Rosterman

I'm sure the Twins have offered him the cheapest deal possible. I mean, look at the deal injured Matt Boyd signed with San Francisco?

What is the saying, "Nice Guys Finish Last!" Well, he maybe came to the right team.

Well, at least they didn't have to add him to the 40-man. Of course, there is no more room for rotation arms at AAA or AA ball, and that is counting that Thorpe and Jax will be in the major league bullpen and Dobnak in the major league rotation. I just threw up a litle, in my mouth, excuse me. Of course, we are all excited to see what happens if the season DOES open with 28-man rosters for a month. Although you would like to see anyone designated for minor league ball (Celestino, Miranda, Lewis et al) able to open the season wherever they will be, rather than continue to play ball in Florida for the Twins main team.

IAN GIBAUT has signed with the Mariners in a minor league deal. Anyone got a Bingo yet on 2021 former Twins getting jobs? https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/guardians-ian-gibaut-agree-to-minor-league-deal.html

What to expect? A 40-man roster spot. Of course, Rortvedt was also expected to stay on the 40-man and start the season at AAA St. Paul.

We also have Steve Berman (acquired for Andrew Valesquez) and Roy Morales, both who could be at AAA.

TZU-WEI LIN signs a minor legue contract with the Mets. Got in one game with the Twins last year. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/mets-sign-tzu-wei-lin-to-minor-league-contract.html

Ryan LaMarre, another of those unique guys who came off the bench and pitched for the Twins, returns once again to the Yankees on a minor league deal.

Gray - 13-15 wins. Bundy 9 wins. Joe Ryan 12 wins. Bailey Ober 10 wins. All the other starters - 8 wins. The Twins will lose 100 games with Sanchez catching, no shortstop, and Sano as DH.

t be pretty for him, but he would be servicable for the teamThorpe is a left-handed arm. If you consider him a failed started on par with the likes of Mahomes, Hawkins, Nathan, Perkins, Hendriks et al, you might want to see if you can afford a couple of up-and-down seasons for him to establish himself in the bullpen. Do they have that end of the bullpen bench option. Same could be said for Jax, although if the Twins fail in any more signings or trades, he is the current innings eater on the team. It won't be pretty for the team, but as long as the Twins aren't competitive, workable. It will be up tch o Jax to refine his stuff if he wishes to stay in the majors.

Wow. Gonna be interesting to see how they handle all the back payments to everyone, including those that did make the major leagues. There is no reason players in the minors can't be paid for instructional league camps in the off-season, as well as all players during their time in spring training.

Hey, let's go wild here. Let's help San Diego by taking money off their books - let's add Myers (one year) and Hosmer (one big year than three mroe at $13 mil). Myers takes over leftfield for the season. Hosmer becomes the DH. Let's go really big, and also offer to take Blake Snell for our rotation ($16 mil). And they throw in their promising catching prospect Campusano, who we start at AAA. But for all this salary relief, the Padres have to take a bunch of our sludge. We give them Sano to be their DH. They can afford him. We give them Rooker for possible DH/LF/1B assistance. We give them Jax and Thorpe, major league ready arms, and maybe they will be rotation arms. Or Strotman as a switch out. Let's take some of that Padre money and put it to use. Maybe San Diego will also throw back $10 million the Twins way to stay under the salary cap. Would Hosmer be a bad choice as a DH go forwards, for $13 million a season? I believe Snell has an option year besides. And then we turn around and grab one of the Oakland A's arms, and also take Elvis Andrus salary. Maybe we can give them one of Strotman/Jax/Thorpe, Arraez, and perhaps someone like Wallner in the mix. The pain of Andru is that he gets expensive if you need him for the next season as his option kicks in with 550 or so at bats - do you play the game by releasing him mid-season if Lewis looks redy. (if you have him just for 2022 the Rangers still pay half his salary).

How much would you overpay, longterm, for Story or Correa. Or, with games happening this weekend, will BOTH probably take a huge 1-2 year contract (with an opt out after this season) and return to the free agent market again next season. Would you pay either $30-35 for a year of play?

Gordon and Arraez is a bounty of luxury, two capable middle infielders. Gordon can maybe sub in centerfield, but why.... So, where does Arraez play? Certainly not shortstop, the Twins biggest need, especially if they go lowball and advance Beckham to the spot (I still feel the Twins would've signed him for a 40-man spot except for the lockout). We also fault Gordon as a shortstop. Martin is being groomed as an outfielder? We have a lot of stock in Royce Lewis, who for all intents and purpose could start at AA ball because of his late spring, for sure. What a mess the Twins are in!

EDDIE ROSARIO returns to the Braves on a two-year $18 million contract. We know the Twins didn't want to pay Eddie that yearly figure in arbitration and he signed last season for less with the Indians. But, longterm, wonder..... Who is in left field? https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/braves-re-sign-eddie-rosario.html

CHASE DE JONG resigns with the Pirates on a minor league contract! https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/pirates-re-sign-chase-de-jong-to-minor-league-deal.html

What I found interesting was that the Yankees had Isiah on their radar. Somehow the Twins traded Garver for him. I'm sure the Rangers would've taken Sanchez, as I don't expect Garver to play nearly as many games in seasons to come behind the plate as...Sanchez could. Did the Yankees just drop this bigtime? Because it allowed the Twins to grab a Yankee want, and to combine it with...Donaldson and his BIG contract. Suddenly the trade sounds alot better, a shortstop and an aging third baseman going to the Yankees, rather than the Twins basically swapping catchers with the Yankees. But that is basically what they did...swapped Garver for Sanchez, for some reason the Yankees wanted Rortvedt (shades of John Ryan Murphy via Drew Butera for backup strength). For dumping a salary like Donaldson's, you probably should be lucky to get a prospect or two back, but the Twins got a third baseman to replace Donaldson for the moment. Are they thinking of Gio as a shortstop? Where does that put Miranda in the scheme of things - left field or back in AAA for another season? (I still think Beckham will be the Twins starting shortstop, promised a million+ if he makes he team...only reason he signed a minor deal was because that was what was available during the lockout). Sanchez can catch. Not the best, but he can catch. We still have the logjam of rally killing in the lineup of Sano, so I would hate to see Sanchez and Sano play on the same day. But both him and Gio, if they have decent years, could be tradebait if the Twins don't survive the spring. But, yeah...all future points pointed towards Jeffers and Rortvedt sharing the catching duties for the next 4-6 years, with hopeful improvements from both, until the Twins draft or develop someone in the minors. You almost wish Tomas Tellis was still around, he who made thed 26-man because of COVID bu t didn't play. Instead we have David Banuelos (24), Steve Berman (26) and Caleb Hamilton (26) as the big three at the top levels, with Roy Morales (26) thrown in the mis as a good bat but bad plate guy. In the system the Twins have Jair Camargo, who has been around for a while and has some promise, but still two years away, Also Jefferson Morales and the versatile Alex Isola. Charlie Mack and Pat Winkel are promising signees. Oh, and I almost forgot Kyle Schmidt! Who seems to be the roving catcher in the system whenever someone goes down for a short stretch! Now they are up Schitt's creek if something happens to one, elt alone both, or the guys. Makes you almost wish for Willians Astudillo as that 26th man on the roster.

Maybe Winder, although would rather do Srotman. Maybe the Twins could dangle Wander Javier! Tell them we will take Elvis Andrus if they take Jake Cave!

Hey, the Twins could still trade for a pitcher with the A's with Elvis Andrus as a throw-in, I bet!

Dondaldson was a salary dump. Congratulate the Twins on that. Otherwise, could the Yankees have traded Sanchez to the Rangers for Isiah? Not sure what went wrong there. But the Twins got the guy the Yankees wanted and a trade proceeded from there. Sanchez may not likable, but he catches more games than Garver. Not that the Twins need that if Jeffers works out. What I hate is that he is basically a clone of Sano, who I don't really want to see in the field either. These two batting in the same lineup - meh! Gio is like a more fleshed-out Escobar. Workable. Maybe Miranda will start the season in leftfield. Maybe not (Garlick, Cave or Rooker?). I picture, as of today, Beckham being the starting shortstop.

It ws a salary dump of Donaldson to someone willing to take the full contract. Gio can be a stopgap at third and also a mid-season tradechip if the Twins go bad. Expect Miranda to start at AAA, unless he pounds the ball this spring and wins the leftfield job over guys like Garlick and Cave (or Rooker). I don't understand Sanchez. He is a clone, basically, or Sano. Bat him back-to-back with Miguel and we can have a real rally killer. Yes, he could float into the DH spot, and maybe produce. I liked Rortvedt. Was always curious to see what a "muscle" guy might be able toa ccomplish in baseball. Man, his arms! And he would've been a great tandem with Jeffers. Right now, who is our catcher is someone goes down? I picture Sanchez being the third catcher/DH. Maybe the Twins can flip Sano? Would you be willing to take the salary of Myers or Hosmer for Sano? Can the Padres throw in a pitcher or two? I hope the dang yearbook hasn't gone to the printer yet!

It's not a matter of getting him for, perhaps, $110/5years. It is what Story wants and feels he needs to get. I don't suspect he will go cheap but, yes, you might be able to get him for less years, albeit for more money. The Twins will still see potential in Lewis, Martin and hopefully Larnach. But all three could end up as corner outfielders, as Kepler is not necessarily a lon gterm answer in right. So signing a long-term shortstop is not out of the questions...bridging the gap to the Wander Javier decade (sic). The Twins do have a couple of prospects that may be 4-5 years away from fulltime work at shortstop in the majors.

This all had to work from the angle of: "Hey, someone will take Josh Donaldson off of our hands, and his ENTIRE salary. WHat do we have to do to make this work."

$50 million gone just like that! I'm not sure what to make of one-year of Sanchez. Rortvedt at least had some promise, especially defensively. Is Gio a third baseman, or do they try him at shortstop?

Big salary dump, hopefully, of Donaldson. Clears path for Miranda if Gio can play shortstop. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, we knew you...well, not well.