Rosterman

Won't Albers start again. Looks like Dobnak on Friday. Gant should be the bullpen arm the Twins call on in short-started games. I'm sorry.

Dobnak will get the call next. And the Twins may have to make a roster move, unless they are ready to move Maeda to the 60-day. Farrell and Law may be close behind. I would swap out Jax for Strotman at the moment. Of course, the Twins can add two arms Wednesday if they have the roster spots open. Without sending anyone out. Who would that be? Ryan would make a roster move happen on the 40-man. Farrell would do so, too. How do we get Miranda and Moran to the majors?

I would still give Strotman an opportunity in September. Just see how he fares on a major league mound. He is, after all, on the 40-man. Do you keep him? Now is the time to test and look at the results.

So correct. Can any of the New Breed top 150 innings? Of course, with new pitching requirements, that's only 30 starts of five innings a start. Like for 2021, the Twins need a rotation arm who would've slotted ahead of Berrios in appearances and quality. They still need that more than ever, a leader on the mound who can pitch every 5th day and go in the area of 6 innings or more. He doesn't have to be the best, just solid and durable. Sure, you can also fill in with a Pineda again. If push comes to shove, you explore. But not sure how many more Pinedas or Odorizzis we need to offer multi-0year contracts to pitch. I would rather see the Twins trade, and let us see how much there is to gain from the farm system. Last I looked, the Twins have 180+ players under contract as this season closes. 130 of them won't be in the Twins system at all come 2024. Deal them or let them walk or quit or be claimed. It is always interesting how season's progress. 2021: Berrios, Meada, Shoemaker, Happ, Pineda with Dobnak and Thorpe starting in relief and Smeltzer in the wings and the potential for Duran and Balazovic to appear. We end up with Jax, Barnes, Ober, Albers, Gant and names like Sammons, Wilder, Canterino, Enlow, Sands, Strotman, Ryan, Balazovic as possibilities for 2022 (not to mention Duran. Amazing how it all changes. And considering most teams are happy with, say, two addition to a rotation one late summer who MIGHT carry over to the next season....... A big lot of hope and possibilities who need innings, strong pitch accounts, and general experience. I am flustered with 30 games left, no experience in the rotation, a season all but lost and if you lose 100, do we really care or think we would be happier if they only lost...say 90?. You have pieces like Balazovic, Ryan, Strotman, even Sammons that just need a dozen innings, or 20, or maybe even 24 to send them into potential winter ball or off-season prep to come to spring training. The innings are there, give it to them. I love the Albers story. We can elevate others who were signed as minor league free agents, but guess what -- they will still be minor league free agents next season, too, and can be resigned if necessary for depth. But, yes, the Twins need to spend big on a pretty surefire arm...one who will take their Berrios money. They can easily find a filler or two who is probably competent and might draw interest at trade time more than Pineda did. They also need an ace closer. They need to identify if any of the "potential starters" might make a bitter fit in the pen (something some exposure at season's end could also offer). They need to make hard decisions on Dobnak, Smeltzer, Thorpe. Potential, still. Or time to keep moving on.

How do you get passion back in the game? The free agent flops out of the starting gate (Colome for one). All the injuries. Few fans in the stands. Everything going wrong. That extra inning rule that Baldelli didn't know how to manage. The Twins needed to sign a first rate closer. If they wanted a project, they could've kept Trevor May. They need a starter to slot ahead of Berrios (besides signing Berrrios longterm in the off-season). A lot of stock is being placed in future pieces in the system, but the dumpster diving since last season ended has been amazing, with even the acquisition of one more project, Vinny Nittoli, today. Over half of the rosters at your two highest levels are filled with minor league free agents, and the Twins are doing a good job running those faces thru the team in 2021 - 21 to be exact who weren't from the Twins system, as well as a return of Minaya and Coulombe. That's a helluva a lot of players supplementing the few (7) that you developed in your own minors, most of them starting arms because that part of the equation really blew up. At least you had depth behind the planned depth of Dobnak, Thorpe, Smeltzer.

Nice game. Albers will get another start. Shows what happens when not afraid to throw strikes and hope you got the fielders behind you. Gonna have to find room for this guy on the 40-man, I guess.

There does seem to be a plan, five years in the making. Year One was just play, because they came on the scene too late and still had Molitor. Year two was to evaluate who they anted for the immediate future from the old regime. Year three was slowly watch their own draft picks, and remake the minor league system and organization as a whole. Year four saw system coaching more collegiate and analytics seeming to be more than a thought or discussion, and watching their own home grown picks in the system and making hard decisions on those given to them by past administrations. We had COVID decimate the minor leagues. Talk about everyone getting a year older but not moving anywheres in the system. We now need to really see if they will spend money to keep own players, or spend enough to get players here that make a difference, not just guys that are okay, competitive, but not division changers. We need to see prospects play out, replacing the prime ones from the old group who have flattened, sadly. The Twins will always be hampered by NOT getting the big name (unless they trade their beloved prospects for them). The Big Money just don't want to play here, like we are seeing the future Twin Big Money wanting to try their spin of the wheel elsewhere if push comes to shove. So you have to be willing to sign guys before they become greedy and dream of leaving home, where mistakes will happen or you might overpay and not get results because with big money doesn't always come commitment to playing one's best in the game. This will be the year...lots of money to spend, lots of promise to juggle if think they will come to the majors in 2022 and be solid in 2023. Rememebr, you throw away the current, you are leaving the idea's of another in the hands of someone else who might not like at all what they have and not see the grand plan, thus replaying what we are complaining about right now. Player morale has been strange these past two years. Covid, polarized beliefs in the open or hidden, only getting partial pay in 2020 had to be a blow to many used to more. Throw in the contract... Yes, how do you get the players excited to have fun playing ball by playing ball?

I would rather see the potential of Gant as a multi-inning relief arm than a starter. Can he do that? I would rather get 2-3 innings out of him that way for any of the starters who can go 5. Time to shuffle thru some new arms (Vasquez, Hamilton finally) before you bring in Hamilton and Moran? Astudillo was the best pitcher and offensive hero! He ran all four bases. They should give this guy a multi-million dollar 10-year contract! Oh, and loved the pitching chart! Ha!

Every year you draft players. You add them to a minor league system that already has close to 150 players playing. By the time the draft rolls around, you start jettisoning fringe guys who are struggling, not taking to the system, or fall behind other younger guys as they approach Rule 5 or minor league free agency. Reed did good, got a spring training invite, but wasn't on the 40-man. Then he did horrible. Was exposed to the Rule 5. Nothing happened. He got to pitch again, but age caught up to him as well as other names to protect on the Rule 5. He was still possible organization trade bait to become the problem of another team (look at recent trade of Happ - Twins got Sisk, who the Cardinals didn't want to protect for the Rule 5, and Gant, someone that you have to make a "going to arbitration" decision on - let him walk, work out a contract or arbitrate, or trade and, hey, you always go after him again, if you want, if he is a free agent). And you always have to make decisions. So many young players come up and pitch. Remember that Guardado and Hawkins were starters that got hammered before becoming bullpen arms. The Twins managed to turn them and keep them. Perkins was in the same boat, and the Twins actually removed him from the 40-man, no one called, and he came back to be one of our better relief pitchers. The numbers game saw us lose Hendriks who went from bad young starter to great relief pitcher. Also Zach Littell, who was a dynamite minor league starter, did great in the bullpen, got some arm issues. The Twins thought they could remove him (shades of what might happen to folks like Stashak or Smeltzer), and he choose to move on. And then you throw in the mix the grab bag of players you can randomly sign. The Twins did more than 33 of those this year, enough to populate more than half the players in their two upper levels. That 15 of these folks from "outside" the organization made it to the 25-man roster during the year, either shows the Twins were a really bad team, or...well, a really bad team. The 15, who you can probably name if you think about it, will be hard-pressed to be anywhere near the 25-man roster in 2022. And the year isn't thru yet. You want to talk about Twins that get away? In 2013 the Twins drafted Gonsalves, Eades, Stewart and Slegers - all of whom are still pitching for other teams today after little success with the Twins but actually some fine minor league numbers. That draft class also gave us late-bloomer Garver, who was a catching prospect with Stu Turner and Brian Navaretto, both of whom saw work with other teams than the Twins. And our favorite centerfielder this side of Lew Ford, Zack Granite. Reed was one of the college experienced arms grabbed in 2014, along with others who have reached the majors like John Curtiss (out now with Tommy John), Sam Clay, Nick Burdi (another the Twins lost in the Rule 5), and Trevor Hildenberger, Taylor Hearn and Sam Hilliard. We still have Nick Gordon, who we managed to give playing time finally in 2021. 2015 saw the Twins draft Tyler Jay, who was also going to take the team by storm but basically was passed by others. We failed to sign Kyle Cody. Andrew Vasquez reached the Twins team, left the Twins roster, came back and is still a 28ish prospect that might still get a call in 2021. Logan Lombana is still flirting with the dream. Jaylin Davis, Blake Cederlind played in the majors. Trey Cabbage is a potential minor league free agent tearing up AA. Jovani Moran is a force to be reckoned, but could've been taken last year by another team and wasn't. Happily he won't be getting stories like this piece on Reed written about him. Zander Wiel, who was promising going into the lost 2020 season, got injured this year and after a half-dozen rehab games, was released as he is about to be...a minor league free agent. 26 new players made their debut as a Twin in 2021. We had 17 new Twins in 2020, 22 in 2018. So there is always room for a player like Reed to get a shot, you'd think. This year the Twins have had 55 different players play in the majors for them, and 8 have been on the 40-man and didn't play for them...yet (Colina, Duran, Strotman, Balazovic, Hamilton, Gibault and gone guys Wade and Chalmers.) `For some players it is a short leash (how long is the Barraclough leash). Ober, Barnes and Jax could've been 1 or 2 and gone, gone, gone if our rotation had stayed intact. Names like Smetlzer, Dobnak, Gant, Thorpe have already been replaced by Ober, Jax, Barnes, who are being pressed by Strothman, Ryan, Balazovic, Sammons, Sands, Enlow. Winder and Albers (that was added for humor). A helluva a lot of those 26 news Twins, combined with old Twins and lots of minor league names will be cut loose like Ryan Mason (perhaps), There's always names that pop up like Gil (but we got Rijo from the Yankees, remember that at some point), Ynoa. Also Mazza, Chargois, Wells, Hollands (unsigned), Chase and Tyler Andersons, Evan Meek, LaVale Speigner, Saul Rivera, Brian Wolfe, Juan Padilla. We let them get away, but really......crying? Sometimes, like for Reed, it was being brilliant when there wasn't room on the 40-man or a dire need not to add him to the 40-man (something that Yennier Cano might experience and if he doesn't dazzle in spring training and blow people away at St. Paul in 2022, he will be another that gets a chance to maybe shine elsewhere, for a moment). What makes us glad to see players like Reed get another chance is that they, like Jay and Burdi and the ilk, were highly praised when drafted as guys who would be here to help us, sooner rather than later, but are textbook examples of how a farm system works for a team and against most players. So many don't make it thru year one. Many are gone by year three. 15% maybe make it to free agency in the minors and then stick around for up to a decade in minor league ball getting an occasional cup of coffee because they do have skills, but always fighting to get beyond that 25th/26th man status of a roster. Happily opportunities to exist for players to move on, and teams willing to give non-developed veterans of the minors an opportunity, little as they may sometime seem.

Zander was rehabing at the FCL League, and not doing all that well. Was wondering what his fate would be, since he is a minor league free agent. But he was also a legit first baseman with experience,. Good luck on wherever his path takes him.

Why does anyone in the Twins organization care about Colome. Cut him loose. Use that spot to bring more aging minor league vets thru, or - how about this great idea - promote someone who MIGHT contribute to the future of the Twins. The leash needs to be short on anyone not guaranteed a 40-man spot. We know what they have done and can do at the moment. Or so one would think.

If you wish to let your young starters take a pounding, then let's make it a total group effort and bring ALL the young guys up. Get it done and over.

Will Chase Petty pitch for FCL Twins or Ft. Myers soon? Always wondered how minor players like changing teams in the final 2-3 weeks of a season. Getting new housing, learning new players and all.`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Used to be that players could be rewarded for additional service time or staying with the game with a September callup, and then jettisoned during the off-season. Doesn't seem logical for the current Twins team, sadly. G.J. Boyd having a great year and shouldn't be stuck at AA ball. St. Paul ahs no ral first baseman, or really a DH. So good move. Is Zander Weil coming back to St. Paul for the final weeks, or has his tenure as a Twins prospect ended. Same for Gabe Snyder...will he get out of the FCL league? I am still amazed at some of the names that have held onto jobs in St. Paul for the season, and also surprised the

It is interesting that Akil Baddoo wsa taken in the Rulke 5 draft. I would have been interested to be in on that discussion. Considering the Twins had Buxton and Kepler pencilled in. That they were going to give Kirilloff and Rooker a chance to break camp. Larnach was in the wings. Celestino was on the 40-man, along with Cave (and for a moment LaMonte Wade). The decision NOT to keep Wade was higher yet than Baddoo, who had been injured and not really played much above High A ball That being said, the Twins could've lost both Moran and Miranda in the Rule 5, too. That neither had played in AAA ball was a factor. We forget that both started the season at Wichita. And both still haven't received a call to the majors for some odd (not on the 40-man roster) decision. I would figure out a way to get those two on the major league roster now. You can advance Cabbage to replace Miranda, and there is no shortage of bullpen arms that should be playing for the Saints rather than the assortment of minor league free agents who will again become minor league free agents. The Twins do need to add Ryan this season., Remember, they can add two players in about a week, and I would expect that Strotman will also get a call. I would like to see Balazovic at least jump to AAA ball and help the Saints in their pennant run. So we are not destroying the hopes of the Saints, especially when you consider that Ryan has made only one start. Heck, option back down Barnes and/or Ober who have both had decent tryouts for the Twins and will need to do some winter work, come back stronger in the spring, and fight to be in the rotation. The suffering of minor league teams compared to Indy balls is that the minors are basically a training and proving ground for the major league club who has the right to move players around and about as they please. Not that being an Indy ball club will prevent a player from leaving if offered a major league system contract, or if they can sell a player and recoup more money. Like people have said in other posts, if the Twins cut, say, Simmons or Colome (or Pineda), it sends a message to other free agents who might sign with the club. Not sure what that message is...a job is a job and most players join a club as a free agent because the money was right, they wish to improve their status for future play, they hope to play great for a bad club as the season progresses to get traded to another better club. It was the job of the players, given every opportunity, to improve their own stick as the miserable season of the club they signed with progressed. Now the Twins have to think more of themselves and the future, and the future is advancing guys and getting them experience to make them more viable as alternative choices for big league jobs come 2022.

Will he play full seasons? Is he worth Donaldson money right now for five years? How much do you lose if he can play out a contract, but not fulltime? Or should it just be the problem of another team. So much is at stake in his final 25 game run for this season as other teams scout him...carefully. His next season, as a Twin or not, is essential to Byron. If he plays the whole season to the satisfaction of his past couple (or 162 games), he is set. But I don't see another team necessarily trading for him and then signing him for the $100-125 million he reportedly deserves. Which means he becomes a rental and the Twins get a high recent draft pick and another decent player in the mix, more or less...probably less. The pain is if Buxton literally sucks, the Twins option is a QO at season's end to get a draft pick, or nothing...unless he is healthy enough to bring something, anything back at the trade deadline. Like Berrios, I think Buxton is looking towards a glorious future, or so his agent is telling him.

C'mon, this is so easy. Miranda is a third baseman. You add an infielder, you subtract an infielder. Donaldson is playing DH now, it seems. You want Arraez to play everyday. Put him at second, Play Polanco at short. Have Miranda play third. See how the last 30+ games go. You cut loose Simmons. Maybe a team sees defensive strength, and he gets on a playoff roster. They claim him, the Twins save some money. Right now, the Twins also will have to jettison someone to the minors when Buxton returns. Rooker, Cave or Refsnyder? Let's see who gets the most playing time to see if they remain on the roster in the week ahead. So many extra names in the bullpen. Someone will have to be removed to add Dobnak back to the 40-man. Who could that be. Of course, the Twins could give up on Pineda and Thorpe and make them 60-day disabled and end their seasons (as well as their career in the off-season with the Twins). Looks like the Twins will also have to add back Farrell. Of course, with the reworked rotation, would love to see the Twins promote Strotman, add in Ryan, maybe advance Balazovic for a start or two. Looks like Sammons, because of Rule 5 status, is also in the mix as a potential lefty. Of course the Twins could demote Barnes or Over if they wish, end their seasons early and keep their innings solid. But still need to get rid of a body if you add Ryan. But, yes. I vote for Miranda over Simmons. Stop playing guys out of position. Arrez has no need to be in the outfield. Miranda doesn't need to play any position open that day...make him your third baseman of the future and then decide after seeing him play if he opens in St. Paul next spring or the majors, and you have to do something with Donaldson, or be glad you have a DH who can also play the field. Then you only have to decide about Kirilloff over Sano at first base in spring training, and what to do with that odd man out. Simmons is not in the mix for 2022. Rooker still is. Look at anyone else NOT in the mix for 2022 and make roster moves now accordingly, please.

It is all about depth and where the guys now fall in the pecking order. Colina has age on his side, but will be spending his third year on the 40-man and, assuming he is healed by spring training, more than likely starting in the minors. The team has to look closely if they will be adding Enlow to the 40-man, who will also be spending a year in rehab. Ad you have Duran, who we hoped would be getting a major league tryout this season (along with Balazovic). That would suddenly be four names that you can't count being in the majors to start the season, and you play wait-and-see where they progress during 2022. Stashak is also the same. You can cut him and maybe resign him, but if no one claims him for their own 40-man, I believe he is a free agent. But a 40-man spot is valuable, unless you are arguing keeping him or any of the over 30-arms of Albers, Farrell, Thielbar, Minaya. All of whom could probably also be resigned to minor league contracts if they don't take services elsewhere. I believe Smeltzer may have an option year left with the Twins and they would keep him if no one else claimed him. Remember that all teams are dealing with the same dilemma as the Twins, which is why guys like a Smeltzer isn't waived until the last minute when all teams are adding their Rule 5 saves. I think the Twins could get Smeltzer thru waivers. The Twins can also move Dobnak off the 40-man. They still control him, they just have to pay him. Shades of Nick Blackburn and Joe Mays. If another team would claim him, the salary would be theirs to keep. The Twins could let him start the season at AAA without having him on the roster, and see where he goes from there. Garlick is so far behind the pecking order, once Buxton returns. Remember, he beat out the now released Broxton, Refsnyder, Larnach and Kirilloff for a spot on the major league roster. Celestino is now also ahead of him. Cave is still in the picture (although he ahs probably priced himself out of an arbitration backup job). And the Twins have Kerrigan and Contreras both performing well in St. Paul, neither of whom would probably be taken in the Rule 5. Do you take the chance someone will grab Colina? Remember, you always need a couple of names on the roster who can be jettisoned if you sign a free agent, and at that time it is often easier to get them thru waivers and late enough that the only alternative for the player is to sign and stay with their team. Be interesting to see how the Twins treat their roster of pitchers like Thorpe, Jax, Thielbar, Stashak, Farrell, Law, Minaya, Coulombe, Albers, Garcia, Garza, Gant, Barraclough, not to mention Hamilton. I would look at each case as a competing general manager looking to improve my club and if any of those names were available, would I leap, run, be joyful adding them to my own 40-man roster at the expense of...whom.

Wow. Barnes threw over 100 pitches and even got enough innings to win the game...if Sano hadn't decided to go on paternity leave. If the Twins could free up some roster spots, they could send Barnes and Ober (literally shutting them down early) to St. Paul and have Strotman, Ryan and Balazovic come up and join the rotation. Who could they jettison to give them a couple of roster spots, plus one for Miranda since Donaldson is the designated hitter now?

You gotta like how he can work a pitcher. You need him to bat five times in a game, and ahead (or behind) the proper hitters. Line-up construction is something I have trouble understanding in the Baldelli-era, not that the batting in 2021 offers much in the way or iron-clad choices.

Well, gotta do a lot of looksees. Not sure how badly we want to protect 35-year-old lefthanded pitchers on a 40-man roster. Vincent was still able and is gone. Thielbar ahs been one of the success stories for the year. Albers gave us long relief, from a lefty, which means he almost went thru the order---twice. The Yankees order. That is/was one of the plus marks for Gant, plus he ahs another year of arbitration (at what price). He can spot start, or go long relief. But he, too, is auditioning for a 40-man spot in the off-season, We forget that St. Louis was happy to give us a guy who might be too expensive for their needs and a possible Rule 5 for a pitcher they felt could be turned around for the remainder of the season. So Gant is auditioning, too. As is Coulombe, amongst now a whole host of other names. That list of 10 names in the bullpen is a far cry from opening day: Rogers, Duffey, Alcala, Stashak, Thielbar, Robles, Colome, Waddell, Thorpe. Talk about turnover!

Never give up the dream! Especially if you are a lefty!

Yeah, the reality is that it may not be as big of a crunch as thought. Regarding Enlow, something similar happened to Nick Burdi. He went on the 60-man, did a couple of rehabs, I think he was added to the roster in the final month. He spend most of the next season, also on the IL. But they got him some more major league time when they could, or the Twins just didn't want him back. Which also brings up that if a team doesn't keep a Rule 5, and if the Twins don't want him back, he can still be grabbed by another team if they are willing to play by the Rule 5 rules. The Twins also have a Rule 5 guy, Alejandro Machado, who was on the IL for a whole season, and when the Twins decided to cut him the next season, the Royals didn't take him beck. One of those guys that has been on the major league roster (25 man) and never appeared in a game with the Twins, like Tomas Tellis, Chuck Schilling and Carlos Torres from season's past. Now regarding potential minor league free agents: I ask if they are better than ANYONE we have on the roster. Who would I be willing to jettison in favor of this guy that I can probably resign as a minor league free agent. Also, looking at potential 40-man roster cuts. As a general manager outside the organization, would I leap at a chance to add Smeltzer to my own 40-man, or Stashak, or Burrows. And at the cost of what player. Looking at Rule 5 candidates, would I, as a general manager, really waste one of my precious (and they are precious) 40-man spots on a player like Enlow. When players now go into Tommy John land, it can be almost two seasons of wasted time. They age in that time, fall further down the pecking order, or eventually run out of options like the Twins are facing with Thorpe. Is it worth the 40-man spot to gamble on a prospect? Sure, the Twins did it with Santana. The Tigers did it with Baddoo. And with 26-man rosters, you can take that gamble more these days, especially for a waaaay back of the bullpen arm that you may have to carry, eventually, for 90 days. You gotta think on every player move...is this guy getter than someone I have to kick off the roster to add them. When will that player make the major leagues and actually help the organization. What would other organizations think of players that I am letting, basically, walk. And I think injuries are going to play more-and-more into decisions on who to keep and not to keep. That and the missed minor league season. When you look, all these guys got one year older, had one less season of play, and there are a helluva a lot of players out there scrambling for jobs outside of those controlled by the organization.

Well, needed to keep Thorpe in St. Paul for his start today and pitch, say, Gant instead. Now will Thorpe go on the IL and really screw up evaluation of him? I would also just cut Colome. You battle back, ake the lead, and the guy throws potential wild pitches with the tying run on third...and.... Just throw Colome and Simmons out there and be done. Bring up Miranda to play third. Put Polanco back at shortstop. We lose games with SImmons there, will we lose more have Arraez at second and Polanco at short? Two open roster spots. Bring in three new pitchers for the road trip. Let Strotman take some lumps if need be. We just better have Ryan, Balazovic when we can expand rosters. Let Pineda go, maybe get picked up by a contender. Save the money you can get by not paying free-agents to be who gave you little or none in trade va,lue before the deadline.

Does Canterino move up to Wichita? Does Balazovic, this start aside, move to the Saints? In a team building for the future, should the Twins spend time on old AAAA guys giving them major league service time? Does it help their pensions?