Rosterman

Santana in center. Mastro called up to play center. Kepler can play center. Looks like we have too many centerfielders. Maybe a BIG TRADE on the horizon for another top pitching prospect!

It's 9:00 p.m. Anyone see any rain yet!?!

So we should be playing ALL the rookies together, at some point. Humm. Look at the AAA roster this year and the last few. How many of these guys would you actually see, long-term, in the majors. Seems the AA roster is the last "core of youngsters" development stop. Filling your AAA franchise with minor league free agents, so many so that some spill down into AA and even high A means you may have something wrong, overall, in your player draft system. Not enough guys making it past year one or year two to hold fort and PUSH these prospects playing at, say, AA ball into AAA...even if overmatched? Must you always wait half-a-season and move guys up, if you feel like it. Or go ahead and have Baxendale, Burdi, Reed, even Gordon START at a higher lev. You can always go backwards for a tune-up. But then, we are bad if we do bring up Meyer, or Kepler, or Buxton (or Hicks, or before that Gomez) and watch them be overmatched on the major league level, not getting proper coaching advice (?) and having to go back down and be a superstar in the minors. What is the TRUE development answer. Let the guys play together and win in the minors (as they have been) and then lose in the majors? And, yes, the Twins did overpay for some rotation fodder. They answered the call of the fans who thought the organization was stingy and keeping large profits for their own purses. And then we turn around and bash them that they didn't get the right guys...and overpaid. That's a tough one. Who wanted to come to Minnesota and pitch after the dreadful four seasons of losing. Will a player go somewhere if they are rewarded handsomely, rather than just give a contract that they could probably get anywhere else? Damned if front office does, or doesn't. Ryan knows what he does right. Molitor is a solid manager. We need to fear, it seems, someone totally different coming in and really throwing everything out the window and starting all over and maybe making a shambles of things, or if they come in too comfortable, then it is still the same-old same-old with different names. Hey, did you catch all the new foods at Target Field and the new bar in centerfield. Plus concerts now at the park. And no lines!

And then we have Houston and their rebuilding process. Will the Twins suffer same status next year?

And then we had the evening of May 4th!

Someone honestly believed that the Twins would contend bigtime this year. Hey, they came in second last year! The fact that theri record was barely above .500 was never considered. Yet the rotation started out gangbusters this season with a putrid offense backing them up. The bullpen vets blew games all over the place. Somehow, the offense has stopped its strikeout binge, but now both the rotation and the bullpen have come down from the stars. We continue to point fingers at Ryan and Co., and bring Molitor into the conversation. The line-up seems all over the place. Catching is a big hole. There are no empty 40-man spots. The Twins have prospects that need to play (Polanco, Kepler, Buxton, Meyer, Berrios). All of their hot bullpen arms are still at the AA level, many still struggling and wonder if they can make the jump not just to AAA but to the majors. The Twins DID spend money on a rotation. But the front office still doesn't quite know what direction to take. They traded off too many centerfielders, but can't move a Plouffe and balked at moving a Gibson or a Dozier when they might have more value and there are guys coming up or in the system that need playing time and capable of being the next best thing (not to mention you can always grab a first baseman/DH from Korea or a 2B/3B guy from Cuba - maybe). Last season the team was very lucky, having a modest season ticket base that got excited and few tickets were sent to StubHub so the Twins reaped the ahrvest of $$$ by controlling the majority of empty seats. But if this keeps up, there might be less than 10,000 fans in the stands (although 18,000 seats will have been sold) and many a bored concession booth person getting sick of leftover hot dogs. I'm not even sure what the marketing plan was for this season to get fans excited (oh, I know, new bar in centerfield, or maybe it is to listen to the Twins on a radio station that does no pre or post game stuff, and because of the ill will in the radio biz, no one else really cares to talk about the Twins with a Vikings Stadium about to open on the horizon. Is the problem the top of the organization? Is it the field staff? What are the coaches doing? Do the players listen or care? Is there a leader in the clubhouse? Is there anyone the Twins can bring in to do something behind-the-plate? At least Park is hitting them out of the Park and if that continues, along with substantial gains from Arcia and Sano, the Twins will offer some batting excitement to go with promises of a quality hard-throwing pitching future.

Milone didn't exactly show the ability to go thru the order not just once but twice and not be...bad. Meyer is still young. He will get his innings. But is he out of options next season, or does he have two years left. Either way, the Twins DON'T want him to fail, otherwise those trades of Span and Revere netting us the middle relief of May will look really bad. Quality offense to build up a pitching staff FOR THE FUTURE. Looked good on paper. We have no crystal balls. But, yes, May does deserve to be in the rotation. Meyer, too. Berrios. Duffy as the swing guy. Let's just hope that Nolasco, Gibson, Hughes and even Santana develop some value and teams come a calling, offering us more minor league depth if nothing else. But Meyer's short stay should work miracles, or he doesn't want the major league money and job enough. He knows what he has to work on. AAA is not the major leagues by a longshot.

He as kinda forced into the centerfield environs last season (who else was there). He does have blazing speed and Carew and Molly and others have been working with him. But that doesn't work if he doesn't get on base. Bunting is a skill and you have to have a certain comfort level. As well as slapping the ball. Buxton seems to want to work on just his natural hitting more so than develop things that may keep him from adding to his own personal strengths. That's a tough call with players these days (see the Twins and Carlos Gomez, for example, where they tried to work on his speed rather than jsut hitting skills). Buxton IS also young. He has had the big league experience. He has to learn that there is no necessary showboating, just getting the job done. And it is a team sport. I think he will be more than fine. He has to be as good as Span, better than Revere (whom everyone seems to hate, but the guy gets on base and steals them...what more can you ask there). Now let's talk Kepler, also in a similar overmatched boat and coming up on being out-of-options sooner rather than later and needing a place in the outfield.

So Wheeler may be increasing his stock in the organization after being removed from the 40-man last year.

Let's see. I was hoping the Twins would break camp with Hicks as the backup and have Murphy work thru his issues starting regularly at AAA. That didn't happen, and for some reason the Twins felt they should waive Hicks rather than, say, Pat Dean, who is behind Rogers in the AAA lefty pecking order and if push came to shove, even behind non-roster Logan Darnell. They didn't. There is hope that throwing Murphy out there more regularly will make him a better catcher. But a catcher learning new pitchers as well as struggling with his bat, is struggling, period. You want the defense to shine. But it is cloudly behind-the-plate for Murphy. There is the hope that Murpjhy will pull togetehr and shine defensively. And the offense will come. And that the Twins will flip Suzuki so they can promote some otehr talent for the moment, or even give a prospect time if they decide to go into total rebuild mode. Of course, we could bring back the .429 hitting Drew Butera! Someone has to make outs in the lineup every game. So someone going 0-3 is no worse than having your pitcher bat in the Natiuonal League.

it's also how well you use the bullpen, proper matchups, maybe calling on someone too soon too often (like Pressly getting a week off for some reason). And I don't think roles have been perfectly defined. Who are the long relief guys. Is everyone a situational,and how often is it a necessary fact to use them this way. The bullpen has been a mess. Especially when you look at the rotation overall.

Is it for his entire life. Does he pay 10% on whateverr he earns whenever? It is kinda like a signing bonus, in a way. But still don't see it. And we are talking about $23 mill being made by the player before investors start to see dollar one on their return. And besides giving a player a nice nestegg, which is a plus, what else do they do for the player except wait in the tree branch above like a vulture!

Ron Davis memories. Arrghhhhh! Fien and Jepsen means we try and win instead tomorrow is the new rally cry, I'm not sure the solution. We deep-sixed Stauffer and his million or so early. Is Fien the second coming of stayed-around-too-long Jared Burton? Is there any reason to think anyone would give us anything for him (his last value was in 2014 and I don't think anyone was banging loudly on the door to get him then). We got Jepsen fairly cheap. DON'T let him close and see if he can re-establish some value. We can say that the NEW KIDS wouldn't be any worse than the OLD GUYS, and we can shuffle them back and forth for awhile to see if they can work stuff out. Is that the path to take? If it is - THE TWINS HAVE TO PLAY the guys they feel will contribute in 2017 and beyond, and no one else, period. Do I have any offers?

You might say this is a pre-throwing day for Meyer. But why or why when every other pitcher goes an inning or less for the Twins, you send Meyer out there again in the 9th after a fairly rough inning THAT HE MANAGED to get himself out of. I'm sorry. You could've pitched Milone for that mop-up inning. Or start having some of the other guys get more than one or two outs. Meyer threw a comfortable amount of pitches in his 2/3rds of an inning, got to work out his nerves, got to show his stuff for comment. Instead, you elt the kid get literally clobbered again. Go figure. Yes, we lost this game BEFORE the bullpen came on the scene, but still...Fien is serving what purpose that a Graham can't, or a Rogers shouldn't. Five pitchers needed to pitch the final four innings? WHo, besides May, is supposed to be a long man...and you can even argue that.

If the Twins keep playing as they are, losing a series instead of winning, say...then they have to look closely at the longterm needs of any of the vets, be it Fien or Jepsen or even Abad. If you are playing sub-.500 ball, you really DON'T need a named closer, as you can go days without having a save situation, which does nothing for the closer who MIGHT have to pitch back-to-back-to-back if you do have a winning situation. It does give you an opportunity to try multiple YOUNG arms out in the role. Not ALL the young arms, but the ones with the best chance of success. Now the question comes is that someone currently on the roster like May, who SHOULD be a fixture in the rotation more or less (or is he the next Rick Aguilera). Do you advance Chargolis and let him get his feet wet in major league ball, skipping AAA. Are names like Dean and Graham really in the future mix? Of course, the Twins have two weeks to run Meyer, Berrios and Duffey thru the mill...two weeks that can temper decisions made down the road. Of course, a couple of the arms you MIGHT like to see in the bullpen are still toughing it out in AA (Reed, Burdi) and even A+ (Bard).

Get Buxton to work on bunting. Just get Kepler at bats. But Meyer? Grooming him as a starter again and then throwing him into relief...of course, Milone is expected to go five innings, so maybe Alex can pitch 4. And I do wish we were bringing up a catcher (instead of possibly ANOTHER aging outfielder). Having that THIRD catcher would mean that you could change catchers out in a 16-inning fiasco and not worry about that dreaded injury to a catcher...right!?

Roster overhaul time. Yet when veterans are playing bad, what do you do with them. Teams will hope that you just release them and they can then be signed for pennies on the dollars. The vets have the salary. Yes, they have to play for the next season salary or go into limbo and never play again. Right now, the Twins would get a bag-of-balls for Fien or Jepsen. Perkins is on the DL and is expensive for anyone but the Twins. Supposedly no one was knocking down doors for Plouffe last season and during the off-season, partly because he, too, will be expensive. Now he's on the disabled list. The Twins had a modest trade chip that they could still offer out during the off season but decided to stick with him, Brian Dozier. Doz has power and has been a valuable cog in the system. But sadly, his value has plummeted, too. I imagine Gibson and Milone are out of options. Gibson was a good trade chip and may redeem his value. The BIG THREE all have mighty contracts but if they keep pitching like the are, they should be flippable. Hicks was an oddity. I was thinking the Twins should've brought his hot spring bat north and let Murphy start fulltime at Rochester. The catching situation is a mess. Total destruction. We lost Pinto because of roster space. It was fun to see Ramos having good at bats for the Nationals while Matt Capps languishes in the low minors for another team. Some ways I long for a presence like A.J. Pierzynski, who might just cause some clubhouse tension and get guys to make personal moves more on the field. Regarding the prospects, we have to be salivating about the arms in the minors, both starters and the bullpen. We can be assured that there might be some rough spots for the guys in their initial year up, which means if this is truly a "lost" season, we should be doing more up-and-downs with the prospects. Speaking of downs, maybe Buxton AND Sano could use a little trip to the farm. Just to right some wrongs, have a change of pace, something. DON't worry the Twins braintrust by being Arcia 2015 at Rochester, just work on those swings and looking at the ball. I would give Danny Santana the centerfield position with Rosario and Arcia on either side (or maybe give Murphy that placeholder, since it seems the Twins badly want to pay a guy $1.1 million to come on the team and probably stink and get released). I would also use a Sano demotion as a chance to play him more at third base, and quickly make the decision of signing Plouffe longterm for three years plus an option or moving Plouffe to the outfield if Sano comes back and IS the third baseman for the near future. Vets in the bullpen throwing gopher balls aside, we have a weakness right up the center - catcher/second base/centerfield. THREE positions totally dragging down a lineup. Three positions that you can't work around in line-up construction. Three positions creating an awful lots of sktrikeouts. Speaking of strikeouts, I read somewhere about Buxton being hesitant to bunt (shades of Carlos Gomez). I somehow keep thinking that if he actually bunted the ball, putting it in play instead of striking out half-the-time, I might actually not mind those "outs" because the "corners are playing in expecting me to bunt." The FUTURE of the Twins is showing itself in the minor leagues. YES, not ALL the guys will be Stars, but they are hungry and they have to know that they will have to make the most of any chance they get. When Pat Dean is #5 on the rotation prospect list...that means you have depth to look at and try. Oh, and back to Hicks. What was someone thinking? Why? Makes me even long for the return of Eric Fryer. Or even Rene Rivera. Where's Corky Miller when you may need him. Maybe Kansas City wants to flip Drew Butera back to us.

Plouffe as the super bench guy would be perfect, except for Plouffe. He has proven that he can be an everyday third baseman, and if he can't be it here for a few more years, he needs to be elsewhere. His arbitration salary numbers will demand it. If they had made him a utility guy last season, he would be a cheaper possibility. At some point, the Twins have to figure out what to do with Arcia, Rosario and that other young slugger named Walker. That is assuming that Park is a keeper and Mauer still stays at first base (remember, Kepler COULD be the first baseman of the future if the Twins ever part ways with Mauer). And, yes, the Twins need to be prepared to take any offer possible for any member of their rotation. Always thought that Kyle Gibson WAS a really good trade bait candidate. He's not necessarily someone you want to pay a lot as he hits further arbitration, I picture him being replaceable by other guys coming up, and HE DID have value going into this season. But any thoughts the front office has as the OTHERS put up stellar numbers should be quickly forgotten and turned into another viable candidate for a spot (catcher or well, catcher) and GOOD prospects to keep the system further restocked. I think the bullpen could shape out very nicely. You have to promote two of the young studs this year, address future closer concerns, and hopefully add a couple more bodies from the system next year in the bullpen (hoping we do get Zach Jones back from Milwaukee just for the heck of it). We still have guys like Luke Bard that may make an impression. I do think Buxton should spend a month at AAA just to work some things out. I would almost say the same of Sano (if we decide to elevate Murphy),

Bad use of the bullpen. Jepsen in a tie game. Using guys to face a couple of outs ONLY. Is there no long-man pick-me-up guy. Who is the closer if you overuse your closer. Do we need two short left-handed guys. Bring back Rogers, or move Milone to the bullpen...for now. Will be interesting to see how soon Chargolis will slip into the mix. Will he need time at AAA (Van Mil switchout?). But then you have Strong that needs to do something at AA, too.

I was looking at the stats and new stratospheric highs have been reached by Loek Van Mil and Michael Strong!

Gardy was still considered a consultant special assistant in some ways last year (he was getting paid his full salary...and though he didn't have to do anything, I think he did). It keeps him active, in the picture. If nothing else, he gets to work with other coaches for the Twins Way. Remember, a manager is not just managing what's on the field, he;s managing how the players play as a group and how to get everyone working in the same direction. It's NICE that the Twins do have a wealth of guys that still help out the club, so to speak, from Oliva and Carew to Hrbek and at times Smalley, Laudner and more. It was good to see Hawkins and Hunter at spring training. There's a whole bunch of former Twins working for other systems in the minors: Gary Ward (White Sox), Jose Parra (Tigers), Steve Luebber/Andre David/Brian Buchanan/Nelson Liriano (Royals), Howie Clark (Orioles), Paul Abbott/Dick Such (Red Sox), Bobby Mitchell/Greg Colbrunn (Yankees), Vince Horsman/Juan Rincon (Blue Jays), Erik Bennett (Angels), John Moses (Braves), Luis Quioines (Miami), Frank Viola/Wally Backman (Mets), Aaron Fultz/Les Straker/Pat Borders (Phillies), Matt LeCroy (Nationals), Tack Wilson/Phil Nevin (Diamondbacks), Bobby Cuellar (Dodgers), Brian Harper (Cubs), Corky Miller (Reds), Butch Wynegar/Michael Ryan (Pirates), Randy Niemann (Cardinals). But Gardy is a part of Twins history. Like Kelly, he does have something to offer the team.

It's all a matter of 40-man roster construction. Right now, being one of those AAAA minor league free agents with the Twins isn't all that great of a position to be. And if you could be added to the 40-man, the minute you are removed you go thru waivers and can be claimed by anotehr team, which is good or bad. SERIOUSLY, the Twins have NO ROOM on the 40-man. Barring the collapse of Fien or Nunez, or the incompetence of Dean or Rogers or O'Rourke, those are the likely names we can banter around. Of course, you always get a spot moving someone to the 60-man (Perkins). But eventually they come off, too. Would Hicks have been a better callup than, say, Polanco? Kepler is a placesetter, until Santana comes back. The Twins have Murphy (5 k's and 2 hits in 15 at bats with a May 1 opt out) at Rochester, but who do the Twins jettison for this guy. And do you bring him up if he isn't go to play. Yes, the way things look right now, the Twins could happily send Buxton or Rosario or even Sano down to the minors...replacing them with, say, Murphy, Santana and keeping Polanco around if you think Santana will be the new centerfielder. But even Santana, as a regular, could be on the bubble. As I said earlier, unlike past years, being a possible addition from the AAA minor league free agent pool isn't looking too good right now in Twins land. Being on the 40-man is a sure ticket for a major league call, and we will see people like Chargolis and Melotakis and maybe even Landa, not to mention Duffey, long before we see Burdi or Reed or even Berrios. Someone has to go elsewhere. And that's a dilemma, too. Are any of the extra relief guys on the 40-man a deserving callup who will contribute THIS SEASON...or someone we had to gamble to protect to keep off of some developing team;s 40-man. Polanco will get a bit more experience. Sadly, Nunez will be at third (a perfect two weeks to see how Sano plays third, plus keeping an extra bigger bat in the lineup...do we play Mauer or Park at first. Should Arcia keep playing in the field in National League land. We've already used 4 of our 15 40-man spots. I was surprised Rodgers went down...it might be nice to have a two-inning guy in the pen. But O'Rourke is on a lease, too.

So, let's go with an outfield now of Arcia/Kepler/Murphy/ When Santana returns and if Kepler is really struggling, put Santana in centerfield. Send to Rochester Sano and Buxton. Maybe even Rosario. Whew! Look at that Rochester team. Wonder who trickles down to the Lookouts?! (Actually, it would probably be good for Park, too...anyone know how Vargas is doing? Or will Vargas be the odd man out in the Murphy 40-man decision). This wouldn't be all that bad. NONE of these guys have to stay where they are for the season. None of them. Hey, let's bring Polanco up and let him get some time at second why we are at, especially since we need someone at the top of the order instead of Dozier. Let Murphy start at catcher. Let's talk major shake up, folks. But still keeping the future in the organization.

Well he's a corner outfielder or DH. We have Arcia and Park at DH. We have Sano and Arcia in RF. We have Rosario in LF. He could bump Sano down to the minors, or force the Twins to waive Arcia (and, yes, someone will claim Arcia...at the worst that team can send him to the minors). Buxton could go down and Rosario and later Santana could play center. Kepler can go down, but then we have a lot of outfielders needing playing time. But the big question is 40-man. I doubt Santana is a 60-day DL. Maybe Perkins could be shutdown for 60-days. Otherwise, you have Melotakis, Chargolis,m Rosario and Landa. Any one of those could be cut, but I'm sure some team would find a place for them on their 40-man, for now. You have O'Rourke and Meyer. Meyer is still a valuable chip. O'Rourke could probably pass thru waievrs and remain with the Twins. You have Pat Dean. He pitched well, is a lefty (potential abckend starter) and I would think someone might grab him. Remember, any guy grabbed could be waived by the grabbing team and possibly not claimed again. Of course there is Kennys Vargas, a first baseman for a team that doesn't really need that depth today (Plouffe AND Kepler could play first, not to mention Park, and maybe Sano). Vargas could easily not be claimed, unless some team thinks he is better than the bench bat they have already backing up first. O'Rourke could be sneaked thru. Vargas and Dean might not be claimed. That's it. Three guys that the Twins have to work around on the 40-man, period. Those three (along with Nunez) may not play into the immediate plans for the Twins come 2017 (as I;m sure Murphy will not). Plus is Hicks on the 40-man. I thought not. And if he isn't, then we need a player to rotate out if we ever need that second backstop.

Berrios might sneak in if the Twins DL someone for 60-days. But the 40-man roster is pretty full. Yes, I expect that the Twins will see Pat Dean, before they ever see Logan Darnell again. Berrios MIGHT get a September callup, or the Twins hold off and worry about adding him next season, depending on how the season goes. There's l;ots of names that need a 40-man space...Burdi, Reed to name a couple. So, new people getting a cup of coffee...Rogers, Dean, Walker, Chargolis, Melotakis, Hicks and maybe one of the guys like Tovar will get thrown a bone. If the Twins do tank, and no one wants some bodies (i.e. Fien) do the Twins just jettison the guys? If the Twins do tank, what kind of return do you want for people like Suzuki, Nolasco, Nunez? As the team stands right now, there are probably only TWO names that could be deep-sixed comfortably from the 40-man. And we need one of those spots in case a catcher goes down and we need to add a body for a backstop. At season's end, maybe 4-5 names are cuttable...and will have to be as the Twins will have that many NEW prospects that need protection. The Twins are getting younger, folks. And we do need to see these guys, too, to see if they are worth protecting/keeping...or we have a bunch of young bodies running around the field proving themselves in 2017...and maybe those guys won't strikeout so much.