Rosterman

I'd take 51-35 with an ERA under four for all five starters anyday. Lotsa homers here. 215 for sure, according to ESPN. Looks like the Twins won't be setting a new record for strikeouts.

Well, Escobar (Blue Jays), Cron (Red Sox) and Leon (Royals) are all free-agents again.

The Twins have the rotation arms of Lopez, Ryan, Ober and Varland tied to the team at least thru the 2027 season at predictable costs. Throw in Duran, and Jax...well, Twins look pretty good in pitching land with a good level of prospects coming into the mix starting in 2026. Jeffers, Kirilloff, Jensen, Lewis, Wallner are also controllable thru those seasons. Ad well as the expensive contracts for Correa and Buxton. The Twins could totally have a new outfield by the time 2026 comes around, and those guys would be playing strong for 5-6 seasons. Throw Lee into the mix. If the Twins can carve out some extra funds, they will have a dynasty easily.

Finally, we can rest! Robbie Grossman has signed. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/white-sox-sign-robbie-grossman.html

I wanna work for someone that will cover $4.5 million of my bad gambling debts.

Yikes - Ouch. Not only was the pitching bad, but the hitting almost worse. Happens. Even during the regular season. Have to let Varland see how he handles getting out of such messes. Lots of singles with those walks. Alcala, too, got hit.

Twins cut loose Ernie Yake. Talk about a guy who travelled through many minor league stops each of his three seasons in the organization. Did everything they asked of him.

As long as health isn't an issue. I see all of Lopez, Ryan and Ober getting up towards 180+ innings and making their regular turns in the rotation. I also think Varland is capable of fulltime seasonal work. I love watching Ryan and Varland work. Ryan, when he can set the timing of a game, is a gem. He needs to work on crafty pitching locations, maybe make Vasquez his regular catcher. You will give up his, but don't let it affect your timing. The homer-run ball still happens. But I ike that he will chalenge a hitter. Same can be said for Varland. No one works faster than Varland. And he, too, will challenge the hitter. But if he can keep the hitter off-balance, watch out. Sure, we maight've like to see him start the season and egt real comfortable in St. Paul. He still could, if the Twins want to pitch him that way for the first 10-12 days before coming across town. Paddack will be fine, but I see a max of 25 starts and maybe 130+ innings at best. What then? Some bullpen work? Hopefully we have someone at St. Paul capable of settling into the rotation. Woods Richardson, Headrick, Festa are all on the lightrail if the time comes. Dbnak could still be a player. Be curious to see what the rotation is in St. Paul. Too bad about Canterino. Was hoping he might blossom into someone other than the next Burdi of the Twins. One could've dreamed. A one-year flyer on Blake Snell for $32m...humm, I would've gone for it, even with the second year option that he would walk from if he pitches great. Who would've thought.

Man, if I knew you could take a one-year $32m flyer on Snell, I might've gone for it. Even if you had to absorb the second year.

I always loved the early Topps cards. They would take photographs of the players during the spring training, but also always take a photo of them without a hat on, in case the player was traded between the end of the photograph season and when the cards were issued. Also remember that often it was a even series release. Every four weeks they would send out a new batch of cards to correspond wqith the checklist. And often the print runs of the cards would be smaller as each series was released. This was a fun series of All-Stars and was a popular way to play one of the many games at the time. The other was just using dice and your own team of baseball card greats.

Talk about a Trade! No way.

We will see what the final week brings. I was almost wondering if Larnach was going to beat out Wallner, since Wallner still has options. Or even Miranda making the club and pushing Kirilloff to the outfield. The Twins really don't need a 5th starter until twice thru the first four, so Varland could work out of the pen. Sands might be a stay because he is considered a long relief pitcher. Fundeburk got hit for two runs, in his second inning out, that came around because the bullpen arm after him gave up a homer rather than egt out of the inning. So the question is who in the bullpen is capable of pitching a second inning, to be sure. Heck, maybe someone goes on the 60-day and the Twins can keep a Boyle or Duarte...but not a Jensen.

Nice depth to have, although if he goes to St. Paul I would play him more often than not at first base. But the Twins also have Severino on the prospect bubble. Big year for both of them and where they will be playing come 2025. Again, though, with Wallner striking out 50% of the time, and Kirilloff able to play the outfield...unless you trust Larnach, why not keep Miranda then and move Kirilloff fulltime to the outfield with Margot as the backup. Will be interesting to see how the Twins handle the one battle spot on the bench.

Twins were so friggin' lucky last year, not even carrying an extra catcher on the 40-man. You still always run the risk of Jair getting injured in St. paul and how you would cover any roster addition then if you need to add back someone signed for depth. I'm really curious to see if the Twins do team up Jeffers or Vasquez as personal catchers for any particular starter, especially with one having a betetr throwing arm than the other for base stealers.

I guess the strength of being a 2-way player, yes?

That, and for all intent and purpose, Margot is probably just a one-season pick-up anywasy as his option year is $12m. But Taylor got greedy and ended up signing for whomever had a roster spot and some money left for his services. Something is better than...a minor league contract.

Winning is NOT everything in the spring. A minor league arm can give the game away. That being said, Lopez, Doran and Topa have been far from great, might just al be working on things. But Varland, Alcala, Durate have been solid in many ways. Wallner has struck out 50%. Larnach is looking better. Humm. Otherwise, pretty comfortably with the offense. Like someone said, though...if doing a one-year pickup, Taylor would've been fine for $4m. But he waited to long to drop his expectations. Spring train is TRAINING. ime to make some adjustments, try some new things, and just prep for the long season. You don't want to give some players too many innings out of the chute, but have them on a daily workout schedule to just get into playing shape, period. And face some opposition. That isn't jsut throwing batting practice.

DeScar is on staff in someway, and the 5th starter when he is ready. But Varland is in the wings as Padddack and DeScar probably won't start 45 games between the two-of-them this season.

Hold back and start the season in the warmer environs of training camp if the Twins see fit (although it is WARM in Minnesota...amazingly). Then a bit of time in St. Paul. He will have to be on the roster at some point to showcase that he can handle the majors for real. I'm hoping he does return and becomes a part of the Twins bullpen for a few more seasons. Always felt he had the stuff (but maybe not total attitude) to be closer material. Maybe he will get that chance elsewhere. Maybe not. But I put more stock of him being in the pen in 25/26 than the mess of minor league free agents and aging bullpen arms that should give us at least one good season that the Twins can trot out for 2024.

He is NOT on the 40-man. Even if someone goes on the IL, unles it is 60-days there is no spot. So, he will start the season at AAA and play everyday. At what position, not sure. That's the name of the game. No spot for him on the roster. No need to rush him to the majors as the roster and next-in-line is pretty much established for the half-season.

We all have dream trades. Better yet, we want free agents to be signed. Yet there is always the aspect of: Does THAT free-agent want to sign and play for the Twins, no matter what the Twins might pay. Do they even listen to an offer (which usually isn't high). The Twins do have a nice core of pitchers who will be around for 2025, and three that could be around at least another two seasons. Which sets up nice for the Twins advancing a rookie into he mix each of the next few years. So picking up an arm (or two) for a season with the hopes of getting at least 20-24 starts out of them is the Twins priority at best. And they pretty much did that this season. They could still add someone not ready to start the season, like a Jake Odorizzi (or Rich Hill). But got another week or two of spring games before any panic that they don't have five starters for the first month of the season. They sure did manage to grab enough bullpen arms between those signed strictly for the majors and a few stashed at St. Paul.

You do want to send 40-man guys out sooner rather than later. If they get disabled in spring training, If they get disabled in a spring game before being optioned out, they remain in major league land and gain service time.

I'm curious to see his 2024. He has been lights out in spring training. I hated 2023 when he was brought in with a man on in extra inning games. He more often than not had a tendency to put a man or two on base in a good many of his outings. He seemed to do better when he could start an inning. My only disappointment with him was that I was hoping, with his work as a starter, to be a guy who would regularly pitch thru the batting order once, be that long relief guy.

AA and Major Leagues are two different arenas. Happily Spirng Training happens. Hope he gets to play more often against the major league pitchers. And have that coach carefully watching how he swings and what pitches he needs to lay-off of.

This is one the Twins could afford to let get away!