Rosterman

We wait to see what Sano will bring to the season's start. The Twins don't have a lot of depth on the offense side, as well as room on the roster.

So, will Jorge be housed in Ft. Myers doing daily workouts in the instructional camp. Ca he do that, as long as he doesn't play in any games...or can he play in the daily pickup games before short-season ball begins?

A healthy and viable minor league system increases interest in the game of baseball. One assumes that teams do pay the salaries of the 150+ players in development and the actual cost of running minor league teams (not owned outright by the majors) is the sole expense. I know the players do get a room/food allowance when on the road, but also covering some of the basic living expenses would also help (every team buy a motel and staff it, if nothing else). And then we also have the indie leagues, which pay even less, it seems. Yes, you don't overpay (although a percentage do get signing bonus money) because it is a weeding out process, especially the first two-three seasons.

It kind of reminds me of my days doing summer stock. We worked our tails off to get a production up and running, often rehearsing 12-hour days (three 4-hour segments). But once the show was up, out time was pretty much our own as long as we hit curtian and still able to stand three hours later when the show ended. So we were basicallyworking 3-4 hours a nite...any other prep time was on our own. 40 years ago...got $100 a week. Yes, room and board included. But.......

I think with Rosario pulling up a tad lame, the Twins want more protection than Granite or Grossman or any of the AAAA guys might give them. Enough that they added him to the 40-man. He has some punch, some power, and can play all three outfield spots...is he a betterfit that Grossma, who could be cut and only paid a fraction of hismarbitration salary. Only time will tell. Injuries are always a surprise. Thought they would hold off until the absolute end on Vargas. See if maybe can flip him to someone for a 19-year-old prospect, yes?

I'm thinking Sano may get a major suspension...like 45 games...as an example that players need to grow up and act civil in the pulic forum and to send a message that baseball will not tolerate such behavior. The question also arises, would such a suspension open a floodgate of unwanted advances made in the past by players, and major league baseball would have to act accoringly. They can give a bigger-than-the-norm suspension to one guy now and say this is where we are heading going forth and leave it at that. But, again, Sano does have to be found guilty of doing something.

I always thought that a team/player should be rewarded for sticking with a team/player. Look at Joe Mauer in Twinsland. We can argue that his multi-year contract was worth the price (it maybe should've gone down as he ages), but the Twins did get a relative bargain for his production the first half of his career, draft signing bonus besides. Yes, the talent pool will continue to grow, and at some point you have to put a dollar worth on production. Is a save worth one million, a winning start two million, a home run $500,000. And, ultimately, how much money do you have to make (except owners WILL continue to get rich rather than lower prices on everything when they lower the price on payroll). Like a corresponding business...Hollywood and Television-play...a few get really really rich, but the majority are contract or day players (like the minor league guys called up in a pinch) and careers don't last long because many discover that finding a "real" ocupation that they can truly grow into payds better in the long haul. If this off-season showed anything, it was that ownership called the agents bluff. How much interest was there truly in many many players. Considering someone else could've signed Lynn or Morrison by beating the Twins offer by anywhere from a million or so dollars, and seeing offers that other teas made (and got) for players shows the true marketplace, not the lip-service that had materialized in baseball since Rodriguez signed for $200+ million waaaaay back when when the next best offer supposedly was for a fraction of that amount. We still have arbitration, where one good year in three on make a player millions and cause a team to cut the cord and let them walk. Only time will tell. With high school draft picks getting $6 million dollar bonuses to sign and NOT play in the majors for 3-5 years, the system MAY appear even more broken. If anything, if the jobs are there, players will sign to keep playing (look at Ichiro). I mean, the indepdent leagues are still going strong from guys that just want another crack at a minor league contract.

We talk of a record payroll, but isn't this just about where the Twins should be with inflation and all, as well as NOT over spending of late. Add Mauer and Dozier to the free agent class of 2019 (as well as Lynn and Santana). If anything, the Twins have quite a few players playing for a boost in their worth next season, which can be good.

You have 5 at AAA and 3 at AA on the 40-man roster. Whew. Someone needs to move...somewhere. Riches! You have to start optioning out 40-man guys sooner rather than later. If they get injured in camp, they stay on the ML disabled list. But they can be brought over to pitch, now, in any spring training games. Right now, though...is Duffey minor league bound? Will Hildenberger or Busenitz go back to Rochester? Plenty of bullpen questions, too.

The Twins need to be applauded for going after certain relief pitchers, pulling off a trade, and staying in touch with agents of free agents and making an offer, which many other teams didn't. Stop to think...if another team WANTED Lance Lynn, could they have ahd him for $12,500 million plus incentives? Not sure what gives in the marektplace and why Lynn didn't get a multi-year offer for $12+ million, but it is the Twins gain. Picking up Logan Morrison was a dream DH grab. Watching what is happening, though, you truly wonder what kind of salary a Mauer or Dozier would be had for in 2019. Donaldson MAY clean up, but who knows. Maybe it is time for players to realize that paychecks ALWAYS don't go up with age and experience.

Would he be eligible for a qualifying offer? Can the Twins make him an offer before being a free agent? Multi-year deal allows them to cut his salary more than 10-15%? Or does he have to declare for anything to happen. The bigger question is, what teams would be interested in Joe Mauer in his current state, and what would they pay to have him play (and move)?

But, then again, they could have three lefties in the bullpen. Enough to make managers do line-up changes.

Him or Grossman. Which shows you how valuable Grossman really is.

I think the current front office needs to be congratulated for staying in the hunt, not believing the press that so-and-so would demand and get x-amount of dollars. A lot of smoke is blown in free agency, and players are now discovering that MAYBE they aren't worth what teams stupidly paid in the past for average results. It will give a whole new look to qualifying offers, and also players inking longer-term deals with current teams. Players forget that they have arbitration, which does work for them. You eitehr get overpaid (or rewarded) for services to a team, but if you prove to be too "expensive" a team will bite-the-bullet and let you walk, and more often than not you will sign for less. Players now have to take into consideation that a qualifying offer may be a great route to make money for an additional year before entering free agency. Maybe teams aren't seeing the light of paying big long-term for the majority of players these days, especially aging players. Even the BIG contracts this off-season seem more front-loaded (or giving the free agency option) that many in the past. Just even looking at the Twins. Lynn is taking a chance that he can get a bigger payday if he has another successful season removed from free agency. It is a gamble, he may or may not, as age is still a factor. Logan Morrison happily signed a deal that will at least give him an optional year of play. And we aren't talking poor house wages here, either. Heck, Ichiro signed for $750,000, which is more than he would make entering the normal workforce. I'm not sure how the players can react and improve their chance of continuing to get a slice of the pie. Even if teams pay the 55% of revenue, the streams continue to oevrflow with bucks that the clear profit of a baseball team isn't hurt, and teams are mroe willing to stavblazise their salary lines now than in the past. Maybe players are just making TOO MUCH money and it is starting to backfire in the eyes of fans, who still think greedy owners deserve less than greedy players. Yes, ownership can keep the money if they win. Players also have to produce at a high level if they expect us fans to cheer their big salaries. And the replacement stream continues and the player pool continues to be larger than ever!

You still have to play thru spring training. If Morrison gets hurt (or Mauer), you want Vargas. The question will be Sano. Do you NEED that extra infielder. Ehire and Escobar are even a luxury, in many ways, although both can take a run in the outfield. If an outfielder is on the mend, do you want Granite or Grossman. Mejia is NOT a longterm player for the Twins. Yes, he throws left-handed, but it is ncie that you can still stash him at Rochester. You also have Slegers in the wings, plus Romero, Jorge and Gonsalves. So it looks pretty good there. Now, what to do about Hughes. Do you open with Garver on the bench or send him to Rochester to catch your starters for the future. He has the options. Are you better served with one of the other catchers as a bench/backup, at least to start the season. Yes, there will be some arms pushed back in bullpen land, not to mention some others waiting and able (Jake Reed). Right now, the Twins have an abundance of riches in the pitching department. But they don't have much on the 40-man to call up as a bat if someone goes down, and you need to create a 40-man sport. All those minor league free agents are great if push-comes-to-shove, but none of them really work into any longterm plans.

Cut Sanchez and save the money. You can also cut Grossman and save some money. You have to keep Vargas in camp to see if Logan Morrison remains healthy thruout.

I would hope the Twins bring the best bullpen ever north with them. DOn't give a spot just because you owe him $13,5 million, or someone is out of options, or someone was a Rule 5 pick. The player HAS to be the best to earn that position. That being said, the Twins will still need to pencil in a fifth starter name, be it Sanchez, Hughes or Duffey (I go for Duffey) and to keep Slegers and Mejia in the wings and the trio of Romero, Jorge and Gonsalves as backup (plus Enns is also in the mix, my friends...unless they choose to cut bait with him...but a solid lefty at a low coat salary -- well, I would rather eat Hughes salary or cut ties with Sanchez at this point.

At this point, would say goodbye to HUGHES and Sanchez. Too bad they can't write-off Huges salary under last year's profits. Of course, there is still disabled list possibilities. Or do the Twins cut bait with Vargas now. I would almsot rather see the Twins keep Slegers (and Mejia) as next in line starters than Hughes or Sanchez. Not to mention that we have Jorge, Romero and Gonsalves in the near wings.

The Twins could save money by cutting Grossman. Yet he is better suited for the bench, at the moment, than say Granite...who should be getting play in the outfield rather than sitting on the bench, if push comes to shove.

Right now, you lose two: the Draft Pick AND removal of someone from the 40-man, if not named Sanchez or Vargas. I would love to see a reasonable ($20 for two years isn't totally reasonable) with an option on a third year tied to performance.

The Twins badly need a 5th starter, and a temporary 4th. I could see them jettisoning Mejia to the minors, not keeping Sanchez, putting Hughes in as a temp 4th, and opening the seson with Duffey so they can keep Kinley in the bullpen and make the decision when Santana returns for a larger pitching staff vs. shorter bench. I also wonder about catcher...would Garver be best ssrved catching on a regular basis with the rotation of the future for a portion of the season at Rochester, being the first to be called up. Thus, Wilson or someone else as backup. Want to assume that at least two 40-man spots will open up, one from Vargas, the other possibly Sanchez. So the Twins will have at least one "musical chairs" spot. Of course, Aybar makes it if Sano is disabled, and then the Twins need to settle on two of the three guys on the roster for infielder/bench bat come Santana's return. Would still like to see the Twins add one of the Big Three starter free agents. But time is running out for season prep.

I'm confused with the lowball offer. Unless Lynn isn't receiving anything near that from other clubs. I would expect his price to be a bit higher, and at least a 2-year offer more towards $25-30 million with a third-year option. But maybe...he just isn't worth it. I mean, Jamie Garcia ALMOST got that much per year. You do have to look at the bigger picture. You lose a draft pick (these guys refused a qualifying offer of an outrageous salary for a season), plus you more than likely ALSO lose a player that you remove from your 40-man roster, in exchange for a known commodity who may/may not produce as expected in your home field.

Any way you cut it, he is owed and will be paid his full contract. The Twins can get the major league inimum repaid for the next two years...if someone else does sign him. Or, Hughes could jsut sit at home and collect a paycheck. He can't go to Asia, unless a team cuts a deal with the Twins. The question is: can you writeoff the contract and does it count against this and next year? Is it better to have a player who can pitch and contribute than one who can't? I don't think he can go to Rochester (like Blackburn). He'll egt a couple more opportunities. He could be disabled and if the Twins can recoup something that way, more power to them, but only if it frees a roster spot.

Sad that we can't get anything for Vargas, who would be best served (moneywise) to go to the Far East. Grossman is the better off-the-bench bat, assuming you are playing your regular three in the outfield. Aybar, I can't quite figure out THAT signing. Is he better than Andrianza? Or even Featherston? That is the swing position. Assuming Sano opens the season playable, do you really need TWO guys who are alike as back-up infielders? I'm more worried, still, about the rotation. Cut Hughes. Don't keep Sanchez. Put Mejia in the minors. Spend $15 million for a more known arm.

It's tough. Chances are you would move beyond Dozier at second base. So, how would he fit in longterm. 1B? DH? But you have the Sano issue for DH. And we saw how easy it might be to get a comparable guy for first. So Dozier will be aging and entering a free agent market. Considering he didn't draw alot of interest with a easonable contract in the past two trade markets that he was dangled for pitching, he could be in trouble. Of course, a fantastic 2018 would draw interest. So he will be playing hard...maybe too hard...in 2018. This will be the season that we see how the current group deals with institutions -- Mauer and Dozidr. How they deal with players like Hughes and Gibson. Do they sign some players to longterm contracts (Buxton) and not others (Kepler, Rosario. I'm sure the Twins and Dozier could reacha deal, but I doubt that he would take less than $30 million over 3 years, at this point. But another year of wear-and-tear might prove fruitful to both parties. But unless the Twins are going to give a qualifying offer, then he IS tradebait and they should be prepared to move on during the season, if they are "just on the fringe of contention" and if Polanco can play second and Gordon proves ready for mid-season callup.