Rosterman

I don't see any established players coming the Twins way. Mainly prospects a year or two away (currently at AA) or people blocked for a few years in the system of other teams. The Twins have lots of tradebait, but only if the players play and show some shine. Pavano would be great if he comes back. Imagine Capps will be felt out. The Twins really are in no position to keep Liriano and doubt that I would gamble that even if he pitches great for the remainder of the year that he would entertain ANY offer from the team. The Twins could mobe Gray or Burton or Swarzak as there are guys in the pipeline equally as good. Doumit is a given since he's on a one-year contract. Morneau could be gone, as could Casilla and Carroll. I have no idea what the Twins could do with Valencia. Span is a bargaining chip. I am curious to see who the Twins will be putting in the dugout and bullpen come August. But I doubt that they will get anyone that they don't have the ability to keep in the system or on the roster for a minimum of three years.

Right now, here is no one on the farm and all your candidates for any of the infield spots (Dozier, Casilla, Carroll, Plouffe, Burroughs, Valencia) all are taking lumps. It's who you want to put stock in. Can Valencia come back? Will Plouffe find a home at third? Carroll is Carroll and signed for another year and provides the vet leadership, although if he gets hot and someone wants him...go for it. Alexi is playing for a bigger contract. Twins will not feel he is worth it, but you can't trade nothing. oshi is still around collecting a paycheck in the minors...talk about the Bill Smith albatross! Dozier is either the real thing or a stop gap. Others would need to be added to the 40-man. I can wait to see what the Twins team looks like come August!

If anything, makes me wonder why the Twins gave up on some guys too soon. Salary? Arbitration? Make 40-man roster room and the guy gets grabbed by someone else. BUT THE NUMBERS ARE FASCINATING!

Expect they are giving Mauer a few more days before they decide if they really have to disable him. Assume he can come off the bench at some point. Parmelee allows them to have Doumit catch, or Butera...and have neither one of them DH. Justin and Parmelee will split DH/1B. Right now the bench will be reserve outfielder, reserve infielder, whoever isn't catching, and Mauer. And, they don't need to make the 5th starter choice for like 8 games. Picture Hendriks getting the recall. It is a plus for DeVries. He is still in the mix, and can now try what he learned at AAA. Still picture him giving a push to Manship or Swarzak for the long-man role in 2013 depending on Manships otions next year..

They manage to figure it out quite well. Some minor league free agents will be cut and about 3-4 players will probably move up in each league. You can carry more at the GCL level, just don't activate them. Then they carryover to the fall instructional league and either get cut or put into next years plans. You can pretty much assume that any high schoolers will probably remain behind.

Benson? Morales? The return of Kamutsu?!

It just gives the Twins more depth in the system. If at some point you need to trade for a starter, you can trade a Revere or a Hicks or a Benson because you stil have x-y-z in the system. Or 3-4 years from now,mm you can trade Buxton even up for another team's #1 draft pick (a pitcher) from the previous year (remember Young for Garza). Right away, you have a bargaining chip that YOU paid $6 million for and if you ever do trade him, you expect to get that back. If he makes anyone expendable in 4-5 years, it would be Revere, who would be 28-29 and entering free agency.

I actually think they thought Harris would replace Bartlett somewhere. He kinda did for a moment. Add more punch, perhaps. But we know now not!

In some ways, it was a great trade...first round draft pick for first round draft pick. he Twins basically got nothing for Bartlett, though. I remember fans in an uproar when Eddie Morlan was included in the deal, wanting the Twins to instead ship off Juan Rincon or no one. Young was signed to one of those early major league contracts, so the Twins had a great idea what they were getting He was in self-made competition with Carl Crawford for glory in Tampa Bay. He was brought in essentially to replace Torii Hunter offensively. But at that point, the Twins were glad to be rid of the ego headcase of Matt Garza. But unwilling they got an equally egotistically, arrogant, do-it-my-way Delmon Young. Young was expected to produce....280-.300 average, 20 homers, maybe 80 rbi average. My first thought was: They Gave Delmon the Subway Commercial. But, somehow, he started to get overshadowed by the lesser talented sparkplug Carlos Gomez as the newest Twin and the Face of the outfield that year. Gomez thrilled and spilled and somehow Delmon, already having tom play #2 or #3 to the M&M boys, fumed. Here is a guy with lots of natural raw talent. He knows it. But he doesn't. Tampa got rid of both Garza and Bartlett. Morlan could've been re- had by the Twins numerous times when he apssed thru waivers. The Twins got some energy out of Brendan Harris, but ended up eating lots of salary. Jason Pridie played more than he should've as the second coming of Jason Tyner. Delmon could be a superstar. I doubt that he will, though. He doesn't seem to want to listen. Strikes out too much, Seems lost in the outfield, not really in the game unless it is about him. He managed to get another big contract year out of the Tigers. He has made more money than many others his age. I would do it again...except -- no -- I would've tried to work thru Garza and be happy having Bartlett somewhere in the infield for another season. But he sure didn't fit into the TwinsWay picture. And don't get me started on Carlos Gomez. The guy was fun, exciting, totally undisciplined -- like a kid in a candy store with a $20 bill and told to make it last...forever.

The flip side is that players like Kepler may also be in the lowliest of minors, and moreso for position players than pitchers, you can usually sneak them by. Like Arcia, eally, was anyone going to Rule 5 him and keep him all year in the majors? Am I right when I speak of the Minor League part of the Rule 5 draft...you can draft a longtime player from AA or A ball, but have to play them at a comparable league or above? This year, the Twins drafted Marty Popham in the minor league portion and lost Shooter Huint. These guys never seem to be returned.

A player is usually added if it looks like they may get taken in the Rule 5 draft, five years of play after age 18 or four years if signed after age 19. They don't need to be added. But can be added after their 6th year in the minors, when they would be eligible to become a free agent and sign with anyone they please. Once on the 40-man, they can be optioned out to the minors for three seasons, before having to stick with the team. Then it becomes arbitration, free agency and the ilk. If a player on the 40-man is actually removed from the 40-man, he can be claimed by another team that has to place them on their 40-man, and keep the cycle going if they wish to release the player. If he isn't claimed by anyone, he can go back to the team's minor league. So, if you sign a player at 18, h has five years before he needs to be added to the roster. Then you can control his up/down for four more years while they gather service time and all. But every year many players become 5-year free agents (used to be 5). Twins signed a whole mess of them, plus got a couple that were on 40-man rosters (Gray, Maloney, Mastro) that they have to keep, but could lose. Sometimes players come off injuries, which was why the Twins were able to send out Slama and Bromberg last fall...no one claimed them. A couple of years back, the Twins demoted Glen Perkins. Then they removed him from the 40-man and NO ONE claimed him. But he made it back to the roster. If you make the 49-man, you pretty much WILL PLAY ion the majors. Exceptions...always that A or AA guy that is protected from the Rule 5 than never really pans out (de los Santos a few years ago, Arcia maybe this year). When players are added to the 40-man in the Fall, they have to stay on thru the end of spring training...you can't protect them, then send them right back to the minors. You can if you add them in September or during the season. A few players stay on the 40-man thru the winter meetings (like a Butera, for example) so you have an option to replace them if someone becomes available.

you can go to www.twinscards.com and check the team roster page, and then check on different players and you can see samples of their autographs.......

He's too old to be a rookie, he walks people, and has the worst name this side of Balfour for a pitcher. Problem is, you can bring him up, but will Gardy use him...right.

But you need him in the rotation -- hopefully. Replaces Blackburn? Yes, I wish the Twins would eat the salary and say bye-bye (shades of Carlos Silva) but they won't. Yes, he could fill the Manship role. I do perdict Gray and Burton will depart at some point, but the Twins will keep them as long as possible, for some insane reason.

Free agents and trades are such a crapshoot between now and then. Pretty much have to look at who will be around and potenitally in the majors of AAA in 2014. And hope the Twins can patch their weaknesses. Interesting. Yes, Hollimon would be the backup infielder today if he was on the 40-man and the Twins weren't keeping Plouffe around. I would say Florimon would be he backup in two years, but he'll be aging, same age as Plouffe today, only much cheaper. I doubt Butera will be anywhere in the picture. He'll be making a million via arbitration...not worth it. Oh, I forgot, Tyler Robertson is supposed to be in the future picture, I guess. It's so tough rebuilding with what little the Twins do have. If you cast 2014 too young, then hey all hit arbitration and free agency at young ages and you lose them. If you spred them out (which you should be able to do normally) you lose a Pavano and replace with a Gibson, you lose a Baker and replace with a Wimmers. You lose Blackburn and replace with Wayne Hattaway.

The Cubs pulled off a trade to override the claims of others. Will be interesting to see if he does get thru waivers again. The Twins have the 40-man spots, they just have to keep him in the majors. Yes, he should start. (Always thought the package of Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden was a good one bandered about regarding Santana -- truth, don't know...but the Twins didn't want Crisp). Wpuld I replace Walters or Diamond with him? Not today. Do I want to lose Burton or Gray yet, probably not. Is Brunett worthy of optioning out -- well, he has pitched good. I'm not letting go of Swarzak. How do I keep him around. How, how, how. Maybe if Pavano tanks and goes on the DL we can find a place. Yes, I want him as a Twin. But not sure how you can really keep him on the roster.

Why did the Twins draft and or sign Slama in the first place if they have no desire to use him. That is something I can't figure out. You run him thru your system, and don't give him a chance. And now you claim he is too old.

He's still young, has some potential (where, I don't know), out of options, and the Twins did invest in him. Buts shades of B.J. Garbe amongst others, when will they throw in the towel........

Mauer catcher Parmelee 1st Dozier 2nd Michael SS Sano 3rd Benson CF Hicks RF Revere LF Willingham or Morneau DH SP - Wimmers, Gibson, Bromberg, Diamond, Hermson, Salcedo CLoser - Perkins BP - Guiierrez, Guerra, Slama, Duensing, Hirschfield, someone Bench - Hermann, someone, someone, someone I see new young faces. Questions would be who ultimately plays 1st or catches

Doumit will not be sticking around for a longtime. He just needed a place to prove that he is more than a backup and bench player, and the AL DH allows him to do that. But he's not a fulltime catcher, can eally play first, is not needed in the outfield, and I would witch Willingham to DH if push came to shove rather than pay Doumit $5, $7 or more million, which he will be looking at next year and will probably get. Yes, he is a catcher who can DH et al, but he ain't going to replace Mauer, and we still have Morneau (so far) for 2013. If the Twins decide to play Mauer more at first and need someone to catch 80-100 games, here are better defensive and hitting choices than Doumit. I like the guy. I think he's great for the team. But I don't see him staying around....... Maybe Minnesota WAS considered a step up from Pittsburgh!

Willingham has a great tradeable contract. You can get something for him similar to what the Twins did when they traded for Capps///a player that has starting potential that is blocked (say Ramos) and a possible prospect (Testa). Might even be able to get a second prospect. But you should be able to get a guy that can be more than serviceable in the major leagues. A starter, I don't know...unless you are also trading for salary and grabbing someone in the last year of arbitration, but only if you caremto sign longterm and that's part of the deal.

You never know....

Plouffe has the pop. He just needs the discipline. It seems he did not adjust well to bein a utility player, so he's getting his chance, largely at third. But he has to produce or be one. If he can't crack the starting nine (and you can POSSIBLY carry a dead bat - one dead bat - each year)...then he's gone or...that unproductive utility guy because so many others are outplaying him. Remember, he signed out of high school. He could be a leader, but he is still young at heart, spending his prime growing years trolling the minors with the rap of high draft pick with talent but not blowing people away. He does seem humble, frustrated...... I do remember a couple of TwinsFests ago when he was sitting at the farm club table and talking about his goal for his next season at Rochester was 25 homers and 24 steals. Didn't quite do it....but he was going to try. Maybe he'll be Luke Hughes in a couple of years.

Joe Mauer, you need a good-looking catcher.

There ain't much on the cabinet shelf. Maloney, French and Deduno. Bromberg should be back. Albers, Logan, Hirschfield and Hermsen at New Brit. Non on the 40-man. Hermsen needs to be added in the off-season. What we have is what we get...more of DeVries or the return of Hendriks. Will Pavano suck it up and take one for the team, showing some worth...or will he breakdown completely. Either way, he's no longer a Twin, and even if he shows some life he will bring us a low-end prospect at best. Liriano, no matter how good or bad he pitches for the Twins, won't return. Since the day they screwed up his service time (although he got a free year in there)...he wants money and he wants to win and he wants to be bigtime...WANTS is the magic word. Baker could be back if he would sign for 2 years at what he is making this year. A dollar more, no. Someone will sign him for two years and hope he rehabs okay and gives a solid half-season and returns to form in 2014. Blackburn is Carlos Silva all over. If you can get a string of good performances and a modicum of interest, dump the salary please. You can always take him back when someone else releases him. But I'm not sure if the Twins can survive with Walters, Diamond, DeVries, Hendricks, Bromberg, Swarzak, a roll of duct tape and lots of prayer.