Rosterman

This is always a tough call. Of the three you mention: Tyler Duffey HA been working on a better pitch assortment. He knows he has to add some stuff if he wants to stay in the majors. Given a bad spring by one or two starters, he would be in the rotation, but the $$$'s owed win out. Will Duffey get another chance with the Twins? Will he flame-out at AAA. I think he did what he was supposed to do this spring, but the stars were allined with him. As it stands HE WILL BE THE FIRST GUY called up (no, Berrios is not on the 40-man) and will have to pitch like he has never pitched before (although he already did that at the end of 2015) to get a job anywhere in the majors. Glen Perkins. He can still get guys out. You don't have to throw the fastest. Yes, his seasons may be numbered as the Twins closer, but lets face it...no one has stepped up to challenge him this, or possibly next, season. And he is a lefty and as long as he has juice and craft, he will have a job somewhere as long as he wants. Maybe not as a closer. But... Kurt Suzuki. Well, he was available in 2014 but it seems the leagues passed on him. Why the Twins gave him the contract. Well, who else. A.J. WAS a possibility, not jsut once, but twice, but went elsewhere. The pain is the Twins blew it when they let Ramos go (the though was Mauer would still be catching) and Pinto tanked to be just a hitter. And now the shelf is somewhat bare. You are allowed one light hitting guy in a lineup, and it may be Kurt or Mr. Murphy this year. It is a weak position for the Twins, but Kurt is a gamer, played many many innings in 2016. We may argue about his call of pitches or ability to throw out runners, but everyone warms up in spring training differently. Watch him be dynamite in the opening months, and hopefully the Twins do have a couple of comparable fallbacks after that. I would say the biggest bust is Oswaldo Arcia. I don't know what happened last season when he became damaged goods in the minors. Had very high hopes when he reported to spring training early. But he just doesn't seem to get it. Only 24 or so, he still has years and the talent. But like the other bust, Kennys Vargas, who has to have a dynamtie showing at AAA, and even then he won't be the backup first baseman on call if something happens north...Park will just move over and someone who is hitting and a bench body will eta the call. A couple of lefties had ALL the opportunity to shine and become long-men in the bullpen. Logan Darnell did the switch from starter to bullpen last year, but sat out the last month on the major league roster with an illness. That the Twins were able to keep him and let him try again is a positive. Taylor Rogers was also a name to watch, a dynamite starter last season who could've anchored a spot in the bullpen, but didn't. He will work out of relief, so his name is still in the wings, at least until 40-man rosters are set next season. Max Kepler IS NOT a bust. He is a bonafide prospect. He could've pushed and made the decision making tougher, but a lackluster spring shows he does need more seasoning. This will be his year in the minors. He pretty much ash to make the majors next season. Special Kudos to the team of Quentin and Sweeney who did everything right, but discovered that there was no room in the inn and, seriously, looking at the 40-man roster, not to many names that would make them a quick callup (barring a 60-day disabled list injury). The Twins were a good pfaor minor league free agents a few years ago, but with the wealth of needed-to-protect prospects, you aren't going to be giving that veteran names major league playing time as you did in the past.

That 40-man roster is just SOOOOO tight. And it will probably be Tonkin because players without options tend top be given a longer leash than those without (like O'Rourke, for example). Let the season begin.

Buxton starts the season and bats ninth? Or lead-off? Arcia is the bat off the bench. In a pinch, Nunez and Santana can supposedly play the outfield, too. Tonkin gets the magic coupon and stays on the roster. But if he doesn't produce, and the Twins need to flip out Buxton for, say, Mastro, then Tonkin is the odd body to go. Barring an injury, the Twins really don't have many names to remove on the 40-man roster. Tonkin is one. Pat Dean is another. Then you start getting into Landa, O'Rourke, Pressle, Graham, Rogers or letting go Fien if he doesn't stay consistent. Or even Polanco or Vargas. But besides the first two mentioned, you pretty much WANT to keep everyone else, barring a trade. (The Twins have some hard 40-man decision for 2017). So picture some of the raw talent pitchers seeing action if someone goes on the short-term DL. And Polanco, Vargas and Kepler are it for minor league position player call ups!

Is Park getting time at first base just in case. We always have injuries and get to shuffle people around. But, in regards to Sano, would you rather see him or Arcia in the outfield. And the true Sano test is yet to come. The right field overhang at Target Field, playing the outfield in major league stadiums under the lights. And Plouffe is an asset. It is just trying to figure out his worth to others, or worth to the team. He is going to be expensive next season. SO do you try and sign him long term and keep him here or what.

No matter how bad Arcia's spring is, another team would grab him. So you keep him, play him, and see what happens...even if you only play him part-time. And, yes, between Arcia and Park the Twins should get 30 homers. If Rosario falters, we have Kepler in the wings (or even Arcia, I guess). If Gibson blows away the other members of the rotation, that will be a good thing, as I totally expect Santana and Hughes to have a solid year and Milne will be playing for future salary, too. I jsut want to see them all get past the sixth inning, most of the time, if possible, possibly.

Plouffe will have a 4th year of arbitration eligibility? Assuming his numbers would put him at $10 million or so in 2017, what would he be that next season. Right now, would you sign Plouffe for three years and $30? Would you do the same next year (and would he take it?). No one will argue about what he brings to the team. He seems pretty consistent. But it comes down to a cost factor, who will be playing where (does Sano get bumped from the outfield in 2017 by Kepler and/or Walker). That's not to say that someone won't sign Plouffe to a big contract. He might be able to go to Colorado and hit home runs galore and become a batting champ. Park is part of the equation, too. And him manning the DH means Sano has to play, somewhere. With Mauer around thru his contract (and probably extended even more -- playing where?), one would hope that Sano IS the future third baseman, at least for 3-4 years until someone else is developed. Otherwise, keep Plouffe. Trade Plouffe and sign someone else (hey, bring back Valencia). Or go with Nunez or Escobar (that last was an attempt at humor).

ANy of the rotation is tradeable. Especially at their prices if they show signs of pitching well. More teams would rather have an extra year of a guy (Santana, Hughes) then lose them right away to free agency. Depends on what the Twins DO have in the pipeline. Also, Gibson is currently a highly tradable commodity. Is he worth more to the Twins as he gets more expensive entering arbitration? Can he be repalced by Berrios, Duffey or the next round. I would rather see Ryan pull the plug and trade a Santana or Hughes if the return was especially good when they are on an upswing, rather than wait and see what happens next. And, if there is any life of breath in Nolasco, he will be traded for pretty much anything this summer...if someone comes a knocking. Not that Nolasco doesn't have life. He is a solid pitcher when healthy, but would truly be expendable and replaced by up-and-comers if the need arose, I would think.

Well, I'm sure the Twins would rather see Duffey start at Rochester than languish in the bullpen. That leaves a possible spot for O'ROurke to return. Still out: Arcia vs. Quentin. Hicks vs. Walker Mastro vs. Buxton Of course, if the Twins would add Hicks or Mastro, they need to clear 40-man space.

Hopefully Tonkin won't be claimed. The team would have to keep him on the 40-man. Of course, they could always send him thru and chances are he wouldn't be claimed then. Which is the pain of this process. They need to be kept on some roster for a certain amount of time if claimed. Nolasco and Duffey. Maybe one goes. Or they flip-flop in the bullpen. But if Duffey doesn't start up here he'll start at Rochester. I see them going with Duffey out of spring training and IF he has a couple of bad starts, he goes down and Nolasco goes back to the rotation and the Twins have to decide on long-man lefty Rogers or short-man O'Rourke. Right now, it is Duffey's job to lose (let's not give him pressure, folks!)

I would also stretch out J.R. Graham as a starter at Rochester. Nolasco does put a damper on things, and there is still a slim chance he might push out Duffey, which means another lefty in the bullpen (I would imagine or hope). The question is, with Abad being added, who is removed from the 40-man (Pat Dean). Although many have had fine performances in spring training, there is no need to make other 40-man roster changes. The only other oddity would be if Buxton DID go to Rochester and the Twins put Mastro in centerfield. (No chance of Kepler breaking camp instead of Buxton?) Fien is also a BIG question mark. Will be become, say, the next Jared Burton. Or will he have a typical Fien Season and possibly be used as tradebait in the summer. Hoping a player becomes tradable is always a lovely option (Nolasco). There is, really, no room in the"inn" unless someone goes on the DL in the next 10 days.

Anyone know the situation with Zach Jones over in Milwaukee? I don't see any stats on him. Chance the Twins get a return in the Rule 5?

It is always nice to know that there is someone down on the farm to step up if need be, not just to be backup but potentially to be a line-up placesetter. All you need is a chance, sometimes. And all you need is that one good season fo success when given the chance. The organizational prospects are actually a good year away from even stepping into backup roles with potential lineup replacement. So good signings by Ryan. Of course, we also had Allen de san Miguel all last year getting what, a handful of at bats?

Well, they can have him in the pen this season, hopefully keep him stretched out so he could make emergency starts and pitch 120+ innings like Swarzak in the past. If he remains in the pen into 2017, it will hurt HIS arbitration salaries the next couple of seasons, if he hangs in that long, and when he finally gets a chance to maybe start for the Twins he will be 30 and a free agent and would probably get something better elsewhere. But right now, he is a solid arm, hopefully, in the pen. The Twins have four solid guys, but still need a lefty beyond Perkins, and another long guy might be nice (lefty). And who knows where Nolasco and Milone fit in...I mean Duffey COULD start at Rochester for all that management might care. Combined with a could of aging vets on the bench, we can just wonder why the Twins continue to hold back the future.

Regarding at bats. It's going out and getting a couple of at bats everyday for the regulars, if possible. And you want them to match up against guys they might be facing, rather than prospects. Same with pitchers, you want them to face the meat of a team rather than the future, see how they handle it. And like Tyler Duffey in his apst start, you get into trouble, but you need to show how you adapt and get out of trouble (Nolasco has to be inthe same boat.) I like the notes about Luke Hughes. When making a decision on, say, backup catcher...do you go with the hot Hicks who may have more limited at bats in the beginning of the season and let the more seasoned Murphy start at Rochester, or what. Of course, having spots to play with on the 40-man is important. Hate to see anyone go on the 60-day just to open up a spot. And you do risk losing guys, which is why decisions on Arcia, Santana and especially Tonkin will asat until the end days.

Two Questions! Will the Twins ever ever give a contract of this size to a player again, be he homegrown or from outside (see the future Sano, Berrios, etc)? Did the Twins make a mistake not only drafting the hometown kid #1 but giving him a franchise salary because he is a hometown kid? Back when Joe was signed, the word seemed to fly that Pohlad would be run out of town if Joe signed with the Red Sox or anyone else for anything. He was and is the face of the franchise...at the time of the signing. My, how a few years, a position shift and some health issues change the entire picture. Joe Mauer was/is good for the franchise. He is the hometown poster boy. He still plays ball. He could easily sit out the rest of his career and heal, it is not beyond comprehension that the body and mind should be taken care of before the team. You can't trade him, although if he has a tremendous season and someone (anyone) is looking for a first baseman, you should consider freeing up the salary. But chances of that happening (see Ryan Howard) are not all that great. Sorry. He, sadly, brings nothing exceptional to another team to tie up that amount of salary. I always felt that the Pohlad's needed to take Joe's salary out of the payroll equation in the beginning and thru the length of the contract and put it in the advertising/goodwill department of the team's budget. He is a fixture. He was a necessary need for the team at the time and serves best not eating up payroll that you should be expending on other players. His shoudl be that contract above and beyond. Regarding playing time, he needs to earn his way. He may be the best at the moment, if you can find someplace else to play someone. And because he IS on the team and eating up salary, he will push aside the Kennys Vargas and cause you to maybe slow the progression of, say, Max Kepler as his replacement. The bigger question will be where does Joe go after 2019 and how much will it cost to keep him around and can you find a place for him in the lineup or on the bench. If the money is right, you can always give a bench spot to a Thome-like player...a guy who comes off the bench in a situational and does something (hopefully). It's nice if he can play another position. Sure, it would be wonderful if you could plug Joe into the outfield or third base if the call came. Man, even Harmon Killebrew played first, third and the outfield after starting as a middle infielder. 2016 will be a telling year for Mauer and the Twins. Park has to show that he is a threat to stay in the lineup. The Twins need to find a space for Sano, especially if other outfield prospects develop. But we don't know that for this season and won't have a good handle until we head into the next season, and Joe can still be a valuable cog at first base even in 2017 as, who knows who will still be in the mix.

Still gotta cut 27 players. That's a lot of extra bodies. See more happening by Wednesday/Thursday once minor league games really get going. We must remember that guys can always cross the field from minor league camp to play in a game. I see the big question coming with the guys out of options and if the Twins gamble that no one will claim them: Tonkin, Arcia, Santana. That would open three 40-man spots. But I really don't want to see journeymen get major league spots this year. It will be an interesting spring of roster construction.

Well, if Santana DOESN'T step up, and Arcia continues to have trouble, he gets the spot out of a process of elimination, unless the Twins wish to fill the outfield spot with guys NOT on the 40-man, which means they have to get rid of some folks (like Santana and Arcia). I'm just hoping Rosario contributes. And Kepler could still be the dark horse candidate in the mix. If a guy is hungry, and produces, you might just take him North and send the other to Rochester! Spring training is more than stats. It's how the prospects react to coaching, work at their skills and show some consistency. And then you hope they keep doing that once the season begins rather than return to old comfortable ways/

The main reason to reassign someone from the 40-man to minor league camp is if they have NO POSSIBLE way to make the roster (doesn't mean they can't if someone is injured) is to keep from paying them a major league salary if they get disabled during spring training. I do imagine Tonkin will get more of a leash than, say, Aaron Thompson. And they will want to see Rogers in a couple of situationals (middle of an inning, facing one batter or two) I imagine.

This is going to be an interesting watch. Especially since Rosario could pull a Santana 2.0 and NOT be a surefire left-fielder. The vets will try and pull a spot (which means the Twins have to find 40-man places). Overall, the fight for bench positions may be strong this spring. Will it be Murphy (who could play fulltime at Rochester) or Hicks. Nunez or Santana or any of the other guys, if they step up. Arcia and Vargas to stay or go. Sweeney, Mastro, Quentin -- major league money looks much better than AAAA salaries. The only surefire lock in the outfield would seem to be Sano. Buxton NEEDS to win the job. Kepler could sneak in. Santana is in the roster fight of his life. Arcia could be cut...and if he plays badly in spring, the Twins may catch a break and get to keep him down on the farm for another season. The BENCH IS IN FLUX two weeks into spring training!

Great preview!

If Nolasco is worthy of a rotation role, he gets it. He might also spark some interest in a team short a starter (assuming he puts up the right spring training numbers) and a team might trade something for him, if the Twins eat salary. A team would NOT claim Noalsco if he has a bad spring. But the Twins would still be on the hook for his entire salary minus a percentage of the major league minimum for the next two seasons. A great tryout bargain for any low-level team in need of a possible stopgap. If he does start in the bullpen, he could slip into a rotation role if Duffey struggles or someone goes down for an injury (think Pelfrey last season) and since it seems doubtful that the Twins WILL add Berrios to the 40-man any sooner than necessary.... Nolasco wants to start? Good. It is his ball to throw and show he deserves to start. He gets paid, nor what. But if he wants to continue playing ball past next season, he will have to produce. And if he produces he becomes a valuable trading chip in the least and a real contributor to the team at best, forcing the Twins to make a decision on the others in the rotation (Milone and his no options, Santana and Hughes and their salaries, and Gibson and his controlled contract). Any member of the Twins rotation could have trade value IF they produce, which is the name of the game. If a pitcher doesn't produce, that's the tough decision...since it is all about money (and a lot of money) then.

Just go with the best 25 and move on from those questionable. Because? There is still more coming up behind these guys.

It's a tough call. You are faced with free agency walkouts. You advance players (Liam Hendricks) before their time. You shuffle players around, fight injuries, make bad longterm and short-term signings. You have to always look at the competitive balance first within your division, and go from there. You have to spend money at the right times. You have to eventually put butts in the seats. The Twins did win TWO World Series. They had 1965, a nice string at the end/beginning of that decade, a great run in the new century. Other teams may wish that they did so well, jsut like the Twins may wish they had the budgets of other teams NOT doing so well. It's that magical moment when the players coming up jell with the players you sign. They ALL don't leave at the same time for bigger paychecks. And maybe you do some shrewd Billy Beane moves. Every team has turnover. Every team has failed prospects. Every team has bad signings. Every team gets injuries. From my arm chair, it is really a tough tough job.

We also have to admit that the 2015 season, we wanted the Twins to improve. Few expected them to be in the hunt to the final weekend. They did improve, just a tad better than the best we hoped for...most people were hoping they would approach, say, 75 wins. The call is still out on Santana. We can't do anything but cut Nolasco, so we need to give him one more look. Hughes, most feel, shouldn't have been extended. Now that he has, Ryan should be willing to trade him if he shows drastic improvement over 2015. The reason for trading Plouffe, future cost. He is still worth his salary this season (we hope). But is he a $10 million player? Could he have been packaged with another Twin of some value (Kyle Gibson, perhaps) with a bigger return from another club. I don't like reading that Sano MIGHT NOT get time at third base, as Plouffe is still a tradeable asset during mid-season, and would hope that Sano gets some time there (which is why I would have rather seen the reverse, start Plouffe in the outfield if need be and Sano at third and go from there, if we are keeping him). If something happens to Plouffe I don't want to see Nunez or any of the infielders signed for AAA playing there fulltime, of even a switch of Escobar so we can see more of Polanco. Yes, you do buy a top-flight free agent if you are in a position to win the pennant and move onto the World Series? Are the Twins there yet? No. They are still thinking about their rebuilding blocks, staying competitive to keep the fans coming, and playing for 2017 and beyond. Maybe next off-season they will make a major splash as well as potentially rid themselves of some excess payroll. But even then, the guys coming up this year will have to prove themselves again in 2017 that -- good or bad -- what they did this season was not a fluke.

Can we or should we upgrade Escobar? He currently fits well in the infield, and produces, possibly, as well as Ploanco or any of the future prospects (Javier and Gordon) might. He has shown some punch, which puts him above a 1-4 slick-fleldling middle man. He fills in nicely his bottom of the order spot. Going into spring training, you could say the Twins weakest position is up the middle, per say: catcher, shortstop and centerfield. Murphy has a chance to upgrade catching and we are all excited about Buxton. Escobar has shown consistency, moreso than Santana, who will be given a chance to step in if Escobar faulters. We have to hope that Rosario doesn't not become Santana 2.0. What do we want at shortstop? Less errors? More speed? Bigger bat? Escobar played pretty solid ball in each of the past two seasons. He's still young. At worse, he will spend the next decade being a super sub. At best, he might hold down the starting job into the 2018 season.