Rosterman

The pain is you get one expensive year of Betts. You lose Rosario, so you still need to replace leftfield in 2021. You get price. Maybe one or two expensive seasons. You lose at least one very promising pitcher and Royce Lewis. The Twins need to make hard decisions on Buxton and Berrios before moving high-end prospect talent.

It seems like on the field players everyone else in the lower system is now available for a trade. All those A-ball and Double-A outfielders and middle infielders will need a job elsewhere come 2022.

I'd be comfortable with this. Picture Willians, depending on production, having an outside chance ahead of Cave. That is the one BIG job fight in spring training. Thorpe and Dobnak might rotate out with others. Again, the 40-man roster will be pretty tight. The Twins will have one opening when Hill goes on the DL. Harper might be out. Poppen a possibility. But that is pretty much it. The job will be Wisler's to win or lose. Stashak also has to come prepared. Romero needs to show that he can stay with the organization. Stay away...major injuries!

I think they are doing a fine fine job. Cruz was a marvelous oldster choice, and it ha been a series of single year contracts. Hill brings playoff experience. Donaldson will hopefully be the vet leader. Maybe didn't need both Clippard and Romo in the pen, but both showed signs of being viable relief arms. Both are on single year contracts and can be moved aside if younegr arms prevail. You never ever know with prospects. The Twins MAY have a homegrown rotation come 2021, or probably in 2022 (depending on Berrios). They actually are set up to give multiple pitches a shot at major league starts to beging the season, then exile to the minors to learn to improve, and then back again. Last year the Twins five starters performed beautifully starting the majority of games. We got see see enough of Thorpe and Dobnak that they could be the short-term mix. Smeltzer, Poppen could still be swing arms or more. Graterol has the real stuff, just needs seasoning and time...but watch out 2021 with him. Looking at the oldsters: Donaldson, Cruz, Romo, Clippard, Hill and even Bailey...are any of them preventing a youngertalent, today, at the moment, from getting playing time in the majors. Sadly the answer is "no." There are guys that could be worked into the picture, pushing some of them aside towards the end of the year (depending on the standings). And except for Donaldson, none are expected to contribute beyond this season. If they do, hopefully the Twins experience will see them come back.

The 26th roster spot is so that all teams will carry 13 pitchers and not short their bench. Period. Yes, the DH allows players (like Nelson Cruz) to continue to have jobs.

Berrios for 3 more years, $45 million (not counting 2020). Try to get an option on the 2024 season.

Used as a fund-raiser for the Twins community fund.

Yes. you pay for each autograph station. They have been more policing on trying to limit players to one autograph. Looks like there will be further reduced stations (from a high of 8 to maybe just 4) for the two-day event. Expect the cost of theline might jump a bit, too. The downside is that players can only sign for a certain amount of time. Expect it to be real busy Friday (as there is no Sunday event). Watch the Twins site for updates. Anotehr cold wnter caravan tour weeks.

I worked in football tracking, graphing plays throughout the first half of the game, then trying to predict some moves in the second half. Keeping a file to look at again if you play that team. In baseball, some people have always tried to steal signs. I thought it got pretty difficult when a team had decided to use up to five "tells" in a game to reflect what the sign structure wa for that inning. A sign that the sign following will tell you when the next sign is comng (first, second or third). You always had the guy in centerfield with the hat or glasses. Always the coach on the top of the dugout steps. Looking for that one-up easy that might make a game easier. Now you have after-the-game video of every pitch and every swing and people who have a job charting the whole mess and figuring out odds of throw and swing. That it was reduced to banging on a trashcan lid is beyond my comprehension. But, yes...it has to be addressed. People will push for advantage, especially when money and fame and glory is involved, or so it seems. Like someone said, we reward people who have served out suspensions, giving them a second (and maybe even third) chance to continue to score a payday. The question always is, does the organization get to suffer when a play goes under suspension, yes. We saw it with the Twins at the tail end of 2019. Should a team suffer that they don't have their act together monitoring their players? I would say yes. With so many people eligible and wanting, one mistake might be enoygh to be a career ender. You learn by punishent, or suppose we are told, and having to make changes to your life and fighting the stigma for the rest of your life.

The Twins are getting themselves into a unique position where they now have the infield, catching, and two outfield positions set up for the next four years at least. Now they have to judge those under contract as being with the team for the length of the contract, if they plan on moving any number of players into the fold. Do you need both Kirilloff and Larnach. What about all that infield depth now of Gordon, Lewis, Javier, Keoni amongst others. This is who you trade for extendable rotation arms. But out of the chute at the beginning of the season, those first 39 games before the return of Pineda are important. Not all will be on a five-man rotation, but the Twins need to ee what arm can carry them until Hill returns. They also have the unique opportunity of winning those games and start running away with the division, carefully crafting the bullpen and making using an opener, four inning arm, etc. etc. Sadly I don't see Odorizzi giving us six innings as often as we would like, to start the season. And, hopefully, no injuries. So, yes, the Twins could use another arm. I have faith in Homer Bailey as a fifth starter, but would like to improve on that sooner rather than later.

Patience is the key, and sometimes an organization is more than happy to have a player tread in the minors and age, rather than become a hot young prospect. The question is: do most players have 1-3 very very good years in the scheme of things, maybe 3-5 years of okay ballplay? I always like Trevor May and looks like he may be a possible closer for the Twins. Can he get mean and just throw first pitch (and second pitch) strikes? Regarding Garver, I remember when the discusion was between him and Stu Turner on who would contribute to the Twins first. Kinda like the discussion around Rortvedt and Jeffers now. Taylor Rogers needs to stay in setup, or called in to close sparringly. He is good and would be nice to get that goodness in more games for holding a lead.

I believe that there is a rule about removing guys you still control who you added at the 40-man dedaline - before spring training. They can be traded. But that is to prevent adding a bunch of people and then removing them, which is why you always keep a few people on the fringe like Willians, Harper, Poppen and others on the roster.

You have to look at the 25-man. Gonzalez and Adrianza are now infielders. Avilla is the backup catcher. With 13 pitchers, you have one more spot. Backup outfielder (or is that Gonzalez) or Astulido. Cave or Wade could be on the bubble. Of course, picthing wise, Harper seems the logical candidate. Poppen coming off an ijury may not be claimed, but he is a potential body for starter depth, compared to Harper, who could easily be signed on again as a minor league invite if no one else adds him to the 40-man. Right now, rosters seem pretty set for teams as players are being jettisoned asthey add free agents acorss the board. The Twins gain a spot when Hill goes on the 60-day after spring training. But two names have to come off as the season progresses.

So now THE BIG QUESTION! Who leaves the 40-man Roster!

We basically have Gordon to replace Adrianza or Gonzalez in the near future, and any number of other prospects. Of course, the team friendly contracts for Kepler and Polanco and ano also makes them tradable. Interesting that to buy out arbitration and first year of free agency is roughly $10 million a year now. A decent investment to keep young players on the team. The Twins do have lots of OF/1B potential candidates. Like Sano moving over to first, or eventually DH. Even looking at DOnaldson for the long haul, the Twins would need a DH after the next season (possibly the 40-year-old wonder Cruz might hand on for still another campaign). You suddenly see riches in the Twins system. Where do we put Lewis. Will there be room for both Laranach and Kirilloff, not to mention anyone else. They have a very young shortstop behind Javier that they drafted alst year, too. There seems to be okay potential at catcher with Jeffers and Rortvedt in the wings. The biggest question is getting innings and exposure for the rotation. Some power arms, as well as people like Enlow, Sands, Ober, Colina, Barnes, Sammons to go with Duran, Rijo, Balazovic. Some will succeed, after some exposure to the majors. A couple may be bullpen arms. But there is promise in the minors, along with some arms that could surprise in the relief corps. It all depends on how bad you feel you need a veteran presence. Yes, it is wonderful to have a dominant arm in the top of the rotation, a grizzled veteran in the middle of the bullpen, an aging bat on the field roster. Especially if they do act as a pseudo-team leader.

This is not appearing on my front page of Twins Daily. I would think it would be of interest to most folks here.

We know what Berrios will make in his arbitration seasons. It is what he could garner as a free agent out of the chute. On the Twins side, it is a gamble that includes an extension or a buyout (and also once you have a player unde contract you have the qualifying ofer to keep them for an additional year, although someone of Berrios age wouldn't take it). Berrios banks that he will be healthy. The Twins never want to overpay on a contract, it seems (look at Kepler, Polanco, Sano...all very team friendly). I also worry about attitude. Remembering the days of Dark Star commenting on the contract the Twins gave Cristian Guzman. "The Twins gave him that much? He TOOK that much" or something along that ilk. Realizing that maybe, just maybe the player might be less motivated to do anything more than show up each season to get paid rather than continue to dream of riches beyond...which sometimes happens in this biz.

A baseball team has two things that drive the acquisition of talent. Money and Prospects. We saw them weak at the Trade Deadline because they wish to hang onto prospects. Still trying to figure out the worth. And, with prospects, those we feel have worth (but are happy to trade away) can also be viewed with similar misgivings by trade partners. To trade for a quality player on another team, you have to be willing to eat salary and fill holes that team has on field or in their system. It is fun to throw away money. Like betting millions on on-line poker that we pay for in pennies. No matter our love for the team, or interest in the players, we are looking at the big picture as a fan, not as ownership or management. They have the big picture. They know more about each and every piece in the system than we can imagine. They know the player depth of every organization, have worked out scenarios for cost of current players vs. the future, and ... well, that is their job. The flipside is that every other team is doing the same thing, going after the same players, working under the same budget restrictions (almost). And everyone wants to win. And to top it off, you have to have organizational discipline and structure. You have to put together a field staff that will work with players. You have to get players that will work with players. And you always have dreams of dollars and cents looming over everything, often buttressed with an agent who cares more about the contract than anything related to baseball. The Twins weren't alone missing out on imapct players in 2020. They do have a team, it looks pretty good on paper. There is some backup depth at every position. I'm sure we would like to see the 5th starter, 7th or 8th bullpen arm, the bench guy, and maybe even a position player repalced by someone of better quality (and expense). And it could be done, throwing dollars to the win (and 4-7 years), or a prospect. Those pesky prospects. If the Twins tie up Rosario, Sano, Buxton, Berrios, Garver whatever, it starts to change the picture. If they see the need to extend Arraez, Rogers, May, Duffy it frees up more trading pieces in the minors who become moot after 3-5 years anyways repalced by younger and just as promising talents. I see the White Sox adding players, but wonder how they will all play together on the field. In the Twins, I do see a team familiar with each other and coming off a season of team play headed by a solid field staff. I am not disappointed. If a big name wanted to play in Minnesota, they could...sign the dotted line, negotiate a decent price. But between players and agents and big markets and spouses and horse farms and length of contract, it is a total crapshoot. 75-80 days and we all start enjoying "Play Ball" - and it is a long season!

Glad they got everyone under control so soon. Good people. Is Bob McClure still with the organization, do you know? And Jose Marzan?

I still don't know how Sano will work out as a fulltime first base guy. Or even splitting the duties with Garver.

I would be more than content on a rotation of Sano, Gonzalez and Garver between first and third. Mitch Garver only played in 93 game last season. 93! and only 73 as catcher (Castro did 72). I doubt Garver will be pushed to 120 or above in 2020. The hope is that Jeffers may be fast tracked and become a aparttime catcher in 2021 with Twins having to move Garver somewhere by 2022 - either at first base of DH depending on what is done with Sano. By then we also will know what we have in Kirilloff, Rooker, Lewis and see if Gordon is still around. Is Garver a safer bet first than behind-the-plate? Can he give us better than adequate defense, but still keep his catching skills top notch? That is the question.

I'm hoping his bluff is called. In the end, you can get him reasonable for years 3 and 4 if you give an upfront signing bonus.

Kepler did minimal play at first in the minors. Now the Twins talk like Kirilloff would be a first baseman in the future. Go figure. Of course, theTwins could still tie-up Buxton AND Rosario in longterm contracts, throwing the outfield prospect to the wind. And Rosario. It seems the Twins would ratehr NOT pay Rosario $8 million plus this year and whatever more it would take to sign the guy longterm. Of course, I think they are seeing that other teams feel the same way, especially when they have to offer something aback to the Twins. Why do some players command BIG money, and other ... just ... don't.

Besides getting on base, you want your leadoff guy to take pitches. 6-7-8-10 out of the chute. Show the batters who follow you what they might expect. See how the ump is going to call the game. Hopefully the second batter is not a free swinger, too. Secondary is speed. But you want the guy to be able to advance on a slow roller and stay out of the double play, make it to third on a clean single, possibly advance on a fly ball. If he can also put pressure on the pitcher as a potential base stealer, that is a bonus. I never liked the idea of a leadoff home run being a plus.

Hopefully an upfront signing bonus to actually reduce the payroll amount, at least in the final two seasons. If he plays well, he can also be trade bait if you don't content (depending on clause). Be interesting to see if anyone bites, or if it is just calling the bluff time.