Rosterman

It is strange that the Twins are filling their roster with minor league free agents, who if they cut them, could be claimed easily by another team. Not that it matters. If the player is actually wiorthy of a cut by the Twins, why might someone else wants them. But it does become an issue when you have to weigh keeping a replaceable fill-in, or a prospect. The Twins have Deduno, Walters, Thomas, Ramierez, Florimon, Wood...not to mention Roeincke, Swarzak and Pressly...that would have to pass thru waivers if sent down. They basically have Colabello who, if removed from the 40-man, could be claimed based on his AAA numbers (but probably doubtful). of course, the Twins have current deadwood DeVries (how has the mighty fallen -- Slama has done the same) and Butera. Pretty much everyone mentioned above, with the exception of Deduno, would not be around next year when the 40-man rosters are set.

If Pinto is the next best thing, we can AAA him next year (when we still have Doumit around). We have Herrmann and Lehmann and Rolfingmann still around as adequate backups. There is a good chance we may totally forget about Wilson Ramos. The big question is...how many years does Mauer catch. One-Two as the main guy. Do we need to break someone in halftime in 2016. We would then have Pinto as a catcher thru 2020-21 if he works out before he would get mildly expensive...assuming he might just be a part-timer entering his arbitration Year One. Bring Back Danny Rams!

Reminds one of Brad Radke ... although Brad just ended because he didn't want/need to go thru surgery. Happily, Ramon will collect his major league salary for he remainder of the year, and get his arm repaired as a member of the Blue Jays organization. He has enough spunk and spirit that he can roll into a coach or adviser position. Amazing his tour since he left the Twins!

I like Mauer batting third. Yes, I wish we had true 1-2 in the order. I would bat WIllingham 4 and Morneau 5th and make the rest the crapshoot that it is.

Plouffe and Parmelee never tore the cover off the bull at their various minor league stops, although they did shine a bit when they got to AAA. Is it the coaching? Do we expect more from prospects overall. Yes, Plouffe was a high-drafted high schooler who never ended up at shortstop in the bigs. Parmelee is an adequate batter, but is replaceable by pretty much any other AAAA guy you can find for a year or two.

You got three choices: (1) Sign him for an agreed upon long-term deal. (2) Give him a qualifying offer and overpay him for one year in which you really don't need him, or get a draft pick for him. (3) Trade him mid-season if you continue to tank, get a prospect that has shown some life in another team's system. You are then in a better position to offer him a lowball free agent contract, depending on how many others are looking for a first abseman. Right now, he is Doug Mientkiewicz lite. I would love for him to be around 2-3-4 more years in some capacity (depending on salary) and be our eventual DH who can also play first. But with his current situation, he is replaceable. Parmelee has been given the opportunity (albeit in right field) to step up and claim the position, but is failing to do so. The question is: Can Parmelee fill the shoes with a part-time Mauer and Doumit also playing the bag. If so, then you need a top-flight backup catcher. We still have two months to see where the Twins are this year and for them to make a decision if 2014 is actually a run year or a rebuilding year. They have the money to burn, so paying a potential qualifying offer wouldn't kill them for 2014. I doubt anyone would give him more, unless Justin is looking for a multi-year contract in a town that he really wants to play in (Toronto? Arizona?). Who knows, Mauer may be the first baseman of the Twins future (but who catches). It's always sad to move on, but we have seen Hunter, Cuddyer, Nathan, Santana amongst others depart. We can, sadly, wave goodbye to Morneau, sooner probably rather than later.

The Twins, still, fall into a category of team closer to, say, the Oakland A's...then anyone else who has won a pennant. Look at the turnover on the A's roster. They bring guys up. The trade players away when they are on the cusp, or have a good season. In keeping with the A's-look, the Twins would've flipped Young after his super year. Willingham would've been major tradebait this winter and thru spring training. They would be looking hard at Benson and figuring out a way to increase his value (start him, say, at AA) then letting him suck marbles at AAA. You'd be looking at prospects to package for pre-arbitration players, like Hermsen, who supposedly doesn't have a fly's butt chance of ever making the team, and packaging him with, say, Carroll tio a team needing infielder backup help and might trade a fifth starter, which may be better than the 26th or 41st player the Twins are already going after. At some point, the Twins need to sign a short-term A-level pitcher (Morris) or a long-term body (Grienke). I'm sorry, Baker, Radke...they just aren't top of the line guys. You might develop them...but are they in the system and will they pan out. And sometimes you re-sign your own free agents (Nathan, Kubel) for marketrate or above with the hopes of trading them away (of course, Pavano and Capps shoudl've got us a B- prospect...so you win some, lose some). No one says being a general manager is an easy job. But the Twins do have money to spend, wisely and, even, stupidly perhaps. They have to advance to that next level where they play ALL the player games. The business man Smith didn't pan out. The grizzled veteran scout isn't keeping up with the times. Maybe what ownership and management need is a tremendous loss of butts in the sets (yes, pre-sell is still good for the year, but when those folks would rather be somewhere else than come to a game where they already got a ticket, it WILL hit home in reduced concessions and all). Be interesting to see how many of the 20+ free-agent pitchers on the lowend the Twins signed this year actually stick around to play again...here or anywhere else. Seems a lot are getting some nice Florida sunshine and rehab monies from a team hopeful for a breathing body.

Yeah, we all remember Bullock for Diamond. And we all "shouted" when the Twins included Eddie Morlan in that Rays deal. So, maybe it is for the best. Maybe he won't go anywheres. We are, after all, playing for now...fielding a team to contend in 2013.

Hey, Michael Bowden is available ... again!

Yeah, rotating starters. Send down Deduno, bring up Walters. Send down Walters, bring up Hendriks. Send down Hendriks, bring up DeVries. hey, I do it in my fantasy league all the time...I can switch out an extra starter twice a week, and chances are I can still bring back someone I earlier released.

There's 19 players on the Twins current 40-man roster that I would be surprised will still be there on Opening Day of 2014. Benson wouldn't have made that list.

I believe when Worley is sent down to the minors, he still gets the major league pay (as does Drew Butera) unless they signed an explicit major/minor league contract. Hicks, for esample, would egt less pay in the minors if he was sent down, being a first year guy...as does Arcia. And if theya re on the 40-man roster, I believe they are paid significantly more than msot minor league players....last I remember a few years ago was $50-75 grand for the season, pro-rated according to days in the systeem/

Well, Texas had a 40-man spot open. Benson will have to remain with the majors roster next year. The flip side, if still with the Twins -- where he was often called something like the "best all-around athlete" in the system by none other than Mr. Ryan -- is that he is still, in the least, back-up fourth rung outfielder prospect. The guy to fill in when everyone else is out. He could've been that this year instead of Mastro and certainly Ramierez...who I would part with way before Benson. The killing point, here, was the adding of Collabano to the 40-man roster. Why did they do that? Why not bring up Lehmann or Benson for that temporary spot. That is the killer. You aren't going to release Gary from the 40-man as someone will definitely pick him up due to his last two minor league flings. And besides Benson, you have at least two no brainers -- Drew Butera (we have got by without him so far this year, so does he matter) and Cole DeVries (who could've been a star but because of his injury may never ever pitch in the majors again). Benson may be another Restovich or Ford or Mike Ryan or J.T. Bruett, of even a B.J. Garbe. We get to move on and be glad the Twins have stocked their roster with other castoffs (Richardson, Thomas, Pettit). I'm sorry, Benson still has a future. Maybe. Let's see how long Walters and Deduno stay on the 40-man. Again, with Ramirez and Colabano...this IS NOT building for the future and these ARE NOT players that will bring us forward into contention. I'm Sorry!

Well, we were excited that the Twins may be a .500 team. But that has been shattered. If you were truly contending, you would add those one or two special pieces. The Twins additions this year weren't special pieces, they were pieces to fill holes between rebuilding and putting a team on the field. Would we be better served if all those empty spots had been filled with A and AA guys, getting a shot to perform like their current major league counterparts? Perhaps. If there is soemthing that I always disliked about the Twins management, they always looked at fielding a team that would compete, not just flat out win. They look at staying strong in a division. Yet, the division si the strongest it has ever been, with Kansas City at least playing like a team that CAN compete, and the White Sox, though dismal at times, can still play head-to-head with the Twins. The Twins CAN'T play head-to-head, right now, with anyone. The starting staff is in total shambles. The bullpen is flamning out. There's a total weakness in Hicks who makes Drew Butera or the pitcher in the line-up look like a batting order plus. We have Dozier, Parmelee, Willingham, Doumit slumping bigtime. We have Carroll shining, with Mauer and Morneau. Plouffe is brilliant when compared to so many others. We can't ask for anything more from Escobar or Florimon. Our bench is Colla and Ram. But there is little in the minors that can outplay the current roster in today's game, which is sad.

Service time, and playing regularly. The Twins NEED to see more of Parmelee, it seems, at the moment.

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to go down to the minors again and work on somethings...and play regularly, too. Think it is time to send Hicks out for the same reason. If they work on things in the minors, then they re listening and become much more valuable. The biggest adjustment is that there is so much more info poured over every player in the majors. What I'm getting a bit disappointed about is that the Twins are bringing up too many placeholders. Maybe they should be rotating in some guys like May and Hermsen and Sano and Santana just to give them a bit of major league touch...make then even more hungry.

The Twins have set themselves up for some fun and games. They have a slew of talent that could be claimed if removed from the 40-man, including Butera, hermsen, hendriks, Benson for sure. If they decide not to keep Walters or Deduno down the line, both can be grabbed by other teams, then re-optioned out and stocked away in the minors. Colabano should never have been added. He can't be removed from the 40-man without someone claiming him, so the Twins now have a 30-year-old rookie that they really didn't need on the roster that they can't get rid of unless they truly want to get rid of him. Be interesting to see. Too many outfielders. Need an infielder?

Optioning Worley means if he stays down, perhaps at least 30 days, the Twins escape arbitration with him, I think.............

Hendriks is on the disabled list..........

Players on the bubble: 60-day DL Wood and Mastro Designated for assignment: Butera, Benson, Robertson, DeVries, Hendriks Trade candidates: Roenicke, Willingham, Carroll, Morneau Should be playing everyday at AAA: Hicks, Parmelee Do we give a looksee: Waters, Deduno, someday Blackburn, Thompson but all, if sent back down, have to clear waivers or be a free agent Potential bats in minors not on 40-man: Olmeda, Thomas, Richardson Future: Herrmann, Hermsen, Gibson, May (and the return of Hernandez) So, fun and games IN THE SYSTEM doesn't exactly excite anyone. But the starting staff does need a major overhall....Worley is the second-coming of Blackburn this season, Pelfry needed to rehab and come back later, Diamond is rough, Correia is himself....and the Twins have the fifth spot waiting for a promising rookie or the musical chairs of wannabees. What is a team to do?

And then they put him in right field. Go figure. Of course, no DH.

Yopu have to watch adding some men to the rosters, as if you don't keep them (i.e. Wood) you have to send them thru waivers if you don't keep them. Of course, if you don't want them, maybe no one else will. No one mentions Butera coming off the 40-man roster. Even though Benson is absolutely horrible at AAA, why not give him one quick last shot. Maybe bring him up AND Clete Thomas. Of course, you can release a player like Wood while they are on the disabled list. Wood could very well collect a major league salary all year if he doesn't get better. I wish there was a middle infield option. Deduno has a chance to grab the spot. Would like to see DeVries get one last shot, but looks like his injury blew it for him. Best bet would be if a middle-relief guy goes down. Perhaps Fien will be optioned out. Or Roeincke will be released. They both get 1-2 appearances on the road before a decision ash to be recorded Thursday late nite. The big thing with Gibson, folks, is that he will be on an innings count this year. How many does he throw in the minors, and does he just come up as a September callup with minimal work...or earlier and part of the rotation, only to be totally shut down while the Twins get in the pennant race in September.

Question: Can Deduno be optioned out or would if he have to pass thru waivers if the Twins decide not to keep him around. Of course, if the Twins don't want him, maybe no one else would...but.....

Whew!

Anyone crying for a minor shakeup? Hernandez should go, for sure. Pelfry should have a short leash. Who do we bring up, Walters, Deduno, Gibson. Hicks needs to go to AAA and play everyday and just...play, where he can';t hurt us. Yes, Clete Thomas is not the best best but let him try. Send out Parmelee to play everyday at first, and bring up Benson. Give those two guys a chance. Maybe it is time to replace Dozier. Bring up additional bench bat Collabero, perhaps? How do we make roster spots? 60-day Mastro and Wood. Send Butera packing (Herrrman and, looks like Pinto, are suitable backups...even Lehmann could go into the fold as well mas Drew. It doesn't mean that Parmelee and Dozier and Hicks can't come back (or Hendriks, for that matter). But what is here is not working. We have to play Carroll as long as he can stand-up and hit. Morneau needs to play his way to a long-term contract somewhere. The Twins can afford to have Doumit and Willingham sucking up space, but not Dozier and Hicks besides. Heavne only knows how the rotation will fare, but must look ahead to 2014 AFTER mid-July. Before then, see if any of the AAA tryouts we gave last year are worthy of hanging onto come next season, when we can rotate in the May and Meyer and Hermsen around Correia, Worley, Diamond and Gibson.