Rosterman

A lot of fantasy owners suddenly found a roster spot for Kepler this week!

What was great that for awhile you did get to keep the entire ticket, not just a partial. And enjoyed when the Twins featured different images on their tickets. Not a current season ticket holder, but it was sorta nice to keep that package of tickets intact. Of course, they want to destroy the secondary market, or even giving them to a friend. Keep a name or contact with the file.

Be interesting to see what players ago thru the August waiver cycle and if the Twins grab any of these guys that still have future control. We do have 4 40-,am rooster spots. Pretty good position to be if other teams are cutting assets to get new assets. We have to be the first or second choice on any or all of these.

But money can heal many wounds. Or becoming an instant free agent. Or going to a surefire contending team.

Well, he needs to get comfortable if we expect him to play there. He can't DH because Mauer is at first and Vargas needs to play, as well as Park. There's only 30 days or so left in the minor league season. But I also don't like Escobar or Polanco playing third, either. If anyone goes down, it is Buxton...told to bunt. Told to learn to use his speed. Soemthing isn't right when Nunez leads THIS team in stolen bases. Of course, I would be happy with Sano at DH...but then we don't need at least one of Vargas/Mauer/Park/ But then it might mean we need to keep Plouffe, and I can't see paying him $10 million in arbitration or $30 million over 3 years or so...it ain't going to happen and Plouffe doesn't need to take anything less from the Twins this year...because of the process. Heck, would rather see Dozier at DH, Sano at 3rd, Polanco at 2B if push came to shove...with Vargas/Park at first. We could call Mauer off the bench anytime we need a bases loaded walk.

I would agree on this, too. We kept Pat Dean as a possibility. In the off-season, the Twins have to decide if they want Wheeler on the 40-man. RIght now, if Duffy goes back to Rochester and Milone is somethinged, they could add Wheeler to the 40-man, let him start one...two...three...four games or so and see what they have, if they like it or not. The he becomes that off-season 40-man decision (which Dean and, at this point, even Duffy are candidates for elimination). And, again, the Twins have a few open spaces. So you aren't eliminating ANYONE right now. Plus, if you do want to eliminate anyone, you can run Dean and Romero thru waivers in August and see if anyone claims them, or they pass and you take them off the 40-man but still keep them in the organization. Otherwise, I'm getting tired of looking at a roster of Red Wings that will never deserve to be in the majors. A rotation of Wheeler, Darnell, Albers, Greenwood, Dean. Bullpen arms like: Wimmers, Brunett, Baxendale, Walden, O'Rourke, Ramirez. Hitters like: Beresford, Schafer, Mastro, Field, Tovar, Paulino, Rodriguez, Britton. Where are the prospects? Right now, Charglois is it for pitching, I guess. Murphy, Walker and Park are on the 40-man. Palka is getting high raves. Do any of the other also ans deserve a shot to see if they can be a part of contribute to the Twins now or again?

If that is the case, I would send him up to Rochester to see some better hitting for the remainder of the season.

Okay, waiver wire time. Was surprised that no one traded for Suzuki in the contending group. Now any team can claim him. I remember fondly the days when teams would claim players to block another team from taking them. Now, when a player is claimed, you have the option of working out a trade, letting the player go to the team for the cost of his remaining salary, or pulling the player back. So it is a gamble. Does the claiming team really want the player so bad they will give you a player in return. Do you want to get rid of the player so badly that you are happy to stick the salary to the claiming team. If a player isn't claimed, you can do anything you want with that player. So it is also a good time to move guys off your 40-man (Pat Dean, Randy Rosario, maybe even Adam Walker). Teams have to keep the guy on their own 40-man, or run the risk of waivering them out themselves. Now, if you can't reach a deal and pull the player back, you still have the option of putting them out on waivers again, and the player, if claimed, is gone. No discussion. Salary gone. If you can't get anything for Suzuki, except salary relief, do you do it? Once the season ends, you don't get anything for the guy. It means we play Murphy or whomever for the remainder of the season. If the Twins do put Plouffe out there, I imagine they wait until the end of the week. The joy of another teaming taking Plouffe off our hands is that they have to make the arbitration decision. The Twins would be free to make any offer they want if they would want Plouffe back, weighed against other offers he might get...if he doesn't go to arbitration. Do you let players like Milone, Kintzler, Boshers go just to clear up roster space for other players you want to see. Do you let someone take Park, also to clear roster space and playing time for others. If, by chance, someone claims Mauer...can anything be done? With salary cap limitations, teams grabbing a contract that pays high is few and far. It's a gamble to grab a guy on waivers: work something out, pull back, or let him go are the options the first time around. Get stuck or stick it to someone else. Plus, will be interesting to see if the Twins do any waiver claims themselves, with a few open roster spots, and some names they could trade (mentioned above) of from elsewhere in their system. The trading season is far from over!

In the end, I almost saw Alex Meyer as being an odd-man out in the future plans of the Twins. As a starting candidate, he was being pushed by some names at AA right now (Gonsalves, Jay, Stewart). As a relief pitcher, this was his year to show (even though he was penned in as a starter). Right now, he fell behind Alex Wimmers in the call-up for September race. So it was an okay move. He may be great a couple of years down the path, but chances of him getting great with the Twins in a couple of years jsut didn't seem to be in the picture. It's the constant joy of looking at your system (and not failing). Where does Adam Walker fit in? Is he being pushed aside by Palka in an already crowded slugger zone that needs to find a place for Park, Kepler, Rosario, Sano, Vargas? Where will Harrison and Granite fit into the future picture. Was he a viable trade chip? Who else would the Twins have been dangling matched with a player they wanted to move...Baxendale, Bard, Meija, Polanco? Polanco is interesting. He played third base. Did a couple of triples. Am I sad to see Meyer leave? In context of the Span trade, where we were told we were fleecing the Nationals with a player from an area of strength on our team for a long-term asset, we suddenly hear rumbles that the Angels are drinking the same kool-aid, only that asset is three years older and doesn't seem ready to pitch in the majors...yet. But back to Monday. What a game. Kepler is the hardest working player I have seen in quite awhile. Now if he can give Buxton a little bit of whatever it is he's drinking.

When all is said and done we got rid of Nolasco's contract for a modest $4 million in payroll expense. We gave up on Meyer, who has been his own worst enemy this and last season when he could've should've made the turn to major league play. We got a starter who will cost us about the same as Tommy Milone. If we can get a waiver claim on Milone, then it is a wash and we earn that salary back. Just think, offering Santiago arbitration will be similar to doing the same with Tommy. e got a hard-throwing AA prospect. Hey, we got rid of Nolasco!!!!!!!

Meyer needed to come on board the Twins roster fulltime next year. And that wasn't going to happen. So assuming he would be ready come spring training, the decision still has to be made of starter or relief pitcher. At that point, he may be bypassed by a bunch of starting prospects, and definitely passed by a bunch of promising bullpen arms. So he is one of those guys who had a chance last year and this year and...blew it. He's basically being replaced by Pat Light who might have a little more time on the 40-man roster, but also could be running out of options himself. I doubt the Red Sox would've continued to 40-man him next season. Santiago needs to pitch well to end the season to score bigger in arbitration. Then next year, he was to be a star if he wants a decent free agent contract, which could be a plus if the Twins wish to flip him. Of course, the Twins could always do something like offer him 3-4 years of outrageous salary and an option in the off-season to keep him around. I feel bad no one blew us away on taking Santana of our hands and am disappointed if Anthony and Co. feel the Twins will really be hard-lined competitors and would rather keep his massive contract on the books that not. And looks like no one really wanted Suzuki. It was the time to grab a free agent before the waiver deadline when a lower running team could possibly grab him. And the cost wouldn't have been that much. And if the Twins refused anything for a pending free agent...they that is a black mark in the bad-Anthony category. Plouffe coming back soon will be a dilemma. Polanco back to the minors? Buxton on the DL? We drop a pitcher? Can anyone actually tell me why Plouffe would be worth his last year arbitration contract next season and what the odds are that any other team would also pay that? And why the excitement of Tommy Milone as longman in the bullpen and Duffy back in the rotation. I would almost rather see Duffy as a longman to see if he can work the Rogers magic, as the Twins hopefully prep Trevor May for a look at a rotation spot next season before we really realize what we got in return for Span and Revere. The Twins will need some 40-man spots. These acquisitions makes it unlikely the Twins will add anyone they don't have to add to the 40-man sooner rather than later, or even take a gander at someone like Reed or Stewart in September...or any number of other guys that will play out another season in the minors in 2017 before getting a shot later that season with the big team that IS rebuilding. I like the deals, but nothing compared to other teams and doubt that they will set us afire into a competitive 2017.

So it would seem that no contending team was really interested in flipping something for Suzuki, or Kintzler. Those two, along with Milone, could be made available during the waiver wire process, and one would suspect that no non-contending team will leap at the opportunity to grab them, so a chance might still exist that someone wants them higher up the scale. But because a contending team didn't deal for Suzuki, means that they were all content with their catchers already. Add in Plouffe, the Twins have a few names that would be nice to just shed, salary wise, even if you don't get anything in return. When you put Suzuki, Plouffe and even Milone onto another team's roster, than they have to deal with the thought of keeping them or allowing them to walk at season's end. If the Twins are still interested, THEY MIGHT be able to regrab any of them at a bargain rate...or they might not...or might not even care to visit that. I was really shocked that Santana wasn't grabbed by someone, unless the asking price was truly waaaaaay too high. But the Twins were willing to basically pay for Nolasco to go to Los Angeles and take Santiago, who could be an arbitration surprise.Mey Question is Meyer. Who knows what he will be asked in the off-season and will he develop into a relief pitcher or a starter or nothing. Time will tell. The Span exchange looks like one of the worst deals ever (a reasonable long term contract on a lead-off guy and a centerfielder that was replaced with....what....). The Light acquisition was interesting. Someone who the Red Sox probably didn't want to keep on their 40-man. And now the Twins have to make the same decision at the expense of what promising prospect, perhaps. If it is Zack Jones again, I'll be really mad! But they did something. They got something for basically guys they added as free agents or, as in Nunez, a very minor prospect. It's too bad there is still more fluff on the roster that the Twins will basically say "goodbye" to with little coming abck in return...except play for the future and a lower payroll in 2017.

So the Twins trade for Pat Light, someone they drafted back in 2009 but couldn't sign.

He's not an after thought. The Twins thought high enough of him to put him on the 40-man roster last season. He pitched horribly at Rochester and was removed with no takers. He came back strong, is left-handed. He is a candidate to be added this year. Probably come down to him or Pat Dean in the end. Yes, if they think they would add him, bring him up first chance you get. Then make a decision if you raelly do want to keep him, or just have him hang around. Every roster needs a few bodies that COULD be jettisoned if you do sign a free agent or two. Guys added to the 40-man after the season can't be sent off until spring training. It's why you might see Dean and Centeno and even Romero stay around when the Twins start deducting guys.

Duffy is the eprfect example of what is wrong with the Twins. You are blocking a home-grown starter with what -- Nolasco, Milone. Okay, the guy hasn't been hot stuff. Maybe a trip down to Rochester for the final month, let him get that curve back, plug him into the bullpen as a September callup if need be. But it also shows the weakness of the Twins system for now. Who do you have on the 40-man. Duffy and Dean. Period. You can advance the new guy if you wish (and they should at some point). You have Wheeler. If you do a housecleaning of GUYS WHO WON'T BE CONTRIBUTING MUCH IN 2017 OR BLOCKING OTHERS then you can also get some AAA starts for a Jay or a Stewart or a Gonsalves. Just think what 4 or so starts would do for them going into the Arizona Fall League. But we just wait and see. May mired in the bullpen. Duffy a one-year winner. Dean a wonderment on why he was added to the 40-man in the first place. Nolasco in Year Three of being a stinko-o in the rotation. Milone doing what Milone does best -- confuse the staff -- to keep or not to keep, that is a question? Hey, Pressly got his first save. Imagine...a baseball team...with no starter with 200 innings pitched or 1`0 victories, a bullpen with no wonder saving 10 games...or a relief corps that combined saves less than any other relief corps. You are entering...The Twins Zone! De-pee-dee-pee-dee-peee.....

There is no reason to go to arbitration with Milone at this point. The hope is someone claims him and if you really want him back, then you are free to negotiate. Same with Plouffe. Make it the decision of another team.

Looking at the wants/needs of Texas...I could see a package of Ervin Santana, Suzuki and Abad for something. Talk about a monster trade! Now if we could package someone with Nolasco to the Dodgers for their catching prospect (after they land Lucroy) and find takers for Plouffe and Milone (at least get back an A prospect). Maybe Anthony would be right for the job afterall. But why do I have the sneaking suspicion that the Twins powers-that-be are considering too much wealth and hoping for a big payback, rather than compromising on some pieces and looking at a bigger picture. Right now, every team has assets to move (that they can't keep or protect in the off-season) and, as people have said, you usually get a little sweetner with the trading deadline deals, compared to off-season antics. But it would be disappointing if the Twins don't move a catcher (who will be a free agent) a starting asset or two (as teams are getting stymied by other teams) and a bullpen arm for the future of the organization.

He will probably be grabbed before Suzuki. So I doubt the Twins would be in contention. Best bet would be to overpay in the offseason for Ramos. But overpaying for a catcher is not something you really want to do.

May needs to be stretched out nd that ain't happening this year. Not sure how it will work in the off-season. He should've stayed longer at Rochester and worked into becoming a starter again. You could always cut him back to relief, but the Twins blew that one. Combined with the other guys THAT MAY not be moved, the Twins will be carrying Hughes and Perkins on the 40-man and it is doubtful that either will come out of the chute and be ready once spring training ends. The joy is that their positions can be taken with a couple of minor league free agents, if need be. The bad thing is that you have two guys on the 40-man that you need to protect. I ws imagining that the acquisition from the Giants would be next in line for a call-up (after Berrios). That leaves Dean as the other starter in play (and Duffey). ;;I do wonder if any of Jay, Gonsalves or Stewart will get a move up to AAA. Next...when does Chargolis return!

I someone is willing to trade for Rsario (who probably did have worth in the off-season), they might be more mad that they missed out on grabbing Grossman this season. The next big question: Maybe the Twins need to move their strength in centerfield. Like Buxton? What could he bring? And would we be comfortable with Grossman, of Kepler, or even the future Zach Granite out there? I really don't want to give up on Buxton...and am just amazed at the folks we have sent away: Span, Revere, Gomez, Hicks. Plus what they have really done, so you never really know the potential of a player until they do play it out!

Who else is rehabbing these days in Ft. Myers? Is Alex Meyer down there?

HE SHOULD BE OUR NEW DESIGNATED HITTER. I mean, the outfield is waaaay too crowded, so much so that WE HAVE to play Danny Santana in the infield. (Even on a day off, Polanco at third and letting Sano NOT field but hit would be better than what Molitor did today...this from a manager who feels a guy can lead off or hit fourth...anyone know WHY it is so hard to get a decent lineup and stick with it?)

I loved the Nolasco trade idea. Basically, you have to trade for change of location. But getting someone younger back could prove enlightening. Plus, not being on the 40-man, does that mean the Twins can carry him OFF the 40-man until November? The Twins currently have 3 40-man spots open. They will need approx. 7-8 potential between now and the setting of rosters in November, with two spots coming back with Hughes and Perkins. I don't necessarily see them adding Hildenberger. Also, Reed could also be out because YOU DON'T NEED to add the guys yet (similar to Berrios last year). But who comes up in September (pretty much anyone on the 40-man...Walker, Mason, Chargolis). Do you add back in a second look at maybes like Albers, O;Rourke, Darnell. Do you reward Beresford? Do you take a look at, say, Tovar? Do you immediately jump ANY of the guys WHO NEED to be added to the 40-man anyways? Takes an advance look at Gonsalves, Stewart? Also, would like to see WImmers get a look at the major league level. It is sink or swim elsewhere time for him.

WHO DISAPPEARS WHEN PLOUFFE RETURNS!

When does he run out of options?