Rosterman

Well, considering our options are Park and Vargas for now....... I had always hoped that Kepler was getting some rotations at first base and would be our first baeman of the future (assuming Sano didn't need the shift). Seeing that we potentially could fill the outfield, it would be nice to have one of the many guys for the outfield play elsewhere.... Park needs some work, some seasoning. He can be our short-term first sacker. But what of Mauer. Yes, move him out of the front of the lineup. Let;s keep that round of msuical chairs going for the season. Why should Joe get the same spot everyday while everyone else wanders the chairs around him. Dangle him out there. Maybe he will allow trade if a contender comes calling. That would be major salary relief. Or let's get some consistency in the lineup. Return Dozier to leadoff. Bat Kepler second. Have Sano 4th when he returns and stick-with-it.

Dozier is a tough call. He's 29, you have two more years. He might have a breakout season, but you pretty much know what to expect. Double his numbers this year, you have a tad higher average than ever before but consistency in ALL categories including walks, strikeouts, doubles. His fielding has gotten better, it seems, but that depends on who is playing short. Polanco brings youth. He might bring speed, the ability to put a ball in play, draw more walks, strikeout less. You are eliminating the power. Can you have total power weakness up the middle - catcher, second base, shortstop, centerfield? Does the speed you WILL have at second and centerfield offset that loss? Does right and left make up the difference? You can run with a year of Polaco as a reserve, filling in as needed at second/short/third. You also have Santana in the reserve category if Rosario comes back to the outfield. You might also find a reason to keep Nunez. You have Escobar. After a year of Polanco as a reserve, you need to make a longer-term decision on Dozier, or hope that another team also sees him as a long term solution. Which means you trade him in 2018 at the latest, or extend him (shades of thoughts about Plouffe right now) You CAN play Polanco as a reserve for a couple of seasons. You are pretty much guaranteed that his three arbitration years would be lower in salary than if you started him at second out of the chute in 2017. Dozier (and Suzujki) are both making themselves attractive pieces for acquisition. One longer term, the other a short-term fix. If the Twins feel that Polanco can play second base and are willing to take what they get over the next few seasons, then you move Dozier. If not, you have a few middle infield pieces to try and pawn, one being a potential prospect. But right now, I would picture most other teams would grab Polanco and put him in a reserve role, too, in 2017 and see where he goes from there. If Polanco has true worth (assuming you are keeping Dozier for the term and looking at extending him) would be to package with Nolasco or another salary you wish to rid yourself of. A promising prospect and an expensive player for some more minor league depth. Yes, the Twins can start turning things around this season. But as other posters have said, even if they play .500 ball, they end up with 90+ losses. ALL the players are smart if they do start producing. It will mean they have jobs with the Twins or elsewhere come 2017. If they continue to stumble, a few will be unemployable. And the Twins HAVE to make the decision on the direction they are going, not just play for the possibility of winning today. YOU CAN MARKET a losing team, you can market rebuilding. You just have to accept the fact, adjust some ticket prices, make the event of going to a game even more fun (rather than lame), What's sad is the stumbling block we will see the Twins have. Do we change front office, field management, stay as we are with internal options, keep things going the Twins Way, addressing problems us armchair fans don't really see or know exist, Maybe every day they are having meetings discussing direction - on-field and marketing. Maybe there is a plan in place (and they REALLY DON'T HAVE TO SHARE IT with us...because plans can succeed or fail. Okay, let's get back to discussing who the Twins would lose in an expansion draft!

7TH START kYLE GOT HIS FIRST WIN. WALKED ONLY ONE. Still, that ERA is gawful!

You start interviewing candidates now with the agreed assumption that Ryan will step down at season's end, and being the good company man, he and his staff will work with the new guy (and his staff) in the transition. If you can officially hire a new general manager sooner rather than later, he can work ahead towards 2017 while 2016 continues to play to its end. Regarding a managerial or coaching change, you do it. You either make Gene Glynn interim manager and leave the new hiring procedure to the next general manager, or elevate someone else from the minors with the official assumption that they may/may not have the job come next season...partly on the way they play it out with the current roster. Like the Phillies handling of Andy MacPhail, you go ahead and make a change early under the assumption that it will be for the team going forth to next year. 2016 is still the responsibilities of the powers-that=be. And it should more than just a GM. You should hire a Pres/VP of Baseball Operations and a new GM and new assistant GMs. You can still keep someone around from the old days, if you wish...BUT DON'T JUST MOVE SOMEONE UP FROM WITHIN AT THIS POINT!! With the 2016 season going as ism someone has to take a hit/fall during the season and someone has to leave come the end of the season. The sooner you can get an organizational jump, the better. Of course, we may hear "WE CAN FIX THIS" from One Twins Way!

I find the inability to move players when they have their most value to be the crutch. And totally understanding the rebuilding process. If he succeeds in any one area, it is waiver claims and maybe, maybe finding a glimmer of gold that can be flipped for a prospect. But at some point, you have a player that excels beyond their norm, you look to see that another is on the horizon, and you start moving players. Not all will succeed (the ash of centerfielders going out for starting pitchers and a catcher in point) But if you do trade from your strengths, or aging vets for multiple possibles, you should succeed in one way or another, especially if you do some savvy free agent signings and such. Ryan also seems to suffer from the old loyalty aspect of baseball, which has diminished the second time around. There are no longer hometown discounts. As I like to tell people, player NOW work for major league baseball once they enter free agency. They are expected to produce and play and shine for the game as a whole, compared to teams in the past. And even if you do sign a guy for a respectible contract (WIllingham), you really don't owe him three years of service with your team if an offer happens, or if you see the possibility of an improvement by moving said player. The Twins lost out bigtime when free agents walked who Ryan and Co. thought might resign with the team (Cuddyer) and my own thought that too often they expect the player to offer a modest discount, or come back with a counter offer when the Twins underbid for their services and another team makes a higher offer. Not necessary anymore. And then, with no sense whatsoever, the Twins are then forced to overpay for new talent because (1) they won't get the golden offer elsewhere (2) they need more money to take a gamble on playing for Minnesota-nice baseball team. And even in the draft, where we often hear taking "best player available" we get...well, what we have gotten. Guys with solid playing skills that need development, no emotional issues. Etc. Etc. Etc. When you now have the ability (and must) pay 18 and 22-year-olds millions of dollars to come and play minor league ball...you do need to go after the best and adapt yourself to the system. Afterall, if someone hands you a couple of million, the biggest issue is hoping THEY WILL make the majors. You want those guys that will makes the majors! I get no sense of the Twins working to be a well-rounded team. They put an emphasis on defense, and then it flounders. They want contact, and then we get no walks and lots of strikeouts. They have Molitor and Carew (and maybe even Gladden) helping players to bunt and run, and we have no running game whatsoever, and out biggest projects -- Gomez and Buxton -- can't get on base for the life of it, and then we poo-poo when we have someone like Revere that does. The system failure is showcased this year in which you have no true line-up. Who hits where, why, and how. What they contribute. How they back-up the guy in front and set-up the guy behind. You have a bullpen in which you ask: who can get a strikoeut, give us a flyball, a grounder. Who can pitch multiple innings. Who can close? You have organization meets. You have 160+ players on a big chart. You move names around. But now, when this year's attendance has finally fallen behind last's year, you have to start to shudder and see a long half-season of lots of no-shows and few walk ups, because you really don't have a plan. You can market youth, the future, continue with the outdoor experience of Target Field. But people will flinch at paying major league prices for minor league ball, except that it is nigh impossible to get a Saints ticket in town. The Twins baseball operations have to move into the future, possibly go outside the organization for a wealth of front office talent who might, just might, be able to work with the promise that the team has from all those high draft picks over the last five years as well as future funds to spend in 2018 and beyond.

Not if the Twins grab them all first...wait, you see free agents...not waiver wire six year minor league free agents. I imagine the Indy leagues would lose all their top players!

Again, you totally look at where you are going. You don't have to protect high salaries. The team has to pay them. Having paid the expansion fee, how many sheckles are there in the money vault, and is it better to wait until free agents come on board. But, they are also building at least two years of a minor league system So you would definitely lose those 25th and 41st guys fer sure, if you aren't position heavy already. Of course, don't have to keep any possible non-tenders or high level arbitration dollars. You do not keep marginal guys like Pressly. Or Duffey. Or Rogers. Or even Gibson. Again, remember, the other team will be drafting for guys to come on board in 2018 and even 2019. So you do have to worry about the Gonsalves, the Stewarts and such. Also, with free agency and non-tenders and waiver wire guys, an expansion team might take a fair share of tradable prospects. So, it is a tough call. Out of the Twins Top 40 (or 50) what 19 do you protect, along with anyone no longer a prospect (Sano, Buxton). If this draft happened today, a team like the Twins might even be looking down at the expansion teams if they would lose 2 or 3 pieces of their future, while keeping the Mauer, Park, Dozier or others. I'm sure stuff would have to be worked out regarding the 10/5, draft bonus dollars, and other things. But I would expect that the Twins would lose three prospects like a Gonsalves/Stewart, Burdi/Reed and even a Polanco out-of-the-chute. Now this is the mindset the current Twins front office should be looking at as they go forwards and evaluate their players. Not only who is valuable to current teams, but who would be valuable if someone could cherry-pick your organization after setting aside 15 guys, then 19 guys.

Allowing a player to move on and watching them succeed elsewhere means something is wrong with your system. You either didn't see it, or didn't work it out. You know what you got and don't think it smells better than everyone else's. If you believe in Plouffe, you sign him longterm NOW! If you expeft Jepsen to be a solid bullpen guy, continue to let him close.

X would be Meyer. You have Stewart or Baxendale or Wheeler in the wings. Gibson would be the next to go. You hope Gonsalves and others aren't too far behind...making an appearance in 2017 to be fulltime in 2018.

The best thing that could happen is that you have more than one buyer for a player, and that player might just be Ervin Santana. As posters have said, not much of a crop for next season, his contract is not unreasonable, and a bidding war could net the Twins no salary payout as well as a couple of higher level prospects. Samething with Nunez...or even Plouffe if the Valencia market turns out to be too expensive. There could be a little gold that the Twins are harboring. I would rather see Ryan listen AND do something, especially if pieces are in place for longer term replacements of sorts (Polanco, Sano, Berrios) than think he has Platinum and it will only go up in price.

Buxton to AAA with Santana and Rosario and Grossman showing us who goes and who stays in 2017. Switching out Vargas for Park, just to see if there is some juice in Vargas being a bench player, if nothing more. See if he can produce anything at the major league level. It would increase his value. And, in the meantime, rotate Plouffe, Mauer and Sano between DH, 1B and 3B...thru the All-Star break at least. Figure out if you are going to let guys like, say, Wimmers play in the majors of not. If you don't give them a chance, you will never know. He's deserving because he was a high draft pick. If he can't adapt and cut-it, then quit rostering him. Praise to Suzuki for increasing his value 100%. But he is, at most, a rental. The Twins need to go with Murphy and anyone else they can find on the scrapheap that MIGHT contribute cheaply in 2017...unless they want to make a play for Lucroy or Ramos.

Oh, and with Palka and Granite heating up at AA, not to mention Rosario joining an already crowded outfield with Santana, Grossman, Buxton, Kepter, and with Walker in the wings...maybe the Twins could trade their excess center field talent yet again in Buxton to someone while the writing is still hot on the "Top Prospect In Baseball 3 years Running" ink.

Wow! Some old guys at the GCL. Then, again, they can switch over to the High A+ team if need be. Imagine the joy of playing ball all day, living in a dorm not far from the field. You may not get paid a lot, yet. But you can play catch and hit balls 24/7!

You have to work with what you get. But you have an awful lot of coaches backing you up and a minor league system that is supposed to be developing players to tackle the world of major league baseball. Failures? First off, the Twins had a great 2015. Better than anyone thought. Partly because of a weak central division. If you look at the big picture, they did succeed in going above .500 (barely) and because of May's success (the month, not the pitcher) they had crowds at the stadium cheering them on. Not recognizing that it is still rebuilding time and not admitting to it, instead throwing together some patchwork, hoping more players do better than before rather than the other way around, and adding too many bodies who are basically fodder for the high minors. Plus, I still think the Twins were surprised they won the Park bid war, and even more surprised that he signed for what he did. Considering the two guys the Twins have now signed out of the Asian leagues, maybe there is something to e said for the scouting. The team. How many different lineups did Molitor field. Why was Dozier in the opening spots? Was any though given to teaching these guys just to get on base. How many home runs came with no one on. Why are the batters swinging like Gulf Coast League rookies. Ryan took a flyer that the future bullpen doesn't need to be blocked by $4-7 million a year middle relief pitchers. What is the difference between the Arizona Fall League and AA ball these days? Why can't Molitor let a pitcher finish an inning, make it totally their game. Sometimes, at the rate the rotation is pitching, let's just start every pitcher every day and let them have one inning! You have to recognize the need for a player to grow and develop in the majors, or go and work on certain things in the minors. You challenge them in the majors to grab ahold of their future, or tell them to think hard about how great it is to play major league ball when going back to old ways at AAA. That is what the manager, coaches and a variety of on-field consultants help you with. But as a manager, you have to figure out how best to utilize your players that make them responsible for not finishing an inning, advancing a runner, putting the ball in play, getting on base. This is what the game of baseball is all about...a group of guys coming together as a team and doing "The Twins Way" and playing baseball that creates a game to watch. There is no plan. There is a bunch of masking tape where you need duct tape. There is scrambling to get thru each day and each game, destroyed whenever a starter blows it and the team deflates. Yes, players ALWAYS have ups and downs. They have great runs, good runs, and bad weeks. But most play pretty close to their particulars in the end. By the time they get to the majors, they learn different ways to make adjustments to stay here, or not. Think long range. Be glad you will get a high draft pick next year. But tell us you are rebuilding and have us get excited about that. At this time, anything is better than the same old same old.

The elephant in the infield is still Joe Mauer. What do you do with him?

Face it. The Twins phones will not be ringing. Other teams will assume that the Twins will be jettisoning guys left and right by mid-off-season. Or they will continue to hang-on to guys that they hope will increase in value, blocking space for the Twins of the future. We aren't talking about 2017 here, folks. We are talking about 2018 and beyond, and we still have some bi contracts in that season - Santana, Mauer, Park, Hughes - guys who COULD still increase in value if we need to reboot via a trade market. The Twins hopes are three: (1) Players drafted and rising in the organization play out (2) They have monies to make a free agent splash (if they can convince people to come here and play) (3) Getting lucky with continued waiver-wire grabs and organizational castoffs (which you do every year as long as you got the space in the minors). Dashing those hopes: (1) How many players remain from each of the past 5 seasons from the drafts in the Twins organization, where are they, and which were worth the bonus money paid (2) You have to over-pay mid level guys or totally blow a top-flight free agent out-of-here (3) How much effort SHOULD a team be spending on scouting players that can't make the major league rosters of other teams but you somehow have space for those players on yours? Right now, the Twins have a lot of veteran talent that would be filler, not starters, for pretty much any team. A team needs the player to replace (temporarily) someone injured. If a team needs to absorb salary or contract years, there are viable alternates, especially as the season reaches towards the end of July and more teams fall out of competition for 2016 and are willing to possibly move players at a better price than the Twins would possibly conceive for their own players. The fate of ALL Twins vets that MAY NOT have a place here come 2018 is in their hands. They need to produce for Minnesota and themselves to get a team taker, or a contract for next year. It's as simple as that.

In August, everyone (including Mauer) can be put on the waiver wire and decisions can be made at that time. If there is interest, pursue!

The only guys would consider adding from AAA are Jason Wheeler, James Beresford. Possibly Wilfredo Tovar. We could add back in anotehr look at Ryan O'Rourke. And Alex Wimmers needs a looksee, or we ask "why have we been chugging along with him all of these years." He probably is about to be a MLFA after this season. Who could make the jump from AA now? Possibly Baxendale, who might be another in a longline of backend starters. Reed should get an add on. Hildenberger is also a possibility. Granite and Palka both need to play AAA and the Twins will look closely at them this off-season. Vielma could get a look, depending on the Polanco/Dozier situation. Otherwise, that is pretty much it except for those already treading on the 40-man (Vargas, Chargolis, Rosario, Murphy, Walker, Meyer, Berrios. Polanco). The Twins could shuffle thru Darnell or Albers for another look, even at the expense of Dean and Duffy. All fall into the same sort of category...depth. And, Mastro has no business being kept around.

Well, looking at the bullpen, and the team as a whole, there is not a lot of value there, except in some prospects, and you would have to batch a bunch of them together to get a longterm mainline player. So you are in rebuild. Which means drafting. Teaching and training those guys you draft. Supplementing them with players from other organizations, usually that 26th or 41st player, sadly, which isn't always a bad deal. A blocked player doesn't mean a bad player. Start putting millions into a high yield interest bearing account. Spend wisely when the time comes. And find a way to to get some value from your 27th and 42nd players, or those that show promise but don't fit into your plans (are you going the Dozier way or the Polanco way, for example). Praise the rebuilding. Make it fun. Get the fans involved. You never know what may happen!

Good luck to Arcia. Let's see if Tampa can find him some playing time. And, knowing the Twins, they like anything that gives you cash back!

C'mon people, get over it! It is a choice that has to be made. You pay your dues. Actually, you work a normal workday, but your shift is all over the place (sadly) and you go on the road - so you can't have a second job if you want. You can have roommates or live in people's home. You get to go to the ballpark pretty much whenever to workout, play, rest, just hang out instead of at home. If you do good, you get paid more, period. You have one to two years to see if you can hack it or not. No different than starting on the lower rungs at a company, being an intern (really paying your way), working as an apprentice, whatever. Yes, you may have to find a winter job. (Remember the days when many a major league baseball player actually had to work during the offseason, and many had to have a job after they retired). Pump money into food, or housing (similar to the dorm the Twins have at Ft. Myers) if you must. But you are there to play ball 24/7 as you strive towards a dream. If you get a bonus, make it last, make it work. I would've killed for any small amount of thousands when I graduated from high school or college to hold me over to reporting day for a new job in something I like!

The Twins were afraid to spend any money longterm. They thought Perkins would be back. They felt Jepsen and Fien would setup. They had an unknown in Rogers for possibly long relief. They signed Abad with hopes of turning him around (they did and he is doing what they needed). They were hoping that O'Rourke would play out as a short man. They had faith in Tonkin, Pressly, Graham. They expected May to be happy in the bullpen. A lot of low end possibilities WHILE they wait and hope the young guys developed to start THIS season in the bullpen sometime after June 1. No one prospect is close. Okay, maybe Chargolis. But all the others...if ANY get a September look, it will be a Miracle, which is where they are or probably should be. Ryan got lucky, so far, on the scrap heap. But going forth, like Boyer, I would be hardpressed to bring any of them back next year...except that the Twins may have an overabundance of 40-man spots to fill come November and you gotta keep a couple of bodies on tap just in-case, in-case you sign a free (cough) agent. I was expecting the rotation to be much better than they were...getting towards the 7th inning, so a young bullpen could work things thru. What is disappointing me most is the lack of roles and the number of bullpen arms that are just getting an out or two. And if a bullpen arm CAN'T pitrch at least an inning, then something is failing in the system...be it coaching, bodies, matchups, whatever.

8/1 heading into 9/1 I would like to see Vargas get a shot when Park is sent down for some AAA seasoning. I want to see 40-man guys Polanco and Rosario back up here. I expect Chargolis to get a better shot. Murphy should be here no matter what. Hopefully there is a need for Berrios in the rotation because of openings. In September, I expect to see Alex Meyer, Adam Walker and Melotakis. Anyone else from AAA deserves a look and an add if a 40-man spot opens? Of course. Let's see Beresford and even Wilfredo Tovar. Both will walk if the Twins don't see anything in them after this year. They can be flex 40-man spots going into the winter or just plain cuts. I want to see Wheeler, Wimmers, Baxendale get early shots. If Gonsalves pitches halfway decent, let's give Stewart and him a looksee, too. If 40-man spots are available, we need to look at Wimmers,otherwise he is gone. O'Rourke could be a promising guy still (hey, we have Pressly, Rogers and Duffy already on the roster...ugh - any of whom can be jettisoned along with Dean). No need to look again at Logan Darnell unless you are thinking long relief. I also feel the Twins should give strong consideration to an advance look at Reed and Hildenberger, as well as Vielma as a short-term alternative at shortstop (you can always play Polanco games with him). Considering the guys on the 40-man that shouldn't be here come late summer or before next season: Abad, Dean, Duffy, Jepsen, Kintzler, Milone, Nolasco, Pressly, Ramirez, Rogers, Santana, Tonkin, Suzuki, Nunez, Dozier, Plouffe, Mastro...and we probably can't count on Hughes or Perkins for next season (really). Gibson is tradable if he gets his stats up. Man - believe it - half the 40-man roster wouldn't be missed, folks. We can do better. And that's even keeping some names like Danny Santana, Boshers, Escobar, Vargas, Centeno around. All you can ask is "why these guys are considered the near future or current play" of the team. When you start looking at names going forwards...we are rebuilding bigtime with a lot of major salary losses that the team HAS to write-off.

The players are playing for their future, which may not be in Minnesota. If Minnesota can capitalize on their continued success, then do so. Plouffe will be an expensive arbitration piece next season. Any team getting him will have him for one more season. But he plays consistently, and other teams know what to expect from him. Sadly, they also know we have a third baseman in tow and thus...unless a team is really hurting for a third baseman and can;t trade reasonably for, say, Danny Valencia...they might go after Plouffe. At best, send Park down for a couple of weeks, bat Mauer at DH, and let Plouffe play some first to make him more valuable. Dozier is still under control. He is reasonable. Most teams by now know what to expect. The Twins just need to make a decision - Dozier or Polanco. They really don't need to make that move until next season, but Polanco would be on the roster in 2017 no matter what. Other teams know that. Would it be wise to dangle Polanco? A team would have to want Dozier to be their second baseman for a few years. Is that plausible? Suzuki is playing for a contract, any contract, in 2017. If he plays well, he might be able to get a multi-year, or at least an option year. Of, just a job, period. Again, someone would have to lose their catcher for the remainder of the season and see worth in a rental. Doubt if that will happen and don't see the Twins performing a giveaway as nothing they have is better than what they are currently putting behind-the-plate, sadly. Every player SHOULD be performing as if they need a job next season. But EVERY TEAM knows that many of these guys won't be Twins next season if push comes to shove, and they just have to wait and see. Which is the problem, especially with most of the pitching, that a team doesn't care to have other teams think. The Twins only get something of worth for most anyone if a team is looking for a spare part because of injury during their own pennant run. But pretty much everything the Twins have is a duplicate of something else available for a song from another team.

When a team chases pitches, there is no reason to challenge the hitter, through consistent heat where it can be hit, etc. etc. And if the team isn't operating on working the count, getting men on base, moving runners around, a pitcher can afford to make a mistake when you have one or two outs and no one on base (how many solo homers have the Twins hit in 2016?). We know Park and Sano can do the job. But they need people to egt on base and pressure a pitcher to throw the ball over-the-plate. Both are capable of hitting 30+ You'd like to put Plouffe and Dozier in the 20+ range. Both of those guys, gone, means you have Polanco and Escobar struggling to hit 20 between themselves, and with the current outfield of Kepler, Grossman and Buxton, you might get another 20. That is where it is ncie to have an Arcia out there, or possibly someday a Walker. And if you don't want multiple centerfielders...you trade out Grossman for Rosario, who might give you a bit more punch, but not much else. Add in a weak catching situation now, and who knows what Mauer hits these days...the reduction of Plouffe and Dozier from the lineup CAN hurt if you are homer happy. But if the speedsters get on base, maybe the 30+ guys can hit 40+ and compensate, you can add a better bench bat, and still think Kepler might produce an all-around solid player in rightfield, or moved to first where he will surpass Mauer's current production in the future. But this was the home run year for Target Field...if people would hit, as a whole, better than .240.