Rosterman

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.

If he was on the 40-man, yes. But he is not. And if they added him, he would be like Enlow, Strotman, Balazovic, Henriquez...taking up space but not ready for extensive major league action (think Vallimont). Also, isn't there some new rule where a player has to be on the AAA roster before jumping to the majors? Transactions the last couple of days Outfielder Carlos Aguiar added to Fort Myers from FCL Catcher LaRon Smith added to Ft. Myers from FCL Pitcher Matt Canterino put on Wichita 7-day IL Centerfielder Zach Huffins signed our of Rays system and assigned to Ft. Myers Pitcher Ariel Jurado activiated from IL for St. Paul Pitcher Juan Minaya outrighted to St. Paul Outfielder Derek Fisher activated from Saints Pitcher Luis Rijos sent from Kernels to FCL for rehab Pitcher Jon Olson sent from Kernels to FCL for rehab

Arraez is it. I really don't need to see Ryan go and be busy and have the festivities. Yes, it would be nice. But we need him in shape and itching fully for the Twins. More All-Star chances will happen if he excels. Buxton could make a nice push. But doubt that the Twins will have anyone voted in.

Moran and Duran have to trust their stuff, and at the major league level, have coaches (and a catcher) who can call their pitches...if they can throw them as called. Challenging the hitters will be important to these two, rather than playing the edges of the zone.

Delmon Young was NOT horrible. The Twins ahd three decent seasons from him, alkthough he seemed to have an ego, or was a headcase. He wanted to be recognized as being the superstar. After the 2010 season, the Twins needed to trade him, when he ahd significant worth. And partly, to escape paying him more than perceioved worth in 2011 and beyond, they flipped him to the Tgers for Cole Nelson and Lester Oliveros (a 100mph thrower who is still pitching). I always got the impression that he wouldn't listen at all to coaches, and was jealous that he wasn't the face of the Twins..... Carlos Gomez got so much press right away. Then he fell into a funk. And, he was only 25 when the Twins traded him. Matt Garza had an ego and he spent time with four other organizations in the next 7 years. Odorizzi was okay for the Twins, catching a break in the shortened COVID season so they didn't have to pay him the full $18 million. How the Twins got Ryan and Strotman...both needed to stay on the Rays roster, but others were on the verge of pushing them off and a hard decision needed to be made about keeping them of taking them off, thus tradebait. The Rays had too many riches in the pitching department.

Twins have signed minor league centerfielder, late of the Rays system, Zach Huffins, and assigned him to Ft. Myers. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=huffin000zac

Since he was on the major league roster, he will egt major league pay for all his time off. The Twins will also be able to 60-day IL him, and add another person to the 40-man. He will have to be added to the 40-man in the off season and hold a pisition thru spring training, when he could, then again, be placed on the 60-day IL. If head been in the minors, he would jsut be on the minor league il and the Twins couldn't add a player, unless they transferred him to the majors list. Again, he collects major league salary for this season. Next season, he will get a standard major/minor (40-man pay) contract, paying him major league pay thru his injury and rehab. Once he is optioned, he would get reduced pay and lose service time. So because of his time in the minors this season, and his time in the minors next season, the Twins will still have him, I believe, for six more seasons. I don't think he will make the cut-off, but let's do one year at a time. But it also means the Twins will need a shortstop next season can only hope that Royce gets in shape in May and June to play July-September with decent stats and a late-September callup and, hopefully, ability to play in 2024. Of course, now is the time for Austin Martin to shine at shortstop, Jermaine Palacios to play his heart out in St. Paul, Spencer Steer to play more shortstop than 2B or 3B, or Gordon to be ready with his glove if the opportunity rpesents itself. I imagine Correa MIGHT stay if his pot is sweetened. But I also expect he will explore long-term contract options.

The Twins are in a strange world regarding pitching. Their 40-man currently has Strotman, Balazovic, Henriquez, Enlow - all of whom look doubtful of pitching for the Twins in any capacity in 2022. Will the Twins still roster them in 2023? A fifth, Sands, had been anything but brilliant. All five of these guys, because of their current work, are probably unanted by any other team, unless a waiver pickup happens. The Twins also have three players who won't be back in 2023 and are vastly underpforming: Thielbar, Duffey, Bundy. None, again, would be a tradable item unless they really really really improve. Dead weight right now. Garlick and Coulombe are also on the 40-man in IL-limbo. Both are happy collecting major league salaries not to play. I don't really see a pa lace for either of them in the Twins future. Throw in Dobnak, who is at least on the 60-day IL, but when he is ready to come back, designate him off the roster. No team will claim his longer-term contract. Plus the Twins have Godoy and Contreras, neither really should ever be called up before anyone else (I would even accept a Cave callup over Contreras at this point). Wow, that's 10 players who we wouldn't miss if the plane lands before the next homestand. The Twins missed an opportunity to wheel and deal Balazovic, Enlow and Sands. Basically a couple were added for fear of a Rule 5 loss. In hindsight, would Sands have lasted the required days on an MLB roster? So Baldelli deals the deck dealt him. Is a game close at what point? Because, like Twins own scoring, runs CAN happen in bunches and with multiple arms throwing, you jsut never know. What frustrates me most about the Twins is that there are few role players...everyone is expected to come and play somewhere sometime. And the bullpen is on a rotation, rather than a "need."

And we still have Evan Sisk, who is pushing for a mid-season promotion to St. Paul.

Can Bundy make himself a trade chip (and can Ober and the rest come back). Bundy and his $5 million are safe. His tenure will last with the Twins as long as there is a place for him. If the rotation fills and he is the odd man out, would he pitch in the bullpen? Do the Twins just let him walk? Got until the end of July to make a hard decision.

Attendance was huge because there was a Prince nite, and the Yankees always draw. Twins pitchers have to attract the strike zone. If the batters are going to hit, make them hit. Veteran hitters aren't fooled if you want to play with the strike zone. Best you can do is mix speeds. And trust your fielders. Twins batters work best, too, if they can see if the other side is throwing strikes. GREAT pitchers challenge the hitter. Expect strikes in the early innings. Do your hitting homework. The Twins also have to consistently start their best eight players every game. They can use the DH to rotate folks. Right now, they have a pretty solid bench in Jeffers, Miranda, Gordon, Celestino. Soon it will be joined by another, be it Garlick or Lewis or Kirilloff. When a bench bat plays the field, their corresponding player is the designated hitter. Rocco has to trust his starters to go that third time. You may give up another run or two (or three). But, hey, the bullpen can do the same. You have to trust your veteran players. Yes, even they can get shelled (Smith, Cotton) like the newbies (Moran, Duran). The newbies havve an excuse, they haven't faced this sort of competition before.

Just recently Larnach ahs seen a 60-point drop in his average. All these streaks. Now Miranda is hitting and will continue to get chances at the MLB level, rather than refine his skills at, say, St. Paul. We cringe when a bullpen arm implodes for an inning. It takes 3-4 outings to lower that destruction to their WHIP and ERA, sadly. Inconsistent. That ahs been my cry. The batting order changes every single day. We have yet to have a five-man rotation with any sense of who is pitching next week for sure.

It just shows that the Twins don't need to depend of Duffey to give away a lead.

Do you think getting one veteran arm is going to win the division for Minnesota? Take us thru the playoffs? Whatever? We still have a month-and-a-half, and then have to see what other teams want, and what we could offer accordingly. Austin is a man without a position. He shows no power for either corner spot in the outfield. He is questionable as a fulltime shortstop or cenetrfielder. If the Twins would be placing Steer and others ahead of Martin for the infield, why wouldn't a team go after those guys (still in the minors) instead...in a trade package. What hurts is that folks like Sands and Balazovic, that had prospect worth last season, have absically eroded to nothing. Makes you think hard about Canterino, Enlow, Varland or any other names of possible up-and-coming arms and should they be swapped for a vet, or do we keep fingers crossed. The Twins have at least anothre season, with martin able to play that season at AAA ball, that could actually make him more valuable...an aging first rounder that a team could control until his 30th year. That alone is worth a gamble...next year before the trade deadline. And by then we will have a better idea of long-range possibilities for Larnach and Kirilloff, the status of Polanco and Kepler, if Wallner is a prospect, and more....... I don't think the Twins for this trade deadline are in a position to overpay, mostly because of assets, for a front-line rotation arm.

Just Wait! When Sano reutrns, all will be Well!

In the big leagues, you have to be capable of challenging the hitter...on every team. You can nibble all you want, but the othegr team will wait you out if they see you don't have total command.

You also draft according to perceived need, especially after the first round when you might just grab "best available that you have a chance of signing." What is so remarkable, looking at the draft's in hindsight, is the amount of players that don't pan out, that don't even make three years iun the system. And those that do hang on, and maybe get a cup of coffee or a few years in lesser roles. The Twins are going to be unique this year, in how many rookies pass thru the gates of Target Field and how many years they dpo stick with the team. Looking ahead to 2023, we may have as many as 20 homegrown playes on the field. Which could be remarkable if the Twins remain a winning team this season. You usually only invade the farm system if in major rebuild mode.

I, too, thought this was going to be about a Kyle Gibson reunion. At least it wasn't about Jake Odorizzi or Michael Pineda.

I still don't understand pulling Smeltzer after four innings and 62 pitches. The ONE guy who has broken a hundred pitches and got us close to 7 innings. And we had a solid lead.

You want to say they aren't doing it because of incentives, but his chances of being MVP right now is slim to none. He could get a $500,000 bonus if he hits 500 plate appearances, which he can more easily do in 100 games or so if he bats leadoff. But at some point, is it worth it? Re: Kirilloff. At some point the Twins will have the consistent 13th batter/bench guy. I wouldn't argue with bringing up Kirilloff if you want him to play first. You have to hope that Sanchez can be closer to the fulltime catcher, and you can shuffle Arraez into DH, the game at third, and one or games at 1B with Kiriloff spelling a agme in left and batting DH himself. Having to make the DH a Buxton slot fpr even half-time screws this up. I'm sorry. I like Miranda, but send him to St. Paul to keep working and play him at third. He is the prime candidate for recall if something happens to Gio. Maybe shuffle him over to first base 2-3 times out of ten games, just top keep him in that mix. And keeping Garlick because he bats...right? Okay if he is the fourth outfielder. Not okay if he is the fifth...unless he is that 26th player. So confusing as to how the Twins are in first place. So confusing.