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Rosterman

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Everything posted by Rosterman

  1. Rosterman
    Regarding uncertainity...there are a few players who will be playing like it is their last chance to score a big payday. Right away we have starters Lynn and Gibson (and Santana when he comes back). Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier can both walk at the end of the year. Morrison might want the option. As for the "youngsters" - this will be a tell on how much they can extend their life with the Twins, or see a quick trip out the door to be replaced, if not next year, by younger talent. The bullpen is interesting. Six of the guys weren't here at this time last season. And, yes, LaMarre and Grossman are redundant. One or the other, but not both.
  2. Rosterman
    I'm thinking the relief corps will be on a short two-week leash. Moya and Hildenberger have to prove that they don't need to work on things in the minors. Kinley needs to NOT fail, or he could be cut loose easily (freeing up a 40-man rotating spot for relief pitchers. Taylor Rogers has to pitch better than he has the second part of last season and in spring training. And Fernando Rodney can't such as a closer. He's making a decent salary, but if he blows games for a club that wants to win, they shant keep him in the pen. LaMarre is getting his chance, otherwise his becomes a rotating roster spot. Robbie Grossman has to be on notice, too. Baseball begins Thursday. The Twins need to get off to a dynamite start, create fan enthusiasm, get tickets sold, make people forget basketball, the Super Bowl, the Vikings, and love again the wonderful game of baseball.
  3. Rosterman
    The Twins have been under budget for many years. Yes, under budget. The whole 55% of payroll thing isn't accurate once you hit a certain level of income. Not sure if the WCCO switch will bring more revenue to the Twins or not. Advertising and sponsorship are the key. And if they win, they still have a low season ticket base and can profit selling full-price tickets with fewer available on the secondary market. Revenue is NEVER the issue for a baseball team. Just hiding the profits is.
  4. Rosterman
    The Twins still lack that dynamite 1-2 in the rotation, and Rodney could be suspect as a closer. But they do have depth, and if Paul Molitor can figure out the perfect lineup, they may be an offense juggernaut.
  5. Rosterman
    Man, I look at Granite and think Ben Revere, who was just cut at the underside of 30-years-of-age. There is a place for a speedy guy, but maybe in the late season. He should be playing regularly at AAA rather than bench sitting, at this point. It's nice to have a bat off the bench. A guy who makes contact more often than not. Yes, Grossman can draw the walk. Can he hit the sacrifice fly? Can he hit at a decent clip? Not sure Vargas is that much the better. You only need one backup infielder, usually a guy better with the glove than the bat. It is nice if someone/anyone can shuffle elsewhere around the infield, too (most notably first base where the Twins have Sano, Morrison, even Escobar as backups). Yes, you want a Jim Thome coming up to bat when called upon, but those pinch-hitting specialists (shades of Randy Bush and Gene Larkin) are few and far between, too. Then you get salary. Can an aging AAAAer like LaMarre give you the same as Grossman at a fraction of the price. If LaMarre fails, is there someone else (yes, Granite...plus Wade and Michael or the waiver wire). It's why you don't get too attached to the 24th and 25th guys on the roster. Even the fifth starter. You roughly have three spots that you play musical chairs..... an extra bench bat, the backend of the bullpen, and the starter in training. The only thing that prevents wonderful musical chairs is that you often have to release a guy to move another into the chair.
  6. Rosterman
    Opening Day all teams are equal. You find out who has the #1 starting pitchers, who then turn it over to a bullpen that is suspicious. By the time batters get what will hopefully be the final lineups for the betetr part of the season, they go over stuff with the coaches, have real batting practices, and don't have to worry about hurting themselves i meaningless "practice" games. Remember, these are practice games. Some players need to show what they MIGHT be capable of doing, not only for a major league job, but a place in the minors. Some work on one thing for a week or two. But they still take batting practice, still play pick-up hitting and throwing. Opening Day starts the whole thing again, when you play your peers and fight for standings in your division. Someone will win, someone will lose...that is a certain. No more tie games.
  7. Rosterman
    It's nice to have a bench bat. Is Vargas the second coming of Jim Thome? Doubtful. Still interested to see how the Granite/Grossman/LaMarre thing works out in the next couple of days. We realize the Twins still have 25 pitchers and 15 batters on their 40-man.
  8. Rosterman
    Yeah, and we have to see some of the future this season, as three of the arms could be gone fer sure in 2019 - Santana, Lynn and Gibson. Of course, it would be a good chance for May to come into the game as long relief, building back strength as a starter. And I do have high hopes for Romero and Gonsalves doing good, with Jorge and Littrell as the dark horses. Can't wait for the season to start and to see how everything starts to mesh together.
  9. Rosterman
    The rosters don't include the players in major league camp, or a few recent sent-downs. So, there will be lots of shuffling. Shows the abundance of pitchers the Twins do have. Offense names will be shuttled backwards as final rosters are set. Be interesting to see if Royce does start at Ft. Myers or Cedar Rapids. The Twins have more than 65 pitchers right now for roughly 50 spots - not counting those already on the DL.
  10. Rosterman
    He will be waived again, barring an injury to Morrison or Mauer in the next few days. Hopefully they can stash him at AAA and go from there. But if he is ever called back, he will need a 40-man roster spot.
  11. Rosterman
    If possible, I would want Granite playing everyday. But you still need a 40-man spot. And, in some ways, he seems redundant of Robbie Grossman. One or the other, but not both. And we still need to deal with Kennys Vargas!
  12. Rosterman
    The thing is, if the Twins don't keep him on the 25-man, they have to send him thru waivers yet again. Right? He's out of options.
  13. Rosterman
    ot only does things like this need to be cracked down upon in the workplace environment, but players at all levels have to know that their actions on AND off the field reflect n not only their work, but also the organization.
  14. Rosterman
    Yes, players on the 40-man roster get a decent paycheck, as long as they are on the 40-man roster. There is a sliding scale in the minors with higher pay at each level, and also higher pay according to experience. A 5-6 year player CAN make $50 grand on a minor league contract. And some players with major league experience (I imagine Duffey is an example) have a major/minor league split worked into their contract if they aren't arbitration eligible. At some point, though, a player CAN earn major league money while being in the minors (with their organization), which is why many are jettisoned before a decision of that sort needs to be made.Of course, there are always exceptions. A player and team can agree on any amount for that player to play on the minor league level. But, yes, the first couple of years of play, in the rookie/short season league, and even A-ball, can be hell for the pocketbook...but a blessing if you have great minor league park facilities and like to do nothing but playball all day, crash in a sleeping room in a host family house, and can find entertainment on-line or with your computer games and such.
  15. Rosterman
    It's interesting that the pay is mainly considered for performance (i.e. the actual game) and anytime a player spends working out or prepping is on their own time, so to speak, but still isn't it a necessary part of the job?
  16. Rosterman
    He should've had the Twins explore Far East sales. But, no doubt, the new tariff may be too high.
  17. Rosterman
    I think the Twins are seriously watching the waiver wire as final rosters are set. Watch for a grab if it happens. I think they are still seeing if Rosario will start the season with the team. A lot can happen in the next few days. Both Kinley and Moya will audition again. Both are pretty much in the same state (would start at AA-ball if push came to shove). I'm curious to see how the pitching rosters do end up at AAA and AA ball for the Twins. Kinda wonder who is expendable, now, on the 40-man. Duffey? Busenitz? They may still have an open spot and just cut ties with Aybar as a formality at this point. The bigger question will be what happens when Santana returns. I guess the pitches will play out that option in the first four weeks.
  18. Rosterman
    When Santana comes back, it will be a choice between Duffey or Hughes (or maybe a bench guy). The next 10 days is telling. Hildenberger has been roughed up. Rogers and Duffey aren't inspiring confidence. Dow we want Kinley and Moya both in the bullpen. And the Hughes factor. The three looooong guys are basically bad so far. You hope they take the best group north. Anhyone know the problem with Busenitz, or has the league caught up to him? Would Bard and Chargois been challengers for this year. Too bad they went elsewhere.
  19. Rosterman
    The GOOD on Kepler, he appears to be someone welling to work hard to better himself. That is a plus. Another GOOD, always thought the Twins were grooming him to be a Meintkiewicz-like first baseman for the future. That could still happen, or a possibility if split time with another person (Rooker0 as well as being a top-flight defensive guy for outfield play. The BAD. The Twins have to decide if they want to see if it developes bigtime in the next few years, or cut bait if he has a halfway decent season in 2018, replaced by more prospects coming up in the system But I love the guy's drive and energy on the playing field. It is a long 162-game season.
  20. Rosterman
    Don't worry. We have Phil Hughes ready to step in.
  21. Rosterman
    That is the chance you take. I don't know how many real jobs in the real world pay you a bonus to come work for them as a guy graduating from high school or in the third year of a collegiate program. But, yes, the reality is that they CAN be paid more when you do see the bonus money paid out to guys who may not make it past year one, or the amount of money spent on wasted free agents (Anibal Sanchez, for example, got $400,000 for a spring training looksee...how much could that have gone to make some minor league guys more comfortable). But, hey....talk to people working sales, or in the ticket office of the Twins, or other jobs...see how they are getting shafted, either as salary people with more than fulltime work demands, or underpaid fo being available for limited times and duties. The money is there. Overall. It just needs to be allocated. But it is also a profession where people are lining up to work (and for what...hope for that beginning, then average, major league salary.....a well-paying front office position in a temporary profession...thr lovr of seeing free baseball games from your bench off-field, waiting for the game to end so you can clean the stands)? And, truth be told, we haven't established a mandatory minimum wage today now yet. And let's not talk benefits. What is medical for minor league guys? Again, they get food/road monies. They get to try and receive endorsements, right? Hell, some have even started to charge for autographs!
  22. Rosterman
    You would almost think that the 150 or so players under contract in a team's minor league system is costing them less than $3 million a season. Heck, they give draft picks that kind of change before they even play a game for the organization. Want to bet that many minor league mascots get paid more an hour than the players? Only redeeming grace, with a free mail and locals supplying cheap housing, is that it keeps the players in an eat-breathe-play mode, spending ALL their time at the stadium working out or playing ball for five months, instead of spending excess money on fun and games. But, yes, each team should spend more, if nothing else subsidizing the housing in some way (each minor league team owns a motel), having a great food/diet plan, better workout facilities, as well as a decent wage so you can send money home to mom and dad or a spouse. It is a hard life. So few of those 150 ever get a cup of coffee in the show...just because there are x-amount of jobs and the talent pool gets new blood each year and there is always lots and lots of old blood still hoping to get the major league minimum again.
  23. Rosterman
    Or a major league saying they are thinking about their family and making them comfortable, especially when they enter the free agency days. Of course, ownership makes sure they don't lose money. As player salary rises, everything else in the sport increases, too. If DECENT hot dogs were still a buck and beer 50-cents and seats $2.00, maybe he roster would be full, again, of guys making $35,000-60,000 a year. And, yes, many a player HAD to have a job in the off-season that didn't involve house-hunting, or worry more about life after leaving the game. But playing major league baseball is an elite moment in the profession. Only s many get to do it (think, the Twins have had roughly 800 guys put on the uniform at the major league level over half-a-century). There are career opportunities, continuing on as coaches and managers and scouts or front office jobs (talk about people underpaid...because of supply and demand). If you do stick it out in the minors, you do see a bit larger payday around year 5-6. Or if you do get a 40-man roster spot. But it is a profession of temporary employment, high turn around (always someone else looking to take your job). But the owners still sit in their money bins counting the bucks and trying to figure out a way to seem competitive, but then convincing fans that "some win, some lose."
  24. Rosterman
    Some ways, it seems strange that TC Bear might make more money than you average minor league player. Of course, he can hit home runs on command.
  25. Rosterman
    Well, this IS the opportunity for Escobar. Unless Sano goes out on suspension, and Escobar plays there, he SHOULD get the majority of time at shortstop. If nothing else...increase his value. If the Twins do believe in Polanco and he comes back and shines for half-a-season, then Escobar, who is a free agent, I believe, or a highly-priced arbitration chip, could be moved -- be the Twins playing well or not. Folks like Gordon, and to a lesser extent Javier and Lewis, should also see this as an opportunity to advance quickly thru the system. Case in point, like Ehire for what he is, a solid replacement/backup-type guy, offering some veteran skills. But, except for fielding, you could probably get the same production by advancing a prospect to learn at the big league level. But, what is it with the Twins. All these shortstops, but none of them best for the position. Escobar is deadwood, people say. Gordon would be better placed at second. Maybe Lewis will be an outfielder. Even Polanco is said to be better suited to second base. And the Twins could still resign Dozier, although I don't see Brian staying at second much longer (but has the potential to be a DH who COULD play a variety of positions in the field as he ages.) We will see the faith put in Escobar, as Molitor plays his starting shortstop the next two weeks. Of course, Sano is the elephant in the room right now, too. When is a decision made on this!
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