Rosterman

The Twins have $40-50 million to spend to upgrade. What should they do? Who on the 40-man roster could easily be replaced by a better player? Who on the 40-man roster will NOT be a Twin in 2020?

Duda replaces Austin if the Twins can't keep him. They have signed 25+ minor league free agents. Looks like no room at the Rochester roster for in-house prospects this season...except in the possibly already full rotation of arms. Go figure. Of course, injuries and releases will change things up as spring training progresses. Sometimes, though, insted of the few million in some of these guaranteed contracts, wished they would actually get a usuable 25-man player who MIGHT be better than anyone on the current roster.

We got Lucas Dudas for a couple of million, which means Tyler Austin might not be in the plans at all.

The three batter rule would be a disaster if the pitcher didn't have their stuff. Of course, he just might walk three guys. But still. Between using an opener and using a closer for one inning, you can already burn thru three pitchers a game. And you usually do with the pitch count limits on starters who can't reach the 6th anyways. Regarding expanding rosters, maybe should expand them to 28 players, and you must rest three ech game (which wouldn't be hard, because you have starting pitchers). But then you would have more one batter pitchers on the roster. But I would like to see an expanded roster to offer either that additional pitcher or batter. Of course, the National League has worked just fine with the pinch hitter using up a bench bat and no designated hitter. Raises problems when pitchers do have to bat from the American League. Having the universal designated hitter would mean pitchers never ever have to swing a bat again. And how can you prevent a team from tanking. At some point, most every team worried about budget goes thru a rebuilding phase. And it may happen in mid-season, with the uncontrolled disabled players, and the opportunity to trade off assets for the future.. If a team chooses to tank, then they face the wrath of the ticket holder. I think the bigthing for major league baseball is to look at cost of going to a game. How do you fill all those empty seats each game in stadiums. Sure, they ride the corporate buyout of season tickets, which is still revenue if the business can't give away the tickets and are content with the business writeoff. But like the Twins, how do you adjust prices to make it a worthwhile experience to fill those 10,000 empty seats each game, as well as get people to purchase the beverages and food. Overall, looking at ALL teams, I don't see major league abseball being a hard ticket to get.

Surprised that Granite is still on the 40-mn after his season. He had a missed opportunity last year, and Cave stepped it up and took a position for regular play. But, I think, Cave still ahs options. So if the Twins feel a need to keep the bat of Austin he could start in the minors (with the excuse that they want him to play regularly). Reed and Wade are further insurance. So, it looks like the Twins are set for the outfield for 2019.

You keep both as long as you can and make the Austin cut on the final day of spring training and hope you can keep him for depth. Does he stay on the 40-man if he has to clear waivers. Of course, anytime he returns he has to be added, and if cut still again needs to go thru waivers. Do you see either of them here in 2020...or better yet 2021?

Who did we cut?

Pretty much all just getting to come 10 days early and work out with the major league guys. Wondering who the minor league free agent invites are. See they just signed another half dozen guys.

When you start plugging in longer term free agent or two, you have a club built around them, in which those free agents do fill obvious holes, Right now the Twins have a roster with, perhaps, 20-21 holes. It seems no one is in the longterm plans on the current roster, otherwise the Twins would be going out of their way to extend the players. The couple obvious choices for extension are Berrios (they better do something) and Rosario (do you really want to build a franchise around him). So many questions that needed answers last season and the Twins didn't get them, but the promise is still there, so you take another and much longer look. The Twins are playing for the future, the promise of the signings of the current administration becoming the team of the future. Look at the current 40-man roster. ho on the roster should be here in 2020. Who should be here in 2021. Who in 2022. You are better to ask who "might" and some of those "mights" are still in the minors. Kepler and Buxton are still questionable. Sano is a big question for an esxensiuon. The Twins have no 2B/ss. They have patchwork at 1B. The atching is a mess. Not that any/all of these guys could play well in 2019. But the only proven given is an aging DH. The rotation has three guys entering free agency and one longer extension candidate. They have a bunch of starters that you hope can pitch you into the 6th inning. Hope is the big word. The bullpen has no closer and a couple of overworked setup guys, and the usual mix of arms with a couple in the wings. Anyone you want to extend? ANyone you can live without? Before you say May and Rogers, really think about that. Yes, the Twins could sign a couple of HUGHE free agents. But now, they are rebuilding. The pieces they have MIGHT make them competitive if the players want big money in the future (something that should've also happened last year with names like Santana, Lynn, Dozier, Morrison all playing for BIG contracts in the years ahead.) There is a plan. We have to be patient. The front office WANTS to make a team and organization in their own image. It takes time (sadly), but once the pieces start falling into place, we MIGHT have success and actually get young conrollable longterm free agents.

Again if the Twins spend 50% of new revenue above and beyond then tell me what the other 50% is silent on. Operating costs stay pretty stable with cost of living increases. There might be s slight uptick in draft monies but money sient on the limits stays stable. You mighg make a new beer garden but that should pay fir itself. Again spending $130 million on $260 million different then doebding $100 million on $200 million...you have $30 million being soent on what? Stadium beds reduction?

Interesting signing. We have Berrios and Gibson in the toration. Odorizzi needs to pitch more than 5 innings. Pineda is coming off an i jury season. Mejia is out of options but can he go more than 5 innings. Everyone else CAN start at Rochester and make for a nice reserve. If nothing else, Perez and Mejia can battle for a relief role, the winner making the rotation. The bigger question: who is cut?

Who have the Twins hired for the major league strength and conditioning staff?

Surprise move. I guess. But probably set to be passed by by others. Not sure the need to keep Duffey, DeJoeng or Magill in the mix. It is confusing why you cut ties with a hard-throwing prospect, except he is a bit wild. Be interesting to see who else takes a gamble on the guy.

Yes. but we can't have 5-inning starters. Still out on Odorizzi. Wonder if Pineda will be ready. Still questionable about Mejia also getting the innings. And Gonsalves and Stewart are still unproven. So that is WHY the Twins MAY need to have a first-rate rotation arm if they wish to be HIGHLY competitive. But I think the arms and talent are there in the bullpen for this season and a preview of next.

The Twins do have some hard decisions on who to "bench." They are in trouble if Sano and Buxton don't produce. What is the backup for first base? How do you play Cruz when there is no DH. Someday major league rosters will expand to 27 or 28 and you roster 25 for a game, so you can have the situational runner and an extra bench bat. How did they do it in the old days when you used a guy to bat for a pitcher? Wait, it still works in the NL. You use LESS pitchers!

So who goes? Vote for Magill or Duffey, although the Twins could cut ties with Granite.

Tewk has done this for other teams. It is a specialized position that he has mastered. https://www.si.com/edge/2018/05/02/bob-tewksbury-mental-coaching-baseball-jon-lester

Here's good for depth, but the Twins will have a full rotation at Rochester as well as other arms needed to advance by mid-season.

Nothing wrong. You are getting guys who can/may motivate young players on a day-to-day basis. What does a former major league (or even minor league) player brings to the mix, except riding buses or living the dream - I guess. But it is now called player development. Teams are signing more and more guys after the draft, and fewer and fewer positions seem to exist for the AAAA-type guys overall. They also weed thru guys in record numbers, it seems. If I guy makes it to his third minor league season, he stands a better than 50% average of maybe making it to minor league free agency. But, I wonder, what IS the salary of minor league coaches compared to what you can make at a state college or university?

Sometimes numbers just catch up. Meyer was running out of options. Rodriguez wasn't considered quite ready enough since his switch to pitching, and he opted for free agency rather than stay with the Twins. Yes, the Twins still passed on Bard (and Zack Jones) for example. Hey, we could still get Burdi back. But all those relief pitchers they drafted high have...struck out.

I start to look at the list as assets going into 2020, too. See a drop off of at least four names in the next year, sadly. Although a couple of those COULD remain if they are better than OTHER product out there.

But then you are having two pitchers for essentially one role, and they can't come out again and pitch on short notice. Kinda like burning a relief pitcher for an inning as an opener. Doesn't make sense. You are a starting pitcher, a long-guy who can MAYBE pitch every other or every third day, and a one-inning guy. Use to have guys that just face a batter (or two) but that is a luxury when starters can barely get to the 7th inning anymore. Sadly, team rosters need to increase in the day of specialization (and you'd think the union would be pushing for this) with 27 or 28 names. Maybe you can only roster 35 for a game. But would be nice to have an extra bench body beside an additional arm. Of course, at one time a starting pitcher threw 160 or more pitches and pitched every fourth day. And the money they made (according to ol' Bert) was much much less!

I don’t see Cron or Austin being the future of the Twins anyway be it 2020 or even beyond. Rally and Rooker should be battling fir s place on the roster and first basemen are nit a hard commodity to find if you need a place setter for the moment. I hope they do keep Austin thru spring training just in case and keep him st AAA.

I just hope Sano reports in shape and IS a third baseman. I also hope they still keep Austin until the final day of spring training. You never know. I don't think the Twins need more starters. They have to see what they have. And I would be satisfied with letting Pineda, Gibson and Odorizzi being tradebait at mid-season. The bullpen...I would only add by subtracting, and be harsh. Can you do better than Reed, and eat his salary? But any signings in relief take the place of some lesser body on the 40-man.

Yep, traded a couple of enduring centerfielders for Meyer, May and Worley! Hey, we still have May for a couple more seasons...maybe!