Rosterman

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.

Being shut-out twice by Detroit. Not even able to manufacture a run. At least they didn;t leave the bases loaded multiple times. I can't wait to see the rotation going fourth. My biggest letdown was not letting Smeltzer go beyond 4-innings and 62-pitches. It is time for the rotation to go thru a lineup another time, to push towards that 7th inning. Considering Smeltzer was the ONLY guy that has really done that, it was a major letdown. Not like the Twins didn't have a decent lead. Of course, the regular scenarios would've been Smeltzer getting thru six innings with a 5-2 lead. Then bringing in Duffey who gives up three runs on two hits and a homer, then a single, and Rocco maybe bringing in someone else who gives up a 2-out double, and the Twins lose. Winning two of three with the COVID replacement players, all of whom are heading abck to AAA with no transactional fallout. That's a good thing. But I'm realizing that COVID is still very real when our players who tested positive aren't bouncing right back after even 10 days gone. It can be more than jsut the flu, even when vaccinated. And still spreadable, folks. I keep looking at who stays and who goes as players come back. Who does Alcala repalce. Will Winder be doomed to St. Paul to be a full starter for a couple of months? Is Royce worse off than we think and, essentially, losing a good part of THIS season because he played centerfield for ONE GAME. What can we do to fix Buxton so he is not only a viable centerfielder, but also a lead-off hitter? When wi ll Kirilloff come back and where will he play. Better yet, how can we play Arraez 95% of the time! Waiting to see the next start by Archer. I don't want him and Bundy to be Happ and Shoemaker. I also don't want to see Ober become our answer to 2021's Charlie Barnes. (I never quite figurd out why the Twins cut ties with Barnes, a lefty....). Gonna be a fun week against the Yankees and Tampa Bay. I bet we don't field the same line-up twice!

Well, every team needs a mop up guy if the game is beyond reach. Until the Twins depth pushes him (and Thielbar) out of the picture, he is here to stay. Someone mentioned about ALL the fine arms in the Twins farm clubs at AA, A+ and A. Sadly, they aren't at AAA. Duffey is proving himself to be better than Minaya, who will be the next casuality sent out when someone returns. Hamilton got his one-shot and might've blown it. Unless desparate, don't see the Twins adding him to the 40-man, yet. Cotton will play the up-and-dpown game until someone claims him and his $700,000 salary. He's not officially on the 40-man and will remain so until the Twins decide he is entitled to a reaaaaaal long look. Megill is doing okay. If the Twins are forced to make a decision when they need to add Coulombe, Alcala and Stashak back, he will be in the mix as a keeper or goer. As well as Stashak and Coulombe. Cano and Moran will get the righty/lefty up-and-down call in the far future, after the Twins have run thru na slug of minor league free agents. Maybe Tyler Thornburg will be one shuffled thru. WWladimir Pinto is throwing well out of the pen. Mario Sanchez has been decent as a starter/bullpen guy, who could possibly give the Twins multiple innings. Tyler Bashlor is someone to watch. The Twins actually need to thin the ranks at St. Paul, allowing guys like Sisk, Scherff and maybe Sammons (because he is a lefty and the Twins need to make decisions on him). Viza was lights out at AA but is not working out at AAA. Remember the wacky arm of Jordan Gore, hitter turned pitcher? He may go the way of once touted Ryan Mason, which I sometimes disagree with as we should give a longer leash to players we have developed than guys we sign from the outside. Austin Schulfer is doing good, but the 40-man will remain full until the off-season, which is when the Twins would have to consider adding him anyways. So Duffey stays. I guess we could live with the decision to pitch him in a game in which we had a 5-run lead, although giving up a home run and putting a runner on base so whomever follows him just needs to give up a home run for a tie game, had us hurling whatever we had on the lap, couch, endtable at the television that was still left in our possession after Rocco pulled Smeltzer after just 64-pitches and four innings...the one guy who has pitched the longest into a game and thrown the msot pitches of anyone this season!!!!!

Full-time first baseman. Gotta see if he is the TRUE answer. With no DH, we can shuffle players there while Arraez plays elsewhere when the need arises, or DH's himself. You can spell Kirilloff maybe every 4th and 5th game with Arraez, with Alex playing a game in the outfield and one at DH. Miranda needs to go to St. Paul and play third base most everyday, but also wedaring that first baseman's glove as a needed alternative, if that should arise. Just like Royce Lewis needs to return to St. Paul and play shortstop, period. If the Twins didn't fool around with sending him around the diamond, he would be experiencing another nice 10 game showcase at shortstop. Instead, he has set himself back...maybe half-a-season. Of course, when Sano comes back, we have to fit the big guy in everywhere and anywhere. Or do we? The past month, Sano who? Y'know, the Twins are getting pretty close to entering 2023 with a fully homegrown team of alent...maybe minus a rotation arm and a couple of bullpen guys. But wouldn't that be nice to have developed a potential winning team rather than just buying pieces?

Wow! Saints 4-2 in last six games, outscoring their oppoents 57-46. Lotsa runs!

Be interesting to see what happens to Cotton. Officially, he's not on the 40-man and can just be sent easily back to St. Paul. No team is claiming him, because they have to pay his salary. At some point Smeltzer does have to face batters three times, as well as also face tough batters. I'm not sure what the issue was as the Twins did have a three run lead. Palacios is at least giving the Twins considering of giving him a future backup role. Maybe they need to try him at playing the outfield and first and catcher to make him even more well-rounded. Ryan Jeffers needs to go and play everyday in St. Paul. I'm not sure Godoy is even the temporary answer. I would almost rather see Hamilton or Banuelos get the shot. Let it be a temporary rotation spot for backup catcher. I mean, Wichita has five guys, and Sisco has to come off the IL-list...someday. would love to see Morales be the odd man on the roster, but don't see him s a primary backup catcher but an Astudillo-type guy who could also play 1B and DH rather than catch.

Now problem swapping out Kirilloff for Miranda. Let Miranda get back in the groove in St. Paul, playing mostly third base (and a few reps at first). I expect Miranda to be a third baseman for out future. If necessary, you can rotate Alex and Luis at first and DH. Or let Alex play the occasional outfield game. Remember, the Twins will have to be up a batter come late June when pitching staffs are held to a 13 count. The odd man may still be Lewis. If you feel he needs to play everyday (andd at shortstop), do it is St. Paul. If we didn't do that dang "other position" experiment, he would be playing his future position, shortstop, right now for the Twins for another 10 days. As much as I want Lewis on the team, he also hasn't played for two seasons, folks. Re: Sano. He has probably played himself off the Minnesota Twins. He will have to rehab somewhere and unless he performs above and beyond, he would probably end up being designated for assignment and anotehr team could pick him up. Will have to wait and see. But no way is he coming back in 2023 unless he does come back and hits a homer a day and keeps the strikeouts away.