Rosterman

I'd be happy to keep him as the rotation alternative going into the season and hope we get 15-or-so starts out of his arm, with average or above results and enough that he looks appetizing to another team to absorb half-the-contract and be traded, opening a rotation spot for the remainder of the season for Festa/Matthews or any oher "rookies" to get their feet wet.

Yes, what he did was totally unexpected. And, as we saw, he did have a limit to the quality of innings and starts he could do for the season. MVP? Naw. Others had to come in and either win or lose the games. Notably, probably, Cole Sands.

If I have two old school gripes, they are: One: Stop playing guys at multiple positions. Find their strength in the minors and bring them up to play that position. Two: Have a set lineup. I always feel batters feed off each other. You get a guy in front of you that will show a free-swinger a long at bat, to observe what a guy is throwing that day. You have someone who hits for contact with decent runners on base. You prep to be a lead-off hitter. You may adjust your swing being the 4-5 hitter. You are glad you have a paycheck if batting 8-9. Going into 2025 is Wallner the right fielder and Larnach in left? Who plays 3rd. Miranda or Lewis. Or 2nd. Lee or Lewis? Or does Lee go to the minors and plays SS because Correa will be moved... somewhere. Nice to have Castro, but something is wrong with the team if he leads you in games played and at bats.

Wow. All over the place. Lopez I expect to be a 16-14, 4.10 pitcher. Anything different is bad or good accordingly. Ober is going to be a one bad inning pitcher. Ryan needs to control the pace of his game. The young guys - SWR was amazing, but ran out of gas. Can he stay disciplined at his young age? Festa was the guy who never walked anyone. Welcome to the major leagues. He needs a strong 4th pitch and say he will work on it. If not, he'll be a strong bullpen arm going forwards. Matthews was rushed. I like what I saw. Alcala had an increased workload. Remember he only did a dozen or so innings over the past two seasons. He pitched fine, until he started tom wear down, partly from the pressure to be solid. Him, Jax, Duran, Sands gives the Twins a solid half-a-bullpen. Duran started late, tinkered with a pitch too often, but that should be better next season. Jax, please don't pull an Aggie and ask to start. Varland needs to be a part of the bullpen. He bombed out of the chute because your starting routine is different than if you are just coming into a game. Headrick will the Twins dark horse, perhaps. A lefty who can pitch multiple innings, or just be a gem for one. Paddack is that end of the rotation guy. Maybe not worth $7.5 million, but might be the best you can currently find for the team. But...he needs to give us innings. Funderburk gets another shot because he is left-handed. But he needs to pitch better than he did if he wants to find any major league work ever ever again. Thielbar was a $3.5 million F. Sorry. If the Twins needed to eat payroll, this was the time. The Twins signed a host of guys: Jackson, Okert (trade), Staumont, Bowman, Tonkin, Irvin, Castillo. They acted accordingly.... jettisoning them, maybe a few too late. Josh WInder is still in the mix folks!

Two Questions to answer. As well as the Overall Question of WANT to be Competitive. Cost: What do you have to spend to fill a weakness. Do you trust that a rookie will step forward, as much as a free agent, and fulfill the needs for a position of weakness. Looking at the Twins offensively for 2025, they need a first baseman. Or a bat that can play that position, maybe the outfield, or DH. Internally they have the unproven, as both a bat and fielder, Yennier Severino. They can also mix in one Miranda, Julien or Kirilloff, all who hold more potential than value right now for the team to cut. There is also the need for strength from the left-side in pitching. Headrick could fulfill part of that. Is Moran due for a comeback? Do you rust Funderburk. Spending money on a Taylor Rogers is, sadly, out of the question for managment. Had their chance. Two: When figuring payroll, you lways have to factor in "how much can I have spending time in the clubhouse." The team basically paid $5m for two players, who performed basically a but more than one. So you actually were eating around $22, in salary, not counting the DeScalfini, Paddack, Kepler days watching from the bench. A team like the Yankees can write off $50 or so million, a drop in the bucket. But when 25-30% of your tight payroll is unusable on the field, you either signed the wrong contracts for guys, or won't be competitive... unless you have an outstanding farm system. Roster construction is always the key. Having the flexibility to promote future prospects to get playing time, and then sending them back to the minors for some possible fine tuning. Having enough developed every year so you can avoid the expensive free agent contracts and just try to survive on smart trades, or rewarding your own with modest contract extension (see Span, Polanco as examples). You can field a decent team, and even a compoetitive one, if everyone come together at the right time. We can't knock the Twins for spending. They invested in Correa... a solid player but also a roadblock to many prospects unless he changes positions. They considered Buxton the current "Face of the Franchise" and reward accordingly, although how long is he for centerfield. Lopez was a shrewd trade and a decent resigning of a still young arm, but veteran presence for the pitching staff. You can be inexpensive with prospects thru their first arbitration years. Then the dollars start to add up. You can often patchwork with lowend free agents, but are they really any better than your prospects (Margot = Martin, for example). Ultimatey, you want your monies worth when you pay someone. Innings or days on the field, as well as productivity.

Yep, still got two open spots, and you always like those extra names for removal if you do sign a free agent or make a change. I do wonder how Severino will fit into the greater picture. And what Canterino's role will be with the Twins. For sure bullpen arm, preferably left-handed, would be a plus. If they can find a 1B/DH with power, that would be a plus, too.

I love the pitching pipeline. Festa said he is going to work on his curve ball this off-season, otherwise, like Varland, he may be better suited to the bullpen longterm. Morris Lewis Raya will all be on-deck to appear in 2025 and hopefully one breaks the rotation in 2026. You gotta love the promising depth. SWR and Matthews both will be fighting for the 5th position come spring training. It means the Twins could flip Lopez come the following off-season (or mid-season if 2025 isn't competitive). It allows them to play the Guardians game of moving players as they enter final arbitration years if they don't feel they are worth the big free agent contract down-the-line. With young pitchers, the key is getting them innings, and capable of throwing 150+ in the majors.

So few. The question is are "probable" better to add than to keep, say, a Helman, Kiersey, Camargo. I don't think Jeferson Morales or Chris Williams worked themselves into a protective position. Adams would be an interesting add. If you see him as a bullpen opportunist for 2025.

Anyone know who the Twins need to Rule 5 protect? I'm guessing the list is eally short. WSill Holland? Sabato?

Well, overall they SHOULD have the same budget as 2023. But they cut it for 2024, but still had TV money that ended up in their pockets, and attendance equal to the previous year. They SHOULD have the same budget in 2025 as this year, right...even if they have zlich dollars from TV (which won't happen). The current team, after deducting free agents and giving contract pay increses and arbitration $$$, should basically have the same payroll.

The team should've never been in this position. But they are. Still in the hunt. Stgill playing Margot and farmer, instead of giving time to Kiersey or Helman or martin. Loo and Julien sit on the bench. Irvin and Tonkin are getting innings. Amazing, you go the whole season in the category of playoff team and in the last week of joyous home games, you stink. Putrid offense. No movement from the trade dedline utilizing a rich prospect system full of guys who will never set foot on the field... at least as a Twin. A good portion of the season the front office collected monies from a television contract that didn't play out on a cable system that couldn't agree to broadcast the games. Your ads are great, Twins. But you do have to advertise somewhere other than JUST on your own games. I don't expect any free agent big splash for 2025. The team ahs three solid contracts to pay off in Lopez, Correa and Buxton, all top-flight players if healthy. You see nexy year's 26-man roster on the current 40-man. Actually only 3-5 places a best witll open up in the off-season, and there is only 1-2 that the Twins really need to even consider for Rule 5 protection. There is solid rotation depth, if you can afford to give them starts, as you did this year to Matthews and Festa, to fail but develop. The arms that can't start can be switched to bullpen arms. Except for catcher beyond 2026 (a second one), and a surefire choice at first base (is Severino still in the mix), all positions have solid depth for the next half-decade before guys become minor league free agents or a traded away. We can argue about Rocco and his lineups, bulling pitchers, leaving pitchers in to get out of a jam, lefties and righties, whatever. The team is a bit redundant. Can players develop into brng different than the guy in front or behind them in the lineup? Did the front office fail in NOT bringing in a rotation arm, as no one expected SWR to pitch well all season. At the trade deadline two arms in the pen (like a Chapman, Taylor Rogers, whatever) who would cost prospects, or even in August just money, were avoided. Signing minor league free agents, or bargain basement free agents, didn't pan out if you are a true competitive playoff team. The excitement of 2023. Getting out or Round 1 of the playoffs. Hoping to go further still in 2024. But I' m not sure how I will feel looking at the Twins as the 4th place team in a division that wasn't all that special.

I just can't figure out his lineup construction, or his situational need to use the bullpen the way he does. When your bench players have as many at bats as the regulars, well, that means a lot of inuries... maybe. Resting guys the next day after a good game. Playing the pitch count rule, then NOT doing it next time out. But also must deal with the hand dealt. You have to trust ALL the players you have, in the end. It is what you have. No reason to have them in the dugout or the pen if they are not ready to be put on the field, I guess.

The bullpen shined. Amazing! Looks like Irvin in relief of Lopez tomorrow!

The Twins need to figure out a 1st abseman for 2025. Is it Miranda, or does he stay at 3rd. Julien or Kirilloff will again be in the mix, for a year. Unless they spring for a heavy bat. I could see Brooks Lee being back in St. Paul to begin the year. A trip to St. paul might've helped him this season. But, yes, where will Correa play in 2025 and beyond will also be the question. I get a little tired, personally, of guys playing multiple positions. You find your best and work them there and have them play as a unit to get the outs on the field. It was a joy seeing Santana at first. A regular taget for throws and the ability to make plays.

Willie Castro, for all his greatness, has struck out nearing 150 times. He needs to bunt more.

The Twins needed an innings eater starter who MIGHT keep them in the game. Something the Royals picked up for a few starts. Just to give any new blood a... rest. They also needed to fortify the bullpen. It seemed like every day the week before the end of the deadline a relief pitcher was changing and msot of them were lefties to boot. Did no one want Kepler? The Twins will absically lose him for nothing. At best, they trade him for prospects to get salary relief to add someone. At worse, he stuck around and did... what? Prospects? Prospects? The Twins have some 150 players in the system. As the team currently stands, the bulk of the protected 40-man roster will be here for a minimun of 3 seasons, the bulk for maybe 5-6. Looking at two or three names as probably future outfielders for sure, a couple of surefire hits for the crowded infield, and maybe a half-dozen strong rotation arms that could flare back to the pen, you still have some pretty good names to offer in trade because of over-depth issues at the moment. The front office is always looking down the road, who will become Rule 5 eligible this or next season, who will be a minor league free agent. There were names to package, especially for a relief pitcher. Attendance for 2024 will be about the same as it was for 2023, which was an increase of 2022. Amazing since people weren't able to watch games on television, although the Twins were paid in the end, which makes the payroll cut moot.

Salary will send him away. Twins have names like Martin, Helman and even Chris Williams to consider for reserve roles. Such a tough start to the season. But now a BIG roadblack on the left side of the infield.

Yep, Lee needed to be sent to St. paul to "work on things." Sadly Farmer and Margot ake away time for other "prospects." But, hey, always spring training and next year.

He's young. He's getting experience. You think Twins will bring back Stewart, keep him on the 40-man?

Why Henriquez? Why not Blewett, fully rested. If you can't trust every pitcher in your pen. But, wait, he did trust...Tonkin. After tonight you have to play your best players every game. Each and every game until you have no more games to win (or lose). Period.

The choice was Steer or keeping the year younger Julien. I like how versatile Steer has become for the Reds. Shows power and base stealing skills. CES would be clogging up the infield even more right now, unless you could switch him to first base or make the eprmanent DH. I doubt the Twins would've moved him to the majors before this season, and could've argued that, too. Was keeping Severino more important? You don't have room for all prospects and must judge them according to need to add to 40-man roster, or pecking order of who is better than whom and what you think you need for RH vs LH bats. Mahle ended up being a better trade than the Polanco one (so far) to Seattle.

A year of learning. Would've been nice to actually send him back down to St. Paul to regularly play a position and work on pitch/bat skills. Tough to do that when in the majors, especially if the eam is looking for the wild card. He has been all over the diamond. Third base, second base, now the regular shortstop, and also playing with different partners on the field. If Correa comes back at short, not sure where he will end up on the field for 2025. There is no time to get comfortable in the majors. You learn on the job. The fielding is excellent. Pitchers dominate. So much information is had and given.

Buxton fulltime DH. So we will be weak in center. Let's learn a new position. Okay, if Lee is now the regular shortstop, it is spring training in the final two weeks of the season up-the-middle with three guys. Will be interesting to see what names are kept on the roster if the Twins go to the playoffs. Rotation arm #3 will be multiple guys in one game. Maybe even an opener!

At one point, it was an art if you could convince a batter a pitch was coming, and it really wasn't.

He's doing his job. Trying to mix speeds too much at times. Become a better pitcher. Even Jax has his moments (never bring in Jax with a runner on second, folks). Give Duran the role of closer and let him be. If you need to give him a closing day off, do. Just...no 8th inning matchups. Next season, he should be able to face any batter that comes to the plate.