Rosterman

He's a guy the Twins may have drafted if they drafted earlier in 2011. The Nats drafted him, paid him a $2 million bonus, and the Twins got to see him pitch at two levels in 2012. They dealt from a position of strength in the organization. And if you look at the overall picture, Span is a great contract, but to advertise him as the best centerfielder out there is hardly a given. They are a lot of similar, if not better (and higher priced) centerfielders as free agents, a decent choice of corner outfielders, and other teams willing to part with players. Just as long as he doesn't pull up totally lame (you can live thru Tommy John), this is a great top of the rotation pitcher. For an organization that has questionable prospects, it made us look better with Gibson, Wimmers, Hermson, Salecedo, Hendriks, maybe Hernandez, plus Barrios and possibly Bard filling spots in 2014 and 2015. We all have this "win now" mentality brewing....but the Twins may have too many holes and not enough committed funds to pull it off in 2013.

Wonder if they talk about the Vikings at Baseball's Winter Meetings?!

Hey, what about those Tommies!

Is there a Vikings Daily?

Doumit is the backup. If Mauer goes down, would you sacrifice his behind-the-plate skills for his bat, compared, to say, a Butera in the line-up. Plus he offers flexibility of being able to "play" outfield and first base if push comes to shove, plus is basically written in as a DH. That Mauer is playing first, Morneau DHing, means Doumit also gets to catch some. But it also means the Twins pretty much need to carry a third catcher (who can hopefully do more than catch, or at least pinch-hit). The only reaso I would see in keeping Butera would be if the Twins saw the return of Dickey and needed someone to catch knuckle balls.

Alex got his arbitration max,PLUS an option for $3 million in 2014. Whew! Who would've figured. Butera is still on the 40-man. I see a Rule 5 pick, a middle signing, and a low-end non-tender put on the 40-man.

Yeah, I couldn't believe the Alexi thing.

Hell, grab Eli Whiteside again.

Joe Benson. He still is out there.

I would wait to see how 2013 goes and further watch the development of others in the minors -- Arcia, Benson, Hicks, Burton, Kepler et al. Revere, if he does prove modestly successful, will end up being a rotating hanger-on, like Juan Pierre. He replaces Span, but doesn't. It's nice to have the speed, but only if you balance it with a stringer 2B/SS and keep more power of OBP in the corner outfields. Right now, the Twins are juggling 4 positions that lack any kind of hitting, especially power, and only one of them showed basepath advancement (the only good thing...at times...for keeping Alexi).

Yes, hey seemed to have passed him thru waivers where a team could've claimed him anyways and just needed to add them to their own 40-man (which no one did, and that other team would've had the option of re-sending him thru waivers and keeping him in their organization, a la Carlos Gutierrez). So, maybe good for the Twins. Really didn't see this happening until after the Rule 5, though. Players like Guerra would be deep-sixed to free up space in signing free agents (who do the Twins have left...wait, they have three roster spots now). I would say Butera is still on the bubble. Not sure if they do have to keep Oliveros around, even though he is injured. Swarzak isn't a necessity. You can argue about the influx of C-level infielders taking up space. Mastro and Benson could both get thru waivers if roster spots are full, I imagine, although Mastro would become a free agent. They could probably sneak Hernandez, thru, too...as the winter progresses. But, yes, three roster spots are pretty darn valuable going into the GM meetings...and we all ask "why is Drew Butera still taking up space!"

I would look harder at Myers, and even McCarthy to get the extra arms. Keep in mind that long-term, 2014/2015, the Twins could fill a rotation with the following names in the system: Gibson, Wimmers, Meyer, Hermsen, Bard, Barrios. We still have Diamond and Hendriks around. You have DeVries and Perdumo in reserve. So, if you could get any of the above names mentioned for 2-3 years, that would be stunning. Yet I would almost love to see the Twins take a 5-6 year plunge and get a Sanchez or dare I say Grienke.

Yes, no need for multiple threads...unless giving us something new. Maybe this one did. Liriano needs somewhere that he can prove himself viable. Is it at the backend of a rotation in Boston, or a leader on the field on Houston or Minnesota. The main given is that he is dreaming (as is his agent) for a multi-year deal. A one-year deal means he HAS to perform or never ever pitch again -- indy ball watch out!

Hochevar and Peltry are a couple of non-tenders (plus Juirgens) that could prove tempting. Not sure what the outside market will be for any of them, but they all will be looking for someone to give them a chance and some innings. The question is do you sign them for a minor league contract, or have to make a 40-man spot for them. And with the Feldman and Baker signing, any of them getting a contract for $3-4 m illion is almost a given, unless EVERYONE's roster is full. Remember, the Marlins will be trolling for great deals (Liriano and Young) as will the Astros, too...both teams viable for players looking to make a comeback, and they have the open roster spots for hasbeens and wannabees.

Hey, the Twins lost one of their 40-man additions on a waiver claim. Looks like they are doing a Rule 5 or a trade, maybe. Being a general manager is a tough job. You want 10, as someone says, and are offered 6...and you keep hoping for that 8. You have fans complain when you trade Eddie Morlan as that extra player rather than Juan Rincon. You move out a Hardy because you sign some guy from Japan. I can complain that you basically let Manship and Bromberg walk rather than doing something with them. Do you pull the plug on vets (Morneau and Span) or do you try and get something cor currently nothing (Benson) or to you dangle basic replacement parts (Revere and Parmelee) or actually ship off talent (Sano, Hicks, Arcia, Kepler, Hermsen et al). I always like the thoughts of moving prospects rather than losing them, especially if they are somewhat blocked in the system, have a decent minor league season, et al. Otherwise, you end up with a Benson...who will take him, today...and as he ages he is passed by others. Has his time come and gone. Will he luckily be the next Mike Restovich, or Trent Oeltjen or Doug Deeds? One of the funner parts of this board is the trade talk, and 90% of the time it is favorable for the hometown team. WE all overvalu our players, so why get mad when the hometown management do the same. We all want what someone doesn't have to give because they basically want to get riod of spare parts, or players that they fel may be blocked in their system. Being a general manager is tough. Hey, I would love to see an inter rview in which a general manager is asked about the evaluation process of prospects that have left the organization. Take Gutierrez or Bromberg, for example. When did they see them as legit prospects. When did they fall off the radar. When could the plug have been pulled for a trade and why wasn't it. Sometimes you wonder at the amount of money spent on prospects that never pans out...how can you keep doing that over and over again. Better to not draft and just buy?

He WILL land somewhere...and he has something to prove...that he deserves to play beyond 2013, I would think...unless is is totally content to drift into the sunset. Any team that signs him will only have to pay the major league minimum, nothing more. I'm sure he will hold out for playing time and the position he wants to play. But don't see him as a good fit for the Twins. His attitude, if I read him right, is me, me, me.

Benson and Kepler in the line-up somewhere. Levi Michael? The return of Trevor Plouffe?

Salary caps. Shared revenue. What it ultimately means is more money in the ownership pocket. Unless the Dodgers are only spending 50% of that added income on player salaries. It also means being able to pay more for draft picks, and absorb the penalities.

In some ways I agree with Teflon. Better to have two guys who can win 12-14 games and be around for 3-4 years for the same amount of money.I don't see Grienke averaging more than 15 wins a season over 7 years unless he is with a powerhouse team all those years.

Last year we signed former draft pick Steve Pearce. What's with the Twins going after former draft picks (Lamb, Punto and such). I'm sure he is 1B and DH insurance. A proven AAAA bat.

Mauer is almost understandable, because he is like a Jeter or a Ripken...the Franchise player in some ways, the face and for of an organization. But should you overpay? Most would say not, yet it is done. I wouldn't consider Longoria a franchise player. I wouldn't consider A-Rod one, either. I don't consider Hamilton. Maybe, in Milwaukee, Braun is a franchise player. This is a tough call.

The curiosity is that we kept hearing that a team would've been foolish to trade for Morneau with what he was getting paid in 2013. Yet is it so far off the mark that he could command a $20-25 million 2-year contract easily if he was a free agent. Probably not, with a decent option/buyout for a third year. Then we have to think, should the Twins be extending him? Or is he replaceable by the much cheaper Parmelee with the Mauer option brewing in the 2015 and beyond season if need be. Personally, I would think $20 or 2-years would be generous at this point. Yet Morneau is sitting in a kinda driver's seat. If he does stay healthy, he could command that a team makes him the offer to get a draft pick, or be on tap to extend his contract for at least that amount. I doubt, though, that unless he hits like 40 homers, he shouldn't command more than $10 million a year. Which brings to mind the question of tradability of Morneau...is a team better placed to grab him during the offseason when they could make him a year-end offer next fall and keep him or get a draft choice, or just trade for him during mid-season, giving the Twins a couple of B-grade prospects. BUT TO GET BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION: I wouldn't be able to afford him as a free agent in 2013 and would not pay more than $7-9 million for his services, with the makeup of the Twins in their current state. I would stick with Parmelee, Mauer and Doumit as backup, and hope Carobello (spelling) is an adequate backup. I would almost...almost have kept Cuddyer or trad e back for him. Almost.

What is the real plus for the Reds?

Pelfrey is how far from coming back...late season or mid-season. This is the perfect example, though, of where wold these guys fit on anyone's 40-man roster. When all is said and done, each team probably has 2-3 spots, at most, to add someone...maybe less. Anyone else signs as a minorleague free agent...or suddenly guys are available that get bumped. This is the way Twins add guys. I look at the Twins roster and I see 5-6-7 souls that could be deep-sixed or be considered replaceable by the above names or others (real free agents). But all of those replaceable parts are actually...replaceable parts.

Doyle arranged his release to sign with Japan, so he didn't pass thru waivers. He had a decent AAA for the Sox and pitched well in Japan. He was a minors free agent and signed with the Red Sox this season. He may have been a bust (had a horrible spring for the Twins) but considering the need the Twins had for a starter last year, it would've been a great opportunity...but the Twins had more faith in Gray and Maloney for the back of the bullpen. My gripe is that they did see something in him that was worth $50,000. But it was as much a blown opportunity by Doyle as it was by the Twins.