Rosterman

What i find amazing is that the Twins did spend money on a starting rotation. And it looks like the team will have a 10-game-winner as the ace of the staff and that's it. No relief pitcher even throwing up double-digit victories as a vulture. Talk about spreading the wealth. Especially when, if you a contender, your starting five put up around 60-70 victories easily. Can't wait to see what happens when Hicks returns. And would love to see Pinto behind-the-plate for thoe few games Herrmann has been holding down that fort. It has been an exciting season of Twins abseball. This game in Tampa Bay tonight was so...long and on edge and full of little plays and challenges and lots and lots of pitches thrown to strike gys out or put them on base. But where were the fans (less than 10,000 in the stands).

With HUnter and Pelfrey as free agents. You can also add the names of Kenys Vargas to the mix. Is there the need for a backup first baeman/DH/ You wonder if both him and Arcia deserve a call-up in September just to get some at bats to see if they add (ratehr than subtract) from their value. The other name you let off is Brad Boyer, who did everything expected (like Thompson) and probably more, but is he really someone that you want to waste a 40-man spot on. Like a Chris Colabello, if someone signs him away, okay, otherwise you can probably sign him to a minor league contract and an invite to spring training. When making 40-man roster decisions, and adding new guys by December who can't be removed randomly (except thru trade), you have to keep 2-3 guys around jsut in case of free-agent signings or trades. And you always like to have that dreaded Rule 5 possibility in play. And even though you might like to keep Graham and Pressley in the organization, you do have to weight their real worth to the team over any other names. Who would you add for the September drive from the minors who are not already on the 40-man. What players do we have to consider adding to the 40-man come December. Is Danny Santana worth keeping around. Do we give Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco more major league at bats to make them hungry for the big leagues, or let them sit out in playoff land in Chattanooga. At one point, I would love to have seen Oliveros back with the team for more than a couple of innings, but his recent inactivity all but eans that he ahs thrown his last ball for the Twins. Also Stephen pryor won't get a chance. Doubt Mark Hamburger will get a shot. Don't see the Twins letting Jamie Beresford get a major league (albeit temporary) 40-man spot.

Not alot of bullpen options? Well, we had Caleb and let him walk. That's probably fine, but why is Thompson still on the 40-man then. Would love to see Oliveros and his heat, or even the wildness of Stephen Pryor, both both have managed to work themselves out of a tryout by being on the DL for the second half of the season. That leaves Logan Darnell. Give the guy another chance. Michael Bowden, not impressing anyone. Mark Hamburger, well, maybe a guy gets psyched up enough that they do brilliantly for a game or two (instead of getting pysched up and just melting down). I would hate the thought of a Burde or Reed or Jones coming up and trying to impress everyone and blowing out their arm, but that's the opportunity that exists right now in the Twins organization. And service time and 40-man roster space be damned. Berrios is going to be lights out and a longtime starter, or not...so don't worry about the 40-man. He will get his shot sooner rather than later. You still have the service time option open for three seasons if they guy isn't all that great. You do have dead weight on the 40-man. Ohhhhhh, you don't want to add anyone before their time because you do have quite a few considerations coming up this November. Well, then we get stuck with Hamburger or WIlkin Ramirez of Jamie Beresford (or any number of other AAAA guys). We can still reward one or two come September if the twins are in the dregs, but we can also free up space by cutting loose anyone and everyone that WON'T be here in 2016 - Duensing, Fien, Robinson, Nunez for example. I would reward guys at the expense of those old soldiers. But I also would grab someone, maybe one of the Johnsons, and let them have a shot. Shibuya maybe. Look for those rough diamonds that are hungry in your own organization and wanting to listen to the coaches and impress the front office and fans. We will see some horrible moments (O'Rourke, but I'm not putting him on any shorter of a leash than Stauffer or Boyer) or Achter (throwing some heat).

It is frustrating because the Twins listened to the fans and spent the money, but were forced to essentially overpay for mid-level pitchers, either in dollars or length of contract. Face it, players aren't knocking down the doors to play here, and the Big Guys assume that the Twins won't spend the dollars (see internal free agents who have moved elsewhere). At least if you end up overpaying your internal free agents, you are, in a ways, rewarding them for jobs well cone. You never know how longterm contracts will work out, but you do have to go 2-3 years at lesat for above average players these days. You can land a one-year on someone looking for a rebuild year (or pull a Pelfrey maybe). Faced with the problem of promoting prospects too soon, or waiting too long, the Twins are...well, I'm happy they are giving us pretty good ball this year for a solid team that plays together but the reality is that there really aren't a lot of players with more than a year's expeience to get overtly excited about. The money is just money. You spend it. It doesn't carry over from season to season if you don't spend it. Yes, it can prevent you from spending down-the-line, but if the player can walk and toss, you can probably flip him for a prospect or another overpaid hunk of sludge.

Service time is moot for a prospect like Buxton. If he shines in Year One and Year Two, he will get a longterm deal he can't refuse. Bigger question is what to do about Aaron Hicks as he inches closer to arbitration with two horrible years and one better than expected year (adding up to about two years of time right now). The Twins have some outfield decisions to make, including the Arcia situation.

If he would get activated, I would luv to see Lester Oliveros get more than the couple of innings he got last yeat (innings Jared Burton was given over many pitchers for some unheard of reason). Kepler should see some major league at bats. It will be interesting to see how Vargas and Arcia are played in September. Vargas may get left-behind (like Hicks last year). And, yes, it would be fine to give a temporary roster spot to a Mark Hamburger or a James Beresford, if possibly. But who goes, who stays. The Twins will probably not promote Berrios, due to the service time issue, for some unheard of reason. Also expect them to add Rogers to the 40-man somehow. As long as a minor league team isn't in the playoffs (I think Rochester is missing them), I say bring up as many guys as you can (not just can afford) and give them a taste of major league life.

I don't think there are any seats to jump on the Saints bandwagon. The park is pretty much packed, with even standing room standing at a minimum. Few seats are available on-line. Even on the matinee performances. The Saints are literally printing money in Lowertown, winning games, and fans are having a blast!

Is Milone worth arbitration. It would be ncie to move him for something (as well as Pelfrey) in August. See neither Herrmann or Fryer being kept. But then, the Twins do need someone to catch. But no one ahs to be 40-manned from the abckstops in the current minors, just spring training invites. Wheeler should be removed from the 40-man. He is being apssed by others. Why Achter but not Tonkin. September callups of Darnell, Achter and Tonkin will elt us see who should be kept in the mix. Fien will probably not be coming back. Jepson could be on the bubble. Plouffe has another year as a Twin. He will still be reasonable. It is 2017 that he might cost the team 9-12 million in arbitration. This offseason, they either keep him longterm or prep him for trade. Sano ash to play some third, and get anotehr month of at bats. The Hunter decision will be amde in December, unless he is overwhelmed to sign somewhere else. his recent slump will hurt his marketability and salary demand. The Twins could have up to 13 spots open on the 40-man, more if they can trade some pieces (Pinto, Arcia, Varhas, Santana or Escobar). But the tell is that there really isn't much in the names above that someone will give you much for. Milone, Pelfrey, Plouffe (yes), Arcia (maybe), Hicks (possibily). Let some walk away in August and let's look at some potential pieces who WILL PLAY for the Twins in 2016. I still want another look at Lester Oliveros.

The pain is that if the Twins slip down the standings, although the chances of slipping below Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit are slim, attendance will flounder. If the Twins can stay around .500 and hold onto second place, people will still come and we won't have $5 tickets in September. But who knows how the win-win public will feel if the Twins just stay in the mix, not the hunt. They've been averaging 30,000+ for while now and everyone in he front office issalivating as those are many many full price tickets sold that the Twins control...no season ticket discounts or Stub-Hub throwaways.

The thing with Arcia, he ahs power. As does Sano. As does Walker. SOmeone ahs to DH and we don't want Kepler or Mauer DHing, although if Kepler pars as a first abseman, we probably will have those two splitting those two jobs in a couple of years. We have to see how Sano does in the field. If he can't play third, can he play the outfield, which compounds the mess even more.

It was a bad day for former Twins with Deolis Guerra and Vance Worley being sent down by the Pirates, Danny Valencia getting sent out by Toronto, and Garrett Jones getting cut from the Yankees. Oh, Chris Parmelee got sent out by Baltimore, too. But, hey, Pedro Florimon is abck in the majors!

No, Aaron Hicks does not make Buxtonirrelevant. Instead, he could be a nice compliment as one f the corner outfielders. Rosario is holding his own as an outfielder, right now. Arcia and Walker could be DHs that also could play the coutfield. Kepler is in the mix, especially sicne there is no room at first base in the immediate future. But in the current mix, soon with three seasons under his belt, Hicks will have to breakout bigtime or not make it thru his arbitration years. Like Plouffe, you ask at some point is he worth $9 million. But if he plays well, reaching perhaps the levels of Denard Span, he could be tradebait for a high-level prospect pitcher. Its the way of the game. It takes awhile for a player to amp up at times. They can have ups and downs. You don't produce a superstar every year, and very few #1 draft picks pan out huge for every team.

The question is: who do the Twins have that someone wants in a trade. Prospects! Like the Astros, the Twins have to look not only short-term (this Fall's additions to the 40-man) but at next year's crop of protectable prospects. The Astros are suddenly seeing that they can't find space for everyone they have in the system to protect and maybe, yes maybe, they should go and get some finer pieces for their team. The Twins may still be a full-year from this decision making process, as up to 13 spots on their current 40-man are filled by people who shouldn't be here next year. And that is the killer. Any value in those 13? Not seeing it. Are the guys producing at Rochester as valuable, as any of these 13? Sadly, many of those names are on par...except that they want to get and keep a big league job. The Twins have been playing obverall solid ball this year. But many of the players have done nothing to increase their own value in the marketplace (Pelfrey, Fien, Nunez, Robinson and any numebr of relief pitchers). Yet the names in the minors (Tonkin, Achter, Oliveros, Darnell, Thompson, Wheeler) have done little or nothing to make you want to keep them around on the roster next year, yet alone advance them up this year...except that they can't be any worse than what we already throw out there in relief. There's a half-dozen names of untouchables who SHOULD contribute to the Twins in the next couple of seasons: Meyer, Berrios, Stewart, Peterson, Polanco, Walker. But beyond that, everyone IS a prospect and if we can improve the team with long-range (not just rental) parts, we should. Except for A.J. Bring him back. Put Suzuki on the waiver wire in August. If someone grabs him, elt him go. Try to find a long-term catcher or bring back A.J.

Who do you trade? Maybe a guy on the current 40-man roster than runs out of options in a season or two. Look ahrd at your minors. Trade 1-2 guys who you should add to the 40-man, but can't because of the number of guys you have to add (sometimes sneaking thru that AA guyinto the deal). You can also either look at low-level prospects that appeear to be blocked by someone higher up in the organization,(Gordon) or that is basically a palcesetter before a low-level prospect gets better (Polanco - with Gordon/Javier in the wings). You unfortunately can't trade guys on the bubble, like Vargas and Santana. They have experience, but not showing signs of improvement. Now Aaron Hicks, may be at his most valuable of his career. Unfortunately, he's not an elite player by any means...yet.

Fein, like Guerrier and Burton, is overstaying his welcome. Thre was the slim chance that he was going to be dynamite this year and a non-contending Twins team would flip him to a contender for a prospect. Not happening. Boyer was one of those interesting projects. He is working hard because he wants to stay in the majors, give him credit for that. Is he replaceable. Sure. Are we doing anything about it? No. Duensing, like Burton last September where he was closing games to drive up his own worth it seemed and not really necessary as he wasn't coming back...give those innings to someone who will be pitching for you the next year. Right now, I would accept offers on Duensing and move him along. There is no way he will resign next season, unless he totally tanks elsewhere and needs a job. We have Thielbar. We can look at Rogers. We still have Thompson. Darnell is not a reliever. These guys are hungry and want to make major league money and will pitch their hearts out 12-15 times for the remainder of the season. That's it for a reliever now...like 15 appearances, maybe. Not many when you think about it. Take offers on Duensing, Boyer and Fein. Put them on the waiver wire and, along with Pelfrey, hope someone claims them. TR, don't even think about "they got us here, they stay here" bs. Think now, but also think the future. The now guys AREN'T EXCEPTIONAL in anyway. The future guys just may be, and we have a couple of choices for each tired old hand we send packing.

If the Twins can pull off a Wild Card, I aplaud. It was totally unexpected. Theya re a good team, but nothing overtly special. They play well because some otehr teams are playing bad. That they are the 4th or 5th (at one time the 2nd) best record says something about how everyone has averaged out amidst some eal downer teams. It is a real opportunity for the Twins to play with their own parts, so to speak. To advance and looksee at some folks knowing you can still send them out for seasoning. Maybe you egt a hot streak in a weak position, maybe not. What is disappointing is when you stop and look at the worth of the plyaers on the team. Who on the team would anotehr team trade for. Who would another team overpay in a trade for. Who could find work (starting job at least) on another team. Who would struggle to sign a minor league contract with hopes of someday making it back to the majors. Yes as a whole, the team has been playing well. Nothing truly outstanding except for a couple that makes other teams look and salivate at what the Twins have. That can and will change. Better to groom and play and SEE what we have than overspend on another contract that may or may not pan out (although a couple years ago we were complaining that the Twins weren't spending money). They have spent money. We can applaud that. But like prospects that may or may not pan out, you can't be sure on money spent, too...as we have seen.

Let Escobar run with it. polanco can be kept around anotehr season, if need, be, as backup at second if Dozier goes down. Santana is a place setter until Gordon or Javier arrives.But let him work things out in the minors. Don't get a $20 million a year shortstop contact. The prospects are potentially there.

I was going thru my head: Hunter, Pelfrey, Fien, Duensing, Darnell, Wheeler, Tonkin, Fryer, Hermann, Nunez, Robinson, Thompson. Decide about Thielbar and Achter. Only REAL additions would be Duffy, Rogers, Harrison and Walker. You can think about Hicks, Zack Jones and Cole Johnson. You might add Berrios in September, or just say "no" and still wait another season before giving him a spot next summer. Most others you jsut have to shuffle to AA or AAA to keep out of the minor league draft and keep them there, which shouldn't be a problem as pretty much the entire Rochester roster are minor elague free agents.

The Twins get two players that won't be around in 2016. They trade Tonkin, who will be bypassed anyway come the fall 40-man decisions more than likely. They move Santana, who can already be replaced by Esobar and probably by Polanco. They give the A's Jake Reed, who is at least one year away from being a lights out bullpen guy. Win-Win for the A's. But Ben basically repalces Nunez (so what do we do with him) and Tyler would bump someone else out of the bullpen to...where......

Catchers are valuable? Hey, maybe we can get abck Matt Capps and trade him straight up. Reality, aisde from the A.J. fleecing of San francisco, that is about the extent of prospects you would trade for a catcher. They can become a liability down the line...it is no longer a lifetime position and just because you do great numbers as a catcher, they don't necessarily translate well to another position. The Twins might do better going after a prospect similar to what Ramos was, on the cusp with more promise than not, and pray that he will hold up. We can sign Wieters as a free agent, but is he a train wreck waiting to happen? I ahd hopes that Mauer would be catching thru the 2016 season and parttime after that...that is where this problem truly developed. I don't believe Pinto was ever considered the young stud to replace Mauer, but more of a abckup to service the team this and next year and hope that we trade or develop another person (Danny Rams, perhaps). What would be the curren equivalent of Nathan, Liriano, Bonser in our system for a catcher? May, Stewart and Baxendale? Doubt I would do that. Meyer, Wimmers and Hu? Still wouldn't. Kepler or Walker in a deal?Possibly. But would we do better including Santana or Rosario instead. Would Arcia make someone salivate in parting with a proven gem?

Yeah, looking at the AAA roster right now and most of those are guys that won't be back for sure next season (probably including prospect Ortiz and Beresford). AA has quite a bit of dead wood, too. The current Twins roster has these names carrying forth to 2018-2020: Pinto, Mauer, Dozier, Polanco, Santana, Arcia, Vargas, Buxton, Hicks, Rosario. Plouffe could fit into the mix. That's 11 position players. They have Hughes, May, Gibson and Santana. Milone and Nolasco COULD be around another year or two. The bullpen has Perkins. Maybe Graham. If Oliveros doesn't come up, he's outa here. Names like Boyer, Fien, Densing, Thielbar, Darnell, Thompson, Pressly, Achter, Tonkin all may not make it to next season or beyond. (Time to remove Wheeler from the 40-man at least, no one will claim him) So what is this showing us? If Pinto can catch, we got a couple of solid abckups in Turner and Garver. Swim could be in the mix. But if Pinto can't catch, we are in trouble, The prospects are decent, but unless they can throw out runners and call a great game, it is a major weakness now and in the near future. Plouffe is at third. Sano could be at third, or just DH for the rest of his life. At some point, Blankenhorn MIGHT be the third baseman come 2020. We have Dozier at second. Beresford will eitehr get a September callup or not as a reward for being a good system guy. Michael and Valera are future reserve infielders. Shortstop has a lot of bodies. Nunez won't be back. Escobar is tradable. Santana is questionable Polanco would be a decent ride for a year oprtwo. Gordon is in the wings with Javier right behind him. Palicos and Vielma are reserve infielders (as, I would say, Santana is right now). We have Mauer at first base or somewhere for many eyars to come. Maybe Joe switches to DH when we move on from Plouffe and Sano goes back to third. Is Kepler the first baseman of the future two years out? Is Diaz on his heels to take over in four years or tehreabouts? Does Sano become a first abseman at some point, depending on a longterm contract negotiation? We have too many outfielders. Buxton in center. Is Rosario out there a betetr choice than Arcia and Walker in RF and LF? Does Walker come and DH when a decision is made on Plouffe and Sano goes back to third? English, Harrison and Granite are all solid potential backups. There are 13 friggin' starters on this list. 13! Rogers and Duffy needs decisions made on them now. Berrios will be considered a given. One of these three will start next season depending on what happens with Milone. Whew. What to do with Meyer. Stewart, Gonsalves, Hu all have promise. Thoirpe is a dark horse, as is Jorge. Batts, Tapia, Curtiss, Slegers, Rosario. A lot of names here. And somewhere sits Wimmers. The bullpen. We are seeing O'Rourke. Booser, Robinson and Jay will come in after we do soemthing with Thielbar, Thompson, Duensing and Darnell. The right side looks dangerous. Burdi, Reed, Cederoth, Chargolis, Hildenberger, Peterson, Jones. Finding spots for them will be the challenge, especially if you have to cycle someone from the rotation side into the bullpen. The Twins will definitely become younger, with the only old guys being Perk, Mauer and Santana. Finishing out this year is still going to be a treat to watch. If we bring in too many new bodies next year, we may see a downslide. I can't wait to see what Terry Ryan and Company do come September, if we see guys who will be around in 2017 and beyond, or guys who won't be here by the end of 2016, let alone this offseason. That's a solid group of 50 players. three levels of starting pitchers. Two good levels of offense and relief. Considering you might add 8-10 to the 40-man this year, then it becomes more difficult after that...the Twins have players to trade for something that they need (will they really need anything) or simply lose them.

Right now, the Twins have a bench of Fryer, Escobar, Nunez and Robinson. Next year, I see them having a bench of Santana, Hicks, Vargas and Pinto. Sounds better? They could have that right now. What is the perfect bench for pinch-hitting. Do you have an aging slugger like Thome who can play somewhere (qst base or outfield), but usually needs a pinch0runner. Then you have the speedy guy who is the pinch-runner, or hits to beat out a hit, or can be the defense repalcement. You do need a backup catcher. If he can play elswhere, that's a bonus, and if Baby Jesus would be willing to go behnd the plate if called upon in a need. Then you have to make sure your backup outfielder can play a decent center (or someone else on the roster) and you need someone who can fill in at 2B/SS/3B in place of a prospect, if need be. The idea situation is that you do have prospects who can come up and play full-time for a limitd period of time if someone does go down. Plouffe would be an idea utility guy, but he won't settle for that role anymore and has outgrown it. He would need to play everyday. He is a decision that will be tough to make now or in the offseason. No palce in the outfield. COuld get pushed out of third is you don't want Sano as fulltime DH (and looks more and mroe like that would be the idea position for Sano).

That's a lot of 40-man ads next year. Especially names like Beresford and Hicks who would not be longterm ads. The Twins have a lot of middle infielders on that list, and with Dozier holding down the fort, there six guys that should be a part of trades, not to mention current bodies holding down shortstop. There's 14 guys at 1st base and outfidler, and we have Mauer, Hicks, Rosario, Vargas and Rosario already in the mix. That's quite a few for five spots. Even if you have twwo as backup. Whew. ANother area of prospect depth to wheel and deal. But for what? Catching seems weak. I don't think bullpen needs are any worse than position prospects. Man, what can the Twins get for 10 or so of these guys who won't be needed in 2-3 years.

And you do need a closer. And he wasn't eating up lots of money. And if he does decline, he is still a left-handed arm. He could stay on and not close in the future if treated right. And, in the big picture, the Twins DO NOT need more prospects. They have to find a way to protect the prospects. They have too many right now.

With the Twins probably finding 8-9 40-man roster spots next season, and probably fewer than that in 2017, who do the Twins have to protect next season and the season after that...i.e. what names do the Twins have to make moves on to keep or trade away, do you think?