Rosterman

Yeah, it doesn't really make sense. But they got another year of him in the system by not 40-manning him, something similar to what they did with Kyle Waldrop and, also, Cole DeVries. Be interesting to see if they try it with Carlos Gutierrez this fall.

You have to also look at the season ticket base, and what happens to the tickets those people don't want. This year, it has taken a while, but people are buying their single game tickets now on stubhub, not the 5,000+ the Twins still have available for every game. My wife and I are also reconsidering our season ticket desire. This was a tough year as jobs made us miss more games in our packet than the norm. We managed to not lose ANY money yet on our ticket resales, which is a plus, actually turning a profit on a couple. Next year, don't see that happening at all. Next year, we see the opportunity to, eprhaps, buy tickets for a game for as little as $5, or a buck. Who knows. The incentive today is the CHANCE to buy A TICKET for the All-Star game. But the strip could cost as much as your season ticket package. This year they are offering a 10% discount on concessions and such. Already get the free magazine and yearbook. I get free pop being a designated driver. I will save a half-buck on my hot-dog. It will be interesting to see how the season ticket base turns out. Like myself, weighing the games assigned for me to go to versus just being able to wak up and buy a ticket (or purchase easily on stubhub -- amazing place, folks......). This month, go to a weeknite game with 30,000 in attendance and roughly count the empty seats.

The Twins may actually be waiting to add Slama as a 40-man guy for the 2013 season rather than waste a year by adding him this year. So that might be good news. Again, anyone added in November can't be cut until after spring training, so you need some dead bodies to cut if you add free agents.

And so many of the guys, starting with the already demoted Thomas, Gray and Maloney, and adding such folks as Walters, Perdumo, let's throw in Butera, Carson, Manship, the injured Gutierrez and Oliveros -- to name but a few would be unclaimed and available again, or easily replaceable by other ilk in the systems. And why not give recognition and expsoure to guys IN your system that you have promoted and supposedly believed in -- Guerra, Slama, Bigley even.

Diamond...you can wait another couple of years. Same with Ben revere right now, see what 2015 will look like. You might try Burton for 2-3 years. Unless he is the closer, he won't be an expensive free agent, especially if he has health issues next year. Plouffe is still cheap...it's more his call...what he wants to make in the next 2-3 years, or is he afraid he will be out. Pretty bad when the crop of this year's BEST Twins aren't crying out for long-term committments.

If Benson could truly be a 20/20 man and hit .250/.260, he would be an okay rightfielder...sorta speedier Cuddyer. Strikeouts do hurt. You like to see more walks if a guy does K alot. A ball in play, be it a grounder or a fly, has the potential to advance a runner. The Twins have a logjam in center, which makes Span expendable right now. We don't need two Spans and Revere is on a quest to turn each single (and walk) into a stolen base double for the next couple of years, or until we have the Hicks or Buxton play somewhere problem. Mastro is the perfect 4th outfielder right now. He can sill in for guys on the 15-day disabled list. We need Herrmann as the third multi-position catcher, since everyone Butera caught has been traded away. Sadly, the Twins are a team of middle infielders, too many with the same skill set, the only difference is salary. I'n not a longterm Casilla fan, but $2 million for Alexi isn't much different than $2.5+ million for the aging Carroll at this point. My concern for Parmelee is that he can't hit .250 in the majors, even if he hits 15-20 homers. Can we afford to have three players with the same stat set (make Willingham a slighter better 4th) that hit .240-.260 with 15-25 homes at 1st/3rd/RF/LF...the possibility of doing less than that and the rare occurence of doing better? Put Dozier into the mix as a shortstop with more than zero-power, and we have a very average offense headed by the bats of Mauer, Doumit and Revere getting on base at 1-3 clip compared to 1-4/5 of everyone else.

I understand the medical staff were unable to find a heartbeat on the field Wednesday.

if you are ambitious, add them to http://www.twinscards.com

I wished they maybe sent him down sooner, when they decided to Plouffe at third base, and let us look at Chang or Holimon as a backup infielder. Let Carroll play short and Casilla second. When Plouffe went down, bring Burroughs back up for a week after trading away Valencia. Yes, we are doing some 40-man shuffling. Dozier will be given every chance to shine again in 2013. Hopefully for the next three weeks he can work on his swing. It seems in the majors he had great bat days and then forgot what to do on he field, and vice versa. And, yes, no one in the wings, especially if the Twins don't keep Casilla around (who should be playing short, but the second coming of Luis Rivas moniker isn't helping him). Going to the minors isn't a bad thing. It allows you to work on certain skill sets more. Unless you fail mightily (look at Tosoni) you are still a prime prospect.

Sometimes you get lucky and your guys hang around for additional seasons (Waldrop, DeVries). It all depends on the money. Most veteran minor league guys can make $50-60,000. The Twins look pettygood to go after 25-30 guys again, with pretty much all of Rochester disappearing.

Yeah, wouldn't be surprised if DeVries is dropped, and depending on how he returns, Walters. Both getting resigned as minor league free agents, if hey wish. Players like that will be on the bubble. Twins have to decide on Baker and Casilla, and would they keep Manship and, say, let Swarzak walk. Deduno is an interesting guy...a few more starts. And I wouldn't consider Florimon a given........or Butera, if you have to add another catcher. The question is, will the guys then jump ship, rather than stay and give the Twins depth in the minors........And Bromberg and Slama. Really, when you look at the Rule 5 guys and the minor free agents, there isn't much that need protecting.....or that other teams will sweep in and grab.

I can see another season of Butera, until one of the other backup catchers mature. Yes, Jeff Gray. What about him. Or Burnett. Or Swarzak. And, Blackburn. You forgot a few.

There isn't really a lot to look at in September if Terry just brings up 40-man roster guys, and expect the new 40-man roster to be very young. If the offense can advance and score runners, and with the current bullpen candidates, we might be one to two very good healthy starters away from contention, which is all the Twins carry about to put butts in the stands.

Take the plunge and claim Cliff Lee on waivers.......

Hey, like Blackburn, you are paying the guy and might as well get something out of him. He can't hurt you right now. The question is when Plouffe comes back, does he stay or does a pitcher go. You have to see what you got, and if there is anything that might $3 million interest someone between now and August 30th, you let him show and then waiver wire him. Like they did Valencia. Wait, the Red Sox got Danny. To keep him from going to the Yankees, perhaps. Sadly, they sent him right away to triple-AAA. Poor Danny! He was batting better than Youklis did for the Red Sox.

Why are people so hard on DeVries. He pitches his heart out and adapts as the game happens. He should be in any mix. Blackburn is here until they decide they can eat his salary. Baker is up-in-the-air...and probably would be as ready to return to the Twins as Gibson would be -- midseason. I doubt that Walters will be kept on the 40-man. Deduno, if he keeps pitching, will be. Hendriks will get a chance to shine. B.J. Hermsen might be the dark horse in all of this. But they still need a free agent. Claim Cliff Lee on waivers!

Every week this same stuff is handled in Twinkie Town, where the guy also gives a nice recap of teams in the Twins system. Usually stays pretty on top of transactions except when he and his wife go on the road for two weeks in the summer.

What places already have an affiliation with the Midwest League? I doubt that they will subtract teams to add teams.

Good overall comments. Yes, both can weather another season in the minors if need be. Interesting that the Twins brought up Manship instead of Hendriks. Be interesting to see who the Twins call up in September to olster an overworked bullpen - Oliveros, Waldrop and Guerra...and now Hendriks and Hernandez. That's it, unless they rid themselves of Blackburn, Pavano and Capps somehow. I;'m not sure if P.J. Walters will be back or stay on the 40-man once the season ends. Who else could the Twins conceivably add for a looksee if roster spots open? Escobar is a stopgap backup...but has youth going for him. I mean, we want Holliman, Florimon, Dinkelman, Chang, or Roof as a back-up infielder instead, assuming the Twins part with Janey Carroll (I bet that still happens in the next few days) and don't resign Casilla.

Arcia could get a look. The Twins might bite on Hicks. But anyone else...no, not if they aren't 40-man roster qualified at tis point. No use starting the clock on anyone before you need to, just for an early looksee. Arcia needs to make the team in 4 years...so he's an advance looker.

The Twins would have to offer arbitration to Liriano, which means (like Ortiz last year with the Red Sox) the Twins could get stuck with a $12+ million purchase. Granted, Liriano would want to itch like hell in 2013 to get an even bigger buyout, but the Twins (or whomever gets him in a trade, could be on the hook for even more). The flipside is that if the Twins can get halfway decent worth for Liriano, they can watch him do whatever he will do for the remainder of the year, and possibly outbid others on a multi-year contract during the offseason and sign him for that $24-27 million 3-year contract. Is his shortterm worth worth it to a team in 2012? How many players will actually be in that 2013 class. Would the Twins spring for a couple of free agents? And how abdly will the team get decimated in July (Span, Capps, Pavano, Morneau cold all be gone for prospects). Are the internal building blocks fully in place to replace those guys in 2013 without spending in the free agent market and will replacements be comparable (can Parmelee hit 18-20 homers and bat .240, for example). Can Mastro play right field and bat .270 and steal 15 bases and hit three homers. Will the Twins still have bench and bullpen depth to pull from as next season straddles on?

The Liriano situation, getting two draft picks, means you have to offer him arbitration. Unless Frankie is totally lights out, I doubt that he would get a one-year $12 million contract in the free agent marketplace. I also wonder if teams would take a multi-year flyer on him for $10 million a year, even. He might actually have to settle for $7-8 million, again, and hope to be stellar, except that the team that has him at the moment won't be able to get him for that unless they let him walk. If the Twins trade him, they can always offer him a free agent contract - think about that -- and still get something in trade...if he wants to pitch for the Twins, that is. We all like Span, but once again he is approaching the .260 average, like he did last, year, and besides hitting a bunch of doubles, isn't doing it on the offense. He has a friendly contract, is a bit higher rated than ever now, and if we can trade him, do so. Surprisingly, Mastro is heating up and would make a nice tandem in the outfield with Revere, for now. The question is Morneau. If you aren't overwhelmed, you keep him and hope he is overwhelming on the field in 2013. Casilla. Second-coming of Luis Rivas? The big problem is that he'll be a near $2 million player next season. Is he worth it? I mean, look what the Twins paid Punto in the past, and even Jamey now. Rememebr when the Twins didn't want to pay Hocking a million to be Mr. Infield. Somehow, the Twins have to stop devaluing their players so early. There is no worth when a guy sits: Casilla, Valencia, Toshi, Clete Thomas, Balckburn now are all guys that could potentially be released and had for either remaining salary or pro-rated major leave minimum and the Twins get nothing in return. If nothing else, the Twins should do minor organization moves with these guys and get some sot of minor league player back to fill the system and maybe blossom, rather than just a salary cut. Hey, one big question: Does any Liriano trade also involve Drew Butera as the throw-in?

The Twins have to look at 40-man adds for September vs. 40-man adds once the season ends (those guys can't be removed for free agent signings or such until spring training ends). Also, the Twins don't move guys around a lot between Beloit and New Brit and Rochester. It can be hard on players to just move up a level for a few weeks, having to find new lodging and such. The taset of the higher level of play can come in the Arizona Fall League, or extended Fall play, if need be. That's not to say a playe or two will move up permanently. Of course, depends on what happens with the Twins cutting bait with various minor free agents and such. If a player moves up to, say, Beloit, that player moving further up has to take the place of someone else, too. And the disabled lists can only hold so many bodies. Plus, you have to play games to keep players down for the Rule 5 (remember, there is a minor league version). Be interesting to see how many spaces can be cleared in advance of season's end on the 40-man -- Toshi, Valencia, Casilla, Span, Pavano, Capps, Liriano. Will Fien and others stay or be resigned as minor league free agents (or will they move elsewhere). Like do the Twins really need to add Burroughs, for example, to the 40-man.

He just needs to work on the walks, and chopping or bunting the ball more. Under the impression that he basically wants to steal a base a game, or everytime he is on base. He can cover ground, and wonder how many Willingham misplayed balls he would've recovered or caught. With all the talk about Span, well, at least he is consistent, but he is no Torii Hunter. Maybe he takes more piitches than any other Twin as the leadoff hitter...getting on base, but not necessarily via the bat. Like Carlos Gomez, Revere is a joy to watch. Gomez needed more seasoning, it still shows, but Revere is the real thing. You can find a place for him in the line-up, as long as he isn't redundant. Right now, there isn't much of a difference between him and Span. It would be nice to have an outfielder with a bit more punch. The Twins don't need 4 players (2B, SS, CF, RF) basically being singles hitters with some speed going from first to third. Sure, if they all hit .280+, you can be forgiven...but you need punch from at least two of those positions (someone who can hit the long sacrifice fly, or just good solid line drives, not to mention a more than occasional homer. There is hope that Benson would be of a Cuddyer bat in the outfield, and that Hicks would be a triple threat, giving the Twins a well-rounded outfield until the next batch offers some push (Buxton, Arcia, Morales t al). I'm happy for Revere. He listens. He works. I think he will continue to do so because he want a long major major league career -- and hopefully a plcae with Twins history. 90 stolen base! Yes!

The thought of anyone of worth wanting to sign with the Twins being predictable is a pipe dream. That said, I see you deep-six Casilla, who I thonk will be gone, too. I picture Plouffe maybe being the third baseman of the future. The Twins have to figure out what to do with Valencia and the Japanese kid. The Twins do have bullpen depth, even Manship, Slama and Waldrop are around, as is Carlos Gutierrez and a couple of otehr names. The question is who is the 5th starter (Walters or DeVries or Bromberg). Gibson will still be a mid-season guy, if the Twins are lucky, and may be the 5th staretr with a late season callup. B.J. Hermsen might make the jump. But if the Twins want a free agent body, they have to make an overwhelming offer early and hope...similar to what they did with Carroll and the Rangers did with Nathan, to land even the guys you talked about. Valencia and Blackburn may both be untradable.