Rosterman

So hit and miss on high draft picks. For every Denard Span or Ben Revere there is a BJ Garbe or Matt Moses. Tyler Jay, Kohl Stewart, Carlos Gutierrez, Ryan Mills. Sometimes you get Matt Garza or Kyle Gibson, or you get Adam Johnson or Kyle Waldrop. Of course development is the key. And the best players in AAA and AA ball are often the backend players on a major league roster, when the need arrives, because they can be plugged in to play the game for a year or three. Such a juggling act. The Twins could open their 2021 roster for prospect tryouts, but the players getting the call would have to be those needing protection for the 2022 season. You don't promote someone really not ready to even get a consideration in 2022 if you may be forced to replace them with others who might be showing a spark of life. Yet you can't have 15 spots on the 40-man held by guys who are just minor league guys. Except for this season, Celestino never would've gotten the call...and he is going on year two. You can argue about the two remaining players on the 40-man who have not seen major league action that they are preventing you from signing minor free agents (or cut players) and that they probably wouldn't see action if the team was winning. With the current Twins, they will get the chance before the season is done. But are they up to the task for 2022, and can a roster full of prospects improve the Twins chances of winning in 2022.

Only 2 40-man players await a call to the majors now (if you consider that Colina is on the MLB disabled list) for this season. It's nice having AAA close to home, but the shuttles between the minors is really busy!

And now Thielbar maybe hurt? Will the whole 40-man roster soon be at Target Field in some capacity?

You can trade him. And, if need be, resign him. Open up opportunities to see what you do have once you start to write-off the season. Any "prospects" need exposure, and what better way to get exposure than a losing season where they can actually work on pitches at the big league level. You need to open up roster space so you can see thhat next rung who may not be quite ready to start 2022, but will be a aprt of the season IF you don't sign anyone. Berrios, in all accounts, will be gone if you don't overpay. And, remember, Pineda could come back as a free agent signee. Any pending free agent needs to move on to stock the farm system and open roster spots for potential major league prospects: Happ, Pineda, Shoemaker. Colome, Simmons, Cruz all are tradable and probably all (except Shoemaker) could be wanted. You have to decide on the fate of Duffey, Rogers and Robles. Spots are being wasted by Farrell, Minaya and Thielbar right now, as well as a couple of outfielders.

17 RUNNERS LEFT ON BASE! Gotta play fundamental ball. Bullpen can't hold the game close. And even after a battle back, who do you call?

Free vaccines and a beer. Man, I wish I had waited for the days when getting a shot would also get some swag!

The friggin' pain is the Twins have four arms on the injured list taking up 40-man roster space, and all four will probably NOT pitch in the majors this year (Smeltzer has to be on the bubble for sure when he comes off). There is not a lot of play on the 40-man unless the Twins start jettisoning outfielders.

I'm hoping the Twins decide to let relievers start the games and let the starter finish the last 4-5 innings. Maybe that will work.

I see lots of "former Twins" playing in 2022 from our current squad.

The Twins now have a reason to play Sano at first base, and the Big Guy needs to produce. Garlick and Cave will play the outfield and then the Twins will have to make a Big Decision when Kirilloff needs to come back. At that point, Alex will probably go on rehab to the Saints and, depending on the play of the duo, come back shortly with regular play. Larnach has a good two weeks to show off at AAA, although not being on the 40-man puts his chances of an early recall at nill at this point. Of course, the need to be called a Minnesota Twin in 2022 is now in the play of Sano, Garlick and Sano.

All it took was money to keep Trevor May!

Someone didn't read that Rogers can't pitch back-to-back. Be glad he got the one out and move on. But to whom? You got a friggin' closer you are afraid to use. Gotta blame the front office on this one. The Twins have no bullpen arms that can stand having a runnenr at second. Why the lefty? Who pitched horribly the night before? Well, okay, because your choices aren't all that great beyond Alcala who may be the closest the Twins have in a future closer in a rebuilding team. They need a closer. They left the gate open and Trevor May moved onto the Mets. This guy might've turned the corner if he had stayed a Twin. Only hope is Duffey stops screwing around and uses the arsenal he did last year.

Free Garlick!

There is always a winner each day...and a loser. Amazed at how many teams are at .500 or below compared to winning records. Yet no one yet (it is still April) is totally running away with this thing called a baseball season. Baseball is such a team sport, and it relies on hitting, pitching (giving up less runs than runs scored against), and fielding (not giving those extra outs). If it was so easy, one team would win every year...and the joy is that we see more and more teams staying competitive outside of just spending the most money.

The thing is, he hasn't play in a good solid run of consecutive games anywhere outside of spring training. He needs to play everyday, be it here (instead or Sano or Garlick), or at least a good stretch at AAA until the Twins figure out what to do with Garlick or Sano.

Twins need to figure out if they want Buxton AND Berrios longterm now, or forget it. Jeffers back to AAA would be a good move. But can we live with Willians as the second catcher...for awhile. I imagine Kirilloff will also go back when Sano is activated.

He is already a GM. Yes, the Twins job can lead to bigger and better. He may get a job like the President one he passed on with Philly. Falvey could look at a job with the Sox or Yankees or Dodgers, soemthing bigger. And then Levine could move into that position with the Twins. But right now, his general manager job is pretty good in Minnesota as a team builder thingie. Moving to a different general manager job isn't likely. But it is all about mon ey in the end. And any interest shown him can increase his salary here, if need be.

I like that Rocco has finally been dealing a consistent lineup. Now players have to stop striking out. But the return of Kepler, Garlick and Sano doesn't raise expectations. Simmons is fine, but he is still a contact guy. Cathcing is so deep in the hole, both on offense and defense. Is there anyone out there and is it worth to take a gamble on...Lucroy? I almost feel like I would go with Willians everyday until he can't do it no more. Clippard is disabled. Littell is in the minors. Poppen is with the Pirates. May is May and would fit right in with the current bullpen. Wissler and Romo are both horrible, so glad they aren't in the pen. The strikeout is fine, if it doesn't come with walks and hit batters...as well as the long ball. Hard throwers are fine, yes. But sometimes you do want a Brandon Kintzler coming out of the pen. Between starters that, as a whole, can barely pitch five innings, and no roles for the bullpen (go ahead, let's pitch two innings, you are closing today, you come in and stand three runners everyday, just throw buddy you are on your own). What looked like a reasonable strength for the Twins ahs turned into a disaster, especially when a team can't push across more than two runs in a game. The key for the Twins has always been what to do with Sano and can Buxton play today. At some point, you just gotta cut Sano rather than work around him all the time. And going forward, look at the 40-man. Who is NOT going to be on the roster in 2022 (prospects currently there) and those that are currently holding a space and you have no desire bringing them back, make the hard decision of eating salary or give a short string for them to increase their value and trade them off to make room for a prospect and create a temporary roster spot for someone, eprhaps, who is hungry to be a major league player again.

Bring in Lucroy. Catching is a demanding position, which is WHY the catcher should never leadoff. You can survive a light-hitting catcher in the number 8 or 9 spot if they call a good game because, afterall, someone has to make up to 27 outs in a game. But not sure he is even calling a good game these days. And Jeffers is overmatched in both areas and needs seasoning at AAA. I both LOVE and HATE the thought of Willians behind the plate. But I know he would give it his all and play the best he possibly can!

The Twins at full strength this weekend? Well, first off....... Catcher. We need one. Not only someone who can hit, but also call a game. Maybe Astudillo needs to be our go to guy. Anyone on the market> Jeffers needs time at AAA. I would rather see Kirilloff at first everyday than Sano. What to do with Sano. I can live with Arraex Simmons and Donaldson everyday in the infield. Polanco is the reserve. No need to go out of the way to find him playing time. Can Buxton play in three straight games? What to do with Kepler, but he is better than most anyone else. Are we really excited about the return of Klye Garlick and has Jake Cave kept himself on the roster? Rooker is going back to AAA. Drobnak needs to start at AAA. Bring back Smeltzer if you need a long man, and decide if you want to make Thorpe a bullpen arm or stretch him out as a starter. Berrios is it. Pineda is here for the year. So is Shoemaker and Happ. If any of the three pitch well, they can be traded. Maeda needs to lower his pitches...fast. The bullpen. Who can strike out batters. Stashak, Alcala. Who should be striking out batters. Duffy. Who strikes out batter but allows inherited runners to score: Thielbar and everyone. Can anyone get a ground-ball out (Kintzler, but he's elsewhere). The Twins need one or two guys to pitch as openers. Who do they jettison to make room on the 40-man and potentially on the 25-man. Colombe? Garlick? Cave? You can't bring guys up unless you have roster spots for them, or people getting COVID. What to do with Sano? Garver? I end by asking: who on the current 40-man roster do you want to see in a Twins uniform in 2022. We should start with that thought in mind and do moves accordingly!

Well, he is already a general manager for a team rebuilding or on-the-rise or with a multi-year plan. The next stop would be president, which he passed on with Philadelphia. Falvey would leave the Twins if a job opened up with a bigger team (New York or Los Angeles, for example). And money is also a factor.

Get players for set positions. They got Josh Donaldson for third base, but who knows where he will be in 1-2-3 years. Nelson Cruz is the DH. Is Kirilloff the left-fielder or first baseman of the future? Where do you honestly think Sano fits into the greater scheme. Good luck trading Rooker, or even Kepler. Like Sano, they have to show worth if a team wants to add them. The Twins need a top flight arm in the rotation. Maeda is good, but not a #1. Berrios, too, falls short. Stop getting a bunch of end of the rotation guys. You gotta get the right arms for the pen. Who IS the closer? Who can pitch long relief. Who can get a ground ball, a strikeout, a flyball out. Plan for that dreaded extra-inning situation that throws you out of whack with a guy starting at second. Of course, 2021 we would like to think the Twins have momentum and not rebuilding. You can carry a catcher of the future learning the game with 30-40 starts. You can't carry two catchers who give you nothing on offense. You need to play your best players every game. Subs are subs for a reason. And, even then, you need to trust every player on the major league roster. If they can't contribute in anyway consistently, I'm sure there are others that can. Non-competitive teams have no fifth starter, a constant swing in one to arms in the pen, a bench that is only good for pinch-running the slowest of players or giving a fielder the occasional rest in a game you are set to win. The killer of 2021 will be ... can players play a full 162-game season. It is a big step-up for many, especially anyone in the minors who basically lost a season of refining skills.

You want you better hitters to get upwards of five at bats a game. You want your lowly hitters to only bat three times in a game. Or, if slumping, to be able to execute putting a ball in play.

Jeffers is still young and in a normal year you might say keep him at AAA for another season. But as a second to Garver, he will be able to catch at least 50+ games this season, if not more, and he will learn on the job, Catching is a tough position, and many catchers don't have to show complete skill sets if they can handle the duties behind the plate. I have faith that Jeffers will be a solid catcher for seasons to come.

You have your weakest hitters getting the least at bats. I'm sorry, but Arraez thrives a bit more at the top of the order than the bottom. With Donaldson back, I would make Polanco the reserve, for now. Something has to be done with Sano. We can't always wait for him to start tearing the ball. Exept we don't have a ready replacement yet, do we?