Rosterman

Well, Ryan IS throwing strikes!

Seattle put together a nice little package. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/07/mariners-finalizing-acquisition-of-luis-castillo-from-reds.html

Seattle got him. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/07/mariners-finalizing-acquisition-of-luis-castillo-from-reds.html

This is HUGE! He's a two-way pitcher...can start AND relieve. Twins solved all their problems with one key signing and now just have to let him adjust a bit in St. Paul. Start printing those playoff tickets on Monday!

Hey! This guy is a two-way pitcher. Can start AND relieve. The Twins solved both of their pitching needs flying under the radar!

I want to see the Twins add a starter, a bullpen arm (preferably two), and a catcher. Remember, that any adds have to repalce players already on the roster. And any players removed would likely be lost to other teams.

I don't see the Twins paying a half billion dollars to anyone. Wait, maybe the future Matt Wallner!

I agree. One good starter and we can send Archer to the bullpen. So, we still have Bundy and Smeltzer! And pray for no mroe injuries. I wish Cano wasn't such a...BUST!

I am most frustrated by not having one or two set lineups. And playing players out-of-position as often as he can. Plus bullpen by some 8-ball tarot card system. Starting pitchers are supposed to adjust, and maybe even get better the longer they pitch. You pitch them as far as you can, not take them out early. Yes, the Twins used msot of their pitchers wisely. Be hard-pressed to have any of them now, it seems, to even hit the 150 inning mark this season. WBut that also means they should be getting better the second half. That the Twins are in first place is truly amazing.

I actually like the Twins offense lineup...if I could just figure out what the perfect lineup MIGHT be. Has Rocco used the same lineup twice this year? You sometimes wonder. Don't players play off each other in the batting order as much as running them out according to the daily stat sheet? The only flaw in the current lineup is finding room for Sano. He should NOT be at first base. He should not bat before or after Sanchez. Those are two givens. The guys who are suffering the most with Sano in the lineup are Arraez NOT playing (which shouldn't happen) and Miranda sitting on the bench or Garlick not getting some plate time. Sano gives us a stronger bench, but a weaker lineup...so far. A few days ago the Twins had six starters who were capable of pitching in the majors. Now we are looking at three...four at best. And names like Sands, Balazovic, Henriquez are NOT part of the equation. And doubt the Twins would advance Varland, Canterino, Woods-Rchardson without extensive Triple-A time. I don't need to see any of the Sanchez's, or Dereck Rodriguez back. Strotman is doing absolutely nothing. The Twins HAVE to make a trade. And the only bright lights are that Maeda might be back and capable of throwing more innings than Chris Archer, and Ober might return. I was feeling good before the All-Star break thinking that WInder would be back with Smeltzer in reserve. But now I'm on the hook about what to do with Bundy and Archer. I wish the Twins weren't competitive as they might've been able to move both of them off the roster this week for a low-level prospect. And, of course, the bullpen. What? Where? Worn out? Tired? Better get a golf cart so they don't wear themselves out walking in from the outfield...so much.

DANNY SANTANA IS BACK! https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/07/red-sox-re-sign-danny-santana.html

So many get the hand glove at first. Why?

C'mon, Bundy could've given us five. Is there any reason Jax can't go two these days? Sure, a hit and walk the bases loaded...with one out...he can get out of it. You are a starting pitcher and expected to be up to pitch EVERY 5th DAY But we have to send 4-5 guys out there every game because the starters can't do their job. If you want to be a major league starter, you get a rhythm, you excel as you get deeper into the game, you mix up your start. It would be different if the Twins rotation arms were hitting 100+ pitches, but they aren't. Season is more than half-done. Our starters have been given every opportunity to buildback, and most all of them can double their inning output for the remainer of the season.

Anyone notice Brewer batters working the counts? Pretty obvious yesterday. Especially obvious today. Could Archer be a finer arm out of the pen? Not that the Twins are suddenly flooded with starters as it looks like Winder will be out for awhile. Chi Chi still available?

Looks like Winder may be down for quite some time: "Meanwhile, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets that promising young righty Josh Winder, one of the Twins’ brightest arms and currently the game’s No. 68 prospect at Baseball America, is being shut due to recurring shoulder discomfort. The Twins are still trying to determine the cause of the issue, but the loss of Winder, who’s already given them 45 1/3 Major League innings (3.77 ERA) is a huge hit to the Twins’ rotation and bullpen depth." - MLBtraderumors

You trust Duffey to get out of the inning in a tie-game when he has walked, basically, the bases loaded with one out? What was he doing pitching in this inning anyways? You are playing to win, Rocco. Pull him! He didn't have it! You can't trust Bundy to go one more inning with a lead? After Archer, today, ALL Twins starters MUST be required to pitch at least five innings. Period. Sink or swim. Otherwise, why are they a rotation arm? Forgive me...they can go to 100 pitches at least. I starter gets in the groove during their game. They NEED to adjust and make pitches and control their game. There is no reason from hereon out ALL Twins starters can't strive to pitch past the fifth inning. Make Duran the closer. CLOSER! Two more outings for Smith at best. I loved that he got a ground ball earlier in the year. Now, nothing. Do we need to see Hamilton and Pinto from AAA? Schulfer and Sisk, too.

I would go after Snell and the top catching prospect from San Diego. Maybe give up Kepler and...Balazovic. The Twins will let Sano get at bats for msot of August. Can they afford 15-20 games with the Big Guy? We will see. Be interesting to see what happens with the bullpen. Rotate in a couple of folks from St. Paul. Does Hamilton deserve another chance? At what point do you look at Schulfer and Sisk and see if they are valuable additions. Do you bring in Strotman just...because? I sure wish he had some value. Wladimir Pinto is putting up some good numbers (and we have yet to see Yennier Cano since his recall). Who goes (just cut) from the current relief core? Smith? Cotton? Megill? Duffey? At what point is enough enough?

At worst, Miranda and Kirilloff will be our next Polanco and Kepler in terms of signings. Which is not a bad thing. Be interesting to see what happens with Luis Arraez. But, right now, Joe Ryan and Jhon Duran are untouchable.

The 8th could’ve sunk it with the walks. The 9th did! A bullpen arm has one job - to get outs. Not put men on base by cute pitching. The Twins need some bullpen help. What was the reasoning with the order for guys out of the pen tonight?

Yep, usually these are college-age guys who should be at AA. But the joy is that few players are drafted in AA. So you can egt another season out of them before someone notices.

Roster crunch? Twins have 48 on the roster right now. Bundy, Cotton, Coulombe, Duffey, Megill, Romero, Smith, Stashak, Strotman, Thielbar, Sanchez, Hamilton, Godoy, Sano, Correa, Contreras, Garlick could all be jettisoned, if need be. And, once well, the Twins MUST remove Donbak from the 40-man. Before he can just become a free agent. No team will pick up his contract as is. Give him most of next season in the minors if nmeed be as a non-40 man guy. Smeltzer, with his next call up, will determine his place in the organization. Unfortunately, even with their dismal 2022 seasons, the Twins will be forced to keep Balazovic, Sands, Henriquez on the 40-man for another season with hopes they can turn it around, or be (Henriquez) processed into dynamite relief work. Not sure what to do with Enlow. But fear a team would grab him, then waiver him themselves. Balazovic, for example, would become a minor league free agent if the Twins put him on waivers and no one claimed him. Is there still enough promise to give it another season? Wood-Richardson, Canterino and Varland would pretty much have to be elevated to AAA ball if another team would be interested in claiming them. Too many "ifs" drafting a rotation arm from AA. Speakng of AAA ball, Sisk and Schulfer need consideration for adding to the 40-man. Wallner would basically replace Garlick, who you could resign to a minor league contract...again. Jair Camargo and Wander Javier are two players that will be minor league free agents. Considering the lack of catching, is Camargo a better prospect add than keeping, say, Hamilton? Chris Williams will also be Rule 5 eligible. Sadly arms like Bryan Sammons and Jordan Gore havep itched themselves out of the organization. But the Twins have to give consideration to Kody Fundeburk, along with Varland, Woods-Richardson and Canterino. Would Julien be grabbed? Steer. Helman. Don't forget Palacios...as the Twins will be looking for a short-term shortstop replacement for 2023 until Lewis is ready. Looking at ALL the names listed above - well, you can only have so many guys on the 40-man who can't break spring camp, let alone stay in the minors all year (i.e. 2022 we saw Henriquez, Balazovic, Enlow, Strotman - all questionable for when they could reach the majors in 2023). And IF you look at any of the above names basically being replaced by a major league roster player, or another prospect that the trading team throws in that the Twins will also have to protect (see Henriquez), well, if you don't have room for them in major league plans for 2023, let alone even 2024...fair game in the trading amrket...as you will have another 5-10 names to consider next season, not to mention ALL the guys the Twins like to sign for AAA/AA rosters from other discards. Go and trade wildly. If you are playing for today, the players you look at to be on the roster tomorrow will quickly be repalced by other names.

Rather than Kansas City worried about releasing a good piece to the Twins in a trade, more worried about what Minnesota gives Kansas City to be better in the future.

I'm looking forward to Sano and Sanchez batting back-to-back!

Sano could also have a breakout second half here and get his option picked up for next season. Miranda would be a choice for demotion, to play everyday. Since he won't be getting time in a rotating DH spot. And just put in the time in St. Paul because if Sano is a bust, you will be back. Of course, Urshela is a trade chip. I would also put Kepler in that potential category. Whioh would solve the roster problem if you are getting back a top flight bullpen arm (and prospect) for either, or if they ae part of a rotation trade. Then you just have to figureout who goes from the pitching staff. If Kepler is healthy (and Buxton) I sadly see Celestino going down to the minors. I can also see Miranda going, as he will be the man NOT getting any at bats, which is sad, because he is hot and, in reality, would rather see him as the sub than Gordon at this point, who has cooled. Once again, Sano creates issues. Soon he will begone! Unless he really starts to crush the ball. Then he becomes a roster problem again! Urshela to Oakland in a package for Montas. Kepler to San Diego for a young catcher and maybe the Twins take Blake Snell's salary?

I felt the Twins should've figured out a way to grab this guy when they were trading with the Padres. LUIS CAMPUSANO https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=campus002lui