Rosterman

I just hope Sano reports in shape and IS a third baseman. I also hope they still keep Austin until the final day of spring training. You never know. I don't think the Twins need more starters. They have to see what they have. And I would be satisfied with letting Pineda, Gibson and Odorizzi being tradebait at mid-season. The bullpen...I would only add by subtracting, and be harsh. Can you do better than Reed, and eat his salary? But any signings in relief take the place of some lesser body on the 40-man.

Well, since Royce and Alex are still Twins for the next 7-9 years more of less. Would you go 4 with an option, or 5 years. Would you spend $100 million to tie him to the Twins (what can you give as an upfront bonus compared to yearly payouts)?

Bigger Question: What is the Twins Rotation in 2020 and how do we get there. Berrios Gonsalves Littell Thorpe Mejia DeJong Slegers May Romero Stewart Poppen Wells Alcala Who do you really push. Who is a better fit for the bullpen. Can you get most of them a half season of work in 2019 at the major league level.

Sadly I don't see any of the current team guys as a longterm Twin, even Berrios will become trade fodder once it looks like he may be too expensive. If the Twins sign Lewis or Kiril to a long-long term deal down the road, yes. It is going to be a strange decade, the next ten years of Twins ball.

Right now, the three are hungry. They should produce (especially Gibson) like they have never ever produced before. Of course, having a decent lineup and guys in the field would help any of them. The Twins need to take stock of what they have on the verge and on the horizon. I think they have enough. Pitch the three, trade them. If you feel the need to extend one...try to do so as the season progresses. Right now I a even wary that extending any would still make it possible to trade them in the future. Thus, a rebuilding team fer sure.

You really don't see a need to sign any of these guys longterm, especially with the attitude coming out of the front office that these are players of yore and MAYBE not the future of the team, as they see it...and any arbitration salaries for the future will be happily accepted or the players moved before they become too expensive. Except Berrios.

Twins lukced out. Got to keep guys no one wanted but was better than anyone they might've chosen.

I would rather go with what we have and say no no no no to all of the above no matter how cheap.

I wish the 8-man bullpen was a thing of the past. It may not be if you have to throw out 1-inning pitchers to start a game. But not sure how that will work. The Twins could with a shorter bullpen, except we don't know if Pineda can pitch five innings, we know Odorizzi can get to a sixth inning as he didn't show it last season. 100 pitch counts means guys come up short...Romero included. Ca the Twins transform a couple of their starters-to-be to bullpen arms like ground-ball Stewart and left Mejia? Would seem logical. How many one inning setup men do you need pitching every other day, i.e. Hildenberger getting overused. It hurts the bench, which needs a backup catcher (Garver) an infielder (Adrianza) and a guy who can play the outfield or maybe somewhere else (Cave, Willians). The days of a defensive replacement, a pinch runner, or a pitch hitter are moot. Maybe it is tie for the majors to expand rosters to 27 or 28 players so you can have those extra arms, since so few pitchers actually pitch 200 innings and a relief pitcher shouldn't be needed 80 times in a season. And nice to have some bench strength. I think the union would love the extra salaries for "fringe" potential players to get a shot at the majors. Or maybe you are allowed to carry the extra players, but only allow 25 to suit up for a game (okay, you already gave four arms that don't really suit up to play in a game already). But this is about Austin. He showed power. All or nothing. Not much in the batting average. Lots of k's. But he should get a strong look in spring training as the Twins lose him if he goes back to the minors. I keep thinking about Chris Parmelee who had a good late-season run. And then I think of former Yankee Kevin Maas as the DH-to-be who was worse than Logan Morrison. In someways I'm excited about spring training to see what the Twins think they are putting on the field...and then hoping I can stomach up the bucks to watch it all play out on the field.

It's such a tough call. Do you sign on Buxton and Sano and Kepler long term, or wait and see and they either become considerably more expensive or you escaped throwing money after replacement players. I see the Twins being cheap again this season. Sure, they made an overture towards Yu last season. But somehow...call it Pohlad madness or low expectations...I don't see any spending on major free agents. Even the three rotation arms...I almost doubt that any will be extended beyond 2019 (although I have hopes that Gibson and the Twins might reach an agreement). I still wonder if we are seeing the remaking of the Twins in an image of Falvey and Levine, which is still looking at the pieces from the past with hopes for the future and the desire to avoid any major commitments until they get a total handle on what they want to do with the team on the playing field. But the question remains, how do you sell the Twins in 2019? No superstar player. "Hey, we came in 2nd! In 2018" might look good to the casual fan. Until they see the ticket prices and the St. Paul Saints play on the field. Anyone excited about TwinsFest, or will the Twins stack the player appearance rooms with Mauer and Hunter and Morneau and Cuddyer? Talk about old timer weekend. I'm not against what the front office is doing. But they do have revenue to spend and, as we all know, what isn;t spent is never carried over for future seasons...instead goes into some money bin, or to pay off sooner the Target Field debt so the team's worth looks great on paper to borrow more money for something other than baseball.

I totally agree on the Field and Drake. Jeez. Better to have seen Reed or Wade at that point. Even Granite (why he remains on the roster still is beyond me - talk about an unlucky minor league season). Dumpster diving is fine. If you are non-competitive, n total rebuild. But then, you also give the unproven rookies a shot. Well, maybe Fordon does need a good solid season at AAA.

Hildenberger was overused. Hopefully more situational next season. What more amazes me is all these high/drafted relief pitchers that never panned out for the Twins. Yes you make fringe starters into relief pitchers: Mahoney Perkins Nathan Aguilera and good old Fast Eddie come to mind!

Castro will be the main catcher still in 2019 so Mitch will get to prove himself a bench bat. Then we approach 2020. But if Garver can’t catch we have Willians. they need to fix the gear!

You also forget that Rooker may be in the mix. The Twins could possibly trade Rosario and get more. We see what Eddie can do. He might keep doing it. But is he elite? Kepler is someone a team would take a flyer on (similar the Yankees with Hocks - who still isn't the 4-tool superstar we all thought he might be when drafted). The bigger question is do we double-down and sign him longer term and hope he hits for a bit higher average with the same home runs and defense skills, as well as maybe play a bit of first, or let it be someone else's problem and be amd about the return.

I have no issue with any of the moves. But it does show that the Twins aren't going after the big-big money players, and if I must say, still looking hard at what they do have. Be interesting to see the arbitration settlements with the likes of Sano and Buxton and if they do extend Berrios and Rosario. Yes, they can still add a bullpen arm. They might pull off a trade. I hate to see them just jettison players from the current 40-man with nothing received in return. But we will see. Hope they don't see the need for a Rule 5, especially a bullpen arm. Will the Twins break $90 million in salary? Will anyone go to TwinsFest?

I can't wait to see what Brian Dozier ends up signing a contract for?

Yangervis or Willians? At this point, would go with the guy who can also be a catcher, assuming the Twins only go with 7 arms in the pen. Yes, I like the fact that Solarte would be a fine backup for third base if Sano goes south. Solarte might be pricing himself out of the mArket for a sub role. Who knows. He will be an interesting player to watch in the off-season.

Well, again, signing a guy who needs to play his heart out if he wants to strike it big as a free agent. Why not? Means the Twins still have some faith in Gordon. But signing Schoop and Torreyes means that the Twins NOW have an abundance of middle infielders on the roster, two of whom we frankly can say weren't a bet to break camp with the Twins in 2019 and are questionable, still, about how they might contribute to the major league team next year. Torreyes makes Adrianza expendable as they both fight for a job in spring training. We will wait and see.

Twins need Sano at third. They also have to make a decision on starters long term or to try the youth. If seeking free agents think long term. Same with trades. But the Sano and Buxton situation complicates things. Who are these guys and do you want them for the future?

White is fine if you have him as part of a playing bench or someone who can play sub a limited amount of time if you fail to call up and give revs to your hit position prospect. Are there better? Yes! But probably cost more in the end run. Is he the right piece for a contending team? There I would probably say no and spend more but right now he is economically fit for the Twins.

Man, a tough one. Yes, the Twins could afford Cano. But he is expensive and aging. Yet he would also solve the problem at 2B for a couple of seasons. Not sure where he would play the rest of his contract. But assuming that he IS the second baseman for the once and future present: Nick Gordon Stephen Goncalves With an outfield set of Rosario/Kepler/Buxton with Cave on staff and Raley/Rooker./Krilloff in the wings, you could add Tyler Larnach OR one of Rooker/Raley If you had seen fit to add Jake Reed or Tyler Jay to the 40-man, both could be considered immediate trade pieces. Would offer one of them. If you have to sweeten the pot still further with "prospects" I would throw out names like Andrew Cabezas, Blayne Enlow or Bryan Sammons, for example. Any one perhaps? I would also make the Mariners take Addison Reed, since you are getting, essentially, your future closer and need them to eat some of your salary. None of the losses about would hurt the Twins. But not really sure how much they would gain with Cano. Diaz would be a plus. Could the Twins get Seager, too. Maybe dangle Wander Javier in the mix. Five players for two. Six players for three and you eat ALL the money. Twins can afford it. But the Twins aren't going anywhere unless Buxton and Sano come thru.

Right now you go with Odorizzi and Gibson and if you don't see longterm possibilities, hope they pitch their hearts out entering free agency and you can flip them. Is there loyalty involved in Gibson (considering our outcry not to offer him arbitration as little as two seasons ago). Can you find a reserve infielder with experience for the price of Adrianza? Grossman vs. Granite/Cave/Reed or Austin/Cron. There is no longer room in the inn. But you sign him just in case? Injuries? You don't have to pay him at some point? Bigger question, will someone sign him or would he have to sign a non-major league contract with an invite to spring training?

I would say Cron is one of those nice pickups that could be flipped down the line (shades of Morrison if he had produced and din't get injured at the last moment). Word is still out on out-of-options Austin who could be the next Chris Parmelee (or Kevin Maas) for all we know. Austin could play in an already packed outfield that sees the return of last years big three starters with names like Reed, Cave and Grossman looking for playing time, not to mention Wade (and maybe somehow Granite remains). Of course, Sano is still the elephant in the room. If he plays third, then we have a first baseman and a DH for 2019 and too many outfielders, and no one costing us a lot of money until the Twins decide if a Raley or Rooker or someone else is ready for a longterm look beginning in 2020. Would we rather see the aging Cruz at DH and pulling down about twice in salary (why not, the Twins have money to burn). Could the Twins get Santana? Was there ever really an interest in Goldschmidt> The Twins, if they cut Cron before x-amount of spring training games, are only in for a fraction. They saw that someone might be claiming him, instead of hoping he became a bonifide free agent and cost more (or less, shades of Trevor Plouffe). But in the other news, I might've gambled on $23 million for Donaldson instead and see if Sano is our future first baseman or just a forever DH (or the next Oswaldo Arcia) in 2019. Ah, well. who is still at second, or is it shortstop. And I don't know could still be third base.

You still have Raley in the first base mix, too. And maybe eventually Sano. The bigger question: If the Twins go cheap on free agent monies in 2019 (and possibly 2020), we know that anything NOT spent doesn't carry over into the future. Right? So is there anything wrong with spending the line this season. You still get to see how Goldschmidt does before even thinking of an extension, and always have the qualifying offer (or a draft pick return). Twins prospects are still a good season (or two) out and realistically, looking at 2021 as being the day the Twins MIGHT field a team with some of their in-house talent competing.

Where do players live when playing ball. Are there host families, or are they on their own, doubling or tripling up in low-rent apartments?