Rosterman

I'm trying to figure out the pitching order for the rest of the season, if an when Ober and WInder are added back in (at the expense of whom ?), and if Varland can get 3-4 more opportunities to start.

He was our #1 in order starter to begin, which means he was matched up against better pitchers early on. Not that it means a whole lot if only pitching five innings or so. Mostly a work in progress. He has to master usage of his slider. Just how he spots his fastball, he would have the making of a dynamite closer. But unless he really starts to flounder nd is by-passed by others, he is a solid rotation arm...for now. Mid-order. He also will egt the innings this season, which is a plus. I also notice that he pitches better when he dominates the speed that he delivers a pitch. Maybe the revised pitch clock, batters staying in the box will help him. I like when he seems to have a thjrowing plan and just does it. But, like in his latest start, someone like Aaron Hicks really worked him in the initial at bat, which seemed to throw him off a bit. Plus the base runner pressure he received is soemthing he has to figure out. We forget that he is a rookie. We also have to remember that the pitching rich Rays found him disposable. Which doesn't make him a bad pickup, just not the stud we may think we were getting.

They did it! Unbelievable!

Sanchez will not be worth the money he may be seeking. But he may be worth the money he is worth. Chris Williams is showing some...grace. But the last thing the Twins need is a catcher that can play other positions. They need a catcher who can catch. Be interesting to see the status of Ben Rortvedt in the off-season. Does he remain on the Yankees 40-man. Not that would be turning cartwheels to bring him back. Man, that Sandy Leon can sure...bunt.

When we were looking at Ryan and WInder in the rotation at the beginning of the year, the thought was "what happens when they hit 125 or so innings, who takes their place." Of course, thought Sands, Balazovic, Enlow...whatever. Griffin Jax was the innings workhorse, followed by Sonny Gray, coming into 2022. So, the giving pitchers short starts, which was workable when you were carrying 14 pitchers at seasons beginning and still having the shuttle with St. Paul, you will get 30 starts from the arms and a push towards 150 innings, something to build on in 2023. With the pennant push, and a lineup that has trouble giving you runs, the Twins continue to rely too heavy on bullpen arms, which half-the-time aren't that good. Even the best bullpen pitcher is going to have a bad run thru a couyple of players in a game. Few have been brilliant. The Twins are a .500 team right now, but that is because of injuries, and a lackluster offense at the plate, for the most part. Yes, I want to see rotation arms go into the sixthy (or even 7th), consistently hit the 100 pitch mark. It is a given that even on their best days, a starting pitcher is going to give up runs...be it two runs or four runs in a start. Just like a relief pitcher is going to allow a inherited runner to score, or a pitcher is going to give up a hit or a walk or both in any given inning.

Mismanaged game. I'm sorry, but getting tired of pulls of a starter. A starting pitcher can give up 1-2-4 runs in a start. That is NOT a bad thing. Six hits, a couple fo walks. 100 pitches. Hamilton is a pinch runner. You want him, especially if you get to an extra inning, to be that runner on second. The love of Megill. Put on the 40-man in the off season. Managed to be gone, then back on. Okay bullpen arm, but not when contending. Sorry. Placesetter. I would've gone with Moran, or Davis.

#1 - The lack of a closer. You don't win championship with closer-by-committee. Add in the fact that you are going to pitch starters only five innings for most of the season, you better have a solid bullpen pipeline plan. For some reason, the Twins didn't feel Rogers would be the closer, or they felt whatever $$$ was too much for a lefty set-up guy. The fact that they sent along the salary cash to San Diego totally confused me. On paper, this was a plus trade: Paddack was supposed to be a part of the rotation, albeit another guy who would probably be carefully used to get 30 starts and 150 innings. We are getting neither. Pagan was a gamble (like Colome last year). Okay if you aren't winning games and need a closer. But to rely on him for saves - forget it. Siging a Smith is okay for a moment, hoping to change him out at midseason. #2 - Sano. One expected anything from him that was more than what the Twins got. In his potential "walk" season, or option season, he became deadwood. Left the Twins vulnerable at first base and designated hitter. Sure, it has been nice that the Twins have been able to rotate guys thru the designated hitter position, and after a slow start Miranda has become the multi-position guy without a position. No one would say that Arraez would be playing the most innings at first base. Even Kirilloff, who was supposed to be the first base guy of the future was trending more towards the outfield. I'm just glad Miranda is NOT in the oufield. #3 - The outfield. We are seeing one of the issues of an incentive-laden contract based on games played. The Twins just have to hope that they can get $100 million production out of Buxton for the length of his contract. But like how signing Mauer for an expensive longterm contract because he was a catcher, Buxton was signed because of what he brings to centerfield. That we are in the division hunt with an outfield of Celestino, Cave, Garlick, Billy Hamilton, and a trending down (and maybe injured) Kepler...makes one want Gordon back in the outfield rather than subbing at second base. Injuries have really shown in this arena. No Kirilloff. No Larnach. If the Twins weren't still contending, would've been nice to put Wallner out there. #4 - Rotation. Who would've thought that Bundy and Archer would be leding the club with 24 starts. Okay, Ryan has 21 and Gray 22. All four are above 100 innings. That is good. And look to finish out the season. Nine other pitchers (Smeltzer 12, Ober 7, Winder 6, Paddack 5, Mahle 4, Sands 3, Sanchez 3, Gonzalez 2, Varland 1) either show that the Twins have a lot of depth, or..... The Twins have Balazovic, Henriquez, Strotman, Enlow on the 40-man. None will pitch for the team in 2022. None of the four have actually put up numbers that would make you want to keep them beyond this season. 17 pitchers mentioned above. No #1 starter emerged. The amount of innings pitched have hurt the bullpen. #5 - Field management. I have long given up on line-up management, from the days you try and bat as much one way or the other against certain pitchers, of the need to bat R/L/R/L/R/L. So much analytics. Which batters work the count. Who is better to have try to be on base for someone who puts it on the ground. Can players adjust against the shift. Why do pitchers throw perfect balls to hit, that are hit, and hard...but the fielder is standing right there. Anyone know how to bunt? Baldelli seems to have settled down to a more basic lineup (why would Garlick ever bat first). But then we have the bullpen, having to come into a game in the 4th or 5th inning consistently. Worked fine when you had 14 or even 15 pitchers. But too often semed to be a bullpen usage chart with pre-ordained "who is pitching today and when" (okay, I know that is pushing it, but....) on the wall. Was Wes Johnson that good that the pitching fell apart when he left? #6 - Did I expect the Twins to be competitive? Well, it seems like the potential "come to the game" crowd is ignoring baseball, coming off a COVID no-no, a partial TV only season, and a player strike. Going downtown Minneapolis, especially riding the light-rail, isn't high on the list of many these days for some odd reason. The Twins are winning. But barely. The good part is that so are the White Sox and Indians...still. No one ran away with the division, although with a few well-bullpened games the Twins could've been sitting on a substantial lead. A lot of empty seats. But the team is playing good baseball. Getting hits, scoring runs, having close games. Player ups and downs. Lots of young talent. If you go to a game, the atmoisphere is great, the skyline gorgeous, and the food decent. Unless they totally tank, the Twins will have a decent season.

Did the Twins catch a roster break, able to add Varland as an extra guy for the double-header? They still have to make a 40-man move. Remember that they also have an upcoming double-header happening with Cleveland.

Welcome Louie! Nothing more memorable than your first major league start in Yankee Stadium!

Three of the four previous winners came down-to-earth when advanced up a league. Sigh!

The Yankees may look weak, but the entire eastern division is better than the central division, in most ways...because they have to play each other more. The B-squad out of the pen. Finally gald to see Davis. The Twins will have ahrd decisions if they decide to bring back WInder, Ober or Dobnak. All involved making 40-man decisions when they come off their rehabs, too. Not that the Twins don't have choices. But they would also have to make 40-man decisions for Larnach and Jeffers, too.

We still have a month to see if he is the closer we needed for thee season. Yes, Duran should probably be closing. He ahs earned it. I';m surprised, thoiugh, that Baldelli seems to have little faith in Pagan, Megill and hasn't used newcomer Davis (I would've pitched him to begin the 9th on Sunday). The only joy is that these three are on the bubble if the Twins need to find space for Winder, Ober and...maybe, Dobnak. Also, at this point, I would've rather taken a flyer on Sisk than sign Austin.

Teams do have Fall Instructional play, usually for the newest and other low-level prospects of note to get some extra one-on-one coaching. They usually play short competitive games amongst themselves for a few weeks (starting soon). The Arizona Fall League is usually the TOP PROSPECTS from A/AA levels competing. That, alone, is worth is. Players playing are much closer to each other in age, are the best of those levels, and most all do reach the majors, albeit briefly, in their careers. The difference between playing pick-up abseball amongst a group of your own, and being on the field against another team with a desire to win....well, the pitchers are not worrying about throwing inside. Usually the teams have a coach, so players won't mingle and exchange views and stray too far from an organization plan for how they should bat, pitch or field. It was also a way for a more controlled environment for upper level prospects to play. You would rather supervise them in Arizona then have them go off, as "top prospects" and play in the various winter leagues just to keep their game on. And, remember, minor league seasons ended a tad earlier. As long as MLB is footing the bill for this form of player development, I say go with it.

No. So do you sign him after the draft? Pay him too much that another team won't sign Rule 5 him if you do sign him?

Disaster for Peacock and Smeltzer, hurting their chances for any callup, I imagine.

Is he eligible to be a minor league free agent?

Ober and Dobnak should end the season with the Saints. Twins should try and run Dobnak thru waivers now, rather than off-season, to get back the 40-man spot. His contract would pretty much guarantee that he would stay with Minnesota at St. Paul come next season. Drew Strotman has been puting up decent numbers in relief, Still not sure if he has the stuff to be, say, another Griffin Jax. Not sure if there will be 40-man spot open to him. Henriquez back in the rotation. I would've kept pushing him in multi-inning relief roles, which may be his ticket to the majors. Go figure. Sisk is someone who could be grabbed in the Rule 5. Like how the Twins pretty much side-tracked Moran last September, looks like Sisk won't get an opportunity this season.

My favorite all-time Tony Oliva memory is watching him pitch wiffle-ball at the Minnesota State Fair to youngsters who really have no idea who he is, although their dads (and especially grandpas) do.

I, too, was frustrated seeing short starrts (like in the majors) by so many in the minors. Then realized that they want the pitchers to build on "season-long strength" and to get innings in over the entire season. Going into spring training 2023 the Twins prospect pitchers, no doubt on the 40-man, will remain Balazovic, Henriquez, Enlow and Sands, joined by Varland, Canterino and Woods-Richardson.d. Sadly Canterino will get major league service time and be carrried all season on the 60-day. Enlow will be in AA working up his own innings. But there will still be five arms vying for a chance to pitch in the majors, hopefully more than half of them fulltime in 2024 and beyonb

I'll tell you what. What we have seen is a lot of new bodies play for the Twins, both in prospects and pickups. The Twins also, as of today still have 17 players on the IL-list, 17! A goodly potion of those COULD stay on the 40-man roster. Whew.

He saw that there was no way he would be called up, with Winder and Dobnak rehabbing, Moran added. The Twins need to find 40-man spots if they activate Dobnak, Winder and/or Ober. Be ineresting to see who picks him up for September.

Last season wanted them to push Balazovic to AAA St. Paul. This season, I wished they had returned him to AA Wichita to work out whatever he needed to work out. They have to keep him on the 40-man and hope for a rebound. Martin, we forget, is only in his second minor league season, skipping any play in the lowly minors (because he exccelled at collegiate ball). I think the Twins need to make a hard decision on where they wish him to play. Canterino, sadly, will need to be protected on the 40-man, but will miss all of next season.

Ober and Winder, both coming off the 50-day IL list, will be there somewhere, somehow. (Not to mention a decision on Dobnak, which would also involve a roster move). So the Twins have to remove three bodies from the curreent 40-man roster. Mahle looks to be back Sepotember 1, so he will jsut be an add from the roster expansion, but moving Sanchez to the bullpen for now. Plus the Twins signed Jewell for a reason, and Peacock has been pitching well.

So, going into September the Twins may see the return of Dobnak, Winder, Ober and Maeda. That would mean four players have to be jettisoned, alone, from the 40-man roster spot. If Hamilton is added, someone has to go off the 40-man for him. Right away, Mahle will be coming back this week. SO he will probably be the pitcher add to the current roster. In limbo, you could write such names as Sanchez, Smeltzer, Megill, Pagan, and possibly Archer or Bundy if any of the returning in jurd guys would be capable of starting and pitching at least five innings. Unless if he rally shines, I don't see Dobnak coming back, and he could easily (I feel) be moved off the 40-man but still kept in the organization. Both Ober and Winder could pitch relief (which means they replace Smeltzer and Sanchez). I still want to see Moran added. Is Mahle replacing Sanchex or Smeltzer? So I doubt that Varland will land a 40-man spot this season. He will be added in the offseason.

The Twins outfield right now is Kepler, Celestino, Cave, Garlick with Gordon in reserve. Hamilton would provide depth. Hamilton will join Cave, Caleb Hamilton, Sandy Leon as players that could be jettisoned when Buxton, Jeffers and maybe Larnach return. So he would be a temporary roster add, at best. Depending if the Twins will feel a need to have a third catcher, or a runner. I expect him to be added come September 1. The Twins will probably designate Mark Contrereas for assignment.