Rosterman

Orlando Cabrerra...doesn't that insure a playoff spot? Bring back Thome! Reyes IS looking for work! Have Triple-A line-up day one week each month!

2011 was a pretty decent revenue season, though.

Kevin Slowey's one year will be overlooked. Frankie Rodriguez, the guy who was mad when sent to the bullpen because starters will make more money. Walbeck isn't the worst catcher in the system. He had some promise, and the Twins surrounded him by the likes of Matt Merullo, Mike Durant and Derek Parks those seasons before going after Greg Myers. Somehow he played over the course of a decade in the majors. Catchers (backup) always seem to find jobs. Blanco, Morales, Corky Miller, are still hanging around!

Is Joe Benson still a rookie? I think he will step-it-up and grab major attention!

Stats and Live Scouts. Creates confusion, or so it looks. Correria was lucky. He got an offer from the Twins that was more than serviceable and grabbed it without question.

Someday someone may figure out exactly how much the Twins do take in each year. I still argue that 50% of $100 million is a lot different than 50% of $200 million. That 50% you keep is being spent on what?

Let's make a list, someone. Who is on the 40-man roster in 2013 - Hicks, Santana, Herrmann, May, Tonkin, Pinto, Arcia, Hermsen (these guys will be out of options come 2016) Guys eating up 40-man years: Benson, Hernandez, Dozier, Hendriks. (These guys need to step up soon and show they belong). The 40-man roster can only hold so many players, and they DO have to be added at some point. The evils of having too strong of a minor league system is that if guys play to their capabilities and are missed with people promoted on fast track, you suddenly have too many people knocking at the door but too small of an entryway. Who do the Twins need to add to the 40-man in 2014. Who in 2015. Who in 2016. The magic word is NEED. They can compete earlier if they supplement the roster with trades and/or free agent signings. One more question: Besides Mauer, who on the current roster will still be a Twin come 2016?

The magic question is what the right time is. Do you go with temporary parts and let players arrive slowly (right time) as they usually do. A team usually adds 2-3 players that will around for 3-5+ years. They always run thru a couple of part-timers, and maybe a couple who play backend roles for a season or three. If you bring up everyone new at the same time, you are suddenly looking at multiple players in four years making bigger than expected bucks...combined with what else surrounds them. The Twins ahd a tough 2011, injuries and such. As 2012 began...we had Blackburn signed longer-term and a great option on a healthy Scott Baker. Pavano was expected to be a workhorse if nothing else. Marquis was expected to be the backend starter. We all hoped Liriano would be a stud and force the Twins to invest heavily in the future. Kubel and Cuddyer were replaced. Carroll was a veteran presence for the infield. No one thought Valencia would flameout. It wasn't a great team, but competitive...if the parts stayed in place. They didn't. Pavano basically died. Baker wasn't worth an expensive chance. Blackburn was a mistake. The minors were still two seasons away from contributing except for AAAA guys, who got their chance, but none worth sticking (except Diamond). The Twins could spend money to make 2013 and 2014 competitive. But then they traded away the top-of-the-lineup. They added pitchers, but temporary replacements and future unknowns. Rebuilding is tough. Guys have to play together and if lots of bodies are new, they set the tone on the clubhouse. There is usually failures, as a player or as a team. You may even get a shorter look as that next prospect is jsut as gren and just as hungry. They have backed themselves into a corner. Attendance will be a telling sign of what everyone thinks about the Twins...and , of course, their Stadium.

Like some of us call that guy Mastro, we could call him Pods.

Would the Twins be more interesting if they fielded a team with Hicks and Arcia and Sano and Gibson and Meyer right out of the shoot. Young unproven talent that may/may not surprise?

The only person staying warm is TC Bear, who I understand HAS to sleep outside!

Yes TC Bear!

Yes, the worst player on a major league roster is probably better than anyone we had in our high school or college teams. Go figure!

At the end of the season, we had one starter. Now we have three, with two possibles, and a bunch of prospects. At the end of the season, we had Willingham/Span/Revere in the outfield. Now we have Willingham, which isn't a plus. Parmlee looking for playing time. A 4th outfielder excited for a chance. And prospects. Ar the end of the season we had a seasoned utility infielder and questions at 2B/SS/3B. We still have the same. DH is Doumit and a combination of Morneau and Mauer when necessary. We have more bullpen choices than ever. We locked up Drew Butera for 2013! That alone is an A+ move. We went from 1-3 starters, with no sure #1 or #2. We still have a weak infield defense. We have no proven centerfielder. We have no #1 or #2 hitter. Lots of questions.

I wanted to read the transcript where both sides entered their reasoning for a low figure or a high figure.

Kevin Maas. Adam Johnson. Phil Roof. Jerry Zimmerman.

It will still be a wait for the bignames...Mauer and Morneau. I think the lottery system will still be in place. Overall, will be interesting to see what attendance is like this year. I got thru the minor league group and one other group each session. Just remember that it costs money to go thru all but the minor league lines, too.

In 2015 and 2016 your Diamonds and Worleys start to get expensive. ,In 2017 your Gibson gets expensive. In 2018 your May and Meyer get expensive. You will be juggling keeping your own or letting them go and signing someone for the interm.. If Saunders is overpaid for 2013 and 2014, he will also be underpaid come 2015, and the Twins payroll will be so low (no Blackburn, No Correria, No Willingham, no Doumit). 2016-2018 will be arbitration years for anyone the Twins play this year and next. There is still some control, and some overpayment as the decade ends...or newer blood takes those places. Do we pay a Johnson or Wainwright $24-30 million next year to have them pitch thru 2016. Wait for the the 2015 season and sign a guy to pitch in 2016-2017 for $12-15 million a year? And whatever is owed, say, a Saunders in 2015 may be off the books in 2014 if the team advances younguns and he becomes tradebait at a reasonable cost, assuming he pitches to a 180+ inning mark with a respecable .425+ ERA.

Saunders wants that third year, guaranteed. Jair will get a minor league contract and invite, and probably have to settle for $1 milllion or so in the end. Hey, Capps and Rauch and LaTroy are still out there looking for work. And what does the future hold for Johan Santana!

Colabello said he won't do World...wants to impress in spring training. So, when you need lots of catchers (especially those who mainly catch and your main one is on team USA), someone decides to play for another team. Time not to give the guy a major league contract.

It will come down to Pelfrey, Haren and Hendriks. Possibly Pelfrey will start the season on the dl and Haren in the minors (they would have to find a 40-man spot for him). Gibson will start in long-relief in the minors and become a starter if/when Haren moves to the big leagues. Deduno is a long, long shot...not being on the 40-man. The Twins have very limited 40-man movement. They have a Rule 5. They have Wood or Roeinke taking spaces who need to stay or be removed. They can drop DeVries and probably not have him claimed by anyone. Swarzak is out of options. Butera could always be sent away to free a roster spot, but think the Twins want Hermann to spend more time at AAA. And everything is blown apart if the Twins sign Saunders. Almost more curious to see who is in the rotation at Rochester, assuming Pelfrey and Haren would start there, Blackburn on a delay, Walters, Deduno, DeVries, maybe May and Meyer, Vasquez and Martis in the mix, maybe Hermsen. Too many bodies there. Maybe the Twins needed to Rule 5 a catching prospect or back-up infielder, of even another, heaven forbid, outfielder!

Plus, he is a lefthander!

Don't forget that Worley is still in the mix, too. The reason the Twins are stifled on the free-agent pitching IS that Ryan may be looking at the 2014 and 2015 rotation. Who stays and who doesn't...although Correria being the holdover is not what we all hoped for. But having a veteran workhorse (ala Pavano) isn't a bad thing, be he a #2,3,4 or 5 starter. Especially if the staff is filling up with youngsters. When we start looking seriously at Meyer, May, Hermsen, Gibson, WImmers and even Hendriks...they can be here for parts of the season and abck in the minors fine-tuning for other parts, hopefully not just this year, but also in 2014 and some in 2015. The real rotation of youngsters should be at the beginning of their peak years as 2016 rolls on stage and continue for the next 3-4 years, with hopefully still more young blood coming up in the wings as we trade arbitration starters for even more prospects. But Saunders not signing makes you still wonder -- what is going on?

The order sucks. Until a viable lead-off hitter emerges, you can't even worry about #2. I don's see Willingham or Morneau being the best $3 hitter, either. And what happens, if by chance, Morneau is traded. Your top three hitters need to get on base and put the ball into play (and not force an out). No strikeout guys. Also, at #2, Mauer would just be pitched around more often than not. But, again, with no #1 or #2 hitter, teams don't have to worry about Mauer coming up with someone on base. The Twins line-up is a mess. How do you bat Doumit/Parmelee/Plouffe. It looks like Florimon/Dozier or Escobar bring up the rear. Mastro/Carroll/Hicks in the opening frame...maybe Benson. If we think Ryan hasn't gien us competitive pitching, look at the line-up, folks.

He's a lefty. He can be dependable. If he performs, he is also tradable. For some reason, he hasn't signed...either wants that third year guaranteed or a better option. See Padilla just went foreign.