Rosterman

Elizabethton, although they might be able to find life with another team, depending on current state of fields.

Baseball America takes a look at what is happening in the minors, a season that would now have been a couple of weeks old. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/a-2020-minor-league-baseball-season-grows-more-and-more-unlikely/ Besides the issues of travel and housing, we get a good idea on how minor league operations do make revenue and how much of that will basically roll over into 2021 or be refunded. Plus interesting that uniforms have been purchased, a lot of stuff printed, and multiple promotions will have to be cancelled. If major league teams are confined to their training centers, than that eliminates those facilities being used for minor league teams. At best, a major league team needs to give 50-70 games, even if intrasquad, to their top 100 prospects to keep them viable in the system. Doesn't leave a lot of hope for minor league free agents, as guys who ARE the future of the team, especially in a short season where all players get another year in service time as well as age, is going to create some chaos next season. And the major league operations still have to figure out how to pay these players something, anything. Especially with no revenue coming in.

Every team will be in the same boat. And money will be tight, not knowing what 2021 will bring. I feel worse for players in the pipeline losing a year in their development life. Still wonder how minor league play will play into this whole televised season thing. I doubt that places like Rohcester and Chattanooga will be hotbeds of baseball. Minor league travel is worse than major league travel. Might be best to do just a couple of 3-4 week seasons. Kinda like Cape Cod league or something.

It will have to be all about revenue vs. expenditures. Where do teams save money (travel) and where do they lose money (fans in the stands and monies from concessions et al). They have to renegotiate advertising contracts, many from businesses that will have more limited advertising budgets. Back of the house staff will suffer...no gameday employees, ticketing cut to pieces, sales etc.) I still haven't heard how the players will be paid. Full salaries and such/ How does that work, with the contracts and all. Like the Twins, you gotta come up $130 million to pay just the players. How will they do that. The ones who suffer are the minor league teams. How do these guys keep up their skill set. Do many consider it a lost season. The investment is still there by the majors in many many prospects. But the farm teams have bigger challenges for schedules and playing without fans in the stands and the cost to just run daily operations. But there is a need to keep at least 100 of your prospects in the fold. The minor league free agent, the guy on the cusp, will really suffer in the shortened season. You keep internal prospects in tow rather than random AAAA guys, especially if rosters are expanded and the season (yes) is shorter. Also, what is the incentive to do anything but play ball. We maight see more fun in the game, in some ways, as you either have a winning team (or super win team) or just part of the game, glad you have a job, and your stats are going to be dismal and worthless in the sense of bragging (his stats, if he played 162 games, would be....instead of....). Sports as a whole will be dismal until testing and a vaccine happens. How do ALL sports adapt to this new world of playing mainly for TV. It can be done. But still not sure when people will tire of watching everything from home, six-feet apart...be it sports, concerts, fairs and festivals. We read the results of the aircraft carrrier. Young healthy guys will survive. Many will get sick, only a few compromised. Someone may die. But we still don't know about total transmission, will it come back, and we do know it puts emotional strains on interacting with family and friends in general. Can ballplayers stay a closeknit group for a short season, shunning the public and family for the sake of employment? How much need do you need for front office employees and stadium support staff and their interaction with each other, going home and coming back. And where does the revenue come from to pay the bills. Who takes cuts. Who can and cannot survive financially.

If majors play in Flordia and Arizona, I wonder about the state of the minor leagues. Each team has 160 or so players under contract that also need some playing time (and income) as they are the future. I don't see minor league parls being a viable outlet if fans cannot come to games. That is where baseball will be hit the hrdest this year. Minor league ballparks, fans and players.

You got 'em. Maybe some considertion to Jack Kralick. Johnny Klippstein was a workhorse. Tom Hall ends the decade and starts the next...will he get lost in the shuffle?

Games without fans sounds the only way to save. Do television. No All-Star game. Have to be able to test more consistently to isolate players who catch it. Everyone needs to take a paycut if they want the game to survuve.

I feel bad for the careers going forth of most minor league free agents. I wonder how the minor league rosters would fill out, and the need for short-schedule ball at Eliz and GCL. Maybe jsut keep players downm there playing in-house games and see Eliz disappear a season early. All the Twins propsects will need playing time in the minors and since most (especially pitchers) seldom play a full season of hard ball, this aprtial season would be great for them.

If the roster is 26, still a battle between Astulido and Cave. Wisler is still a choice, and a pitcher might have to be removed. I feel sorry for all the minor league free agents hoping to get a shot. With short seasons for the minor leagues, a lot of AAAA players will be out of work this season. The Twins also have Hill and Pineda, one disabled and one suspended...which is why they are at 29.

I guess the question suddenly hits contracts. Are contrasts for a 162-game season? Baseball will be taking a big hit no matter the outcome, with a reduced schedule. I feel bad for the minor league teams, too. But far fromn alone as concerts, theaters and theatres, and pretty much any other Big Event will be taking a hit.

Good thing we didn't make that Buxton trader afterall!

I could see putting the emphasis on playing teams primarily in your division, partly for travel costs and also competition. Slkip interleague play. Just go for the sake of playing baseball. Money is still going to be a major issue. I'm wondering how the minor leagues will respond. I picture, with short seasons, that there will basically be jobs for in-organization prospects - the real future of a team. Lots of fringe players will end their careers this season.

It's going to still be hard to get crowds out for events. Baseball does have the television and radio audience that will help generate revenue, but how they handle things like concessions will be the diffcult aspect of the game. Also, until people do get it...and they will continue to get it, what happens if a teammate gets the virus? Until you can test people automatically and get results, it is truly day-to-day. The interactions of anyone comes in question and becomes a five degrees of separation issue.

This is the Buxton year. You either longterm him or trade him. That being said, if you need anyone to play centerfield because of a Buxton injury, you look at Celestino or Lewis NOW. Not Cave, not movbing Kepler...but the potential future. You can take the hit of one weak bat in the order to see if Buxton is the need longterm or if you have the pieces to go in a different direction. Not sure if the Twins a low-balling a Buxton contract too much, or Buxton just wants to wait it out. But that decision can be moot if you have comnparable players coming up to replace the current holder.

The Twins have to make decisions on Buxton and Rosario, yet looks like they also have choices. It is all in the hands of the players. Arraez's play at second will determine the future of Lewis. Gordon and Rooker are actually luxury items that might need a small major league showcase to make them trade bait. But we also have to remember that the Twins may have the DH spot opening in 2021. The Twins have some nice depth. Even with the contracts they have on Polanco, Sano and Kepler, they could easily move those guys if push came to shove. The bigger question is keeping Berrios in the mix forever or not. Nice arms, many that we haven't talked BIG about, in the wings.

What happens if one person on the team or support staff gets it and it goes around the clubhouse. Then to another team, or someone gets it and carries it to another city before discovering they are sick. The minors are going to take a big hit!

Right now, if a player isn't going to make the opening day roster, you want them out of camp and optioned to the minors. If they got injured while in major league camp (and on the roster) they would have to be kept in the majors during their injury recovery. You can always call them over for play, but that option out is a necessity. So, we pretty much know who is on the roster. Hill will go on the 60-day. SO two spots will open if you decide to add a minor league free agent. Be interesting to see how long Romero is out. So we have Wade and Cave battling for the outfield spot with Astulido. Two of the three can be kept if Buxton opens on the dl. Imagine the Twins will go with someone not on the 40-man for a bullpen spot, otherwise choices are Wisler or Poppen. Smeltzer is still in the mix.The Twins do need aother lefty in the pen. Be interesting to see if Dobnak is the 5th starter to start the season.

Usually about now all 40-man guys who have no chance making the roster would be sent off to minor league camp, just in case they get injured in spring training and have to remain on the major league roster? Not to mention decisions being made on some invitees. The Twins seems to be playing an awful lot of minor league guys that really only need to play if it is a roadtrip at best. Should have the roster down to at least 40 for major league action now.

You evaliate every pitch and every at bat. Remember, players are facing players of different strengths up until the week ebfore, when lineups and rotations/arms are more set. Plus, the players are doing more skill sets and training every day, from pickup innings to fielding work to just throwing or swinging.

College pitchers come into the system older, but still must make the different jumps. And because you don't talk about them for an additional couple of years as they progress, you either see them happen, now, of they flame-out in the competitive field of prospects. The bigger question is: have the Twins ahd more success with prospect pitchers out of high school or college in the past.

I would love to be a fly in the wall in any discussion about a longer term contract.

Only being held back if there isn't a 40-man roster spot for them and someone of lesser quality is protected. The joy is that he TOP prospects do offer depth. If he need arises, they should get regular major league play...like Arraez. To see how they work against major league pitching and for the future of the team. Right now, the Twins have backup infielder, designated hitter, two outfield positions, and rotation arms on the bubble heading towards 2021. If the outfielders play well, there is little need to argue extensions for Rosario and Buxton, unless they become lights out super stars. It's just the matter of when you trade or part company. Cruz is not a necessity to come back in 2021. And the Twins can always play Gordon and Blank and probably get equal backup play for the infield. Many would argue that any of the current starting arms with major league experience class in at a #4 starter or better. All will have an opportunity at some point to get a few games this year. The big question is can they show enough to become the end of the rotation arm on a team that is winning 100 games (or 95 or even 90). WInning does stahl prospects. But when the opportunity arrives, you play the Larnach or Kirkiloff instead of the Cave or Wade, you play the Lewis or Gordon instead of Adrianza...at least for x-many games. IF they are a top prospect. Top prospects don't come up to sit on the bench and breathe the air. They play, they pitch.

Thorpe, Romero, Gordon and Buxton all on the 40-man (not to mention Hill and Pineda). None will be ready for opening day, not that it matters to most or expected of a couple. Buxton not being ready will pave the way for Cave. But, yeah...always wonder how players don't figure that Day One is spring training. I hear the food is pretty good at training camp!

I was just looking at the current organizational rosters, and counting the 14 players that will need to find a minor league home on the major league roster, the Twins have 202 players currently in their system for approx. 160 roster spots (and injured lists).

The joy is that the Twins have a decent depth of 7-8 arms opening the season and instead of trading they have Pineda and Hill coming in for mid-season and beyond, if need be.