for him, and he would see that too and not sign with us.

You have two options with reserve players. One) They are reserves. In the pinch, they come in and play. If someone goes down longterm, they have the ability to play everday at the position of choice and stay there as long s needed, or... Two) They are that bench guy, contributing late-inning subsitution, perhaps pinch-running, or a bat off the bench. But when a player goes down, they stay on the bench and you play your top prospect from the minors as much as possible...because they are your future, unless... Three) You prospect is blocked and they have to stay on the roster somehoe (Polanco). Then you may have the best of both worlds. But if a player is deserving of everyday action, they should play everyday. If a player is a role player, then they are labeled as such and used as such. And eventually salary becomes a consideration. And, role players should have limited action/at bats at best.

Picture Palka and Walker staying at Rochester next season. What will be interesting is the addition of Harrison and Granite to the Red WIngs outfield. Grossman is a servicable pickup for the Twins. He is performing better than you thought possible. But remember, we have had such names as Mastro, Schaffer, Robinson, all the way back to Ryan and Mohr and Lew Ford in the past. But the big boys at Rochester need to cut down on their K's and the Twins have to figure out the Plouffe/Park/Vargas/Sano/Mauer mess.

Well, Murphy was obviously a catcher the Yankees didn't need. Happily, Aaron Hicks ahs been Aaron Hicks. But coming out of spring training, I almost felt the Twins should've had John Hicks come north so Murphy could catch everyday at AAA. But, no, they left him down...and somehow we lost him in the Murphy (David) mess. Remember, we also had Josmil Pinto floating around, but let him go and kept Pat Dean instead. He's catching about parttime. Hitting well. Centeno is a replacement player, sorry. We could plug in A.J. next season, bring back Rene Rivera, talk Mike Redmond out of retirement. Garver is getting some swings at Rochester and now the decision will be to add him to the 40-man and bring hi up to experience some innings in the majors in September. I could live with Murphy and Garver. Heck, I could live with A.J. and Murphy with Garver starting at Rochester.

The joy is that the way things stand right now, a Team would only have to pay A-Rod the major league minimum to play on their roster. Sadly, the Twins don't need him at third or DH. Otherwise, who knows.

The Twins getting any significant return on any f the above names would appear to be slim or none, sadly. The one who could draw the best would be Santana, but only if he totally cleared waivers. And he just might, if teams think the Twins may be playing a game and would happily let him walk to lose his salary (which is not totally out of the question). There is little or no deed for a team to buy high on any of the bullpen arms or Grossman. All those guys are easily replaceable by arms in a team's system at worst, at best...they can find another arm if need be from someone, somewhere. None of the players are game changers. If a team claims them, the Twins would probably get just salary relief as well as that dreaded player-to-be-named later...essentially someone who will be cut from the 40-man or someone just outside of the pecking order of needing roster protection (or, better yet, cash!). At some point, the Twins will need to make a decision on Plouffe, Park and Vargas. You can't have them all. Can it be that NO ONE wants any of these guys, which is sad. throw in Walker, who has been bypassed, for now, by Palka...The Twins have a gaggle of players that they could live without, but keeping all of them creates problems they don't need going forth. That is the dilemma of the Twins right now...are certain players worth anything to anyone else except for depth (probably at the minor league level and a call-up -- i.e. Swarzak, Parmelee, Duensing as examples).

The logjam at first. Towards the future, I was actually looking as Kepler being a first baseman (he was playing there a bit in AA ball). And people talk about Sano, possibly. But see Sano moving towards DH. In the distant minors, we have Diaz. But before that, we have Bargas, who will have to be carried on the 40-man next year and then arbitration eligible in 2018. We have Park, on the ropes until 2019 with an option. Of course, joltin' Joe is there for two more seasons and not going anywheres. At least, if we had cycled Arcia into the mix (instead of Park) we had a fourth outfielder to play the corners. A bigger question is the capability of any of these guys coming off the bench, Thome -style, to give you the big hit. Plus getting the pitching in order so you can carry a "slugger only" on the bench. Yes, we do have Walker, who can go up and down for the next couple of years/. We have Palka, who might be a first baseman, and can also cycle into a role come 2018 or beyond if we wish to wait that long. Vargas they tried to send abroad (still keeping him as a Twin for another year or two, I believe). That didn't happen. They might be able to move Park back to Asia. But even with any success, I'm not sure if the market for a Park or a Vargas is any better than an overpaid Mauer...which is really the albatross (although he does get on-base.). The new general manager has to figure out the direction to go.

I actually felt, coming out of spring training, that we had a starting staff that would egt us to the 7th inning. That we might actually have four guys that would pitch us nearly 200 innings each. But didn't happen. And won't. I felt the bullpen seemed solid, with Perkins as closer, some ncie setup guys for the 8th, a nice mix of solid arms. Lots of ups-and-downs. The offense, far from perfect, had the potential. The soph slump was evident the previous year. You could also see it this year. With so many coaches working with guys now, you'd think problems would be solved (the Twins have a second hitting coach, the bench coach, and all those consultants). And considering the lack of Park in the lineup, and the fizzle of Arcia, they are hitting homeruns. Nunez contributed above and beyond to that, fer sure. Now jsut have to figure out who you want to have remain in a Twins uniform now and the immedoate future, and who is promising in the wings and where you will palce them. Lots of parts to put together a fine team, plus lots of spare parts to more today and tomorrow.

I'm starting to think that someone screw up with the emphasis on college relief in high rounds.

In all likelihood the Twins will have some minor money to spend next year, depending on arbitration with Plouffe and Santiago. Suzuki will be gone, There's not a lot of prospects out there. Santiago, like Santana/Hughes/Nolasco/Milone can be dreamed of as a piece that could still have value at trading time next year, at least for a prospect of sorts or in another Nolasco-like trade. At worst, he can be Tommy Milone, but more expensive. It's too bad we do have Perkins and Hughes eating up a lot of salary without looking to open the season with the Twins, as well as the Mauer problem blocking certain players from having a place to play (if only Joe could play third base.....). I'm still waiting to see how the 40-man roster ultimately plays out. As well as any August moves!

The new general manager will have lots to work with.

17 guys the Twins should be protecting and advancing shortly. The depth is nice. It makes you wonder about the real need for Park, and if Buxton could be another centerfield tradechip. I like Granite. I like Palka. I wish we didn't have the roadblock of Mauer, and have no idea what to do with Park. Players will start getting passed by. Walker may be bypassed soon. We can forget about names like Michael and Harrison, it seems. Baxendale and Darnell and Dean will be passed by any number of Lookouts. Will be most interested in seeing how many minor league free agents the Twins go after this coming season. Seems the Lookout could advance in total to Rochester, not leaving many spots. Also means the Twins CAN cycle out people like Dozier and, though we may call foul, not resign their free agents. Oh, and besides Gordon, Cederoth should be faster tracked next season. And remember we have a couple of guys jsut drafted...Ben the catcher and Alex the outfielder, both of whom could be fast-tracked. With the shutdowns of Jay and Hildenberger, you can never have enough pitching, or so it seems.