Rosterman

Yeah, a team could take a flyer on Rodriguez stashing him and hoping he becomes Santanaish. But doubtful. Wimmers and Bard would most likely not stick for the season. Better served having another minor league year under their belt (and then the Twins can give them consideration). Same with Wheeler. Any team that wanted him could have had him when the Twins removed him from the 40-man, and saved the fee. Would Jones get picked? The Twins think not. Are there a dozen players out there more seserving? That is the question.

It is a sad choice. Both pitchers need to pitch if either is with the Twins to hopefully increase trade value, which menas someone will sit, be it Milone and May in the bullpen of Duffey in the minors. That's the long (and short) of it. Thinking them longterm members of the team...nah! At this point, moving Noalsco to simply allow another longer term alternative to pitch for the team (be it May, Milone, Duffey or Berrios) would be my choice over giving any innings to Noalsco. But it comes at a price. You either have to outright pay a team to take him off your hands, and the hopes being that you might get one or two back of the roster prospects at best. If you must absorb a corresponding contract, maybe something like Papelbon, where you have a need on the current roster. But Shields, no. You are just replacing Noalsco. Not getting rid of Noalsco.

Yeah, can afford to overspend on at least one arm. And a reliever can come and go, again depending on the price and the state of your team. Yes, the Twins DO have prospects up the wazoo, so to speak, probably better than any arm in their current bullpen. They have to groom a future closer, and in the salary structures, probably another shortly after that. Trevor May could find a superstar role as a reliever if he so chooses. Glen Perkins, for all his ups and few downs, is not the end game in gold. He best future role IS probably as a setup man as he ages...although (salary offerings) will keep him in the closer role, or signing with another team for one of those 3-year $30 million contracts in the future...as a setup guy...NOT with the Twins, sadly, though. So the Twins should overspend on a longterm aging lefty (who better be close to lights out). Can they play the right-handed field, or do they need another guy and forget about Tonkin/Pressly/Graham and whomever for now and forever. Press and Graham can still go back to the minors, so that is a blessing. But I'm not sure the answer to a contending team IS Darnell, O'Rourke or even Rogers/Dean in the bullpen. Maybe one of those guys can fill a space, but not two.

"gets savvy vets." That's a good one. Possibly cheap (although we sometimes overpay a bit) and available is a better description. Of course, the past few seasons the Twins have had to lobby for players that would want to play here. At least now the time might look a little more enticing and we might actually sign a savvy vet.

The Twins have many questions. I can argue about moving Sano to the outfield if he may be the third baseman of the future. I think it is just postering to keep value for Plouffe. I would rather move Plouffe to the outfield and then out-of-town (if his salary becomes to overbearing). Yes, Park is a suspect rookie, as is Buxton, and possibly still Sano. Centerfield is an issue. Can Rosario play there if push comes to shove. Moreso than where Rosario and Sano play, where can we put Arcia. I think we do need to give him one BIG chance. He is a player to be reckoned with. The joy is that we do have Kepler in the wings, maybe Walker. Benson is around (as well as Wilkerson and Palka) for emergency depth. The outfield possibilities are high...notice I said possibilities. It could also be weaker than alst year's bullpen if the soph slumps hits some people. We need something in the bullpen. It can survive patchwork, thank you. But I would like to see something, or keep my fingers crossed that the young promising guys from last year's prospect list become young promising guys again. There is some space on the 40-man. You always have some. Hicks, a couple of pitchers, there are at least three working spots and another couple that could open come spring training end, for sure. I'm waiting to see how the Twins market the team for 2016, to get more season tickets sold (remember, Hunter helped a lot last year). People may think the second place finish was spectacular and the last day playoff hunt wonderful, but the reality is that THERE ARE STILL many questions. Some could be solved by simply eating salary and moving on, others by not offering spots to replacement value guys. And then we have Joe Mauer!

Boy, the bullpen list of names is pretty...lame. Throw in May and or Milone/Noalsco from the rotation. You still have some questionables that no one else probably deems a major league MUST (Darnell, O'Rourke) ... a couple of Rule 5 pickups that can still go up and down and one of which is an emergency starter candidate (wait, we have May) -- Graham/Pressly. You have Tonkin because..... You have Meyer being too valuable to cut loose. You kept Dean. You kept Rogers because he gives you left-handed starting depth or COULD be a long-arm out of the bullpen next season. You have a couple of guys coming off surgery that you didn't want to gamble losing, although don't see them jumping to the Big Leagues fulltime in 2016 (like at least a half-dozen other arms. possibly ahead of them in the system, could also do). And then you have Fien, who I fear could be Burton 2.0. Fien had good trade value in 2015, but didn't go anywhere. He was solid, but also unspectuacular at times, in 2015 -- and no one was calling his name in 2015. For all intent and purpose, Jepsen replaced him in the bullpen forthe next season. We are still waiting to see if we lose anyone of importance in the Rule 5 (Jones) and then we can really cry about a couple of Twins decisions. But it will be interesting to see if the Twins do sign some arms for the bullpen in 2015 and who goes elsewhere. I don't expect Boyer to be back just to pitch at Rochester, but have to see what demand there is for his services. I mean, Aaron Thompson came back!

So that is what happened to Mauer, too!

I think the point of argument is NOT that Nunez and Fien aren't worth the arbitration salary. It is more that the Twins MIGHT be able to do more with two vacant roster spots, rather than having to go the arbitration route with these two guys, and for the money involved, they could probably find suitable replacements from the field of free agents or (jn the end) a home for a prospect. Too late to add Jones to the bullpen list? If we lose Jones in the Rule 5 and he stays with a team, I'm going to feel minutely pissed that we kept Fien and his salary. Yes, noth Nunez and Fien CAN be worth keeping, but they are on the edge of the roster and not needed.

Overall, not an expense arbitration year. You can afford to offer Nunez, Fien arbitration to offer you current depth. I don't LOVE the idea of Fien, still thing he will be Jared Burton 2.0, and I didn't hear of anyone knocking on the door last summer to obtain him for a stretch run. Nunez is kept in the mix in case you make Santana an outfielder again. Milone would be able to command a comparable salary elsewhere and is a lefty, so he's a keeper. Plouffe isn't ready to depart, but the looming arbitration salary of the upside of $10_ in 2017 is scary. You either trade him NOW or set yourself up to offer him $30+ million to stay with the Twins. Jepsen was a surprise and did more than what anyone expected in 2015. He's a keeper. Escobar, for the second year, showed he should have respect as the shortstop in a system where there isn't a better shortstop...today. Talk about inexpensive!?! The flipside is that as a regular he would become expensive and not able to retain as a utility gy, if that is the role the Twins want him to slip into in the future.

That's always the good question when adding A-ballers to the 40-man. If a team did decide to grab the player, will that delay their time in reaching the majors and using the options. The other reason for selecting A-ballers is the possibility of losing them in the minor league portion of the draft if they are not ready/already on the AA or above rosters. You can always risk removing hem from the 40-man during the season, especially at the level they are playing. Another team would have to see the worth (and a have a palce) to add them to the 40-man, before sending them out themselves, if they choose to play that game. You realize how controlling major league teams can be of prospects. You canbe dropped or advanced at a moments notice. You can flip around to other teams. You can lose your prospect hold in the pecking order one year and become a journeyman minor league guy always hoping to make it back to the limelight. You get a salary bump. You do open yourself up to being more interested to other teams by being a 40-man guy. But your fate is still in your hands.

Sometimes we might value the minor league additions too much. The biggest hurdle now and need for adding guys is the bonus money paid and the development of the prospect and the chance that you might lose them as early as the High-A level if a team feels the need to keep such a player on their roster before sending them to the minors the next year. Most players with major league capabilities are added to the 40-man, probably, during the season. Again, service time plays into the mix, but really shouldn't as service time can be negated (see Hicks and Arcia) by short-seasoning the guys at the major league level if they aren't producing. From ALL the names mentioned above, there was so much promise in many (Joe Benson, for example) that didn't pan out anywheres and interesting to see how manyare still in organized ball, and some struggling in the indy leagues (just saw Reme Tosoni this summer and talked and he's having a grand old time in indy ball), And Scott Diamond was a Rule 5 signee and the Twins ending up trading Billy Bullock to keep him and send him to the minors.

Storen would be interesting. He could jsut be a short-term rental with hopes that the flamethrowers do develop in 2016. The starting rotation is near elite. They just had a miserable 2015, yet the rotation ERA dipped nearly a run a game and the starters, as a whole, did stay in the game longer. There is a nice mix of arms there, that could only get better if May/Meyer come thru as starters and Berrios gets the call (this will be his sprng training, but watch the Twins play careful, for some reason, because they don't need to 40-man him). We can complain about Milone and Nolasco, but they can get the job done. Santana can be near elite. It will be Hughes year in 2016. Back to the bullpen. How much do you spend? In Nathan's alst year, I think the bullpen cost was like $24 million, substantially more than the rotation at the time. Do we get specialists (groundball, strikeout). Do we stay with ahrdthrowers? Is there a palce for a Boyer (no!). So, if choosing between O'Rourke and Darnell/Dean, who would you choose (assuming Rogers will be the long man from the elft side).

Wimmers, Jones....I don't really see them sticking thru spring training, which would prove to be a rude awakening for them about how good major league batting really is. But we will see. Still remember the Twins losing Dickey in the Rule 5!

Looking at this again, would Acheter and Pinto make the Twins in 2016? Pinto is too far behind in the DH mix, especially if the Twins DO sign Park. Achter is bullpen filler. Is he better or worse than anyone they have (i.e. Dean, maybe). Again, he is probably Anthony Slama 2.0. The bigger question is the 7 who were added. Will they be contributing to the Twins in 2016? We think Rogers could be in the bullpen at the least. But not sure where Dean fits in, except that the Twins need left-handed depth in the roatation, especially if Darnell ends up being cut for a free agent addition. No one will argue with Walker. He is still a season away from even a callup (at the least, he might get a September cup-of-coffee like Kepler did). But IS worth a spot. Landa, Rosario, Chargolis, Melotakis all could be stashed on a team's roster for 90 days and the DL for the rest, possibly, if one wanted to take that gamble. Will the Twins lose Jones? They are taking a gamble that teams will flinch at his Chattanooga numbers this season. And combined with Bard (also a possibility of loss), Burdi, Cederoth, Jay, Reed and others, the Twins do have depth...names that they do have to address in 2017 and especially 2018...so hopefully they don;t sign any reliever to a longterm contract this season. I don't see Michael making the team as a reserve. I think most teams will wait for him to become a minor league free agent (or a throw-in in a deal). Being a General Manager is a tough job. The Twins ahd to weigh the short-term sparks from some injured guys against the fact of losing them in the organization. They have to look at a 25-man roster that is rpetty well set with a few loose cannons if they do decide to sign a free agent (relief pitcher), plus still having the ability to trade a piece or two (a starter, a third baseman come to mind). That they jettisoned Pinto and Achter this early MIGHT mean that they do have sights on a Rule 5 guy and DO EXPECT to sign Park, so two spots needed to open up anyways. Watchm expect Pinto and Achter to possibly be designated for assignment by the teams that picked them as the off-season progresses. That's the joy of grabbing someone off the waiver wire right now, you can play those games.

Someone said T.R. could be searching the waiver wire ... but you have to add that guy to your own 40-man. At some point, the Phillies or San Diego may feel that their additions from the Twins to the 40-man aren't worth it, and both will also go thru waivers. Of course, they have the option of keeping them in the organization. I find the addition of Dean and the keeping of Darnell interesting. Yes, both are lefthanders, of which the Twins have few major league ready depth, but still...both? Achter put up good numbers in the minors, but so did a guy named Anthony Slama, as well as Eddie Morlan in the past. Be interesting to see who the Twins sign (beyond Paulino) as a minor league catching free agent. We can argue about the need to add Rosario and Melotakis and Landa. I would doubt that the Twins would lose all three in the Rule 5, if even one of them. Sure, a couple have the appearance of starting the season on the DL, but still..... It's too bad that players like Pinto and Achter join other names like Duensing and Boyer (and maybe Arcia) as having little or no trade value to the Twins, but enough of an interest that they may get picked up by another team (or do get picked up). But maybe the Twins can steal a prospect (or two) from some other minor elague system. Good for Tonkin making the cut, I guess. But I would've been more inclined to go without a guy who needs to be added to the major league roster than one that still has options and still has potential.

Quite a few arms that the Twins have to make longterm decisions on (like, keep them on the 40-man after spring training) - Achter, Darnell, O'Rourke, Tonkin. They still need a hard thrower. I would like to see them concentrate on guys that CAN get a ground ball or GET A STRIKEOUT. Like Mauer at first, I almsot wish Perkins wasn't locked in as the closer and was the lefty set-up man and the Twins would actually get a $10ish million closer added to the staff, for at least a season. Graham can go back to the minors. Pressley can, too, I believe. Rogers could egt a shot. Dean maybe needs to be protected on the 40-man if you can, but doubt if he'll see any real action with the Twins. Too abd the Twins seems stuck with Noalsco, Milone. I do hope Duffey starts. And May will be a solid arm in the bullpen for now. Meyer nees a BIG comeback. Fien should be the odd man out and, no, we don't need Boyer abck..for all the goodness of his story and all. Either go big or stay within your system and hope Jones, Reed, Burdi, Chargolis ALL pan out and give you the Nasty Boys 2016 and Beyond!

The question now is, will Kepler be groomed totally as an outfielder, or will he take throws at first base...for AAA Rochester. If he splits the dutiues, with the idea that he is the Twins first baseman after Mauer, where does that leave Vargas, who also needs time at the corner to increase his own value. Or is Vargas now jsut a guy soon to be passed over by others in the ranks. Of course, what the Twins do with Plouffe is still the elephant in the room at the moment.

And you also look at what has been invested in the player (like Kepler, he was an expensive signing by the Twins...the Rule 5 allows you to possibly grab guys that other teams paid good draft money for to add to your system, if you have the ability to keep them on the roster somehow all season).

The Twins could move pieces still: Pinto, Arcia, Nolasco, any number of back-of-the-pen relief pitchers. Plouffe could be shipped out. Ryan could end up turning over 30% of the roster. But what does he get in return? Do we get a slugging outfielder/DH (think Thome) who is year-to-year. Take the palce of Vargas, perhaps. Do we get a lowend Plouffe who can play the infield AND outfield to be our fourth outfielder? Do we contemplate trading Suzuki and getting still anotehr catcher worse than Murphy but better than Fryer? Is there a bullpen arm that we can have for one year (Storen from the Nats, perhaps) so as not to block the hot young guys supposedly in the wings? Is Nunez gone? Is Fien needed? What happens to Milone? I would trust Duffey as a starter.....but would you? Is May that third bullpen arm we need to take us thru next season? But do we need a power lefty? And how do we get Mauer back to the Joe of old. Sigh!

There really isn't a lot of names necessary for addition there. People like Jones, for example, would be a big gamble. If the age works right and you got a back-of-the-bullpen spot for a pitcher, the Twins could be ripe for picking. The only other name with some consideration is Luke Bard, who could be a sleeper, but would probably be a wait-and-see for the future. Interesting that the Twins do have a considerable number of promising lefties in the pipeline. So, do we bring back Duensing or not? Taylor is the big addition (don't lose him like we did Gilmartin). He could be a bullpen guy. Far better than Boyer, I would think.

Guys go to Indy ball to prove themselves again and get anotehr chance, period. They are hungry. But at the time, not good enough to hold a place in a team's minor league system which has prospects that may need an advance. Every year the Twins sign a bunch of AAAA-type guys, a quarter of them don't make it apst spring training, it seems. But they are given a looksee. Right now, many of us would prefer to see Twins prospects at AAA Rochester in 2016 than a lineup full of one-year minor league free agents.

Pinto, Arcia are both bubble guys. You might have to find space for them. You might jettison them. But you don't have to make that decision until spring training (who knows, one or both could get hurt and start the day on the DL (major league one). You do need to keep a few "fringe" guys around in case you do have to make roster moves at the end of spring training (or possibly a mid-winter free agent signee). Nunez might be worth getting for his arbitration in this case, as will Fien. The Twins do have to make a decision on who to keep amongst Darnell, Achter and Tonkin for sure. I see them adding six guys to the 40-man from all the candidates in the minors.

I would actually play Plouffe in the outfield over Sano at this point. Sano may be as skillful at third, nd Plouffe might offer some better range in the outfield. The Twins DO have to give Arcia anotehr chance. The bullpen is a mess. No Noalsco. I don't see Darnell (would rather put in ROgers at this point). But spring training will show us soimeone stepping up. Still need some power throwing arms there. I doubt that any of the youngsters NOT on the 40-man will crack the bullpen this early. Tonkin is still only depth. Fien is approaching Burton 2.0. We don't even need to consider Duensing (move on) and Boyer can be given a look, but I wouldn't part with a 40-man roster spot for him at this point period. Nunez is also a questionable option. Can Ryan play third or first in an emergency? Do we add Pinto to the mix (or deep-six him from the 40-man and forget about him because of the longjam at DH)?

Gleeman writes some interesting words on Plouffe. My own thoughts, again: the Twins are at a diosadvantage if it seems they HAVE to trade Plouffe. You can keep his bat in the lineup, but do you play him or Sano in the outfield. Where does that put Hicks eventually (fourth outfielder?). Or Hicks is tradebait. Of course, are we sure Rosario is the outfielder we want out there for the next 3-5 years? We also have Kepler and probably Walker coming up, and Arcia needing sometime to see if you can increase his trade value (or cause a decision to be made to keep him fulltime). Is Plouffe expensive at $8 milliuon in 2016 and potentially $11 million in 2017? Would you sign him for three years and $30 million (with an option) and would that make him more or less tradable? Come 2018, he might be a bargain at $10 million a year. But do you see him becoming a regualr fixture in any outfield once his days at third disappear (shades of Michael Cuddyer). If the Twins sign the Korean guy, they suddenly have players that have no room on the ark. Arcia, Vargas and perhaps Plouffe. They also would have to make decisions on Kepler and Walker...better to trade or keep. Throw Hicks in the mix. Six guys, in which half of them DON'T need to be around next season (assuming you sign the first base guy). And we are still stuck with Mauer, who can't catch...sigh!

It's a total crapshoot. Someone like Molitor gets hired, and does what he does, and named manager of the year. We have Dougie abseball in the minors who is itching for a managerial job (not a coaching job) and he should probably get it. It is ncie to see new blood put into the mangerial marketplace rather than managers playing musical chairs. There are more than enough candidates out there to fill any open positions, just in-team manager prospects alone. Gardy's best bet is to become that bench coach and ride the bench for a few years and make the step up when the young manager flames out. I hope he invested his salary wisely.