Rosterman

Where Buxton plays (and if) remains the elephant in the room. Without Buxton in enter, the Twins need a centerfielder, for at least anotehr season. At one point, letting Polanco and Kepler walk seemed to be the norm for the end of the season. Both fought injuries and showed little trade interest. But now that both are back, their trade stock has increased. They can remain a stopgap going into spring training, or perhaps be packaged before that to a team in need, along with a prospect or two, for a piece the Twins may need. What are the Twins real needs going into the off-season? Probably possibly another mainline starting arm. Better to trade than play the free agent market? Of course, I do expect the Twins will make a qualifying offer to Gray. They might try and resign Maeda (let's wait a little, please) and maybe even Mahle (not a factor for 2024). The Twins could also seek out a top flight bullpen arm or two in trade. I'm seeing the Twins fielding the following 12 come next season: Jeffers/Vasquez, Kirilloff/Polanco/Correa/Lewis, Kepler/Buxton/Wallner. The bench will include Castro, Julien, Farmer. The Twins still have Celestino, Larnach, Miranda, Gordon on the 40-man. And will probably add Camargo, Martin, Severino and have to think about folks like WIlliams, Prato, Bechtold, Heilman, Keirsey. The only pitcher under consideration remains Enlow. You can argue the need for another right-handed bat and no need for three (or four) extra infield guys. But the Twins have names to play with. But ia all boils down to Buxton, and beyond. Where does Buxton play. Also, Correa. Does he move rom shortstop sooner rather than later (to make way for, say, Lee). And where does that throw a musical chair rotation of infielders. Kepler and Polanco both now are worth the $10-or-so million, and might actually be worth a look by other teams, who might even think of extending them...something the Twins should probably avoid.

Still young enough that the Twins can afford to 40-man him and play him at St. Paul next year, at first abse and third base. What disappointed me msot about this seson was that he was working out with Correa in the off-season, which was supposed to be a good thng. But both players ended up just...bad. The Twins still have a question about who is on first. Looks like they will be bringing back Polanco for 2024, which means Julian moves to first/DH. Kirilloff may get a couplke of weeks of games to see if he is consistent with his earlier numbers this season. But will he be the first baseman of the future, or a guy who rotates between 1B/OF/DH. Besides Miranda, who wasn't expected to stay at third anyways with Lewis and Lee and Martin and Correa and whomever else fighting for infield jobs in 2025 and beyond, the Twins other choice is Sabato, who is still a year at AAA away from even being considered roster fodder, and possibly even two years if he can avoid the Rule 5 this year. I picture the Twins adding Chris WIlliams to the roster, also a first base (and catcher and elsewhere consideration) in place of Solano for next season. But we will see. There is the chance the Twins might just cut Miranda. He will be on the bubble as someone to remove from the roster if they sign a free-agent. I expect the Twins will offer him a decent contract which might make it less enticing for someone to grab him if he is removed from the 40-man. Opps, almost forgot that there is someone named Yennier Severino that might need to be a Twin.

Nope, better that he gave the Twins what he did at the major league level than toiling all season at St. Paul and making only a couple of starts. The Twins can now pencil him in as a surething in 2024 and push him towards 150+ innings.

we can cycle more people thru DH, if necessary. Or, at somepoint, make movement towards a fulltime centerfielder. And what will be the future of Correa. At what point does he move from shortstop to..where. Third base? Second abse?

It ended up being a bad exhibition game. Made you ralize that hitters can have trouble hitting bad pitches, too. Why a pitcher just throwing strikes still has a better than 50/50 chance of getting an out. It's not like there was a lot of "guessing" where the ball was being thrown by eitehr Fry or especially (anywhere but over the plate) Castro. Looks like the Twins did dodge a bullet on one of the Angels waiver wire arms. Will be interesting to see what kind of contract he gets in the off-season. So, keep Headrick, or swap him out for Moran for the moment. And do you think the Twins will need to make a decision on Styewark, Paddack and Alcala for possible playoff work? Who goes when Taylor, Kirilloff...and maybe Buxton and Gordon ask for a return to the major league roster? Anyone else wish rosters were able to expand fully with more September callups? What was nice was that a few players got an at bat or an inning or two as the season wound down, plus was able to sit on the major league bench. You could reward a couple of journeymen (Stevenson is an example) and allow them to get some "pension" time. But msotly you got to see someone like Fundeburk who can then get some hints on what to work on in the off-season. Interesting concept. Release ALL your free agents to get salary relief, create a bad team on the field.

Nope, can't add any opf these guys to the 40-man. Bad enough that they need to find room for Buxton, Gordon, Kirilloff. Maybe add Varland and Headrick to the mix if they don't jettison anyone. I could at least 14 guys that shouldn't be on the 40-man come November, and as many as 21 to choose from (out of the current 44).

Wow. Philadelphia is now playing Jake Cave.

Celestino is still young and maybe needs that full season in the AAA minors. No need to give up on him...yet. Stevenson, looks interesting. Aging minor league guy. Could he spark the Twins? But at the expense of whom. Gallo maybe, except we need Gallo at first now, it seems. Chris Williams could be groomed to replace Solano next season. Camargo will be added as a third catcher on the 40-man in the opff-season (he could've walked this apst season and didn't). Woods Richardson is still a prospect. So is Canterino, when he comes back. I don't think the Twins will give up on Enlow again. The Return of Dobnak!

But...but...they are NOT paying Dobnak millions to just play in AAA. Hopefully a return of something on the investment. Humm...may be a roster spot opening...soon.

Well, it is nice to know the Twins have a bunch of two-inning pitchers in WInder, Balazovic and Headrick. Maybe, at times, there would be less runs scored if the Rocco spreadsheet said "don't need to use for two innings." Of course, bats again to blame. Twins walking and cut down jut a tad on the strikeouts today. Gallo, Kepler, Taylor all want to be the power pak for the Twins, making them keepers for the season, I guess.

At this moment, Kirillof and Larnach have NOT gauranteed themselves as longterm answers to the Twins, and maybe NOT even shot-term answers as we wait for players like Rodriguez, maybe Martin, and others to move up in the system. Question #1. DO the wins need the 40-man roster spot. Probably not. Question #2: Do they have the payroll flexibility to keep him on the roster (as well as Polanco) for the amount needed. My answer to both is - YES! Yet, yet...I really don't think there was a lot of interest in Kepler in the off-season, and Polanco being hurt also hurt the infielder's chances of being traded. Do you gamble that you could still make BOTH available in the off-season at a decent salary for a 30-year-old player? Or, by extension, that either will start and find playing time in 2024 and actually increase value enough to be a mid-season tradechip? Or, easier to just make them the problem of someone else? Have to do a hard review of where everyone is in the Twins system, how the team can react to the high salaries being paid for modest production from the oft-injured Buxton and "face-of-the-team" Correa.

I'm confused? Is there no value in the Twins pending free agents, perhaps? You have Gray and Madea. Hopefully each will start 10 more games. Okay, those two have been pitching better. But still, at season's end, they will be walking unless the Twins make a qualifying offer. Did no one make a decent offer for either, plus taking on the payroll obligation? Is there a chance the Twins will pick up options on Kepler and Polanco, hoping they will be off-season tradebait, or perhaps improve enough to bring back something next year? Or do the Twins also let these guys walk. Kepler had to have some value as he has upped his game of late. And Polanco is still a young 29 with no place to play in Minnesota. Better to get something than...nothing. Gallo, Taylor, Solano also were available. Readily replaced by such folks as Wallner, I would bring up Contreras (or the aging Andrew Stevenson). Heck, even Larnach. Would Chris WIlliams be a grat replacement if Solano was taken by someone, anyone? Anyone you advance from AAA allows you to advance others further up in the organization. Keuchel has now replaced Ryan for at least three starts. Shuffle out Moran to the minors for Fundeburk. Varland and Headrick (imagine the Twins having TWO lefty starters - or team Headrick with Winder for a complete game). Yes, I can believe that the Twins had a roster full of unwanted free agents.

So Wallner is showing that HE CAN replace Gallo, in both the home run and strikeout department. Is Gallo safe, though, becuase we need a first baseman? What do you do if the pitcehrs wear out., Do you send Ober, Duran, even Ryan to the minors to just pitch some less stressful short outings? But who do you bring up in return and also where do you find the 40-man roster spot for the "Return of Dobnak."

Where do we expect Brooks Lee to play again? Not to mention Yennier Severino. Austin Martin.

All the lineup shuffling looks like genius, until you need to comeback and score runs, at times. Moran needs to go back to St. Paul and take it easy. Bring back Headrick. Hope Thielbar is on the horizon. Better yet, trade out Ortega for Keuchel. You are going to give up hits, but Moran couldn't throw a strike. You got a four run lead, facing the bottom of the order, and you can't throw a strike!You bring in Duran for the shutdown, and then worry about the rest of the game.

Yep, I'm sure the Twins would love for another team to absorb the salaries of a Kepler or Gallo. So, low level prospect at best. At some point, who goes when Polanco, Lewis and Gordon all return?

I wuld not balk at adding anothger proven "closer" type arm, depending on the cost. But the Twins, if they feel Thielbar and Stewart are coming back, have an embarrassment of riches in the works. I'm more worried about how they work the roster if they have to worry about workloads for Ober, Gray, Ryan in particular. Where do they go? Bullpen? Shut down and shuffled back to the minors? Traded (Gray) to become someone else's problem. I feel good the Twins got a decent look at Varland, and although his St. Paul stats aren't stunning, doesn't mean he can't pitch in the majors. Headrick is also a plus. 3-4 innings for the rest of the season would be wonderful in any appearances. We forget that Woods Richardson and Henriquez, along with Winder, are still in the mix. Who goes. Who stays. That is the question.

Shut down Buxton is job one, which opens up the DH position. Ask yourself if someone would actually trade prospects AND take salary releif from the Twins for Kepler and Gallo. If so, let them be gone and replaced by Larnach and Wallner, for now. If there is any demand for Polanco after a week's play, also take that! And dangle Madea and/or Gray. Can you get more for Gray or less than if you make him a qualifying offer. COnsider yourself lucky if you remain on top of the division for the final 65 games, and hope any and everyone you promote from down in AAA is better than those you cut loose.

Basically the Twins need to make hard decisions on who to play, where and when. Is Buxton purely a DH? That sure complicates things. Who is the centerfielder to be, then...as although I like Taylor and Castro, both are bench bat/subs with distinct late-inning plus skills, and Taylor was just a temporarty bandaid. Is Kirilloff the first baseman going forward? Keep him there, then. NOT in the outfield. You have others to look at and play. And he HAS to bat against all pitching. Sure, he is coming back from basically a season of sit. But, still...... When Polanco comes back, is Julien sent down to the minors...for what reason? And if Julien is, indeed, the current second baseman of the future, he needs to stay there and let Polanco struggle at third and say bye-bye at the end of the season. Again, who plays what where. Do we want Julien at first base? Move Kirilloff to the outfield? Start making those decisions, because you also have to figure out the fate of Wallner, Larnach - and the likes Contreras and Stevenson should be in the mix, at least temporary, for what they bring to the game. Rioght now those last two could contribute equally to the outfield mix of Taylor/Castro, not to mention "what about Gordon." Lewis back at third? Or does he play better at second, and we keep giving Miranda another chance for a season before having to figure out where to put Lee and Martin come sometime in 2024? And the Twins have promise in Chris WIlliams, who will basically be the answer to Solano (hopefully) in 2024, and might actually make Vasquez espendable in the off-season if you think Camargo is appealing...before 2025. But you have to quit plugging guys anywhere and everywhere. Miranda plays third abse for 50-60 games period. SInk or swim. You can bring in Wallner and see if he is the next Brent Rooker or the current Brent Rooker. He can't be any worse than the ones already playing the corners. Send Julien down? Except for NOT stealing bases, he is doing what you wanted him to do in the major leagues. Sadly Polanco won't get enough at bats to bering back a good mid-season trade return, which makes me...sad. The Twins really don't have a lot of offense decisions to make going into 2024 off-season. Most would be potential guys who can walk (WIlliams, Contreras, Helman, Camargo, Bechtold) and they should have plenty of spots to protect most. Be interesting to see who they advance for the season's end, so they could be roster removal fodder if soemthing better shows up in the free agent marketplace. Right now, the Twins are weak at DH and shortstop by guys they have to keep on the payroll, and keep playing. They are horrible in the outfield and three of the four currently on the depth charts won't be here at all in 2024 (and five, if you count Gordon). Castro and Farmer are what they are, super subs. They shouldn't be playing every day. I would've kept Miranda over Steer in the off-season (although I would've kept Steer over signing, perhaps, Castro and Solano, in the end, and big bat CES would've been my choice of DH for the future, but then "what about Buxton." Yes, the Twins got shafted on a bunch of the prospects that changed teams last season, but there ae always prospects and you never know if they will make it, be a one-year wonder, or a star regular.

Twins pitching struck out 15 Orioles. But they still struck out 13 times, especilly with no outs and runners on base. St. Paul gets 20 runs on a day he Twins give up 15. Carmargo, Wolters and Williams can all catch, Williams can play other positions. An outfield of Stevenson, Contreras and Wallner has to be better than anything the Twins can put out there right now, an that's not even including Larnach who is hitting better in the majors than 10 of the guys currently on the Twins bench. The Twins need to make some hard decisions, and one of them IS NOT sending Julien back down to the minors if and win Polanco comes back. Hitting coach ash to be the fall guy. WHo they can move up or bring in is the question, Maybe bring Dick Bremer in from the booth with his Town Ball experience.

Funderburk is an option for the future. I still have hopes for Henriquez (long relief). Who knows what can be done with Dobnak.

Got the impresion that Berrios wouldn't accept any offer from the Twins, although they might've matched his Toronto windfall. Who knows. But the Twins have now gone elsewhere, investing in Lopez and Paddack. Is Martin Rule 5 eligible? I count this as his third season in the minors. One of the joys of signing college kids. Woods Richardson is still a youngster. But, does he have enough skillset and spunk to be a starter? Like Henriquez, the age factor alone keeps them on the 40-man roster going into the next season, unless they are involved in a trade package. The Big Thought that makes this a win-win for the Twins, no way was Berrios going to come bcak to the Twins. He would've walked. So the Twins managed to egt something.

Could the wins get more for Sonny Gray in a now rade, or make him a qualifying offer and get a draft pick? Wondering what Madea could bring back in a trade? Polanco could have value, or do the Twins jsut take his extension and daHow many baseballs can the Twins egt for Gallo or Kepler. Not that they need many with all the strikeouts, lots of clean balls that never touch a bat in their storage room.ngle him in the off-season. Is Julien deserving of a return to AAA for the rest of 2023? Any takers for Pagan? Can Lopez make himself valuable, or a keeper? Do you trade Thielbar and resign him next off-season? If a team comes calling for a veteran catcher, do you trade away Vasquez? I was surprised NONE of the Twins pedning free agents made the Top 50 list.

Cano and Rooker All-Stars! Man, what would our current team be like with those two in the clubhouse today?

He still writes out the lineup, and makes the in-game changes. Of course, with the talent available.