Rosterman

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?

For immediate options, it isn't all that bad, especially if you take starters and put them in the bullpen (Rogers, Duffy). Remember, the Twins are still one up with May now in the bullpen. Looks like Nolasco won't be back. But until they figure out Pelfrey, the Twins at least have solid starting depth. I would like to think that Duffy (and perhaps Rogers) would be above any of the 5th starters we trotted out in the past. But, who knows. The Twins have to make a decision of Fieb. Is he the next Jared Burton? Can he bring up his worth jsut a tad and be someone someone would trade a low-level prospect. I'm just not comfortable with him in the setup role. Boyer is doing okay. I'm not sure the longterm, but for now, plesaed with him. As well as Pressly and Graham in the backend either pitching long innings or doing mop-up work. So, ultimately, it comes down to three pitchers on the bubble. Fien (who somehow works mroe often than not), Boyer (who ash been a surprise, but they will catch up to him) and Duensing (who s finally pitching, but is still just a fraction of whatever he was. Do we have guys thatcan replace these guys and give us speed, groundballs, whatever on demand? Oliveros is always the most intriguing. I'm not sure what's up with him. He's really really good, or just has a bad moment...which most pitchers do. But will he tell you if he's not quite up to the task? I would give Achter a try. Ultimately, would like to see Meyer step up and laim a palce in the bullpen, using it as a stepping stone to get back on the starter track. Yes, there are more names: Zach Jones, who just had a couple of bad outings but still dominates. Of course we have Reed and Burdi, who were expected to dominate, but still need work. Chargois and Hildenberger are names to watch right now. The Twins could always make a 40-man spot by designating Jason Wheeler for assignment, which might be easier NOW since they sent him back. And Noalsco COULD go on the 60-day DL...he's already been on it for a couple of those weeks, thus freeing another 40-man spot. The Twins also have to make a decision on Darnell (not to mention ultimate decisions on roster spots of Thielbar and Thompson). At some point, is Shane Robinson the odd-man out in the outfield. What do you do about Santana/Nunez/Escobar, especially with Polancoi n the wings. So finding a 40-man spot isn;t all that difficult (remove a starter in trade, disable a starter longterm, designate one-or-two minor league guys off the roster, release one or two position players). Great analysis, Seth. You never know how/where someone like O'Rourke will materialize. Now if someone ahd remained smart about Gilmartin? Or even Guerra?

The only reason to start Pelfrey is to build up his value. Yet, if he has no value beyond this year with the Twins, getting something, anything for him woiuld be better than having him prevent someone,say May, from starting. At this point, he is not a necessity in the rotation. And what happens when Nolasco needs to come abck and pitch because of his salary. The Twins need to think hard about anyone WHO WILL NOT BE WITH THE TEAM IN 2016 and what they actually contribute to the team and their chances for winning this year during the all-star break. Pelfrey isn't a necessity. If Noalsco can continue to win (if he pitches again this year) you can always send him thru waivers and if some team wants him abd enough, elt him go. Blow apart the bullpen. You can't rely on some guys in a pressure situation. Yes, they MAY perform, but we have to look beyound the maybees. We can always find a maybee and let's give some of those other guys a chance (Oliveros, Achter and even Darnel, let alone Rogers and, now that he had a taste of major leage money, meals and travel, Alex Meyer. )

Vargas is still a prospect. But ALL these youngsters have to sort it out themselves. There are a lot to choose from and if you falter, someone COULD take you place. I am surprised he isn't returning to Rochester,to at least be the regular first baseman iof nothing else. But, I still don't know WHY the Twins are one reliever to the plus, and why we still have Duensing and Thompson on the rosterand not playing mroe musical chairs and at least looking at Achter and even adding Oliveros to the 40-man (Bernier still holds a 40-man spot). Be interesting to see why goes: Pelfrey or May. Or is Milone still the odd guy out?

I don't think he'll stick. It will be between Him and May for a bullpen slot when Santana returns (May may go abck to Rochester just to keep throwing innings). Meyer has to prove that he is ore than a back-of-the-bullpen backstop. He's getting a taste. But picture him, too, back at Rochester as the Twins add another bat.

The joys of being on the 40-man already. What, he leapfrogs Achter, Darnell and Wheeler for now. Otehr guys would have to be added by taking someone off (which can/should happen, yes) but once you add someone to the 40-man, you want to hope they will stay there and contribute as you want. Sure, they can waive Bernier, someone might claim him, actually, plus he is in limbo for 10 days or so. So these decisions are major. Meyer is staying on the 40-man for sure, so he may come up and go back down, but we aren't repalcing him with any name except someone coming back like Nolasco or Santana. Reality, we are still one pitcher to the plus side, plus we have to find space for two returning starters. So three current pitchers are changing jobs for sure, and someone will eventually come up to bat from the minors.

It's a contract year. 'Nuff said. He produces he gets a BIG multi-year contract. Otherwise, he's one of those mid-level signings.

It just goes to show you that no matter how many millions you have for a high draft pick, there is more to playing majorleague ball than impressing people inhigh school or college.

I seem to remember when the Twins first inquired about Dave Winfield, the Yankees wanted Derek Parks, Jeff Bumgarner and another pitcher. The Twins didn't make the trade.

The Twins are salivating with the new ticket market. Considering they had roughly 18,000 tickets available via them for EVERY game once the season started (they are still offering season ticket plans), the demand for tickets is thin on StubHub (which is season ticket resales). The Twins are selling lots and lots of tickets for close to full price by themselves. It goes to show that if you win, people will come. So...they have to keep winning!

Maybe he should shave the beard and sees what happens.

Remember, power arm Oliveros is in the minors, Zach Jones is opening eyes. Alex Meyer could come up as a reliever, too. That's not out of the realm of possibilities. We still have the mentioned Thielbar and Achter in the wings. The Twins should actually go down one bullpen arm and bring up some kind of bat. Looking at MLB Trade Rumors, lots of teams are looking for relievers, so the good will be had, the bad will just wander. But, yes, what happens when Santana comes back and Nolasco is healthy? Do we add Milone and May to the bullpen mix...for now?

Line-up construction has always been a Twins problem, and it starts with Mauer. Should he bat second, should he bat third. Right now, I'd bat him fifth. See if Buxton can lead off. We'll know right away if he is a free swinger or actually will take pitches. But watch the first three games where pitchers will try to stay ahead of him in the count to see if he THE REAL DEAL. I like Hunter at second. I would bat Dozier third. Plouffe is fine at cleanup. Mauer fifth. Vargas 6th, although that prevents people from pitching to Mauer. Would you rather see Suzuki or Escobar behind Mauer. Or Rosario. The end of the lie-up is a catch-all with no one really showing skills at being the guy to move the runner, hit the sacrifice fly, or taking a walk and working the other rotation.

Remember, Ervin Santana will be heading to Rochester this week to start games. So Oliveros was just a temporary stopgap (unless you'd rather see Darnell or Hamburger start).

It will be interesting to see if the Twins do a looksee at folks like Wheeler and Darnell again. There was a reason to add them or keep them. Baxendale could probably get thru the Rule 5. Watch the Twins give Rogers a look at some point when a 40-man spot opens up. He's one of those borderline guys. But if he continues to excel, you should package him with someone for someone. The Twins still have to figure out what to do with Oliveros and to a lesser extent Pryor, or lose both as minor league free agents. What role will Harrison play for the Twins, that is the question. If the Twins can trade any of Pelfrey, Milone, Duensing, Boyer or even Fien, they probably should. And if Nolasco comes back and continues to win he just might be tradable. There are some chips there, but do you move them for more prospects (creating 40-man roster decisions down the line) or get that missing piece (a catcher, a bat). You always wonder WHAT was the reasoning behind putting Wheeler on the roster, yet letting Gilmartin be exposed to the draft, and then grabbing Graham and adding Stauffer and keeping Duensing. No one says the job of a General Manager is easy, right? But the Twins SHOULD be looking to get value for anyone they can who WON'T be around next season. Now if only the players would play along.

The pitching COULD remain solid. We have Ervin Santana coming in. And even Gibson, when shelled, can pitch deep into games. It's a horriblel ine-up to construct. Somedays it is working well. The Royals series showed every mistake possible. You can't predict who might hit a homer, go forextra bases, move runners. You just hope the other team makes more mistakes and you can outpitch them in the end.