Rosterman

We can talk about the mess in the search for starting pitchers. What was the criteria. Over-paying for Nolasco, Correia, Pelfrey. Hughes is good today, but he falls in the realm of a Radke or Tapani if he remains consistent. Minor leagues are a crapshoot. Ryan called Joe Benson a multi-tooled talent. Aaron Hicks is a multi-tool talent but looks more like a plain old tool, especially when you consider that Santana and Vargas pretty much made the same jump with success, which my or may not last. The minors are a crap shoot. I look at the Maple Street Press from 2011 and here are the prospects as Seth predicted who would make an impact in the coming years. They ALL should've been a part of the team, in some way, by now. Starting Pitchers: Kyle Gibson, Liam Hendriks, Alex Wimmers, David Bromberg, Adrian Salcedo. The one to watch: Dan Osterbrock. The Sleeper: Martire Garcia. Top 5 Relief Prospects: Carlos Gutierrez, Anthony Slama, Billy Bullock, Dakota Watts, Kyle Waldrop. One to Watch: Tony Davis. Sleeper: Jose Gonzalez. What happened here? Catchers: Danny Rams, Jair Fernandez, Chris Herrmann. One to Watch: Danny Lehmann. Sleeper: Dan Rohlfing. (No Pinto) Top 5 in the Infield: Miguel Sano, Chris Parmelee, Trevor Plouffe, Steve Singleton, Brian Dozier. One to Watch: James Beresford. Sleeper: Danny Santana. Did a little bit better here. Also mentioned were Niko Goodrum and Jorge Polanco. Outfielders: Aaron Hicks, Joe Benson, Ben Revere, Oswaldo Arcia, Angel Morales. One to Watch: Max Kepler. Sleeper: Daniel Ortiz. The recovering Rene Tosoni was mentioned, as well as recent picks Nate Roberts and Eddie Rosario. A couple are still on the horizon. Some fizzled. Some have bench strength. Many just disappeared. Hendriks might still have a career. Revere brought us Worley who we gave up on for cash...CASH! 38 prospects from 2011. Made the Majors: 15 Still in System: 9 (or is it 10) Yo rebuild a team by shrewd drafting, supplemental pickups of modest free agents, clever trades of promised depth, and correct free agent signings (which is a 50/50 I'll admit). Ypu do make a lot of mistakes and can't predict (tell me, who would you think would be playing centerfield - Santana or Hicks or Benson).

I would like to see a number of guys dumped from the 40-man to make room for some more: Eric Fryer, Burton, Florimon, Deduno, Pino moved to 60-day the dumped in offseason, Iberra. If they aren't going to be part of the picture in 2015, get rid of them today. If no one claims them, maybe you can possibly bring them back next year on minor league contracts. But this weekend should be get rid of the deadwood time.

Add Fryer. If the guy especially won't be here in 2015 (Burton) why give them any September. That should be the rule. Rather see some more maybees and all of the above (except Swarzak) removed from the 40-man and allowed to walk. Plus Pino, too. Surprised the Twins couldn't trade Duensing and Swarzak. I doubt they will be back in 2015 with salaries wanted. Heck, would like to see Herrmann added to list, too. Give Rohfling some licks, even though his season has been bad.

Florimon and Burton should both go. Even Colabello. The reason to add the vets is that you don't need to add any of the young Turks. Unless they are going to really play. The others you jettison come November (Fryer and a few pitchers) but you need a spot of two covered by an also ran in case you do sign a free agent. Too bad they can't waive out Pelfrey similar to Blackburn. Pay him alot to pitch at Rochester next year but not hold a roster spot.

Yu have to fail in signing free gents occasionally. Sadly, this was a bad year for Terry Ryan. Happily Morales was an expensive rental and maybe got something in exchange. Willingham sucked for two of his three years and just play the game and trade a guy after a good season instead of hoping he'll do the same (like Suzucki...he is actually more valuable this winter than dueing the summer with a solid two-year contract. If he does halfway as well next season, start cutting bait. The Twins took a hit on Pelfrey. Especially since they hardly got worth out of him the previous year, too. (Maybe we should be happy we didn't sign Scott Baker back). The Nolasco contract hurts. He still has value and you might be able to get out his contract if runs off a few good starts at the right time. But this is one management will point to hen talking free agency tomorrow. And you have to watch stuff like Toshi, who made us lose Hardy in the process, too.

Plouffe would become a very expensive utility player. We have a problem with Plouffe. We know what to expect. He has been pretty consistent with his inconsistencies. He will hit maybe .250. For sure around 15 homes. Bat in the middle of the lineup..As some one said, he is in the middle or slightly above of current third basemen. If he was already a utility guy, we wouldn't have to worry about arbitration rewards. Moving him to leftfield, we have Josh Willighham younger. I doubt that he will become another Michael Cuddyer. We can hang on to see how and when Sano does develop, but with someone replacing him in the wings we will then have the same issues the Twins had with guys like Mientkiewicz and Pierzynski...if teams know the guy is on the outs, he loses value. Plouffe has some trade value this off-season. Otherwise, his value depends on another team's immediate due to injury. He will have a semi-long career in a utility role, but until he hits free agency and his salary holds (i.e. goes down) he won't be worth it to the Twins, who could be paying a ultility infielder/outfielder more than the combined salaries of eight other players on the starting field - combined.

Pinto will get some reps behind the plate as Suzucki rests, but I wouldn't put it past the Twins to even start Pinto at Rochester next season. He is the man if Suz gets injured and needs to be prepared for that role and possibly to take over behind-the-plate 3/4 time in 2016. Duz can still be traded out of his contract next year, or for sure the year after that, even as a waiver wire claim. Is Pinto ready, no. Not to be the main guy. Is anyone in the system going to be fulltime ready by 2017 or 2018...doubt that, too. Vargas has worked himself into the DH jibm switching out with Mauer hopefully in 2016 getting reps at first. And Parmelee is still a 2015 bench/PF/1B option, so Pinto would sit and play 30% of the time.

Right now, today, I would keep Escobar at short with Palenco in the wings. I would leave Santana in center and have Hicks play right or left. With Arcia the other spot. Schafer as the fourth outfielder. Hope Buxton is up in 2016. Vargas gets a full year. Parmelee bench and backup. Figure out what to do with Nolasco. Youwill have Pelfry disappearing after 2015. Lots of salary for finding a hole filler than for 2016. Third base is a problem if you move Plouffe to the outfield. Of course, it all depends on Hicks actually producing like a starter than the backup. Pinto needs to be groomed to catch, even if he starts 2015 at Rochester catching for Meyer and others who will come up sometime in 2016.

You always want to call up guys that will play. Otherwise, the extra expense is probably not worth it. It would be great if Achter and Meyer would get a call, but both have flattened out and WILL be added to the 40-man come November. Here's what I would like to see by September 1. I would like the Twin to part with Jared Burton to open up a roster spot. He's a free agent, and unless there is some under-the-table deal underway that he would pitch for the Twins again at a reduced rate of say $1.5 million or less, better to give someone else a shot. I don't want him back. (On a lesser note, I worry that Fien, who ahs market value today, might become Burton tomorrow and if he should definitely be traded). I would welcome the Twins losing Deduno, Pino, Swarzak and Duensing on waivers, hopefully getting some low-level prospect in return. I really don't see Deduno or Pino as part of the 2015 team, and definitely not 2016. If no one wants them, they can come back as the minor league free agents they should be. The Twins have to make a decision now on Duensing and Swarzak. Are they worth longer-term contracts or higher-than-the-norm arbitration awards. If not, move them and see some other arms in September. Under no cicumstances would I give Pedro Florimon any innings or a call up. You want Santana at short. No to Florimon. You have Escobar and Nunez on the roster already. Cut him loose. If no one wants him on the waiver wire, rest assured that you can resign him as a minor league free agent if you truly want him. Call-ups? Darnell, Johnson, Pryor and Tonkin for sure. Yes, I would like to see Lester Oliveros added to the roster and given a September look. If you can jettison some arms already in the bullpen, I would take a look at Delois Guerra, Aaron Thompson and Mark Hamburger, in that order. All three of those guys could be designated off the roster come November. Pinto gets the call for sure. I would almost like to see Rohlfing changed out for Herrmann. Not sure if Chris does have longterm value, now that Suzucki has been signed, and would be nice to see Rohlfing get a few at bats and a taste. He would be our Herrmann of the future. Come November, we lose Fryer from the 40-man. We bring up Hicks and get him some licks in center or left or somewhere. I'm torn on Colabello. Just because we are nice in Minnesota, let him ride the bench, but don't see him remaining on the 40-man. I would spend more time and energy on seeing Parmelee (and maybe Vargas) at 1st base with Mauer DHing. Colabello would not be on the 40-man come November. The other three that I would like to see over here in September are Debinson Romero, James Beresford and Doug Bernier. I'm not sure if Romero is Plouffe light. Beresford could challenge Nunez for a roster spot (or both moved off the 40-man come November). Bernier resigned with the Twins and did good numbers at Rochester and should be rewarded with some major league money and a few at bats. But he wouldn't stay on the 40-man. Used to be in the old days a player or two would make the September roster because they needed a little more time towards their pension plan. Or, in the case above, we want to see if some long-time minor league guys have some value before making a decision on whether to keep them in the organization. Yes, I would like to see Rosario, Meyer, even Kepler come up and get some at bats (hell, I would bring up Kepler as the guy to sit in the dugout and see major league ball - remember, this is a kid who came from a foreign country...get him some show seats). But I also see the need to shut some players down if they haven't been outstanding and starting their clock in November rather than August 31. Anyone that comes up does need to play, at the expense of someone else on the roster. Our bullpen is strong, yet the guys have pitched enough that they could be rotated down for the final 30 games. We are solid in the infield, but would like to see someone, anyone, challenge Plouffe, and we need to prepare for a Mauer backup, be it off-and-on or someone who can play everyday if he goes down with one of his now many ailments. Our outfield i s a mess. Would rather see Santana still get the licks in center with Hicks playing left and Schafer and Parmelee on the outside. That would mean more playing time in the infield for any callups. And poor Escobar, running a chance of being left at the altar after a decent hard-woned season at short. Again, I see no reason to give Burton any more innings if he's a free agent. I would rather have Johnson or Darnell take lumps than Pino. Deduno has an arm, but if someone wants him, Let them take him. If no one wants him, let's look at other alternatives ourselves. I'll be pissed if we cut or let walk Duensing and Swarzak, especially Duensing who ahs to have some value. Herrmann and Fryer out. Florimon and Colabello out. Ibarra out. Nunez and Herrmann questionable (we'll have Santana, Escobar, Palenco at short or backup next year). Pretty much all of the callups I mentioned would be out with a couple (Rohlfing, Oliveros, Romero being palcesetters for a free agent signing).

When you look at the Twin current roster and prospects, you have to approach it from a variety of angles. The first question: Who MIGHT be around in 2015 and 2016. What players COULD find a place on another team's roster and at what price. If they can't, they are pretty worthless to the Twins in the long run. If it is a player the Twins could release and the only chance the player has of signing somewhere else, they are worthless. But are they worthless to the Twins? At the moment, not, if they are a placesetting for a prospect down the line (see Plouffe). Right now, the Twins need no free agents. Burton should be sent packing for anyone, or jsut to clear roster space for someone else to et some innings. The Twins need to ask the worth of Nolasco. Would he be amrketable to, say, the Angels RIGHT NOW who are looking for a rotation boost and might consider Nolasco a long-term contract plus. The Twins need to do something with an abundance of replaceable bullpen arms. Pino and Deduno are not needs for 2015. Kris Johnson and Logan Darnell have situational lefty worth and maybe spot starting. The fact that we have two such bodies should make Duensing a trade/claim possibility. Is Swarzak worth the pay increase to be the starter we don't need and the replaceable long man in the pen. Would we be better off (no, I say, with Pino and Deduno) having May hold his spot next season, or hoping Guerra can step up, or is Pressly the new kid in the bullpen long-relief. Thielbar is still cheap. Aaron Thompson collapsed, but just might be fatigue, but he is also on the up end of old and I don't see him pitching in 2016, elt alone a need as anything but minor league fodder in 2016. The Twins easily have Tonkin and Achter and more in the system. THEY NEED TO SEND SOME OVERWORKED AND SOON TO BE OLD OR EXPENSIVE RELIEVERS ELSEWHERE COME 9/1. I don't see them adding any hitters to the 40-man, although I would send Fryer packing once Pinto comes north, and let's look at Rohlfing as a bench bat. He is not a longtterm goal player (like Beresford or Bernier or Rodriguez or Ramirez) but I could see any of those bodies getting a September callup and a 40-man spot until we need to find places for the real 40-man keepers in November. Yes, I would like to see Rosario and Koch and Meyer and even Deibeson Romero get a roster spot (we better see Lester Oliveros in September). So, see if there is a taker for Nolasco and start over for a big budget front of the rotation starter for 2015, maybe. Clean house of the bullpen and get some prospects. Look at a few (3-4 AAA guys just because you don't want to look at the real promising guys, which doesn't make sense, but.....) Make hardnosed decisions on Colabello and Florimon and Fryer. I would rather see Ortiz, Rohlfing, Romero get a looksee than AAAA guys that shouldn't be around, except as minor league fodder, in 2015.

The Twins will add at least two guys when they can expand to 40-man roster. Be interesting to see who they are. They need to hold a couple of spots, If the Twins do have no desire to keep Duensing, Swarzak, Pino, Deduno, Thielbar then they should all be traded now for something, if they have value. That Johnson wasn't flipped abroad says they intend to keep him. Anyone not in AA or AAA ball need to worry. They can be advanced to escape the minorleague portion. Wimmers will do that again. Besides Guerra, Twins have any minor league free agents they really care about? Yes, we may see Bernier or Rodriguez of Ramrez or even the there Johnson up here in September. But we won't need Parmelee and Colabello, for sure. And Nunez and Florimon are both gone if Santana is a sho rtstop. Really, the good question is where do the guys the Twins cut end up...that is the question about keeping them. Are teams lining up to grab the Minnesota castoffs -mPino, Fryer, Colabello Parmelee and Schafer are those fringe guys that hold spots thru free agency. Jey, no one mentioned Hermann.

I would consider that half-million foreign contract for 2015.

Burton could go on waiver. Pino will definitely sit. Or Willingham could be moved before Nolasco has to be added. That's pretty much the deadwood for now. Unless they trade off Duensing or Swarzak.

This is why you take the next two months to give any all players who may be contributors in the next year or two a taste of the majors. You can afford to do so. It will make them hungry and give them something to learn when they spend all or part of next season in the minors. If you think Buxton will be here in 2016, why not let him see some major league stuff this year, besides next year.

As long as Ryan is GM Gardy remains, as well as Anderson. Ryan will fall on the sword this season and take blame and Pohlad and company will still wait another year to see if everything can be sorted out. You have to admit the Twins did spend on pitching, but the dollars are being spent this year and next and the results weren't great overall. Willingham was a total bust for the second year of a 3-year contract. Suzuki did what he was called upon to do, and Mauer fell by the wayside in what was supposed to be an easier position and allow him to produce bigtime. The question is do other coaches take a fall or sit around for one more season. We can look at 2015 as being even more transitional, as players play out contracts (Pelgrey for one) and the Twins will try and move Nolasco if he shows life and decisions have to be made on Plouffe and we wonder why Colabello and Parmelee are still around at all. Come 2016, you could see an organizational flux with Rob Anthony the new general manager ad the Twins manager being Steinbach or Molitor and such folks as Tommy Watkins, Gene Glynn, Doug Mientkiewicz and maybe even Jake Mauer being on the coaching staff. The Twins will still need to find a pitching coach unless they elevate Bobby Cuellar. Yes, I would love to see them overall the front office and field staff. But I'm not sure who would be better and how that would affect what is happening and coming up in the system. A new person could trade away half the system, sign a bunch of guys who are essentially Correia and Willingham all over again, and we could be worse off that building upon the Twins Way and the internal-ness that this organization prides itself on. I am not a Gardy hater. I would like to se him stay on and manage a contending Twins team as long as he can. But something is not going right here.

There is no need to add Buxton to the 40-man. Just like there was no need to add Sano and Rosario this year. And a team, to Rule 5 a guy, has to keep him all year. The only reason a Kepler was added was that he might be enticing for another team to grab and the Twins didn't want to lose their investment. Levi Michael, Grimes, Lee, Wheeler will nto be given a major league 25-man spot. The Twins have to worry little about minor league free agents. Their AAA and AA club are full of guys they grabbed elsewhere. Their only major loses would be Guerra, Ibrarra, Rohlfing, Herrmann, Beresford at the most. Doubt that anyone would even take a flyer on Wimmers at this point. AND the Twins easily have a dozen spots to fill come November. Remember, you can't cut November guys once they are added until spring time, so expect to see Herrmann, Kris Johnson and maybe Eric Fryer still on board if a body needs to be moved for a free agent.

Wow! And 8 of these guys probably should be gone from the 40-man over the winter. Whew. Fien still has a year of control. It is a gamble if he is worth more now to someone, or should we keep him and he becomes Burton. Burton and Crain were both kept a year longer than necessary. We also have names like Achter, Thompson, Guerra, Hamburger, Oliveros for bullpen arms this year or next. But anyone of the 40-man gets a September call...even Kepler. Give him a taste of the bigs from the becnh for motivation! See the Twins brought Rodriguez up to AAA. There are enough AAAA vets at New Brit to move into the Rchester roster to keep them playoff contenders.

Basically he was 40-man roster fodder in Seatlle. Now he is the same in Minnesota. Is he out of options going into 2015 or 2016?

Why Polanco. Sure, he'll be sent out when Mauer returns. But why not give Vargas some at bats and see what he can do. I'm sure Nunez will be the DH. Also, does Pryor of options left next season, or does he have to stay on the roster. That is the type of player you usually do get in a deal like this, someone a team doesn't want to have to protect next year and the decision to waive can be made by someone else and if they do, you might have the option to grab him back again. If the Twins can still send him out next year, then it is a terrific deal, otherwise...he earns arbitration time being on the DL or we lose him. Cutting Guerrier was a 40-man move totally. Although why not cut Florimon, or better yet Fryer and keep Herrmann up here. Not that Guerrier is a great loss. Expect someone to pick him up for the run...or at least stash him in the minors for a September callup if the bullpen (of any team but the Twins) is slim. ho is next: Swarzak, Duensing, Burton, Correia, Willingham, Suzucki? All could be gone. Molasco, to, if someone waiver claims him in August!

Mauer may be the manager of the future, but I see both him and Mientkiewicz coaching in the majors first (as well as Tommy Watkins). Steinbach would be my choice for the manager. Molitor is more valuable as a specific coach rather than listening to player gripes and telling other coaches how to do a job. Managers have become more than just the on-field guy, they do a lot of off-field, work with front office, individual player issues, and oversee guys that are really good in their respective areas.

Dozier is still a nice piece to keep. We can assume that the Twins may be modestly competitive in 2015, hopefully pushing towards .500, but they may stink again as they break in a rookie rotation and play with offensive holes that won't get tryouts until the season progresses. Like Plouffe, Dozier is a keeper that can still be re-marketed as next season progresses. You have no immediate quality replacement and he is still cheap enough to keep on your team, and cheap enough and under control that he is a good solid trade chip as long as he plays as well as he is playing now. But like Plouffe and Parmelee and Gibson, just to name a few, they aren't causing people to knock down your door. When your hottest trade chip is Suzucki, and he will be a free agent again so he will bring a 40-man roster guy about to be out of options or a High-A player blocked ina club's system, the Twins have no real stars that people will go overbarad to get. Okay, maybe Perkins or Mauer or Hughes. But that is it, for now. It shows the weakness of the team. If you flip to the other end of the spectrum and the Twins needd one or two pieces to get into the wild card, then they have a whole slew of players they could trade for a Price or a Trout, for example. But they currently need the promise of those players as well as the best place setters they can field until something proves themselves out of the minors.

Morales or Willingham...I would sign Morales, but doubt that you'll get him fir two years $15 million. He would take a one-year deal to try to rebuild his worth. Nothing but words. Will try free agency again. I would keep Dozier in the organization longer-term than Plouffe. Why not trade Plouffe. You still got Plouffe for another reasonable year. Better than an AAA guy while you wait for Sano. Suzuki is a bargain this year. It will try to double his salary and get it for 2-3 years. That investment is not worth it. You sell high right now. If you have him next year, you'll end up trying to trade a guy batting .250 and owed $3 million. No takers. Look at A.J. Correia hurt his valye today. People will have to see another start. You can move him, but the return was much higher yesterday than it is tomorrow, sadly. If the Twins can escape Nolasco's salary in any way and just reinvestment it in another free agent attempt they should. Put him on waivers in August and if anyone takes him, let him walk, even with zero return. You really don't lose anything and gain the opportunity to go after another guy in 2015. Besides, we are still stuck with Pelfrey and his salary.

No Nolasco. With his contract, that is a name you will float on the waiver wire in August and depending on your circumstances, let him move, especially at his current abilities. You can always reinvest that money in another gamble. He is an example of a player you do overpay hoping you get production to either trade, or that he keeps a modicum of value that someone will want him for anything, even if it becomes simply a salary dump so you don't have to eat his salary. if he pitches to 8-12 wth a 4.35 era at next years all-star break, someone will trade for bim and his remaining contract. I also see someone other than Chris Herrmann as a backuo at catcher. I almost doubt that Chris will remain on the 40-man going into next season. One of the AA or even Ft. Myers guys will be up come 2016. And a veteran or two will be in the bullpen with Nolasco gone and May in the rotation for sure, plus Kohl Stewart in the wings. Not to mention one or two of the guys drafted this year.

Who do you still see being on the Twins current roster come 2016. Starters: Trevor May, Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson Relief: Glen Perkins, Pressly, Tonkin Batters: Pinto, Mauer, Dozier, Hicks, Arcia, Kepler, Santana, Vargas, Polanco So, 26 others are tradebait this year and next. And you could even dangle such guys as Santana/Polanco and Kepler and Pressly out there, not to mention Kyle Gibson is he stays a #4 starter as others come up in the system.

The #1 THOUGHT in all this trade talk. Someone HAS to want any of the players the Twins have. And when we are dealing with potential free agents, the Twins have three choices: Keep this season and lose for nothing, discuss resigning them now rather than later, or trading for something, anything. The worth of a potential free agent to a new team is a low-end minor league guy or someone who is out of 40-man roster options next season. So you get an unproven guy with maybe some upside, or someone that no longer has a spot in the organization that you could probably claim thru waivers next year if you wish or sign as a minor league free agent yourself. What will be more interesting, if the Twins don't make any/many moves, is what happens when they put players on waivers in August to potentially clear their contracts. Do they just let them go, take a rookie or A-ball prospect, or let them block guys you really want to see for potential play in 2015 and beyond!