Rosterman

Still room for one more bullpen arm to make it a real competition for Pagan to stay with the Twins. Of course, you can't have too many lefties in the pen if you have NONE in the rotation. And the injury bug can still bite in spring training. That he hasn't signed...well, we could say the same for Moore as the rosters filled up, but Angels found the single season of bucks.

Moran was used in multi-inning situations at sason's end, which spoke well for him (and Thielbar can also eprform that task). I always thought Alcala could be a viable closer on a non-winning team...not total lights out, but could get the job done. Maybe he might need to do extended spring training to get back into facing batters, which would be beneficial for the couple of guys on the bubble (Megill and Pagan). Henriquez will get to try and shine in spring training. If he can perform as a multi-inning arm, as well as back-to-back short stints, he just might make the majors sooner rather than going abck to St. Paul. I'm not sure if he will get a chance to start at St. Paul with all the current names looking for such innings. But he showed just enough spunk to be in the mix for coming north in 2023.

The bigger question is how each team's bats will do against the rotation arms that are thrown against them, as well as the short-term bullpen arms.

Well, he got a pretty full season of service time last year. Have to see how he does out-of-the-gate in St. Paul, and what position they wish to play him. The Twins will be evaluating him and Martin closely now - which one to keep in the long term. And also where does Lee fit into the bigger picture going forth. Hopefully Lewis will get going by June 1 at St. Paul.

Larnach will now be fighting for a job in the majors (as well as Wallner), and both could end up starting at AAA. Taylor is the 4th outfielder. Gordon and Farmer bench guys. Jeffers catcher. Solano can backup first for sure and elsewhere. So that could be the Twins bench, rotating into a positional play to give a regular time as a DH. Was kind of expecting them to make the move. Paddack and Lewis will both open season on 60 IL. They can be moved there now. (Twins could also put Centerino and, possibly, Balazovic on the same list, if they wish to give them major league money and time).

Spring training will be the "tell." But I would start the season with the guys who can give yu the msoit innings out of the box. WHich may be Ober. Madea could stay behind and pitch longer in Florida to get in the groove. Or he could start the season as a 2-inning guy out of the pen. But alot depends, too, on Mahle. The Twins need 30 starts from their main guys, and for many to push 150 innings or more. They need their potential free agents to shine and either resign them, or be prepped to flip them at the deadline, hoping guys like Varland and Woods Richardson (and Ober) are ready to pick up the slack. There is at least one swing bullpen position. Alcala is far from a lock, he could start the season getting used to competitive pitching in the minors. We also have to hope that Thielbar is worn out, and that Pagan is a worthwhile keep. I would rather see Ober start in St. Paul, then get stuck in long relief at Target Field.

This reinforces WHY the Twins ended up losing first palce last season. Playing hurt...or not playing at all.

I would love to see him comeback as long relief. That said, I hope he is not Joe Mays or Nick Blackburn 2.0.

Man, there are a helluva a lot of names on the St. Paul roster, and msot are "non-Twins" from outside the organization. Can they find space for them all? Would one start Balazovic at Wichita for now? I would give Henriquez a strong stab at being long relief with the major league club in spring training. I'm not sure what longterm role I would like to see Sands and Winder play, but getting them into multiple inning situations could only help their stock. Jose de Leon, Dereck Rodriguez, Andrew Sanchez and Randy Dobnak are also starters at St. Paul. Patrick Murphy was a starter. Brock Stewart and Sean Nolin could move backwards in the system. I imagine Kody Funderburk and Blayne Enlow will start at AA Wichita, as will Brent Headrick. Most of the "prospects" there have been traded away.

They have added some fringe lefties as minor league free agents to go with Coulombe in the wings. Perhaps adding Hand could be a plus, sending the spring training loser between Megill and Alcala to the minors. The biggest question is health. Can Polanco play all season. Can Kepler rebound. Are Kirilloff and Larnach ready to step up. Is Jeffers a solid secondary behind-the-plate. The Twins have no third catcher in the wings. Tehy will flounder if Kirilloff can't play first, depending on Miranda, Gallo or maybe Vasquez for that spot then, opening up the outfield for the promising Wallner. So, yes, the Twins could use that extra bat who could possibly play...first base, or third base. Farmer and Gordon are fine as reserves, and right now the Twins will rotate guys thru the DH giving on-the-field players a rest to give at bats to Taylor, Gordon and Farmer. I like the pitching depth and only hope some of the guys who replace the free agent three can get more major league experience - Woods Richardson, Varland, Winder, Ober...even Dobnak. Sad there are so many (28) non developed Twins taking up space on the current AAA roster...where will they all go...not Wichita which currently sits at 28 (and 11 outsiders). Even both A-ball teams have full-up rosters.

Just look. Lee is 22, entering his first real season of pro ball. Austin Martin is 23 (soon to be 24) entering his third season. Royce Lewis is also only 23 and is on the verge of being a Twins regular. All three bring possible solid stats to the games, they just need to find a position of play...besides shortstop. And, right now, all three could comfortably play a full season of minor league ball with no rush to the major leagues, giving the Twins to make hardcore decisions on the future of Kepler and Polanco. Gallo is a one-year fix. Kirilloff and Larnach will need to produce or be jumped. And miranda could easily move to first base, or jsut be a designated hitter who can also play the field. Add in names like Julien, Wallner, Helman and the Twins seem pretty well set for the near future. All they need is a catching prospect, although hopes are that Vasquez and Jeffers can hold down the fort for at least wo seasons. Camargo, Oliver, Isola are all guys to watch as backstops. And looking 3-5 years out, names like Mercedes, Urbina and Rodriguez in the outfield, and Miller, Schobel, Severino, Salas, Acuna all show promise in the infield. The only weakness, perhaps, is future first basemen. You gotta like the Twins prospects, once they can figure out positions to play.

Wow. Twins could be set for 3-5 years if Kirilloff and Lewis are injury free. Martin in the outfield. Gordon on he bench. And there has to be 2-3 NEW ghuys that will contribute, in the least, come 2025.

Well, with teams carrying that 8th bullpen arm, they better have a bullpen arm (or two) who can comfortably get thru an inning with a runner starting on second base. That is the rub. Of course, you walk the next batter to set up the force outs...but only if the pitcher is a ground ball pitcher. So it changes the makeup bigtime of the pitching staff.

Not ALL pitchers have to throw hard and get those K's. It is nice to have a mix (and especially in the bullpen, a ground-ball pitcher, and one that can give you, say, routine fly outs). Which is also WHY I was ssad to see Devin Smeltzer depart. He was not only a lefty, but is a guy you could surround with hard throwers and use either as a long man out of the pen between hard throwers, or as that mix-em'-up-rotation arm. And the guy did give the Twins innings. You want in your rotation someone who can start 30-32 games. Throw more than 150 innings (preferably more). There is soemthing about the ability to put a "ball into play" and not just throw balls and strikes while the guys in the field lok at the clouds.

Forget the power. If it comes, a bonus. The guy is only two seasons in minor league play, coming from collegiate ball. And, right now, he is a man without a position. The Twins have to make some hard decisions. Do they start Lewis at shot when he comes back, or rotate between short and the outfield. It would be nice to have a decent backup at short, at least for this season, if Correa goes down. Maybe you make that Martin's primary position. Bat him leadoff. See if he gets on base. Runs the bases. Then adapt to the outfield if push comes to shove. He does not have to be added to the 40-man roster until after the 2024 season. So he can be a work in progress. Do you start Julien as the regular second baseman in this case. Similar, maybe, to Martin in speed on the basepaths. Who is going to lose out in the quest to make it to the majors as a hitter with speed? (Also, we have Michael Helman in the mix as a guy who can play multiple positions and also run a bit - will the Twins keep him and play him - where - at AAA. What will the Twins outfield look like in 2024 or 2025. Is Wallner a sure bet - and a betetr fielder? What to do longterm with Celestino. Is Larnach and Kirilloff both keepers. And who are the "new" guys who should explode for the Twins come 2026 and beyond!?! Man, from the top spot to the 10th spot as a prospect. That is a BIG change!

If the Twins are carrying eight bullpen arms, I would welcome the third lefty. Interesting if Moran starts the season. Him and Thielbar both made multi-inning appearances. A lefty to fill out games started by the righties would be a big plus for the Twins, who hopefully will get six innings in the least out of three of their rotation arms this season.

Brooks Lee Bowman is a "redemption card" this season, so it may make it actually that much mroe expensive...with the process of having to redeem at some future point in time.

Kirilloff is pretty much it for first base, unless you move Miranda there...then who plays third base. Larnach has Wallner pushing him. Plus if Kepler remains, and Gallo plays left, then it IS between Wallner and Larnach for the bench/DH spot. Who would be betetr served getting regular playing time in an outfield position. Looking forward to spring training...and a healthy Twins team on the field everyday.

Fulmer vs. Pagan. Well, Pagan is cheaper. Fulmer is one of maybe a half-dozen okay arms still on the market, most wanting to sign for the biggest bucks possible...but 40-man rosters seem pretty full right now. So will be interesting to see what happens. There is a demand for high-paying quality relief pitching, BUT NOT BY ALL 30 TEAMS, it seems. So, some players will fall by the wayside. The Twins have a pretty full roster. The only expendables are actually in the bullpen right now - Megill and Pagan stand out. (Of course, the Twins could have two roster spots open once they can place guys on the longterm disabled list). The Twinsare also, seemingly, at the top of their payroll limit (although there shouldn't be such a cap if the Twins truly want to win). Yes, I would like to see one more solid arm added, so we don't ned to depend on Pagan, we can put Megill at AAA if not claimed on waivers, or maybe Alcala will need time to adjust to a fulltime schedule. Of course, we stiull have to worry about the durability of Duran, and is Moran truly ready to be a fulltime major league thrower, and is Thielbar still ageless. Is Fulmer the answer? Depends totally on the price!

Well, I liked the one year addition of Taylor (via trade) to allow the Twins to keep Celestino down on the farm for another season, as well as figure out what to do with guys like Martin and Ldwis, who probably won't be playing shortstop. Most of the guys on the 1-year-list would've loved to get a multi-year contract, but failed. The next step is to get a contract (and maybe a team option - not a player option) for significantly more...if they produce. Or the hope that they do produce and egt traded to a real contender, or will be in-line for a multi-year deal. And then, you ask, would a team be better spent to spend the money they paid for a Happ/Shoemaker and Bundy/Archer and get a better option in the off-season (assuming a player wants to come and play for your team in a multi-year deal). That's a heavy hunk of change that the Twins invested in single year additions to the roster that added little or nothing. Except for the fact that the Twins have x-amount of money to spend and that the front office can throw back into our faces that "they tried" in nthe free agent marketplace, rather than just rely on waiver claims and the signing of minor league free agents, most of whom would contribute accordingly. Which brings the point, do you invest earlier in your own prospects. Do you go out-of-your-way to keep, say, Berrios, as an example...rather than search out free agents.

At what point do you do extensions and for how much. Say even a Buxton extension doesn't work out in the long-trerm. How many free agent contracts, like Bundy, Archer, Pineda, Gallo - do you sign for similar amounts that really don't work out, in the end. Like Denard Span of yore, the contracts for Polanco and Kepler have worked out over the time given. Sano, except for spending last season injured, was okay. One could say that gambling the mutual for 2023 would've been as workable as giving the same amount of money to Gallo.

My own personal opinion for the idea lead-off hitter is twofold - someone who can see alot of pitches or make the pitcher throw a lot of pitches (Arraez was beautiful at that), and who can get on base. Once on base, I want them to be a threat to stay out of the double-play and be able to advance to third. It's nice when they hit the occasional home run to give you an early lead, but I would rather see that skillset with a guy on base. Correa is better suited for the second or third spot. Buxton for the third or fourth. Which leaves us, now, with Kepler, Polanco and, as someone has said, Gallo. At least with Gallo we know a pitcher would have to throw at least three pitches to strike him out. I also smile at the analogy that he would probably see more (and lesser quality) pitches being the first man up in a game. But I also shake-my-head if I want this guy to get five at bats in many a game. And, ultiamtely, that is my big call for the top-of-the-order. Who do I want to see get that extra at bat in a game.

The Twins have a pretty solid 40-man roster right now. Two names will start the season on the extended IL list, so there will be two openings. And, at best, there are two glaring names that stand-out as do-or-die in spring training, one of whom will be given the benefit of the doubt and probably make the team. In regards to bullpen arms, you basically will use at least one of the spots to rotate thru a name like Derek Rodriguez or another minor league free agent (Ortega, Alexy who were both claimed), someone you feel you can lose if you must send them back to the minors or remove them from the 40-man roster after the quick add. If you added someone like Schuler (or Sisk vefore the trade), you would basically need to keep them on ther 40-man if you didn't feel they wee expendable. Curious to see what the Twins do with Balazovic. I would almost start him at the "warmer" Wichita, perhaps, as the Saints rotation seems strong breaking spring training. Names like Winder, Varland, Woods Richardson, deLeon, Rodrioguez, maybe Ober, and a couple of minor league signings may cause this need to start the "higher prospect" back. But time is running out for Balazovic. Pitchers like Sands, Winder and Henriquez will be the first pecking order to come up if need arises. I'm sure the Twins will use one of the guys who started a game or more to fill out he need for double-heder starts, if they develop. On the position front, Julien is the name to watch. As well as Wallner. Sadly, I'm not sure who the next-in-line catching callup would be, again the need to carry an open 40-man spot, or someone that you can remove and not care what happens to them. We forget that Martin only has two pro seasons under his belt. And is the man without a position. WIll he start at AAA (which I would do), but where. Same with Lee. He should start at AA, as the Twins need him to play competitive everyday. Curious to see what position then play him at. We can feel happy that the Twins have farmer and Gordon as their super reserves, both who can play a variety of positions in a pinch for the short-term. But, again, the Twins immediate weakness on the "field" end of the roster seems to be first base and catcher for immediate depth. What hurts, perhaps, are the names on the 40-man that MAY NOT see time in the mjaors in 2023 - Balazovic, Canterino, Headrick, Paddack. I'm glad they were able to sneak Enlow thru waivers, one less wasted roster space for 2023, but still have the player.

I don't think Celestino is at all forgotten. It is just that he ended up being rushed. The Twins can buy a year of non-service time by keeping him at AAA for 2023 and see if he imroves his ball read in the outfield, and adds some power. A good AAA season also makes him a valuable tradecip down the line. Remember, though, Taylor is only a one year pickup at this point. Of course, the Twins have to figure out the outfield of the future with names like martin (and Lewis), Wallner, Celestino, Larnach all looking for playing time with the team. They also are well stocked with AAAA vets Contreras, Armani Smith and Garlick in the minors for the moment.

I'm glad the Twins have Lopez in reserve. There is NO reason to NOT start the season with Duran as your closer. I also look for a strong comeback from Alcala, although there could be a good chance that he starts in the minors. In the end, take the best 8 north. Forget contracts. The best 8. And there are still a couple of arms out there that are better than Megill and Pagan, sorry. Hey, Wisler is available!