Rosterman

Anyone know where May has been Five days and no pitching. Maybe he will get a chance tonight being last man standing...unless the Twins choose Phil Hughes to close out this game. Jepsen. One out one hit. Need we keep him? Does he have any any value?

Right now, there is not alot of panic as the team is drawing an average of 24,400 fans (still not great). They are pretty much guaranteed sales of 18,000+ -- not that all the people will show up at any game. But unlike last year, where the Twins called the price on most available tickets as the team surged and they were able to market them as contenders up to the last weekend, it might a long, hot summer when even the stubhub tickets won't sell at any price. That is where push comes to shove. If extra people don't walk-up for the games. If the stands are 5,000 people light and all the concessions and food folks are left standing around with excess foodstuffs for the no-show crowds. I'm not sure what the marketing minds are doing behind-the-scenes, and this is the area the Twins president should excel in, since he isn't involved in on-the-field operations per say. If they can't figure out some way to get people excited about coming to Target Field to see somekind of baseball (forget the food, drinks, TC Bear and sunsets), then we do need a total shake-up of this across-the-board system failure that is called the front office.

Berrios coming off a bad outing with a stellar outing. He will have those. He learns. He hopefully remembers. And he also remembers what major lead travel and meal money is like. Come back once we get rid of the fodder we call a rotation (4-19 - sheesh!).

He was supposed to inherit the shortstop position after Jeter. But he wasn't doing something right (like hitting as he is today) combined with his fielding faults, which can be overlooked if you are in a non-competitive situation, or if he is, indeed, a super-sub. Sometimes, he seems to be more than just a bench guy. He thrives when he plays. Yet, unless you are a last place team, you probably would avoid playing him on a regular basis...if you have a prospect to replace an injured guy. Not that he can't fill a role shortterm. Or maybe he is coming into his own. But not sure if would want him at any position on a regular basis, and his bat only fits depending on what positions around can contribute. You can find more powerful guys to play third (Sano). It used to be that someone hitting .250 with a dozen homers would be a great shortstop. Not anymore, or not anymore depending on the stats of the guy, also, at second. At somepoint, he becomes a luxury for a non-competitive team who might wish to utilize a Danny Santana instead, or make Escobar the fulltime utility guy if you do have a replacement shortstop, or play a Beresford off the bench or even a Doug Bernier. Nunez is making the most of his opportunity and he should find a nice two-year contract if the Twins cut him loose. And, maybe after he appears as a Twin in the All-Star game, someone will offer us a worthwhile prospect or two (low level to be sure) and he will be in the pennant push. Applaud the guy the Yankees gave up on, that we all wanted non-tendered in the fall. Good work, and that inside-the-parker smile is the highlight of this season!

Maybe Gibson needs one more rehab start. Have to see what Pat Dean does in the next couple of days and what kind of decision the team makes on Phil Hughes.

An out-of-touch owner, who is standing in a box somewhere and smiling as the Twins continue to draw halfway decent crowds as summer begins. That's it, the bottom line, the belief that the Target Field experience outweighs what is on the field as long as attendance is north of 20,000. Yet the Twins have a roster filled with Grossman and Nunez, who have lit up the diamond and created a need to play everyday, because they actually do come to play everday and produce. But the Twins are sitting on a herd of batters who need prodding or off-loading: Plouffe and Dozier are no longer top-of-the-order requirements. Mauer is hogging first base and doesn't produce enough (in the last month) to be roster fixture or a DH. Suzuki has no one pushing him, yet Centeno is doing his darndest to be a major league guy. Better than nothing Murphy at the moment, I guess. The next couple of weeks will tell us if Buxton is ready and Kepler, too. If they play. Sano re-enters the picture soon, but SHOULD be at third at the moment. The outfield is already too crowded with Grossman/Buxton/Kepler and Arcia in the wings. We also have Danny Santana who should be an infielder but will be a guy without a home who also was producing far better than, say, a Dozier or a Plouffe. The Twins need to make changes in the bullpen. They have one arm too many. Jepsen is a disaster as the clower. May is overused than not used and is a short relief guy or a middle relief guy. Make up a mind, here. Tonkin, Kintzler, Boshers are all fodder but prodicng better than most expected and will stay as long as they pitch. Pressley has options and will be the first to go, unless the wish to bounce Rogers back-and-forth again. Abad has his situational spot locked up. There is not spot for Chargolis yet? The starting staff is a disaster. Duffey is down-to-earth and reminds us of the back-of-the-rotation guys that show up every year. Dean gets another start to prove he stays. The expensive guys have produced a 4-16 record one-third of the way thru the season. Add in Kyle Gibson and you have a 4-19 record and the ugliest whip and era that you have ever seen from the starting rotation. All of these guys could basically go and be replaced by minor league guys making mistakes in the majors and get equal results...but may be the future of the Twins rather than the salary clog the rotation seems to have become and the free agency downer that the front office will refer to in years-to-come when NOT throwing out big contracts. What the front office doesn't realize is that only SOME players deserve a big contract. You don't overpay because that is the only way someone will come to the team, and you don't need to overpay for year-to-year replaceable guys just to tell the fan base that you are spending money. You spend money wisely on players that WILL produce, offer your team value, or just throw the money at your own players THAT YOU WISH TO KEEP because they have produced for you in the past and deserve a better payday and it won't kill you to part ways before the contract expires (shades of Joe Mauer at this point). We have to totally forget the illusion that there is a "Twins Way" of doing things. Now, it is just the name of a street. We have to forget that it is okay to just be competitive. In this game, you either try and go for the gold, or you lose. You get x-amount of years to say "rebuild" but if a winning team falters, it better be totally because of the talent on the field fighting injury or...just not being good enough against ALL the other teams. As we look at the Central Division, ALL the teams have made efforts in the off-season to improve themselves. It looked to be the tightest division in baseball, and appears to be so (except for the Twins) with just a series win here or there deciding the division outcome. The teams that do care will start making some decisions (like the White Sox on Shields) to hopefully pull in front. That is the way of baseball...not JUST looking at the waiver wire and grabbing guys fighting back from Indy ball. There is a reason longterm minor league guys aren't major league stars. They have the ability to shine, but the system does catch up to them. Getting more than two years out of many is a dream (just go back and look at ALL those names the Twins have had for a season or two). Shane Robinson, Jordan Schafer, Doug Bernier, Chris Colabello, Sam Fuld, Darin Mastroianni, Pedro Florimon, Clete Thomas, Alex Presley, Wilkin Ramirez, Sean Burroughs, Erik Komatsu, Jason Repko, Rene Rivera, Eric Fryer, Steve Holm, Orlando Hudson, Matt Fox, James Hoey, Chuck James, Matt Capps, Ron Mahay, Brian Fuentes, Jon Rauch, Phil Dumatrait, Lester Oliveros, Eric Hacker, Luis Perdomo, Jeff Gray, Matt Maloney, Jason Marquis, Shairon Martis, Josh Roenicke, Andrew Albers, PJ Walters, Dam Decuno, Jared Burton, Kris Johnson, Logan Darnell, Yohan Pino, Kevin Correia, Aaron Thompson, Neal Cotts, AJ Achter, Blaine Boyer, Caleb Thielbar, Anthony Slama and Dusty Hughes. Many of these guys even put up decent short-term numbers with the Twins. But where did they go after that and where are they now. An awful lot of fodder, and the teams of this decade have shown the results of being a "good team to sign with as a minor league free agent because you may get another shot at the majors." The Twins seem to avoid saying the word "rebuild." They like "advancing forward" or "still contending" or "solid play" of "just some bad luck" or "unpredictable injuries" or the all-time forever favorite "total system failure." I don't think the system, as in farm system, is a failure. There is so much talent brewing and about to come to the top. But I am totally afraid on how it is being handled or will be handled once it reaches. The cream blown off, the cream mixed in with the sledge at the bottom, everything jettisoned down some drain because the system is not working with the true potential of the future? 4 wins against Seattle almost gave up hope. But is was nothing. The players are still wavering their stats a little bit up then a lot down. They come to the park and play, but for what...themselves and a future contract (you'd think they would do that for sure)? Just going thru the motions? Not knowing what is happening on the field (how many different lineups in the first almost 50 games). And if we have such a loser attitude going...let those overpaid average starters stay in the game and take a pounding...at least let the players work on their fielding since they aren't doing anything at the plate. The Twins big questions are: selling off players for something, anything, to restock the lower levels of the system. Jettisoning contracts and eating the remainder and calling it a 2016 budget line...not that they will need to spend any money on free agents in 2017 and probably 2018. Getting a staff who will welcome and work hard with the rookies, the sophomores, the future of the team...doing a bit up-and-down, but running with these guys and nurturing their continued development at the major league level. And having a front office that is keeping pace with modern baseball, realizing that the most important part of the Twins Brand IS the players on the field, not the Field itself, or the fan experience when the game isn't happening (i see more fun and excitement in indy ball than most of the in-between innings stuff we get on the scoreboard and field now -- plus the players modeling shirts...give me a break). It's sheer torture with the pregame jousting and umpteen throwings of first pitches and ballkid and dugout buddy (although it is fun to see the smiles on the faces of the kids...but everything is sponsored by something...yucch). I don't know how an out-of-touch ownership will change a front office built on marketing and branding and an in-house family of people who like baseball, but do they actually know and do baseball. Or a field staff that doesn't seem to mesh with the players, possibly even themselves, or the system as a whole. Or a team that is madeup now of a sorry sight of 13 system players (4 current prospects if you can call them that), two guys from trades, 7 minor league free agents and 6 many horrible free agents. You figure out the names. Half of them DON'T deserve to be with the Twins next season...so why are they here in this dismal season of 2016?!? I tire, I keep watching. I cheer. I spend my $40-50 a head to go to the game. Sigh..

Well, when Sano is ready to come off the disabled list, send him to AAA Rochester for 7-10 games, partly for the heck of it, and mainly to play THIRD BASE every single game. Buy yourself 10 more days of a looksee at Kepler and Buxton (and Grossman) and maybe Arcia. Sano is NOT the future outfielder for the Twins. He is the future third baseman, possibly a first base guy down the line, and settling into a David Ortiz role eventually. The Twins have more than enough guys to play and back-up the outfield. Sadly, Plouffe is jsut a rental for a team and will only bring back a low-level prospect. He's too expensive to be packaged with another expensive contract. In that case, a team will stay in-house or grab someone similar to Nunez. In trading Nunez, the Twins don't solve the Sano issue, and possibly weaken themselves right now at shortstop. Like trading away Mientkieweicz and Pierzynski, you do it to bring in the new guy who will give you x-amount of years at x-value, and the potential is there to outshine your current roster holder. But I do say send Sano down for a rehab at Rochester to play third base, rather than just throw him into the spot. And if you still must keep Trevor, sadly, make him the super reserve (ala Cuddyer in the past) and have him play the outfield and first to increase his value to others as a tradechip.

At some point you JUST advance Burdi and Reed and see how they handle AAA.

And the Twins not playing Sano at third when Plouffe was down. Nunez is hot and we need to keep his bat in the lineup. Which is fine and all. But then you bring up a Beresford to sit on the bench. At this point in time, you bring up Rosario if you need a bench rider. Let's hope Kepler plays everyday. Until they both wane, Nunez and Escobar should bump Dozier to the bench, sadly. What to do with Park? When Sano comes back, let Park go to Rochester for a moment and tweak a bit!

I also see the front office having too many general managers, minor league directors and such. Too many people with power over certain segments, not enough oversight, perhaps, of the big picture, unless it is The Twins Way of thinking. Does Terry really make hardline decisions, or it it a groupthink vote to do things one way or another. In some ways, saw that the new baseball would be more body oriented, with the GM and assistants handling various duties. But not sure if that REALLY does work in the world of baseball.

Sounds like the Twins did a hattrick last season when they managed to off Wheeler from the 40-man and have him rebound like he has. Looks like a definite keeper and add-on next season.

The Twins are so bad, that Billy Beane probably couldn't trade anyone away if he was general manager of the team. Trader Billy may be trading on his own team, but at least there is some demand for some of his assets. Whew!

If we have an outfield of Kepler Buxton and Arcia, we have Rosario (and Santana) as extras. We have to move Walker into the mix sometime...with Kepler going to first or Park to first and Walker to DH. The nice thing is Walker can age for at least another season at Rochester. If the Twins can keep a Buxton/Kepler/Arcia mix going for a few years, then the Twins are more than set with adequate backup outfielders, some that may shine (Granite) and push Kepler, let's say, to first. Michael will be a solid 4th outfielder. Palka, too. So the Twins will have some trade possibilities depending on how Rosario, Santana and Arcia play out over this and next season. You also hope that you might restock the system with some Top 40 or 50 prospects by trading off some of the vets (and salary) this summer. Guys who won't show up until 2020 at the earliest, and might just develop enough to give a push towards whomever you do have in the upcoming outfield. The Big Thing for the Twins is to stop creating outfielders from guys at other positions. Rosario moved from 2nd to the outfield. They moved Sano from 3rd. Santana was a shortstop. Stop!

And the Twins also find a couple of minor league free agents to supplement the mix. Catchers either have concussions, or they play in the minors forever (Eli Whiteside, Corky Miller for example) or we can ask about bring back Drew Butera. I would love to see in September Murphy and Cedeno as well as Garver and Turner up here. I would love to see Garver and Turner given the opportunity to run with the job next season rather than being the duo at AAA, which they probably will be. Sadly. The Twins hopes rest on investing in a catcher beyond Murphy (not really many to choose from) or signing a one-year vet to help hold down the fort with Murphy next season and go from there and hope the next five seasons are filled with some of the names mentioned above or throw out runners, frame pitches and hit for an okay average, batting eighth or ninth and being responsible for 3-4 of the 24-27 outs you need to make every game (someone has to do that).

July 1st is the day the Twins start looking at prospects moving up EVERYWHERE. You start making room for them at All-Star break at the latest and by the end of July you have anyone on the roster who will start the 2017 season on the roster. You also prepare for having September callups coming from all those guys you advanced in the system in July, adding as many as you can to the expanded roster, especially those that you expect to add anyways. Yes, you MIGHT keep few names around like Grossman, add Beresford, one or two of the bullpen arms (Rogers, Abad) to lop off come time. You know your chances are slim to none that you will add ANY free agents, unless you bring in a veteran backstop (A.J.'s farewell) or a grizzled vet to light some sparks in the bullpen or off the bench. But, wait, we have Mauer who can be that bench guy!

When looking at ALL of the names above, and many of them should be moved sooner rather than later, the Twins also have to look at their depth in the farm system, especially at names of guys who will become minor league free agents, who need to be added to the 40-man roster not only this year but also the following year, and deal some of those names as well...since there are only 40 names you can protect in 2017 as well as 2018. That is the secret. Create the list of guys YOU EXPECT will come to camp and break camp next year. And also a possible list of players coming to camp in 2018. They start packaging players. You might have to package a fringe prospect or two to rid yourself of some salary. Some teams may be willing to take on a Jepsen thinking a change of scenery may help, or jsut for depth. Yes, I'm sure that little angel on Ryan's shoulder is telling him to NOT EAT SALARY while the devil is on the other shoulder telling him to just go ahead and release the guys...you won't be around in 2017 except as a roving scout of talent, if you don't get outright fired and jump to another team...many of which will seek your scouting services, I'm sure. the Twins have to look for returns of prospects that are on the bubble because of the need for work, or guys jsut behind in anyother teams depth chart. I mean, look at the Twins. Right now we have Escobar and Nunez, bother should be available. We have Polanco, who could play short, move to second eventually, or become a utility guy. We have Beresford who could be a temp 40-man backup this year AND next. We have at least four guys in the shortstop depth, with Nick Gordon possibly fast-tracked and Wander Javier at least four years out from getting a taste of major league life. So we have lots of depth (shades of too many centerfielders notice of the past). But, yes, you have to look at the very big picture. The Twins have drafted a lot of bodies the past four years who are on the cusp of needing protection. Other teams are watching and salviating at who the Twins will leave open for Rule 5. The Twins trick is to move some of these possibilities for something, with soemthing of lesser value, to clear books AS WELL AS roster space. You take Nolasco. You get a couple of higher prospects (guys we can't protect), we get a couple of guys we need to protect in 2019 or 2020. We free up salary. We move our own prospects up for a slice of major league life. We suck, but we such with rookies and the future, not just guys filling roster spots that other teams have already found no place in the home for now or ever again.

Like!

Yeah, Milone barks questions. Yet we need, more than ever, a long-man or two who can pick up the slack from failed starts (isn't that what Taylor Rogers should be doing, J.R. Graham should've done, Trevor May should be striving for). Both Berrios and Meyer have a taste of the big leagues. If they want the daily pay, nice room and meal money, they know what is expected from them and they should be working hard at it every minute they are at AAA. And they should be given a chance to come up here and bomb as bad as the current rotation of starters. Yet the Twins need outings from their big four of Santana, Gibson, Hughes and Nolasco to see if they could get anything for them. Santana is now on the poison list. Too abd no one came calling a start or two ago. I'm waiting to see who disappears when Gibson comes up. Duffey and Dean have both earned at least one more start. Berrios should've had one more start and deserves a recall. Nolasco DOES NOT deserve anymore starts. Sadly. It will be tough to eat the contract,

Well, I don't feel so bad about NOT having cable television and the NOT need to purchase a major league baseball package to run off my Roku stick or whatever. I'm somewhat happy that the Twins are on the radio station I would never listen to unless the game was on and I'm in Minneapolis somewhere and not under a bridge. No talkfest before the game, no Dark Starr-like wrap up for hours after the game. That they even fail to mention scores when returning to music...what kind of station is this? Pretty much the total ignorance towards the Twins, or nothing but pathetic articles by writers needing to write something. No cliches. Just TMZ-like coverage or NO coverage of the team. When you talk about the Wild on WCCO instead of baseball, or the new Vikings Stadium...where Twins management must know it will be a long lonely summer at Target Field. Parking is at least cheap for Twins games. Maybe the Twins could have valet parking. Guys not in the line-up making a few extra bucks, or maybe front office staff doing something useful. What did the Twins do today? They lost! Tell me something new. Only talk Twins smack when they win! Travelling the state without a Twins schedule in the car so I can't find the local station that may be broadcasting the games, which cuts out 10 miles later. I hope all that radio ad revenue is filling up the Pohlad money bin. Did I say I missed them on television? Not! Finally catching up on all those seasons of Friends and Fraiser I missed.

Twins early round drafting, first 150 picks: 2005: MATT GARZA, Henry Sanchez, Paul Kelly, KEVIN SLOWEY, Drew Thompson. BRIAN DUENSING, Ryan Mullins, Caleb Moore 2006: CHRIS PARMELEE, JOE BENSON, TYLER ROBERTSON, Whit Robbins, Garrett Jones 2007: BEN REVERE, Angel Morales, Danny Rams, Reggie Williams 2008: AARON HICKS, Carlos Gutierrez, Shooter Hunt, Bobby Lanigan, TYLER LADENDORF, Danny Ortiz, Nick Romero 2009: KYLE GIBSON, Ben Tootle, Billy Bullock, Derek McCallum 2010 Alex Wimmers, Niko Goodrum, PAT DEAN, EDDIE ROSARIO 2011: Levi Michael, Travis Harrison, Corey Williams, Hudson Boyd, Madison Boer, Matt Summers 2012: BYRON BUXTON, JOSE BERRIOS, Luke Bard, Mason Melotakis, JT Chargolis, Adam Walker, Zach Jones, TYLER DUFFEY 2013: Kohl Stewart, Ryan Eades, Stu Turner, Stephen Gonsalves, Aaron Slegers 2014: Nick Gordon, Nick Burdi, Michael Cederoth, Sam Clay, Jake Reed 2015: Tyler Jay, Travis Blakenhorn, Trey Cabbage, Alex Robinson, Kyle Cody (didn't sign) The last four drafts do look pretty promising, but you never know, especially when you see the dozen guys who made it to the majors out of the next 7 drafts. There was a minor benefit in finishing in the bottom of the league compared to being competitive when you look at the big picture. I'm sure there are other teams that have developed many more top round picks than the Twins overall, and some teams that have developed even less.

You have to build a solid farm system with a philosophy for developing players for major league play. If you look back at the last 10 years of the draft, the Twins are drafting a lot of guys that haven't gone anywhere (or some that have gone to other organizations). You may have a Twins Way of doing things, but how does that reflect into the changing structure of a roster mixed with players essentially playing baseball for the major leagues at some point, with no team loyalty above and beyond pay. You have to set yourself up as a competitive team. Combined with the bosses in the front office, how are you doing this. The Twins fault seems to be a cross between Mike Veeck and Indy Ball (let's have fun at Target Field) and let's just compete solidly in our division and worry about what happens if we do go to the playoffs if that does happen. That hurts the general manager as a signee of free agents. Sure, the Twins wanted a bunch of mid-range (say $6-8) million guys, but they could easily get that elsewhere with teams that ARE more competitive. The Twins essentially had to overpay to get guys to come here after a string of losing seasons. Right now...who wants to come and play with the Twins unless they are on a rebuilding plan for themselves or are vastly overpaid. I even question what it would take to get outside management to come to this team. You have to gamble a lot of money and fail. In the draft, how many millions are spent on failed players. Every year a certain number of player days are because someone is hurt. That's millions. Or you make not one, but two or three bad signings. Can the team afford to eat those dollars or let them walk away (what the Yankees were always able to do). And I do like a general manager that does go dumpster diving and finds a few gems. But also want him to trade of pieces when they are valuable commodities, and not wait to long on pulling the strings on guys that are not in the plans 2-3 years down the road and have come off a good season. But I also want him to seriously look at what a player can bring to a team. Even when dealing with the field staff. Thought things would be totally blown out when Gardy was relieved of duties. Yet we still retain Bruno and Vavra and, in a sense, Molly. We brought a couple of guys up from the minors (Glynn and Hernandez). We did bring in some new blood. Who choose everyone? GM, GM and Manager? Every team seems to operate with multiple general managers. Some have presidents/CEOS with more of a handle in baseball operations with a named general manager and their assistants. The Twins have general manager duties basically shared by at least three people, it seems. In a family run organization that prides itself on a front office staff made up of lifers to this particular team, all seems well when the team DOES compete and that near 2 million paying customers spend on the team. And management can avoid spending what other teams ae throwing at players...in this point they seem like me, a diehard Minnesotan, who is always a few years behind the norm in what I purchase or safely invest in. Is it a Minnesota thing? When I look at so much discussed above in the writer's detailed description of what a general manager should be or do, I see a lot of Terry Ryan in there, from international scouting (although I feel the Twins were surprised that they one the Park auction), to scouting and development, to talking with free agents (Target Field was not only going to allow the Twins to keep their own free agents, but give them revenue to spend).. He has a good grip with the media, is sometimes too honest, and truly loves the game, the way it WAS played, and the concept of people being major league ball players. Every team has ups and downs. We should be proud we didn't have the runs of Kansas City or Pittsburgh. Houston had a heckuva a rebuild. The successful Braves have to work hard to keep their fan base in a rebuild. Boston has ups and downs. Other teams have overspent. Other teams have had troubled seasons (Detroit, White Sox). No one knows what is happening in Cleveland. We do have a "system failure" in this team right now. There is a lot of talent in the pipeline, some obvious needs (catching, defense, hard-throwers compared to soft tossers). But like the players in the minor leagues, do we have talent in the front office that has been and is being groomed in a manner that will improve the club in the long haul, or just enthusiastic guys who fall into the trap of Twins Way (the address of the team, by the way) and the need to give an illusion of competition rather than go forth 110% into the field of play!

Not sure what to make of May. He has been getting pounded lately. I would like to think that he doesn't truly know his status out of the bullpen...setuo, long man, future starter, whatever. But Jepsen. Unless we have someone better in the wings, at least let him pitch in games that we are down, or have a big lead. Not sure what he needs to do to increase his value (which he wants to do, entering free agency himself). At least he didn't give up a home run against K.C. But it has been a strange 40+ games. Thought Pressley was a find, but NOT. Tonkin ahs been a surprise, although he isn't really a special arm out of the bullpen. Abad makes you want to look at a longterm contract, but the Twins WOULD BE BETTER if they sold high when they can on this guy. We will probably see at least a trio of minor league free agents before the season is done and maybe the Twins can flip them too. But until we get to see Burdi, Reed, Chargolis, Hildenberger, Bard and any number of other guys NOT on the 40-man, we won't be excited when the call goes to the bullpen. May.work him up as long relief with the potential to start if you aren't going to groom him as a closer. I have hopes for May, but we continue to hear the rally cry that people are being misued. This guy may be that poster child for the organization in 2016.

I wouldn't even keep Escobar or Nunez. I would keep Polanco before them, at the moment, if anyone would take them off my hands. Yes, it says a lot about where the Twins are going this year. We can plug in Garver or Truner as catcher soon, but they won't tear the cover off the ball. Nick Gordon or Ryan Walker will be a shortstop for the future. Sano should be at third. Kepler is untouchable in my book. Anyone else we keep is because they have some promise or are cheap. Arcia needs to prove himself worthy of a continued look (and I would gamble one more season on him, while Walker develops). Rosario and Santana are only okay...but I ask "would anyone else want them from us?" I see you didn't touch on pitching. We seem to be so system rich. We have to find something out of Berrios, Wheeler, Meyer, Wimmers, Chargolis, Baxendale, Reed, Williams, Melotakis, Hildenberger, Westphal, Burdi, Gonsalves, Jorge, Stewart, Jay, Peterson, VanSteesel, Romero, Bard, Landa, Curtiss and Thorpe...any of these guys should crack the major league roster by the spring of 2019. Out of all of them, I would say Berrios, Gonsalves, Stewart, Chargolis, Hildenberger, Landa and Thorpe remain untouchable. Especially since the Twins are so weak right now there is no reason to trade any prospects for contract players. The only reason to trade a secondary prospect (blocked by someone else) would be to get some other higher prospects back from another team, but they would still have to be low-level as the Twins only have so many roster spots to protect their own future prospects. The fact is that 2017 is a rebuild year. 2018 might be a more competitive year. But depending on how many bodies get some time this year, the whole mess could be pushed back to even 2019, and then what are we spending on the Sanos and Company of today to keep them happy and around?

Still Berrios got out of some messes. He's throwing the K's that we all want, as is WImmers. Just need some better pitch selections,

So, there is some place the Twins are posting "Help Wanted" ads?