Rosterman

Look at all the throwing he has been doing, probably on fast track, compared to the failed outfield experiment. We suddenly need Trevor Plouffe!

Why is this so special on day 13 of August. You would've assumed that it would've happened by now, as well as many others. There is nothing to be lost by doing this, and everything to possibly be gained.

Right now, with his stats at Rochester and his limited major league work, I don't see Dean being grabbed by anyone and kept on the 40-man into spring training. At the most, he will get a minor league contract. At best, the Twins promoting him again means he will give a greater consideration to sign back with the Twins. We already have Rogers for long lefty relief.

And let's see. He's been a DH in 86 games, played 37 games at 3B (making 12 errors), 38 games in the OF (making 3 errors) and was on first base twice. 72 hits for extra bases out of his 154. Lets look forward to the next 162!

Melotakis is still too far away, although they might move him up with these recent transactions. There is, sadly, no reason to add Reed to the 40-man. So he will just go to spring training and probably start the season at Rochester. I'm hoping it is Wimmers for now. Would like to see the Twins get a good look at him to make a decision to keep him or let him walk.

Pat Dean. Sheesh. Not to knock the guy, but bring up a proven bullpen arm. If nothing else, Sean Burnett gets a final shot before moving on. Or Pat Light. Let's go wild. I'm sorry. We also need to see Alex WImmers. More see Alex Wimmers than Pat Dean who is...what number on the starting pitcher roll...and, yes, I know he is not coming up to start. Give me more Ryan O'Rourke at this point. Seriously. Who will be with the Twins anywheres in 2017. Sean Burnett, Pat Dean, Jason Wheeler, Ryan O'Rourke, Andrew Albers, Tommy Milone, Buddy Boshers, Pat Light, Logan Darnell, Neil Ramirez. Those that MIGHT have a chance, yes (Wimmers, O'Rourke), advance them. Those that will be here for sure (Light, Wheeler), ADVANCE THEM AND ADD NOW! Going to be quite a crowd around the training room at Target Field while the team is on the road come September. Dean did nothing going back to make him more valuable to the Twins or convincing someone to sign him, instead of Logan Darnell, in the offseason. But, hey, it makes Rochester a stronger team in their final stretch. So bonus points for the Twins front office there!

Yes, May didn't shine in 2014 as a starter. But he did show promise. He was also a bit rough in 2015 and pulled it together in a role out of the pen. But he still has the mix. He learned. Come 2016, he was used a lot out of the gate...multiple days, short stops in a game. Not a long man, not a setup, not given a role. Just put out there as a member of a bullpen. This is 21st century baseball. We now have roles. We have top of the rotation starters who can give us 200 innings and a chance to win every time they pitch. We have middle guys who might just keep us in the game. We have that 5th guy who might reach 125-130 innings and then be replaced by a similar soul. We have specialists in the bullpen. The closer. Two guys who see the ball in the 9th. We have a long guy. If you have the luxury, someone who can get a groundball, someone who can get a fly ball, someone who can strike someone out. And you have a couple of them coming in from the left side who can do more than jsut get their one guy out. Maybe The Twins Way is that everyone can play anywhere on the diamond when called upon. Sometimes it works for awhile (Nunez this season), but at some point, you develop a player and you leave them there and you either trade that player eventually when someone else comes along (Dougie M and A.J.) or move that prospect (Polanco, Sano perhaps). But you don't start shuffling guys around for the heck of it. Your system should be strong enough that are are always looking at depth of three at a position for the next five years (like the Twins at catcher right now, eh). Someone is moving the little standups around the cardtable and seeing what your lineup would look like with so-and-so, and what it MAY look like next year, or three years down the line. If you need to change a position, you do it BEFORE you egt to the majors. Of course, starting pitchers are a different case. You can get by with 2 or 3 pitches in the minors, but once you hit the majors, you better have four. Maybe you can be role arm in the bullpen if you don't adapt. Going to the bullpen is not necessarily a step-down...it is, afterall, a major league job. But it is also a mindset, like how every bullpen guy can't close a game...how every starter has trouble getting thru that batting order the third time, how batters can't adjust when the other team actually looks at the tape they have on your swing. At best, when they IMMEDITATELY moved May into the bullpen in spring training, I was hoping they would still stretch him out, making him that - most time - minimum three inning guy, possibly becoming a spot starter rather than dipping down to the Deans and Albers in the organization. At worst, when Perkins started to falter, I was wondering if they would try him at closer, which almost seemed the case when he was working consecutive days, but not in the high pressure situation. Somehow, I think, we have THE LOST SEASON OF TREVOR MAY. Nothing was accomplished. He moved backwards more than forwards. Even if you to rebrand him as a starter, can he pitch 150 innings in 2017...can he go 175...and what is his homework assignment for the off-season. Are the Twins thinking that far ahead? Or is/was it a total system failure.

He will go the Fall League,right?

There's some major league meetings coming up next week and expect St. Peter and Pohlad will both be there doing some interviewing, or so I would hope.I wou ld really love to know the true exact questions they are asking new candidates. Vision of the organization?What kind of team do you see us fielding?What do you need for front office support? How much money do you need to do this?

It makes you suddenly realize how foolish it is to make a single player the brand of a team...either when they drafted Joe Mauer in the first place, or gave him the extension. Of course, the thought still remains of Joe Mauer being a lifetime boon to the organization, if he so chooses to remian anywhere in the game of baseball. But it also shows that when a player diminishes in value (this time because of a position change), it can also hurt the team in the long run. If we had never signed Joe, we would've had Prior and that baggage of an overpriced draftee who would've hated being signed by Minnesota (assuming he would've signed). We would've kept A.J. and not have Liriano and Nathan and Boof. Wow, suddenly things start to look royally different. We could've traded Mauer, too. I wonder what the backlash would've been like. Of course, we could part ways with him right now if any other club saw $20 million of contributions from him on the field. And I think we could happily absorb the ramifications of such a move. But it ain't happening. In hindsight, we didn't need to move Ramos. We should still have Pinto. Heck, we should've developed Danny Rams! Two questions remain. The game of baseball has changed. ANy money you give to a player is a sunk cost for one season or multiple seasons. At some point, you may jump on your desk and say you were the "master of the game" and did something totally right. On the other end, you suddenly say I am paying a guy $30 million a year for his good years, write-it-off and move on. I think the sport will be seeing more and more BAD longterm really rich contracts, but if they give results for one or two important moments in the team's game, it will continue to happen. The money, sadly, is there. The other question is "What is Joe's longterm situation with the Twins organization?" Will he retire in two seasons or continue on in the sport, and if not with the Twins, where? Is he worthwhile signing to a lifetime "end your career with us/personal services contract" or do the two parties part ways and maybe in a couple of years Joe joins the likes of Hrbek and such as a roving ambassador and batting consultant. Will Joe continue his career as a hitting instructor (and can he do that). Will he buy a team? It will be interesting to see what happens to the "Mauer" brand as his career winds down.

I see the Twins ultimately NOT adding anyone in September going to Arizona. They will think that is more important. But then, anyone going to Arizona WILL be added to the 40-man at some point. I don't see them adding anyone that is in AA or below that doesn't need to be added until NEXT YEAR. I hope they do add any of the promising minor league free agent prospects, just to get a look at them. If they played well for the Twins and are rewarded, yet removed later, they could possibly resign with the Twins over other clubs, if the need is there for both parties. But the bigger question: Who needs to go from the 40-man before Spring Training next year. Not just jettisoned NOW but removed via trades and such during the off-season, realistically. If you don't see a player going to camp, and even breaking camp with the team (and not a true prospect), then TODAY you should be looking at any way possible to remove them from the organizational chart and possibly seeing a return, or giving those innings and at bats to others.

Right now, it might be nice to have the 40-man roster spot, especially if he won't be pitching no more.

I almost think the fans would boo him more than come out, if they do. Sadly, NO. There is no place for him, and he would see that too and not sign with us.

Okay...is this the guy that replaces Dozier in two seasons? Then what do we do with Polanco now?

You mean to the bullpen, right? Have Milone come back into the rotation?

Tonight's Song "Who Is Travelling on the Rochester Red Wings Express....." Send me to Rochester now...ah.ah.ah.........

Why send him to Rochester? Hope some team in the American League does grab him and allows him to start AGAINST the Twins in the final weeks.

I agree. Even if he sits on the bench and does nothing but pinch-hits...it would be an eye-opening experience for him. The Twins have nothing to lose bringing him over in September.

And, so, it couldn't rain for like five hours right now, right?

Joe Nathan is available, right? Hopefully the Twins can book a couple of plane tickets. Looks like we could see Pat Light. Maybe time to give Ryan O'Rourke one more look. I'm sure Sean Burnett would like one last chance to see if he can do it. Of all the times for Logan Darnell to go down injured again!

You have two options with reserve players. One) They are reserves. In the pinch, they come in and play. If someone goes down longterm, they have the ability to play everday at the position of choice and stay there as long s needed, or... Two) They are that bench guy, contributing late-inning subsitution, perhaps pinch-running, or a bat off the bench. But when a player goes down, they stay on the bench and you play your top prospect from the minors as much as possible...because they are your future, unless... Three) You prospect is blocked and they have to stay on the roster somehoe (Polanco). Then you may have the best of both worlds. But if a player is deserving of everyday action, they should play everyday. If a player is a role player, then they are labeled as such and used as such. And eventually salary becomes a consideration. And, role players should have limited action/at bats at best.

So the Twins just burned one of their 40-man spots. They still have three sitting out there. Of course, they might have more - Plouffe, Dean, Milone, Suzuki could all be moved. Happily, Albers does have options, so they can send him back down. But I don't see him sticking. Will be interesting to see what other Rochester names might come over in September. The ones: Wimmers, Wheeler, O'Rourke, Garver, Beresford. It's probably too early for Palka, but hopefully the Twins will take a look at Walker (and Light at least). Tovar, Baxendale and Burnett could also be considered. I guess I don't see the Twins adding anyone (like Reed) who doesn't need to be added this year. So when all is said and done, and looking at the Red Wings starting staff, Albers fell into the right place at the right time for him (and he gets a nice piece of cash for his day in the majors).

Picture Palka and Walker staying at Rochester next season. What will be interesting is the addition of Harrison and Granite to the Red WIngs outfield. Grossman is a servicable pickup for the Twins. He is performing better than you thought possible. But remember, we have had such names as Mastro, Schaffer, Robinson, all the way back to Ryan and Mohr and Lew Ford in the past. But the big boys at Rochester need to cut down on their K's and the Twins have to figure out the Plouffe/Park/Vargas/Sano/Mauer mess.

Well, Murphy was obviously a catcher the Yankees didn't need. Happily, Aaron Hicks ahs been Aaron Hicks. But coming out of spring training, I almost felt the Twins should've had John Hicks come north so Murphy could catch everyday at AAA. But, no, they left him down...and somehow we lost him in the Murphy (David) mess. Remember, we also had Josmil Pinto floating around, but let him go and kept Pat Dean instead. He's catching about parttime. Hitting well. Centeno is a replacement player, sorry. We could plug in A.J. next season, bring back Rene Rivera, talk Mike Redmond out of retirement. Garver is getting some swings at Rochester and now the decision will be to add him to the 40-man and bring hi up to experience some innings in the majors in September. I could live with Murphy and Garver. Heck, I could live with A.J. and Murphy with Garver starting at Rochester.

The joy is that the way things stand right now, a Team would only have to pay A-Rod the major league minimum to play on their roster. Sadly, the Twins don't need him at third or DH. Otherwise, who knows.