Rosterman

Cut Duensing and bring back Grant Balfour.

Some depth at third base since Sano is not ready.

I'll take 18-6 with a 5.00+ ERA any day.

You would've hoped that Duensing ahd value last summer, but there seemed to be no takers. With the need for lefties in the bulllpen, you could argue that the Twins did right signing him, although he seemed to be a situational lefty last year (what happened to the potential long man). Again, another player the Twins have $$$ invested in. They have too many such players and too many such dollars. Will be interesting to see how it works out.

But $48 million or so is.

We still need a few guys to consistently go deeper in their starts. Otherwise, musical chairs with the bullpen and hoping we have solid talent in the backend. Starters have to get to the 6th inning. Sometimes pitch into the 7th. Not everytime, but more often than not. But we have lights on. Santana is like a trade addition mid-season. Meyer is still a prospect (or someone). Milone does have major league stuff better than the usual also rans the Twins turned to in the past. And there are prospects, although a couple aren't on the major league roster. Dean and Rogers are off the radar but above Logan Darnell at this point. Berrios would have to be added to the 40-man. I still have hopes for Wimmers. But we still got Steward and others, too. How it all pulls together will be interesting to watch, but not very marketable for the general fan base to get overly excited about.

Let's just say that the Twins may, again, have riches beyond compare (like when we had 84 centerfielders and traded two of them for three pitchers). But they are all prospects. Have no idea if Buxton will be...ahem...another Hicks. Of Walker can not strikeout every other at bat. If Kepler doesn't run out of options before he runs out of minor league levels to play. If Arcia IS the next David Ortiz, and how much do the Twins spend to find out. Throw in the Sano issue (third base or outfield). But we won't know until everyone has some time in the big leagues.

A nice problem to have. The deciding factor will be where his head ends up, and the price he commands. I can live with Arcia being a DH. I can live with Vargas being a bench bat and backup at first base. I can live with an outfield of Buston, Hicks, Rosario. I'm not sure where Kepler fits in. Or if Sano will be in the outfield. If not at third for Sano, then who. We also have Walker in the wings. Can Pinto catch, or catch as well as the guys up here now? If this new crew meshes at the same time, we got a lot of balls flying out of the park, plus some nice choices at second and short to carry us the next half-decade fer sure. But they all have to mesh. It ain;t fun being a general manager. At the worst, Arcia proves to be a nice trade chip before someone discovers he can't play the outfield and isn't really the second coming of David Ortiz! But can he play for 10-12 more years, especially if he is a solid DH?

Polanco is the second baseman of the future, if the Twins aprt ways with Dozier, which could happen if they use him for tradebait. Interesting problem the Twins may have in the near future. They are showing some depth. If someone is injured, do you bring up Polanco and play him and see what more he can do, or do you play Escobar (or those other guys like Nunez, Bernier). I kinda liked what they did with Rosario, bring him up with the intent that he will probably go down. But we got that elephant in the room, Escobar, who supposedly needs to play somewhere everyday. Be interesting to see what would happen if Plouffe (or Mauer) goes down. I would be tempted to bring up Sano for a couple of weeks and let him slosh around at third, just to get his feet wet. Gonna be tough decisions for the Twins what to do with Polanco (two more option years in the future), not to mention Kepler and Hicks, for starters. You need to play them up here so they might add to their prospect worth. Of play in such a way that the veteran is expendable. What will the lineup be, say, of the 2017 Twins!

We have a couple of problems with Hicks. At some point, he enters arbitration. EIther as a super two, which wouldn't be horrible as we still get that extra year, or full throttle seeking millions. Of course, he has to produce beyond what he has the past couple of years. Am I wrong and will next year be his last year with options? He'll have to stay on the roster or something like that? Again, it is his time to stay or go with the Twins. Arcia, Buxton, Hicks, Rosario, Kepler are the guys we should see holding down the fort next year. There would still be significant talk of putting Sano in the outfield, and he may be delayed one full season if he doesn't pick up his batting with the Lookouts. And then there are dark horse candidates. So we may have a portfolio of riches. Something good,mind you.

I wish I knew how the front office talks about the $$$$'s factors when discussing players. Schafer is owed a million, Duensing was signed for millions rather than non-tendered. For some reason, the Twins signed Stauffer for a couple of million. Nunez is an expensive bench player. We can argue Tommy Milone, and still retch at the contract given Pelfrey, although he is HOT right now (and the first team that calls and asks for him and gives us something should be listened to...I mean, Pelfrey won't be with us in 2016...or at least I hope.) All of the above players can produce and some have but they are blocking the next crop - some of who will succeed and some who will fail. If Hicks hits, if Rosario hits, if Arcia does what he does, if Vargas hangs in there, we suddenly have a mess at OF/DH with an aging Hunter and two journeymen who, at the moment, shouldn't be going anywheres. I guess we can't argue as long as we win and have riches.

Interesting. Especially to see what happens when Arcia returns. (Would Arcia go to Rochester to rehab at some point). Of course, it is all up to Hicks to play to stay. If the Twins can DL Schafer, they will. Better than losing him, although probably don;t see anyone grabbing him.

I'm sure Molitor and his gaggle of coaches are working their butts off. Many players know this is a make-of-break time for them, not only with the Twins, but possibly in major league ball. The Twins do have some contracts that keep them from making moves. Waste those millions? But when all is said and done, no matter how much we swager about in the blogosphere, the people in charge do seem to have a plan and are moving forth. It's not a predictable biz. Hey, if many of us ran the Twins Staufer and Boyer and Thompson would not be around, Pelfrey would've been released,,the outfield would be a total mess. Right now, the Twins aren't running or throwing out runners. They have no big slugger. The line-up has found its order. The bullpen is deep, but still revolves around 2-3 guys mainly. The rotation is cross-your-fingers and be surprised, of which we have received many surprised in the apst couple of weeks. Now, how does this translate into getting fans in the stands?

The question is WHEN to make the moves. It is nice to know that backups abound in the minors. We all wanted the plug to be pulled on a bunch of guys right out of the chute. SOme have earned lonegr stays, a couple haven't, and we've goten some looks at replacement parts. The big question is the stacked outfield. Where can Rosario fit in. Should Arcia go down when he comes back. Is Vargas a liability, for now. What can we expect from Hicks and is he better groomed as a corner spot outfielder. Shortstop is a mess. Santana is making errors, but now getting on base. Unbelievable the amount of walks taken by Danny and Escobar this season. Arrgh. We win if the rotation can hold those bats down and give us some innings.

It's stuff like this will prolong his career. He definitely makes more playing AAA ball (actually, he got 40-man roster pay this off-season). Yes, he gave up money to play abraad, but he is living the major league dream. Who knows, he can always end his career with a year in Asia, if that time ever comes. Right now, glad to see him back in the bigs and living a dream after making a success at AAA.

If the starters can keep the team in games. They have the offense potential. Can we afford to put fielders in play when Gibson pitches. You will have some games that the Twins CAN'T beat the other team and will be shut out. We will have Ervin Santana back in 50 more games. Right now, we have backups for pretty much every position, and then can play everyday. There is some waste, some fluff, that shouldn't be here (and won't be here in 2016). But we have strength in bullpen numbers, it seems. Not counting the guys that MIGHT break the 40-man (be it Oliveros or Burdi or even Reed and Jones). The also rans, the Schafers, the Duensings, the Robinsons, the Nunez, even Escobar are playing for jobs. It is their job right now to lose. Hughes is better than he ahs shown so far. Is Gibson the second-coming of Carlos Silva and the one-year-wonder of the ground-ball out? May has shown that he has conquered control issues. If Pelfrey is going to toy with us, let's hope he puts together three solid starts back-to-back when someone is wanting. Nolasco, I'm afraid. The West is showing signs of weakness. Will be interesting to see what Houston is like against the Twins. The East may be more dominant against us. One school lets out, we will see if the Twins are still being written off, or if crowds will rise, at least on weekends.

Not that Nunez has been getting at bats, but... The Twins are playing a shortstop in left field, but won't play a shortstop in centerfield. They do have OTHER players to backup infielders. But, hey, let's just burn a spot for Bernier. Why not. He's a good guy. He's replacing someone we burned a spot for anyways who can't field in the least. And our backup infielder needs to play anywhere but the infield, or so it seems (isn't Escobar also the third catcher). Heck, I would've brought up Pinto. Wait, Drew Butera is also available!?!

Unless something drastic happens, Rosario and Hicks are the outfielders that will see time before September. If the Twins falter, Hunter could be traded to a contender. We do know Robinson and Schafer are placesetters. Buxton is not on the 40-man. Do they need to have him put in time at Rochester. Will he do a substantial number of games there this year. Is it worth it to bring him to Target Field for the month of September. Will the Twins be cautious and let him start next season (service time)at Rochester. So much depends on Vargas as DH. If Arcia is kept or traded. If Hicks can find a place on the Twins roster. If Rosario is worth the time and trouble.

I hoped the Twins would basically be a .500 club coming out of April, against their own division. It will be interesting to see if they pick up ground against the West, while losing ground to the east. The Twins have a fine rotation, but won't always match up favorably against another team #1 or #2. The defense has holes. The offense is starting to produce. If the starters can keep the team in the game and go at least six innings, it will be a blessing. Seven innings a joy. The bullpen is still a mish-mash of shambles. Lots of okay pitchers leading to Perkins. Fien will hopefully not be the Burton of 2015. I'm comfortable that we have Hicks showing something in Rochester, as well as Pinto. I am worried about Santana OBP, and see he is probably shifting downward in the order. I'm not sure if thee Vargas wake-up call will keep him in the majors or if he is better served at Rochester. Like Arcia, he may just be an up-and-down player, but better to keep him in the majors and remind him and work with him here. Of course, the question is: If we send them out, who comes up. I had considered the central division to be somewhat of a crapshoot. All the teams COULD be somewhat evenly matched with 1-2 runs deciding the game and not alot of blowouts. Again, if the starters can keep the other team down to 3-4 runs, and if the Twins bats can match, then it should be exciting baseball with the games being decided on play in the field, bullpen, or that one special batting moment. I didn't expect Detroit to be this strong, or even Kansas City. I'm happy that the White Sox and Indians are struggling. If the Twins can finish in the middle of the division, most folks will be happy. Now, if the Twins gave out winter hats everyday this summer, they would draw a tremendous crowd, but still see attendance hanging around a 20,000 a game average, sadly.

I just wonder what the Twins will do with Kepler. He's burning thru his 40-man roster options. Do you try and buy another year of his time by not including him on the 40-man next year and hoping no one Rule 5s him? If he does produce, do you package him in a deal as a can't miss prospect. When does he not become a part of the Twins future? The evils of signing a guy young.

It is a learning process and the guys have to be weaned in. Which means that just because all your prospects start to hit the major league roster doesn't mean all of them will hit. Will the Twins be competitive with youngsters in 2016, 2017, maybe not until 2018. And when you combine offense with pitching needs. Whew. That's why your coaching staff throughout the minors and the majors are important. Which is why you try to have some of the right AAAA guys at minor league levels to speak realistically to the young guys. Life as a major league player can be short, or can be long. It is truly amazing to watch batters hit the ball to where a player is standing waiting for the ball. How pitchers, if they have the ability, can work on weaknesses. And the relief corps who only have to face select batters once in a game, or maybe even a series. Work in wind and sun and sound and what you feel like when you got to the park. Sometimes we are too critical of guys, I guess, or expect waaaay too much.

Sano is still young. Think Trevor Plouffe. He will figure it out. He may not be as great as we want him to be, but he should supply power. Will he listen. Will he be moved to the outfield. I don't think he will be another Aaron Hicks, who also may surprise us as he sees his major league career quickly slipping away and start to drive and thrive. The pressure on Buxton has to be tremendous. Some can go with it. Others...well...

Nolasco has to work pretty hard to build up his trade value, like 10-12 starts. And if he does, I would move him faster than a speeding bullet, although I'm not sure what to make of Alex Meyer in Rochester, and if Berrios can make the jump this season.

Where have the Twins been hiding Graham and Thielbar in all of these messes. Really. If a guy is in a major league bullpen, you shouldn't be afraid to use them. You CAN get by with one place-setting, like a Graham, who should be having plenty of opportunity to pitch. Instead you keep dragging out Thompson and Fien and Stauffer and Boyer for repeated abusing and wearing these guys out. Which is okay if it means we will see a mound off fresh arms (not worn out) from Rochester or beyond as the season progresses. Something isn't wonderful with Hughes. Would it be okay to shut him down for 3-5 starts and workout in Florida and throw a few minor league innings? The Twins have no shortage of starting pitchers right now (if May is really okay). Schafer talked himself into staying in the dugout as a defensive replacement or pinch runner or something. He hasn't filled the bill. His best bet it to go on the disabled list and collect and check, and maybe spend a week or so at Rochester and see if the Twins and him still need to be buddies. Let us have the opportunity to not have him stinking up the place. Not that we don't have enough guys doing that. Nunez is a guy with no real purpose on the roster. Escobar is a shortstop, plain and simple, without a job. He works as a backup, but we are getting inconsistent production. We don't need to find a place or an inning for him to play if we can be solid, and we are pretty solid everywhere but...designated hitter. Vargas needs more seasoning. We can bring up Pinto. Let him catch and see if he can stop a base stealer (since our other guys can't). It means we have Herrmann and Suzuki designated hitting. It means we have no real backup at first. But, hey, we really don't know. Don't cater to guys with injuries. You either play today or go on the disabled list. There are others to take your place. We don't want you to play injured. We want you to get better and then grab back your roster spot. Another batter gets injured today, we have no bench. It happened last year. Too often. Let's get that shuttle rolling. Hey, maybe we can see the return of Wilkin Ramirez, or get a taste of Reynaldo Rodriguez, in the near future! And, yes, I know Wilkin hasn't played yet this year...holding down the invisible designated hitter spot in Rochester!

The Twins are prepped to send out Thielbar (why have Thielbar and Graham in the bullpen if you really aren't going to use them). Hughes will determine if Stauffer stays or not. And Milone could pull a Pelfrey and stay in the rotation then. And, who knows, the Twins could trade Pelfrey before this weekend!