Rosterman

Kepler might be worth something. I sure wish we had included Sano in the Padres deal and gotten, say, Hosmer and one of their rookie catchers, as well as CASH.

Twins sign BRANDON BISHOP for centerfield depth in the minors. Guess they need more. They also traded DANIEL ROBERTSON, coming off the injured list, to the Phillies for CASH!

I'm wondering who the Twins pitcher will be that leds the team in wins come the end of the season. And will there be more than one pitcher from the rotation with more than, say, 10 wins. It was a game you bring in Duffey to close, with Cotton warming up to put out the fire. Are we saving Duffey for the Arizona series? Some solid arms in Seattle!

Kirilloff is making his case. Inteesting to see what the Twins do with the bullpen, with Gray coming back and eliminating an arm, and then the upcoming "down to 13 pitchers" rule. Garlick is set to come back. Which pitcher does he replace? Then if we want to add Kirilloff, does he replace Miranda, Garlick, or do we send down Larnach? How do we get Jake Cave back to Target Field? The Twins have two shortstops to also watch, Beckham at AAA and Merrell at AA. Do they fit into short-term plans as a replacement in 2023 for Correa until Lewis gets better? And, should we swap out Jeffers for another catcher? Godoy worth more looks? Hamilton a possible keeper?

What happens when Garlick comes back? Miranda goes to the minors and plays more third base? Do we swap out the slumping Larnach for the moment with Kirilloff, so we can keep the right-handed bat of Garlick around longer? Is Arraez better in the field and batting than just being a DH? Boy, can't wait for Sano to enter the mix!

There would have been a major uproar if the Twins had signed Chi Chi in the off-season and put him on the major league roster. Instead, they got his services for a minor league deal. But it was just finding the time to add him to the 40-man. Should he have been called up before Derek Rodriguez? Was he a better choice than Cole Sands and should we have given those Sands starts to him? Would you rather have Chi Chi or Bundy in the rlotation? Does that say moe about Bunday, and less about Chi Chi? Needed to see more of him, and almost wished the Twins ahd stretched him to the 5-6 innings he was capable of throwing. But in the long-term, he is our #10, at best, starter.

Have no idea how a decent lineup can so...shut down. Only two batters got hits. Even if Celestino wanted to, say, steal a base, it wouldn't have matter as no one could do anything. Was Gilbert THAT good of a pitcher? Ryan was throwing strikes, keeping HIS apce of the game for the most paart. Gald to see him back. The need for two relief pitchers was a plus. I like Moran, but wonder who the Twins are going to cut to add Gray. And who do they cut to add Garlick. Larnach is on a slump. Do we trade him out for the moment with Kirilloff?

Well, do fans of baeball rally go to minor league games to see fights? I go to see top-flight prospects in competitive play. I have lots of friends who go because of all the other antics that surround the game.

What I find interesting is that many OF US would've been more than happy to include him in a trade package during the off-season. Now the question is how to play him MOST OF THE TIME. For his sake, yes, don't bat him against lefties, or have him hit lower in the order...because even if a team starts a lefty, they will probably switch to a right-hander before the end of the game.

He would have to basically replace Miranda with Miranda returning to St. Paul to play more third base. But, right now, the Twins are buying service time, it seems.

Seth: Any notables we should be getting excited about in FCL Play, guys that should be moved up once the draft happens and some names are jettisoned from various rosters? Sad to see Gore move backwards. Had such hopes for him, but now looks like he will probably walk elsewhere come 2023. Kudos to Sisk getting the advancement.

Soto was a temporary call-up. Kirilloff should be up once the Twins need to go to 13 pitchers.

Here's a LOOK at all the Ex-Twins. Did a recap of those that served in the majors at the end of May. WIll do another recap at the All-Star break to see where our "former friends" stand.

You mean like the Twins signing this ELIJAH GREENE as a minor league free agent and jettisoning him during spring training... https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=greene000eli before realizing that the real ELIJAH GREEN has yet to enter the world of major league baseball drafts? https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=535648

You usually steal off the pitcher. The catcher either gets a perfect pitch and is ready for the steal, or it makes the catcher work and he throws badly. Very few players put a team on edge of a steal these days, and have their pitchers/catchers approach the game systematically that way. I almost wish he would go to St. Paul and just get work there. Would advancing, then, Hamilton be so bad? Give the guy a chance to shine? I don't have any longterm stock in Godoy, and Sisco is out for the season. Banuelos is also a possibility. But the next batch is at AA. When do Isola or Bechtold/Williams get the bump? I also believe Jair Camargo will be a free agent after this season. Correct me if I am wrong. Only 22, the Twins will have to make a possible 40-man roster decision on the guy. Can they advance him (health status pending) to Wichita and see how overmatched he is against an older crowd? It will be a concern for the Twins going forth. Garver played himself out of catching already this season. Rortvedt, him of the massive python arms but the no-hit bat has also been on the injured list. If we muist say anything about Jeffers bat, someone has to help a team make 24-27 outs in a game, which is why you bat him in the lower third of the order. Anyone missing Willians Astudillo yet and his 57 games behind the plate? 7 for 19 in throwing out baserunners!

He just got a call to the Majors! Congrats and Kudos Elliot Soto. Now, Rocco, don't pull a Drew Maggi and NOT use the guy! https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/06/twins-select-elliot-soto.html

I'm pleased. WOuld like to see him pitch deeper. But if we get a full 30 or so starts, I'll settle for upwards of 150 innings for the season. By letting him build up,m it is working to the Twins advantage. Maybe the Twins do know what they are doing, running with more bullpen innings when they could carry more bullpen arms, limited all starters to innings so they will be bstronger once the bullpen cuts down to 8.

Derek Fisher comes of the IL list and is released. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/06/twins-release-derek-fisher.html

A hit, a walk and a homerun. Thank goodness the homer was a solo. Duffey...well, at least he didn't make the game close. 101 pitches for Sands, Stretching him out. He needs to now work in St. Paul consistently before his next callup.

Soto was drafted by the Twins in the 13th round of the 2007 draft, but didn't sign. Instead he waited and went in the 16th round of the 2010 draft and signed with the Cubs. He would make a wonderful coach if his career winds down. It would also be nice to give him a few at bats. Too abd September callups are more limited these days.

We all worried that the rotation would implode as we had rookies (Ryan, Ober, Winder) and projects (Bundy, Archer) who would ALL be hard-pressed to give us 30 starts and 150 innings for the season. Happily, we have suffered little because of the rotating injured list, and looks like we can feel comfortable with at least five current arms entering playoff land, if they stay healthy. I'm all for adding a rotation arm, but two factors work into the mix - how long and what price. We still MAY have Maeda coming back this season, which would be a shot-in-the-rotation if he comes back strong. He's also back next season, as is Gray. The Twins do have some depth, msot notably in the outfield and knowing Buxton, Kepler, Larnach, possibly Kirilloff, Wallner, Celestino are givens, with Martin as a possible. And then folks like Rodriguez will be in-line (hopes) when we part ways with, say, Kepler. The Twins are fine at catcher, but need to address this bigtime. The bullpen is a veteran wreck, or future possibility (Moran, Cano, Duran, maybe Schulfer as anchors). Need a real closer. Pagan is okay and around for another season...but... Arraez isn't the first baseman longterm, or is he (where else would we play him). We have another season of Urshela. Is Miranda expendable? Does Miranda play 1st or 3rd? Kirilloff at first? Is Steer for real? Suddenly you start looking at the homegrown talent and there may not be any spots at the table for anyone excelling at A ball and below in this organization if we have a current crop of prospects ready to play 6-7 years. Encarcion-Strand is available. Do you go as far down as Miller (we gave away Petty) as a trade chip. Again, we can dream. Other teams will be doing the same. You deal from depth and also deal those players you won't be able to protect come this off-season, or the following off-season...and by protect give a 40-man spot that they will occupy that keeps you from adding 40-man people for the current season. An example being, say, Balazovic goes on the long-term injured list. He eats a spot with no productivity. We can't waiver him because someone with spots will claim him because of potential. But at some point, non-60-day guys eat up roster spots bigtime. Ultiamtely, management will play it close, waiting to see where theya re closer to the trade deadline (when it could be really expensive) to get a piece. Or maybe just wait out until August where teams may be dumping expensive pieces when they fall out of competition that could also give the Twins pause.

Yes, at some point Kirilloff will be back. It was going to kinda be between him and Lewis when the bullpen drops to eight arms soon. Wander Javier will be able to walk away from the Twins this off-season. So, can he increase his value as a trade piece? WOuld the Twins even consider adding him to the 40-man roster? Still haven't figured out if Palacios is on the 40-man or not. Was he actually optioned back to St. Paul? Curious about ALL those catchers at AAA/AA and their potential to be added to the 40-man, or do we need to replace msot of them next season. Wichita is full of catchers who can play other positions (Bechtold, Williams, Isola). And Jair Camargo will be forcing the Twins to make a tough choice on his career potential. I wish Balazovic luck, but it seems his stock as a future Twins is diminishing...fast.

I'm feeling good if the Twins end up even 5-4 against the Yanks, Rays and Jays. 6-3 would be Best! But.........

The Twins starting eight of Sanchez, Arraez, Polanco, Correa, Urshela, Kepler, Buxton, larnach. A solid bench of Jeffers, Miranda, Gordon, Celestino and soon another when pitching staffs go down to 13 arms. Who will that be? Kirilloff? ANytime you rest a lineup guy with a bench bat, that "rest" guy should DH, for the msot part. Of course, not adverse to getting Miranda more at bats as he is hot. So we have a guy to sub for each outfielder. Someone to sub for each infielder and an outfielder. And someone to give the catcher a rest. The offense is looking pretty good right now. Stay healthy and play. Hey, looking over the bullpen usage chart, looks like Duffey is good to go in relief of Sands on Sunday. Do we consider the game a loss yet? Let's put our best boys on the field and win it with power. Saturday's game against the Rays showed what happens when you run the bases badly, or leave base stealing up to the runners. What do the base coaches do? Chi Chi, we knew you ell. Wished you had gotten the full five and could've got a "W" in your Twins account. But, alas......

If Correa goes down again, I would use Nick at shortstop to evaluate his potential as a short-term replacement thru the return of Lewis next season. Can he do the job. If not, he is just a run-of-the-mill utility guy with some speed. And until someone else offers him an opportunity to play mostly at one position, he will be a journeyman and his cost will dictate his life on the diamond. Again, if given the chance. A non-contending team could take a gamble, and he could shine as a regular.