Rosterman

Drew Strotman signs with Astros. Part of the Nelson Cruz trade with the Rays, he as let go by the Twins after the 2022 season.

Randy Dobnak falls one more notch in the Twins rotation prospects for 2024!

More depth and speed. But why not jsut play Austin Martin!?!

John Curtiss signs with Rockies. A rocky career with two arm surgeries. One of those interesting bullpen arms that has been drifting around the majors for awhile. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/rockies-sign-john-curtiss-reliever.html

Both would be inexpensive, and maybe the Twins could dangle, say, Nick Gordon? Balazovic? Sands? Someone with still some upside for the other team, a cheap contract, but out of options for the Twins.

We also need to remember that Justin Morneau was drafted as a catcher, playing 44 minor league games behind-the-plate in his first season.

The Nationals sign Joey Gallo for much less than the Twins paid, but still a lot of money. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/nationals-joey-gallo-agree-to-one-year-deal.html

Dakota Chalmers, who sat out 2023, but was on the Twins 40-man roster in 2021, has signed with D-Backs. The Twins got him for Fernando Rodney. Speaking of Rodney, he is attempting to make a comeback at age 47. Last pitching for a major league organization in 2019, he has bounced around the indy and foreign scenes the last 4 years throwing 150+ innings in relief. Troy Wolters, a depth catcher the Twins signed last season for St. Paul, has retired, but will join the Rockies in a coaching capacity.

Nope. Would pass. Age. Salary. Isn't Matt Shoemaker still out there?

IF Alcala can come back. He ahs the stuff to be...say...another Jesse Crain, perhaps? Henriquez, Woods Richardson - both have youth on their side. Both may best be bets for the pen. Headrick needs a role determination. He shows signs of being a lefty who can give you 2-3+ innings, possibly. If you ever need an opener, he could fill that bill, too. I imagine the Twins will continue to stretch him as a starter. But after some time in the majors, look for him to be...hungry. Winder will also start in the rotation of St. Paul and be a possible depth piece. I'm not sure the ultimate status of Cole Sands. Interesting choices for the Twins to make on many an arm. Do you take Varland, and ask him to throw his best 20-35 pitches and get a solid inning, or have him work as a rotation arm. We saw how much better Jax worked out of the pen. With Jax, you can't bring him in with a runner on base (no 10th innings) as he will logically put at least a base runner on the paths more often than not, as well as another ball in good play. And though I hope Jax would be a one-time-thru-the-order guy in long relief, it didn't happen, as well as pitching in back-to-back games wasn't his overall strength. The joy is that the Twins (unless they end up resigning Odorizzi) have a slew of rotation arms who will get the team thru the 5th inning at worst, and push towards the 7th.

I like watching Ryan pitch. As long as he can control the pace of the game, and give him a smart catcher with pre-game prep, and he should always dominate. That being said, get his timing off, and will he just unravel, or can he take back control. In the back of one's mind, you wonder why Tampa Bay let him go. Of course, he is on the "old" end - which ike Ober, is good. The Twins will have control of both into their 30/31 years. And, considering how this season goes, the Twins NEED to get another year out of them both. Ober also can control his work. I'm looking forward to seeing a full season. This is where it is important to have a pitching coach, stat guys and such. The Twins have potential control guys. All pitchers give up home runs. Even Louis Varland could fall into that category. And I hope Louie can join the duo into being a part of a longterm rotation for the Twins. Louie works fast. He has jsut learned, though, that major league batters can be mroe patient, are more powerful, more selective, and one mistake...pow. Four or more years for all of the three, combined with Lopez. Now who gets a break and when to also become a aprt of the Twins rotation?

Hendriks not getting the bullpen chance was the Twins BIG mistake. It worked for Perkins, Hawkins, Guardado. Now works for Jax. Happily for Varland if he doesn't shine as a starter. Was he just out of options?

Dave McCarty...man he hung on the fringe for a loooooong time, 11 seasons. Early 30s a regular at Kansas City and okay. But talk about a cup-of-coffee every year with mixed results.

Looks like Enlow signed with the Giants as a minor league free agent. I was hoping him and the Twins would take a flyer on each other for another season.

Gabriel Yanez returns to the Twins after electing free agency. We obtained him last off-season from the Phillies.

I'm hoping the Twins talk more with Jeffers in spring training. Gordon, like Alcala, are lucky they aren't seeking minor league split contracts. I'm not sure how badly any team would wish to carry them on the 40-man if requried to open the season with them. Like Farmer, Alcala having the lower option that what he "might" get in arbitration is a plus if either become valuable enough to be a trade piece. So the Twins get four arbitation trips with Kirilloff, right? Will it be the same when Lewis enters arbitration next year?

Julien is a hard worker and if he can't stick at second, should become the Twins first baseman. Of course, Kepler was once a very had worker, too. And speaking of Kepler and Polanco, both of whom are tradable...I'm not seeing the demand. More of a wait-and-see, which is only valuable to a team if they have a spring training injury ofr a mid-season need. Sadly the Twins have made it known that they would like to shred salary. That HURT the trading edge they sought. Lee is being pushed, but I expect a full season at AAA, unless Correa is out for much of the year. The Twins will cycle in a Heilman or Prato and move internal pieces around, if they can. Get a good look at Martin. See if Kirilloff is a keeper for three more seasons or what. Buxton and Correa have, in some ways, complicated the Twins in both potential prospects getting playing time today and tomorrow, as well as strapped the team financially. But a year from now the Twins will know more about Lee and Severino in the minors, Miranda and Kirilloff and others, who will play the outfield, is it worthwhile to shift Correa to third, and how will Buxton handicap the team going forward. Yes, Lee or Julien in a package for a rotation arm might entice a trade with The Braves or Mariners or some other team, but right now I would rather see both on the roster today and beyond and jettison Kepler and Polanco and a few mid-level blocked prospects at these positions, if possible.

Taylor as a gem with both power and speed. But I would think Martin could replace his speed, as well as his average, if the need arises for him to play in centerfield. People ask about Gordon. He is on the bubble. He IS the 4th outfielder, if the Twins can get Buxton to play centerfield. If Buxton is out, or needs to be the DH, the Gordon has to hope that the Twins move someone, be it Farmer or Kepler or especially Polanco. It was wonderful to see some stolen bases, but with Castro more likely being a reserve guy, his time will either be in the late innings (especially overtime). More important, always, is the ability to stay out of the double-play by having a good jump, or going from first-to-third and forcing that ball-in-play decision. Springtraining is around the corner. But, yes, was glad to see some speed on the paths. I would love to see more from Julien and Lewis, and especially Buxton. But I also don't want them jeoparadizing their heath for a stolen base. I was equally happy with the Twins pitchers and catchers handling the stolen base game by most of the teams.

One of maybe half-a-dozen piotchers that the Twins system traded AWAY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. Not room for everyone in he organization, but, still............

Rockies don't want to add that much payroll on a one0year rental. Plus, they have little to offer in terms of usable pitching. Unless you ship them Gordon or larnach, but for...what.

Is Ricardo Olivar also in the mix as a future backup backstop who can play other positions? Schmidt, after being one of the msot-moved-around-the-system guys of late, is now gone.

You forget that the Twins jsut didn't want to pay Ortiz for what his arbitration salary would be that year they let him go. LeCroy was still cheap, could also play catcher and first bse, and was showing similar lines of power. It was pure economics on the Twins part.

The guy was probably more valuable to the Twins in 2023 than Buxton. The homers were a nice surprise. Plus he offered some baserunning speed. But still, the average was below average, and the strikeouts meant he bats low in the order. Not sure if his 2023 gets him a big contract, or even multi-year.

I never really heard an answer about why the Twins gambled $11m on Gallo. Sano would serve the same bat purposes. Except that Gallo was also centerfield insurance. On Sano watch for 2024.

I'm not sure what contributed to Gallo's success in earlier years, as he seemed to just swing in one place while he was a Twin...succeeding if he guessed at the right pitch. The free swinging also means more strikeouts. Sano could never stay away from those low and away pitches. Seems like someone would talk to him and he would layoff those pitches for a game or two, but then...just can't hold back. Either he needed a longer bat, or just stop swinging. Wallner, like Kepler forawhile, seems like he will be a hard worker, as that will guarantee his success at staying in the majors for awhile. Natural ability only carries so far. You will quickly learn that pitchers will throw to this guy high, because of his size he actually expands the strikezones in many ways. Patience will be the key to Wallner, as well as doing homework on opposing pitchers. Im not sure how long he will play (shades of Mike Restovich or David McCarty, but the Twins will have adequate replacements in the next few years and the best the Twins can hope for is that he shines enough to be a trade token for other needs. Or maybe he does become Minnesota's David Ortiz. One year at a time. Anyways, he doesn't need more time in the minors.