Rosterman

Diamond Correia Pelfrey Worley hopefully Harden In the wings: Hendriks, Gibson, DeVries Looking forward to 2014: Alex Meyer, Trevor May In the wings: B.J. Hermsen, Wimmers That's the Twins depth and plan for 2013 and 2014. They work in Gibson and bring up hendriks as the season progresses. Anyone else, all the minor league guys, they would need a 40-man spot for them, and with Blackburn potentially eating up innings, THAT is where development is being blocked. I would see only one of Vasquez, Walters, Deduno making it to the 40-man for an extended amount of time. If two make it, it is because DeVries and someone else is sent packing. Of course, the Twins also have to address Swarzak (out of options) and Pressly (Rule 5) who along with Duening could be spot starters, if the need arose. Maybe Ryan does know what he is doing (although I would rather have a second year option on Pelfrey rather than Corriea). If Corriea, Pelfrey and Harden pitch well, they can be swapped out for a mid-level prospect. Gibson et al...no use eating up service time if the team is going to suck. Maybe next year they take a flyer on a starter in the $12-15 multi-year contract range.

It was that 10-game hitless streak that doomed him, along with a lethargic Twins line-up that season.

Anyone notice that Rene Tosoni signed with the Brewers as a minor league free agent?

Well, I don't think TR can sit back and NOT say that winning is everything. In this market now (with the Vikings), in this stage of the game (a new Target Field), and the supposed higher economics to work with to staff the team, winning is everything...if you want to put and keep butts in the seats.If the Twins hover around 2 million fans this season, it will speak loads about what Minnesota baseball fans think. I mean, I'm still disgusted with the whole marketing campaign when target Field opened that revolved around the Field, and not the team, in general. People will readily agree that MOST of the team the Twins have parlayed their offseason into putting together a competitive team, watching what happens within the division. But this offseason, that has been all but thrown out the window (you can't spend more than $5 million on a pitcher when you need one or two or three and they are available?). We see the Royals improving and making a play...or at least upping their competition. We see Cleveland trying to stay in the game while rebuilding. We see the Twins telling us they want to be in the game, but clearly aren't. It will be a long 2013. Gardy may wish he had taken his walking papers. But he had another year on his contract. And like Blackburn, the Twins will TRY and get another penny of work out of him before parting ways.

Also passing on where former major league guys Ed Stevens (11 years) and Hal Keller (3 years), who were early scouts for the Minnesota Twins and Griffith associates. Plus, Tom Umphlett, who was a minor league prospect 1964-67 and minor league manager and coach 1968-72.

Can the starters pitch 6 innings minimum giving up no more than 3-4 runs average. Will the bullpen hold in a range of 1-1.5 runs for their work. If so, can the Twins score a minimum of 850 runs for the season. Average 5 a game, by chance? Will four most games do it? Don't see either happening (except perhaps the bullpen). The starters are middlin. The offense has no lineup or player protection, you can pitch around whomever whenever and hope that the others are playing...well, like they usually do.

And, of course, for a snapshot look at the Twins major league roster, and minor league roster (A-ball and above) go to: 2013 Minnesota Twins Roster - Majors View I'll try and keep it up-to-date with people released and such, but won't switch out assignments until it does actually happen. If want to spend some time looking at the Twins, just go back thru the roster years and see was a Twin, major league and minor league!

Can't wait to see the contract. In contest against who we signed for two years and one year, I hope they over[paid him for one year and the option. Otherwise..... Rebuilding. Just Say It!

I don't see that big of a decrease in Mauer's average over time. I just wonder who will be catching more often than not for the Twins. Josmil Pinto, perhaps, half-time. If you look at the Twins roster this far out, you can see the Twins saving a lot of money over the next 3-5 years on payroll. Combined with trading veterans, drafting high this year and next, then Twins should have a pretty vibrant farm system, almost too much of a good thing, so can see a veteran presence added each year after 2015 for a prospect over-abundance or two. And if they WOULD decide to play the free agent marketplace, who knows. See Hicks/Benson in 2013/ Arcia in 2014/ Buxton in 2015/ Kepler a regular in 2016. In between you have Morales and all those others as the 4th.Question is: Do we see the Twins rushing any prospects?

Try to keep up-to-date as hear about releases and such. Will up-date actual team assignments at the close of spring training (Cedar Rapids Kernels now instead of Beloit). Tend to just follow A ball and up here.

Here's a nice going-into-2013 overview of the Twins minor league prospects........ 2013 Minnesota Twins Roster - Majors View

Colabello is there because if something happens to Morneau, you bring him up to backup whoever is playing first, for the period of time you need him. A permanent place on the Twins roster for a season. Sadly, think not. Those are highly valuable. Can he be there for a moment (think Matt Carson, for example)? yes. I do hope he gets his chance...with the Twins.....

The Koskie factor. How valuable is he to the Twins and how badly does he want to be a Twin. Morneau can be a par of the long-term future, a 3-4 year extension. If they can agree on what the Twins want to play. He can factor in as a designated hitter for the future (the Twins do need that) who also has the ability to play first, provide veteran presence in the line-up, and remain a fan favorite. If this is a role he wants to play for the Twins, he can. He could continue as long as the length of the Joe Mauer contract if he desires. At some point, money doesn't always matter (i.e. Thome). Or, if there is the slightest inkling that he wants to be fulltime at first and wants bigger bucks...trade him. Now, immediately, get rid of him. The Twins NEED a designated hitter. At what cost ($7-8 million a year for a few seasons okay with everyone). If Morneau wants $10 or above, and if a team is willing to gamble and do that, then trade him. I would actively be throwing him there now..........and this recent quote by Morneau is somewhat of a p.r. move that will hopefully excite someone, if not the Twins, about his future potential.

Mauer bats leadoff. #2 hitter can't be a ground-ball double-play batter. Also, can't be a flyout guy. Wait, that means Mauer can't bat leadoff. You have to have someone who can beak up a doubleplay (and not risk injury). As lead-off, Mauer will look at pitches, but he also swings and connects (shades of Ben Revere) but more for line-drives that at least get out of the infield. Mauer is the perfect #3 hitter as your laadoff guy should be at second by the time he comes to bat. Mastro/Hicks leadoff. Carroll will bat second. To start the season. Benson is the dark horse candidate.

B.J. Hermsen. He seems to do everything right, but not still considered a top-top prospect. Anthony Slama -- where does he see his baseball career. Brad Steil, the new guy in the farm system and how he will bring new ideas and technologies to a system that, just maybe, has been run the same way for too many DECADES. Doug Mientkiewicz, welcome back to the Twins organization -- so many questions, what it is like to be a coach, now manager. How being in the farm system and now part of the farm system, what gives. Ryan Glynn, Rochester Year Two. Joe Benson, your time has come....does it scare you?

Hey, wait...why wouldn't the "proposed" trade partner just sign them now, today, for the multi-year contract...filling a major need, and still able to trade them in year one, two or three for a comparable draft pick who has been thru the system of another team, rather than a complete draftee unknown. Then, there is the additional cost that could happen with a limited no-trade clause. If a player thinks they might just be flipped, they will sign a generous one-year contract and hope they don't get injured enough to get a multi-year next season, and getting a new agent in the process.

Oh, and the Twins are thinking Burton if Perkins falters, a;though they should also be thinking Slama...who would need a 40-man spot.

I don't think those guys would do minor league deals, but 40-man spots are slowly disappearing. Matt Capps still out there. Kyle Waldrop is without a job (and would take a minor league contract).

I s $7-8 million overpayment for average pitching? 3rd-year arbitration average. But what is average? I would think $1 million a victory would be high. How many pitchers are worth $20 million. I'm sorry. They win half of the games they start. Hopefully keep you in the game for the oterh half. Then they are a 200-inning ace. What is the price for middle-relief. Used to be $2.5-4 million....now it is creaking up to $5 million for experienced journeymen. Yet the closer market seems to be taking a hit. Nathan and Pap may be the last of the truly big money guys. Is a closer really worth $10+ million (Hey, Capps is still out there). When starting pitching starts to demand $10 million a season, then I see that as overpayment. I would not blink at McCarthy or Saunders or Marcum in the $7-8 range. That is average for quality, in my books. You try and tell me, Twins, that you didn't overpay for Capps, Pavano, Marquis...even for a look at Zumaya. You had no problem siging Blackburn to his contract for which was above average for a pitcher at that time. Yes, remain the bridesmaid. Wait for the guy to lower their options or not find a job. Anyone wonder, on another note, how this new draft thingie for a free agent is going to work out? Seems to hurt those with offers this season. What was truly wrong with the old system? And get rid of that magic whatever (this year $13 million) figure.

The only reason cards went towards adults was because of the money-to-spend factor, but it is still a wonderful hobby. And the biggest thing is to remember that most adults that collect were once kids. I remember back when you got a single card and a stick of gum for a penny. We would religiously keep track of our purchases on checklists. Cards were released monthly, a new checklist, over the summer. We would actively trade. (A side note, my dad, during the thirties, told stories of the local store that would open all packs and for your pennies you could choose a card that you wanted out of those available and a stick of gum). We learned math. Those stats on the back. We would play dice games. Eventually, you could but a whole set at a time and "real" board games were introduced for cards. I still remember my first autograph, and then attending the 60s welcome home banquets for my hometown Twins. The players got a kick out of seeing their cards. Another side note: Twin players used to park in the lot surrounding Metropolitan Stadium and small group of kids wee always on hand looking for that autographed card or ball. Sadly, what something is worth, condition, and all these other factors have made cards a big business. But as long as here is baseball and kids, there will be cards. Check out: Minnesota Twins Baseball Cards, Autographs, Publications, Memorabilia, Players, Stats, History, Collectibles to see the labors of lover of a few now adults!

Winning makes the whole stadium issue look good. And the Vikings have to hold that game plan while it is built. Do I see a similar scenario as what is happening in Twinsville. I can get down on the Twins, but the last two seasons aren't entirely their fault. They spent a lot in 2011 and had injuries to main guys throughout the year. The whole rotation, which I thought would've been easily good for 50-60 victories alone, imploded. Both of the problems that happened (during the season) were insurmontable by a team like the Twins to go out and purchase the one or two necessary pieces needed to win, let alone just compete in the short-term. As I looked at 2013, I did see hope. Money to spend. Pitchers available. A few holes that could be patched in the offense. But the offense became weaker when you basically traded away your number 1-2 hitters with no repalcements in sight. And no one really to step in if you wave some dollars at them. There is a weakness in the infield besides in a year in which the candidates you could buy are on the same level as the ones you have. The money that could be spent on pitching was to do a patchwork job for at least a year to give new guys time to develop or implode, as well as basically refurbishing a weakness in the organization of hard throwers compared to the multitude of pitch-to-contact guys that will be spending time at High-A and AA with dreams now shattered of pitching in the major leagues. It is a smoke-and-mirrors offseason. Usually the Twins appear to do enough to look like they can win bigtime and end up doing enough to remain competitive. But they clearly need to totally retrench and go into rebuild mode, which is sad because it can easily be a 1-3 year process, depending on what teams around you do. Twinsfest: Who will pay to go to this event!?

The spending/ non-spending is a tough call. The Twins conceivably could've kept one of Span or Revere and then just been a middle-infielder and a bench out of offense competition. They could've spent $20-25 million on a couple more higher end free agents, and appear to be much more competitive than they are now. As the team currently stands, they want Correia for 2014 but not Pelfrey. Might as well trade Morneau, entertain offers on Willingham, and go ahead and start Buxton in 2013 (it worked for Harper and Trout). If we need to suffer, be it watching the so-called potential, rather than the rehads and minor league free agents. No, the savings from last year (spent in the draft, supposedly) and the epic savings this year, combined with the TC money coming in next year...I still see the Twins paying off their aprt of the Target Field loan sooner rather than later. Of course, season ticket holders get a 10% discount on concessions in 2013. Final question: who will be the Twins lone All-Star in 2014. Well, I guess Mauer is a fer sure if he wants to play. But if not Mauer, than who?

Yep, at $70-75 million. Next year they get an additional $25 million, plus Morneau and Carroll and Blackburn will be freed up. At the rate the Twins are going, by 2015 they will have repaid their investment in Target Field!

Trying to keep everything up-to-date on this page. Will reconfigure Beloit to Cedar Rapids when the actual season begins. 2013 Minnesota Twins Roster - Majors View

Yeah, and there is still Delmon Young waiting for the Big Contract now that Swisher signed. The interesting thing would be if Texas would consider trading the future for the present. But I agree that I would almost take Kubel over Willingham at the moment. Both play at about the same level. And Arizona will be more interested in shedding salary then getting a top flight prospect, I believe, as it gets down-to-the-wire on who we have to pay and play. Swisher replaces both Sizemore and Hafner, both of whom contributed little in the immediate past to Cleveland, and both of whom are out there with the likes of Jim Thome and Johnny Damon looking for another chance. Be interesting to see where any of these guys end up. Interesting how the pitching market seemed to dominate the Hot Stove League, and the big-name hitters came in a bit under their salary expectations (and years) compared to other seasons. With some middle infielders doing very well in that lackluster market. Still some players in play...but how many 40-man roster spots actually still exist (yes, they can be easily made...Twins alone can shuffle the likes of Wood, Roienke, Butera, Hernandez, eve Benson if they desire).