Rosterman

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.

There ain't much on the cabinet shelf. Maloney, French and Deduno. Bromberg should be back. Albers, Logan, Hirschfield and Hermsen at New Brit. Non on the 40-man. Hermsen needs to be added in the off-season. What we have is what we get...more of DeVries or the return of Hendriks. Will Pavano suck it up and take one for the team, showing some worth...or will he breakdown completely. Either way, he's no longer a Twin, and even if he shows some life he will bring us a low-end prospect at best. Liriano, no matter how good or bad he pitches for the Twins, won't return. Since the day they screwed up his service time (although he got a free year in there)...he wants money and he wants to win and he wants to be bigtime...WANTS is the magic word. Baker could be back if he would sign for 2 years at what he is making this year. A dollar more, no. Someone will sign him for two years and hope he rehabs okay and gives a solid half-season and returns to form in 2014. Blackburn is Carlos Silva all over. If you can get a string of good performances and a modicum of interest, dump the salary please. You can always take him back when someone else releases him. But I'm not sure if the Twins can survive with Walters, Diamond, DeVries, Hendricks, Bromberg, Swarzak, a roll of duct tape and lots of prayer.

The Twins can be sellers, but the whole question is what they actually have that is worth overpaying for by another team. Too often the Twins regime have been knocked for waiting too long (unknown factors by fans be damned). Last year, say, move Cuddyer and Kubel...even Pavano. Do you blow-up the team and basically start over (are there enough prospects in the pipeline). Or build around a few stalwarts (who may/may not be here come 2013 yet alone 2014 - contract issues aside). But, again, the real question is "Do Twins Players have ANY worth to anyone?" And then question #2 "What is there about the Twins that would be attractive to ANYONE that is a Free Agent to sign and play with them?"

http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.cgi?team_ID=MIN&year_ID=2007&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year A good year-by-year look to see who the Twins drafted and what importance having a great first rounder is compared to just drafting good players.........

Herrmann is the back-up of the future, maybe next season. I don't see the Twins adding him to the 40-man until November...just because they'd run thru the guys that won't be around next year first if push comes to shove. I doubt that he'd fuly replace Mauer at ay point. Probably won't see fulltime major league duty until 2014...expect the Twins to hang onto the hot hitting Butera for at least one more season. Doumit is probably using the Twins to increase his free agent value. Him coming back for another year will be determined by what the Twins do with Morneau and Willingham in the field...do the Twins push Hicks and Benson and Revere in 2013 as the outfield...or not.

You gotta look at the long-term picture...and the pitcher picture ain't great...any y 2014 you won't want Morneau, Span will be too expensive for what he brings to the table, guys like Duomit and Willingham won't be around. You reuild. If there was a halfway decent catcher coming up, you'd trade Mauer in an instant.

I get the feling the Span's upside is easily replaceable by the less-expensive Revere, and -- yes -- moving Denard to left or right may give the Twins more ability to cover the field, but stat-wise it is the similar case made against moving Mauer to first or third. He is best in centerfield. The Twins are better served with the upcoming Benson, or Hicks, in center or one of the coners, looking 2-3 years out. Revere is still a tad rough -- at times. But so was Hunter, so was Span. The Twins believed enough in Revere to make him a first rounder, amidst all the discussions hat happened back then (most notably that the Twins were being cheap). If you look at 2011, the two weren't that far apart, and you have to play the Span marketing chip while he is hitting closer to .300 then after he falls to .260 and becomes...just another outfielder. I would not trade Revere.

He's not on the 40-man. I assume the Twins were thinking long-relief totally, especially when Baker was in the mix. And the Hendriks shined, so there was no need to push him more. But he can hopefully be a possible alternative down the line. The assumption is that Liriano and Pavano will probably be gone by mid-season and the Twins will need someone...anyone to throw innings. It is a great opportunity in Twinsville, and the competition are the guys in lockers next to you at Rochester, since I doubt anyone will make the jump from New Brit (Bromberg or Hermsen the only onlies). I JUST WANT THE TWINS TO KEEP DUENSING AND SWARZAK as the two better long-guy out of the bullpen. They have important roles and fulfill them to expectations............

The bigger issue, I think, is that some of the ownership base has Blue Jay ties.

I agree. Plouffe is an enigma. We don't really want to lose him...yet...he MAY still have potential...but if he can't be a bench player and really has no set position as a regular, then maybe.........

Right now, happy to see them getting multiple innings out of Guerra. Until you see how he fares against major league pitchers, would wait on making him a closer of the future. But it is an idea.