Rosterman

I love it when we complain about first year (or even second year) guys not producing big numbers in the minors. Hey, once you leave the realm of high school, or college, you are suddenly playing with the best guy from everyteam on your team or an opposing team. Even in the majors, you can be a Denny Hocking and have a career because you fill a skillset. And you have to be darn good to hold your own at every minor league level, as you adjust to pitchers with control, great video, and the day-to-day of having fun but improving your skills. It is a job now and you have to come to the field everyday to work, work, work. If you don't you get passed by as 300 top names are added to teams systems every single season. That said, some rich names here. Enlow is the one that excites me the most, but we won't see him in action until mid-season. He might make his debut in 2023. Spencer Steer is a perfect example of a player who has improved. He is one of those surprise guys that could get a call if someone goes down and find himself in a major league career because he is ready to play in a variety of positions. Same for Eduoard Julien. You hate the thought that top prospects might be all-around good utility guys, but that can be valuable to a team. Maybe they can hone their skillset to fill just one position. No one here will help this year. Enlow maybe the next. We will see what 2024 ranks the others.

The whole age thing? You see enough to develop the player in your own way. Do they need a college program (and metal bats)? Right now, the Twins have Royce Lewis and Austin Martin. Both roughly the same age. They have to protect Lewis. But both, if Lewis hadn't missed a season, would be at the same level, fighting for the regular job at AAA. Hey, Lewis would be in the majors if he didn't m,iss a year to COVID, except for the slight setback at the plate in 2019 before Fall League play. Sands will get an opportunity in 2022 because he could be considered as much a relief arm as a starting arm. The question will be where does he pitch. In AA he will be able to start regularly as the mound will be full at AAA. Varland and Wallner need not be protected until next winter. Which means, beyond a mirale need, neither will see major league play until 2023 at the earliest (sadly, maybe). Celestino now has three more years of develoopment before needing to be a regular. The Twins will keep him as backup for Buxton and have him play his heart out in centerfield at St. Paul. If Buxton stays well, Celestino is still the choice to come up if Kepler would also go down (because he can play center as a backup). But the Twins can carefully watch and see him develop his skills further (at age 22 only here) to be a possible regular in a year or two or three. Who knows if Buxton will still be in center come 2025? Noah Miller is one of those guys. You don't know where he will be in 5-6 years. Will Martin or Lewis be our shortstop? Will Wander or Keoni be our shortstop? We have three solid bonus names in the system, still so young, still so far away from being called upon to be a regular. Remember, five years in the minors before needed a 40-man add. They four more years in the system playing backup. Do we want to push a Miller to be a star at 20, at 22, be happy at 24, by okay at 26?

Yep, didn't want to pay big money in a year or so to Hicks and they needed a catcher.

Elizabethton, which was the short season stop for so many of these players in 2017, has quite a current alumni list going into the six summers since. Colina was 20 (3-5, 3.34). Griffin Jax was an old 22 (0-3, 3.86). Bailey Ober, 21 (2-2, 3.21). Randy Dobnak, 22 (2-0, 2.39). Huascar Ynoa, only 19 (0-1, 5.20) and traded to the Braves where he pitched in the majors in '22. Jovani Moran, 21 (3-1, 0.36). Charlie Barnes, 21 (2-0, 1.19). Brusdar Graterol, 18 (2-4, 3.92). Bryan Sammons and Melvi Acosta still remain Twins pitching prospects. Rickey Ramirez was on the team, taken last year by the Orioles in the Rule 5. Calvin Faucher was traded to the Rays. Moises Gomez is in the Seattle system, Ryley Widell is in the Dodgers system. Juan Gamez is in the Cubs system. Jose Miranda was 19, Brent Rooker 22, and Akill Baddoo 18. Baddoo was lost in the Rule 5 and made the majors with the Tigers. Mark Contreras, Wander Javier and Andrew Bechold are still considered Twins prospects. Jordan Gore was a 22-year-old shortstop who is still a Twin prospect, now as a bullpen arm. Trey Cabbage signed with the Dodgers in the off-season. 20 others who were searching for the dream are no longer in any minor league system, although a couple played indy ball last season. Pretty good odds that over half of the players on that low-level team would still be playing after five years in organized ball, many drafted the previous season.

DUSTEN KNIGHT has signed with the Rays. The former Oriole, he was a Rule 5 pick by the Twins in 2018 and sent back to his original team shortly after the 2019 season began. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=knight003dus

Yeah, Fernando Martinez instead of Gomez. Martinez did nothing, ended up being claimed on waivers by the Astros. The Twins also wanted Mike Pelfrey instead of Humber. Over in Boston Land, the Twins wanted Ellsbury and Jon Lester. Red Sox wouldn't give both. Countered with Coco Crisp. Then Bucholtz got added into the offer instead of Lester. Also as part of the package would've been infielder Jed Lowrie, and pitcher Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden. The Twins wanted Hughes and the Yankees were willing to add Melky Cabrera. But the Twins wanted more, asking for Ian Kennedy or another top prospect (Alan Horne or maybe Alan Jackson). Joba Chamberlain was also a mention. It was thought that the Yankees and Red Sox were going to outduel each other for the pitcher, but it also came down to money...did they want to add a $20 million a year arm to their alredy high payrolls. Here's an interesting look after-the-fact. https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/15979/baseball-proguestus-lose-lose-situation-revisiting-the-johan-santana-trade/ The Dodgers didn't thinbk they could pull it off, what with contract and DID Santana want to go West Coast. https://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/dodger-thoughts/post/_/id/1632/why-johan-santana-isnt-a-dodger And then later, there was talk of another Santana blockbuster deal as he wound-down his tenure in Mets-land. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/615792-mlb-trade-rumors-10-johan-santana-deals-that-make-sense-when-he-is-healthy

I'm curious to see how Joe Mauer does on the Hall of Fame ballot. And, if not elected on the first ballot, then question what he chances would've been if he had played anywhere otehr than Minnesota.

Yep, Danny Thompson, who played out the season, hung up his spikes, and passed on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Thompson_(baseball)

Most all of these guys would be reporting to spring training right now and getting a jump on getting in shape with hopeful early game action. The fact that they can't even play in minor league games will hurt them. And that they have to go thru spring training before they can report to AAA/AA ball.

It IS all about the money, and the market. Players (and their agents) look at the extra income that can happen with endorsements, for sure. In reality, the Twins are no worse than any of many markets that seldom get a free agent of note. Oakland, Kansas City, Baltimroe of late, Milwaukee more often than not. Cleveland, Marlins, even Tampa Bay. Best bet is to grab a contract in progress. Also, what...there are 50 top-flight free agents at best each season that will command high multi-year contracts starting at, what - $60-100 million these days? The Twins have to pay a tad more. That is how they got Ervin Santana. That is how they got Josh Donaldson. Coupled with the actual need of teams. How many teams needed a $100 million third baseman. How many teams need an aging starter. If there are better alternatives in the marketplace, or in their own system. Even players like Cruz and Thome. They got a decent offer from the Twins. Because not many teams were looking for a esignated hitter at their age, for one. And you have to be competitive. Somehow, players do want that precious ring. Houston, remember, ahd trouble once. They traded for higher-priced talent and then paid to keep them as they became a winning team. It is all a game, run by the agents in the end. You gotta sell the agents!

JOHN HICKS< who played for the Red Wings in 2016, has signed a minor league contract with the Cubs. He found a new career, mostly as a first baseman who could also catch, with the Tigers and Ranegrs since leaving the Twins system. The 31-year-old was drafted in 2011 by the Mariners. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hicks-005joh

Twins signed infielder DANIEL ROBERTSON to a minor league contract. Guy has had major league experience with the Rays, Brewers, Giants. Can play 2B/SS/3B. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roberda10.shtml

Don't forget Jim Mudcat Grant had a music career (with His Kittens, I think they were called). Also, I remember seeing Denny McLain play at the local Diamond Jim's during the off-season. Electric organist!

The other big pain would be the minor league complexes, like the Twins in Ft. Myers, who will be in play early April with the Mighty Museels and the rest of the complex acting as training for their instructional league players. Where are major league players housed for training and play.

Minor league rosters aren't set until the end of spring training. The bigger concern is will teams lose players in some sort of Rule 5 draft and when will that happen. All minor league players (except those on the 40-man) will report to Florida. Yes, the ones who lose are those who could play out of the gate instead of sitting and playting catch in a college fcility like Royce Lewis. But the 10 guys the Twins need to delegate to the minors will happenm, msot likely sending players backwards (remember, there are always around 40 in Florida doping the instructional leafue play before short-season ball begins). It does screw up somet hings like media guides and yearbooks (the Twins had thousands of leftover yearbooks from 2020 because they refuse to sell them in local newsstands at drugstores and grocery stores, unlike the Vikings), and their Yearbook didn't appear until mid-season last year. Yearbooks are important because they include ads, which are revenue. Not to mention lost revenue from broadcast and stadium advertising. Again, the Saints are covered. Martin will move up. Bechtold and maybe Wallner will advance. Miranda, Leach, Celestino, Lewis, Rortvedt would all go back to Saints land. Might be a bit crowded in the outfield, but you have a need for a DH. Saints games are already broadcast. Minor league teams are minor league teams. They serve the major elague teams and their standings relfect that by players moving about. But ALL teams face the same dilemma. Few these days buy ringers anymore, which is the problem you sometimes had with indy ball, although msot did carry a salary cap. All that I know is the players will make more money, ownership will raises prices as soon as they can once the season begins (although they will offer lots of "packages." And, prices again raised in 2023 so they can make their ungodly profits.

The Twins signed more outfield depth. COLE STURGEON, who played many years in the Boston organization and lately in the indy leagues, was placed on the Wichita roster. A 30-year old centerfielder. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sturge000col

Tim Beckham signs a minor league contract with the Twins that will pay upwards of a million bucks if he makes the team. The former Tampa Bay first rounder is a shortstop who can also play other infield positions. Sounds like he would've been a 40-man signing if that was possible. Maybe this is the Twins attempt to find a temporary shortstop (on the cheap). Maybe just depth (although the Twins have to find shortstop reps for the top tier minors for Lewis, Palacidos and Martin). https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beckhti01.shtml

They will start at St. Paul, but then have to make room for Balazovic, Duran, Thorpe, Jax, Strotman, Winder, Vallimont, Sands, Winder. Sure, a couple of these guys will start at AA, but..... Twins also have Chandler Shepherd and Bryan Sammons on the St. Paul roster as starters. And there is no room on the 40-man.

Well, with the hint that it is a million dollar contract, sounds like they would have him on the 40-man if possible right now. I don't really see him taking a paycut and working in St. Paul. The Twins have Palacios at shortstop there, possibly Austin Martins, and maybe Royce Lewis fast-tracked after starting in Wichita. By most account, I sadly expect Miranda to start the season at AAA until the Twins sort out Sano, Kirilloff, Garver and Donaldson for who plays when and where. The Twins could also advance Bechtold or Speer to St. Paul. And, heaven forbid, they need a spot for Gordon if they don't find room for him on their bench. So shortstop will probab,ly be Beckham's job to lose. And this makes me think the Twins will be dumpster diving for castoffs if and when spring training happens.

Enlow and Lewis, if they stay healthy, will come back. We keep forgetting that 2020 was a lost season for MOST ALL minor league players. All they did was get older, and lockup minor league service time towards their own free-agency. But MOST ALL flooundered by not advancing that season that they would've with competitive play., Keoni is 20 years old. Maybe he will blossom. The Twins have two more seasons to hope he thrives and they need to add him to the 40-man or lose him.

Well, they got their temporary shortstop on the cheap, and got him signed so he can work out early if there is still a lockout. Don't picture them signing anyone else. They think they got the one the need for a...bargain.

Twins signed another righty relief pitcher, STEVEN KLIMEK, out of the Orioles system. He's 27 and was assigned to Wichita. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=klimek000ste

I'm more worried abaout Top Prospect of 2022, and sad that Martin and Leis probably won't happen until 2023, as well as a host of potential pitchers.

Sadly, I would picture Odorizzi just getting cut at some point if he can't work out of the pen and if there is no spot for him in the rotation. The Twins benefitted bigtime in 2020 with the shorten season and the need NOT to pay Odorizzi $19 million. Is he worth $8 million a year for the next two seasons? Maybe. But I see a guy who would be hard-pressed to pitch 150 innings. And he can't seem, to get out of the fifth inning and into the 6th with any consistency. Maybve this is a guy that gives you the best results if you have an opener pitching to the first 4-6 batters in a game. But trading anyone of value? No. And not sure the Astros need to take a Thorpe or Rooker or anyone else on the fringe of our "need to play" or "need to protect soon" or we lose them forever and ever guys.

At this point he can only get better. Of course, I remember J.A. Happ and Matt Shoemaker.