Rosterman

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.

Part of it was COVID concerns and more exessive handling of food product.

Who is NOT in the plans MOST for 2023. At some point both Hamiltons will be removed. Strotman, since he hasn't made it to the majors, is basically taking up a space. Contreras is behind ALL the other outfielders. On the major league roster Sanchez, Megill and Pagan have to be walking on egg-shells. Pagan is probably safe because there is still belief that he can perform, or they want something left from the Padres trade (although Paddock will be back). Would NOW be the time to try and pass Balazovic or Enlow, for example, thru waivers? Henriquez, too, is on the bubble...but he is still young and has shown promise as a bullpen arm.

With the amount of coaches handling specific duties, he is more of the central guy working between the front office and all those paper pushers and the field staff.

Gonna be more bloodshed. When their rehabs end the Twins have to delete guys from the 40-man for Dobnak, Ober, Winder, Larnach. Down-the-line probably Jeffers. And if any come to the majors, you also have to move guys off the 25-man.

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.

All players should be under a contract of sorts. Paid to come to spring training. Housing allowances at worst in the minors (believe minor league teams have to supply housing). Not sure how elaborate that needs to be since you can work out at the stadium, eat at least one, if not two meals. You should be paid more for any work done at an extended spring training. But should have a decent salaried/hourly wage. You do, after all, have to devote yourself fulltime to baseball during the season.

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!

If the Reds make a World Series push in four years with Petty, Strand, Steer and Hajjar on their roster...we can cry!

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.

JAKE REED joins his third organization this year. WIll he get major league innings with the Orioles, like he did from the Mets and Dodgers? He was a fifth round pick by the Twins in 2014. Had a good season, but didn't get the 40-man add and became a minor league free agent. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/09/orioles-claim-jake-reed-from-dodgers.html

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.

MICHAEL PINEDA. Could he be the pitcher the Twins were hoping for a late-season surprise to bring them victory!? Available~! https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/09/tigers-designate-michael-pineda-for-assignment.html

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.

They traded because they have been unable to sign anyone of note. Or if they play the free-agent game, they overpayd for pitchers of the caliber mentioned above. Injuries seem to be the problem this year. But, hey, Indians just put two rottion arms on their injured list, too. It happens. But, yes, 13 players from the 40-man on long-term injured list (and I loooked, here are 19 fulfilling stints in Hospital Ft. Myers from the minors, too). That the Twins had minor league players they could trade is a plus. And quite a few "rookies" have come up this year - Ryan, Sands, Winder, Duran,Moran, Coulombe, Cano, Hamilton, Romero, Caleb Hamilton, Miranda, Lewis, Palacios, Contreras, Kirilloff, Larnach - and a good portion of them look to stay at least the three years you'd love to get out of new blood. The majors, but most of all the minors, was hit with COVID and short season. Any minor league pitcher that pushes a full-season of work and breaks the 100 inning (or 40 game) threashhold is now back on track. The pain is, they are a year older, have a year less of organization protection, and are fighting it out with newer players in the prospects lot. Did I expect the Twins to be better than they are this year? I sure didn't think they would be holding onto first place, albeit in a weak division, thru July. Expected Chicago and Cleveland to be much better. So that, alone is, a plus. The front office didn't want to sell us on a rebuild, and we probably shouldn't consider this a rebuild as much as a trying to keep the pieces nailed into place, which has been the failure of 2022. Injuries, playing undermanned, under-staffed. SO, let's tear apart the front office, change the field staff, and start over. Sounds good? Replace with what and whom? Teams are still trying to figure out budgets going forth. A lockout, a couple of lost seasons, how to sell a team (the Twins haven't been selling tickets assuming wins sell tickets). Overall, I have enjoyed following how Falvey and Levine have remade the minor league system. I may totally disagree with how Baldalli puts togethre lineups and uses pitchers, not figuring out how and why, but he seems to get what is often needed by doing it his way. Batters have slumps. One inning can wreck it for a bullpen arm stat. Starters are getting a full seson of play as they build towards 150 innings this season across the team. Ownershiup is not about to change. The Twins are still a profitable fit for the Pohlad empire, just because the franchise price keeps going up. They did take a splurge on Correa, mainly because no one else would take their money. Baseball 2022 has been competitive, entertaining, promising. I don't know what people expect could be done to change the direction in any way more positive.

13 major league players from the 40-man on the long-term IL. 19 current minor league players also out long-term, and a few doing "development" - whatever that means.

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?

I guess the use the addition of Moran as an "injury" add to get around the call-up limit? ANyone explain? What does Jovani have to do to stay up. Pitching three innings had to be a plus. He's a lefty. Right now, would ratehr see him in the stretch than, say, Pagan, Megill or Sanchez, especially if he can pitch multi-innings. Hoping the Davis signing doesn't backfire.

Lopez has the good closer attitude, it seems. Duran still needs to develop that, but he may be close. Consistency throwing 100mph is his key for the remainder of the season. Now if only we had a real closer insted of all those games with Duffey and Pagan.

Well, it was better than losing on a hit batsman. You can at least blame the deflection of the ball. I loved the fact that Hamilton wanted to get to third base. Always tough to know when the best time to run. You gotta have some coordination between batter and runner. At least Cleveland lost. So Gray is only gonna pitch to 18 batters. Okay. Maybe the Twins, now with that extra arm, should have an opener for a couple of the guys.

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.