Rosterman

The evils of baseball. When you have the opportunity to garner a spot as a pitcher, Slegers and Mejia both come up lame, and Felix Jorge has disappeared from the Twins system. I always wondered if Zack Granite might've roved exciting in centerfield and his chance to shine would've been 2018. But he hit the disabled list and has now been passed over. He could remain a Twin, but he might be best to seek job opportunities elsewhere.

The more I think about it, the Twins would be best served by not offering arbitration to Doorizzi and Grossman. That money could be better spent elsewhere. Of course, I would not rule out the trade value of either, but I don't see Odorizzi getting $9 million in the free agent market place. In that case, Astudillo then gets a spot on the Twins. I like the guy because he can catch and also play a lot of positions adequately and also be a solid bench bat...maybe. There are still questions, but like what I saw. I think the Twins are pretty much stuck with Jason Castros. He is a plus if he can catch more often than not and work with the younger pitchers on the staff. Let Garver catch Gibson and Pineda, if need be. I would like to hope that the Twins could pull some trades for middle infield, maybe a DH bat. We will see. Otherwise, they could spend big on a one or two year deal. Actually, when you look at where the monies are tied up with the Twins (Gibson, Pineda, Odorizzi, Reed, Castro), the Twins really don't need any of those salaries if they could find takers. But, again, why would anyone WANT these players for their going rate when they can find sufficient replacement value players at a better discount.

The question is: Who's on Third. Is Sano the third baseman for at least three more seasons, until the Twins see if any on-the-fringe names of prospects, can play the position? Third base is NOT a strength in the organization right now.. Really. It isn't. At least in a player of the quality of Donaldson or with the expectations of Sano. Is Sano better suited to first base and designated hitter? At this point hate to make Sano JUST a designated hitter. We can't really answer the question if Sano stays in the game better if in position on the field rather than as a watcher from the bench. And, today, right now, the Twins have at least Tyler Austin who should fill the power needs at first until the Twins see if Rooker or someone else steps up to the plate. Three years at $75 million? WIll he bring stability to the order and the team? Is the salary too high that he isn't flippable at some point if the Twins would like to move on, even if absorbing part of the salary? Will he be willing to even look at the Twins and field an offer? The Twins do have the funds. It wouldn't break the bank, assuming Mauer isn't coming back. No doubt the Twins will try and low ball if possible, depending on interest, but they should make a competitive offer for his services.

I was a bit taken aback that the Twins had fallen to 20th in attendance. Where they will end up after 2019 is...scary. That they are in the middle of the pack for payroll. Does the front office not realize that you spend money and put a team on the field and attendance likely will improve? Happily (but sadly) with Mauer gone and a house-cleaning continuing, the front office will be able to remake the team in their own image. Yes, the Twins CAN spend upwards of $150 million. They have to if they wish to remain competitive. Yes, the Twins WILL NOT spend that much money this season as the look once again at the longterm possibilities of Sano, Buxton, Kepler, although signing any of them longer term if you have faith in them producing average or above would be prime right now, a you might be able to get the bargain you wanted last season. The pain of Alex and Royce being Boras clients is that we will start hearing thoughts on "holding the players back" if either have a breakout minor league season again. An agent wants players to hit the majors as soon as possible and get that service time in and arbitration out of the way before they hit their 28th/29th year so the big money will happen. Actually, most are happy jut for the percentage of major league monies over minor league wealth.

I’m looking at this list and think 25 will make the majors in some capacity either with the Twins or someone else which gives the Twins hope as well as trade depth and half if the next 10 should too. Whew! And

See that the Twins lost minor league hitting coordinator Rick Eckstein to the Pirates coaching staff. Do we expect a sjakeup in the minor leagues, still. Lots of new names (many from outside pro baseball) added last season. Not to mention any front office moves. Been a couple of season advancing people to "senior" or "consulting" positions. Is the Twins-extended family in for even more changes?

Twins just lost two year Minor League Hitting Instructor Rick Eckstein to the Pirates. Eckstein was well respected in the coaching industry. Be interesting to see who the Twins get to replace him. Always thought it was a coup when they got him originally to work with the prospects out of Ft. Myers.

Doug Bernier. Hey give a job to Mike Redmond.

Yes, it would be nice to add a bat as the Twins do need a middle infielder and the Sano question of play (is it 1st or 3rd still or DH). SOmeone who could play third base would be a fine addition especially, and a second-base placesetter if Gordon is far from ready (or take a chance on Nick) and decide if Polanco plays second or shot. I would, of course, tie up Gibson, Berrios, Rosario for the longerm. Not that I think Rosario is a Twin forever, but he does deserve a negotiation, a fair negotiation to take the Twins into their free agent seasons. Castro is pretty much a given due to his salary and doubt that anyone would come after him, unless he does show something more with his bay yo begin the season and a team needs a catcher. Odorizzi and Pineda could easily, at this point, be replaced by the half-dozen starting prospects that will have to find minor league rotation spots. So, the Twins could seriously considered NOT going to arbitration with Odorizzi if they really don't see him in the picture. Or, perhaps, a trade to someone else willing to pay the upwards of $10 million to keep him in the rotation. Reed is an expensive commodity in the bullpen. Imagine the Twins will do everything to let him be the closer, although I would rather see them put their eggs in the May basket. Pineda will start because he has a hefty salary, that is assuming that he is healthy again to start. By all accounts he could open the season on the disabled list to get further into shape. I was so excited when I thought he might make a few September appearances to shake off the rust. The Twins do need to heavily evaluate their farm system and decide who can be traded, who they will lose in the near future if they can't find a space for them on the roster or even the 40-man in the next season. Like all those rotation arms, there has to be some promise to another organization for any of the arms. I am actually excited about the Twins for 2019, even if there are a bunch of rookies in the mox. I hope that Buxton and Sano do come back and post better than average seasons, that Kepler grows, that Berrios dominates, that Romero breaks the rotation and that Mejia is the darkhorse and if you feel Odorizzi is a less than three times thru the order starter, I would just as soon give those starts to Stewart. And we haven't even discussed Goncalves. Besides Rogers and a better used Hildenberger, the Twins have some studs in Moya and Vasquez from the left side, Curtis should be better than even, Busenitz might have figured it out. And you can always find another Drake or Magill...but don't bring back Belisle. Again, the Twins need an infielder. They need a bat for DH, unless you are going to move Cave into that position (sadly Grossman is not the answer but will probably hang around thru spring training just in case).

Drake and Field have both been offed and claimed by other teams. Now four open spaces after the Michael Reed addition.

I'm not sure what happened in 2018. Supposedly Rowson didn't give up and worked really hard with Buxton in 2017 and the ending of the season proved that something clicked between the two. But, yes, the over all dismal flailings of the batters during the 2018 campaign makes me wonder why the hitting aspect of the coaching team is being kept, from all the coaches, and other candidates not even explored. I would hope the new manager has full say on his staff, although open to recommendations of folks to look at and consider from the front office.

23 pitchers currently on the 40-man. 14 field guys. Whew. I could easily say goodbye 8-10 players that could be replaced with competent cuts from other teams. Happily the Twins really only need to add 3-5, at the most, on their roster. Which made most of the trades look really good at the deadline...they got players that they didn't need to add to the roster but can take a good look at for a season in the minors. Be interesting to see what remains of the AAA and AA rosters from free agency, and how many bodies the Twins search out for those rosters, compared to guys already in the system needing play. Bu the reality of looking at the 40-man...how many names from the 37 shown would actually get a major league contract (i.e. 40-man spot) on the roster of another team in either league. That is what is scary of the Twins current roster!

I believe in Falvey and >evine.Year One, they came in late. They worked with what they had as they started to evaluate the fellow front office staffers and look at the team they inherited. Year Two, the made changes in some coaching and throughout the minors. They had their second real draft. They did some things with international money and grabbing prospects. They suddenly got a push to be competitive in a weak division, and althopugh the play for Yu might've been more lip-service than actual (and thankfully didn't pan out), they did spend monies available to fill the roster with some strong veteran bullpen signings, a temporary fix in the rotation and a bat. Plus they traded excess for Odorizzi who, if he pitched well, could be resigned for a longer term. They managed to flip the under=performing free agents for some system rich prospects. Overall, these guys are looking ahead, trying to invision what the Twins of 2020 and 2021 and beyond will look like. This season they have to AGAIN evaluate the failures of 2018, from Sano and Buxton to even Kepler. They need to make decisions on promising arms like Vurtis and Moya and Gonsalves and Stewart and Littell and even more from their pitching rich system. They have to make some hard decisions because not all of these guys will be here in 2020 and beyond, as there are other arms pushing from the low minors that could break into the team as long lasting prospects. They do have a solid system of "prospects" and need to look at what is out there that will benefit the Twins in trade and be resignable for 3-4 years. They do need to see what free agents they could sign longterm that would be viable for the pay for a 4-7 year term, in truly plausible. They will be in a position to sign some guys, like they did in 2018, for a one-year deal and maybe an option who, no matter how they perform, could still bring back bodies. Of course, they and their staff have to think hard about what prospects have the best chance of being major league material, who will work into the lineups of 2019 and 202 for sure. I do believe they have a plan. That they are pushing for the freedom to make the Twins a dynasty of their own choosing and have been chipping away at the Twins Way and the promote from within and the lifetime employee structure of the organization...all of which can remain but shouldn't be the main priority of putting a winning dynasty on the field. Most of all, I do believe they have monies. 2018 wasn't a total bust and they should still have $115-120 million in payroll. I want them to win, so just saying "remain competitive in the division" isn't enough anymore. Yes, a second place finish in the Central looks good on paper, but it really isn't as glorious as at was the year before, and that wasn't the best of seasons, either. The Big Picture is that these guys have signed and traded for some good hungry players. They will have another off-season to add even more to the mix, and many many of these guys will never ever see daylight in a Twins uniform, but that doesn't mean they don't have value to get someone who can play for the Twins. You only have so many seasons to play with prospects before you lose them. I would love to see the boards in the office, with the names written in for 2020, the possibilites for 2021, the ones even highly rated for the year/s beyond that. Then the names they might be after to fill the holes in each season, and the dollars they feel are worth spending. Right now, the Twins should've been hard-pressed to long sign Buxton, Sano and Kepler. But now there has to be a wait and see. Yes, they should long sign Rosario and Berrios fer sure, maybe look at a couple of bullpen arms, make a decision on Polanco for a lowend 3-year deal (he can always be the super sub). And look at what is available, not just as free agents but also in trade. The evils of free agents is that they do bump prospects, so those prospects need to be moved while they still have supposed value in the eyes of others.

The Twins should have 5 roster spots. givens are Anderson and Reed and Gordon. I would also consider Arraez. After that you add by subtraction. Is Wade better than Grossman as an example. No one else stands out as being an exceptional add that probably won’t be passed by someone in the system that doesn’t need roster protection. The greater loss to the Twins could be in the minor league portion of the draft but again the two they might lose isn’t earth shattering. The odd guy is Quezada. Could he be a Santana-like pick that could blossom as a backend keeper for a rebuilding team looking at a guy to contribute three years out? The Twins gave to make decisions on the starting depth. And they will have names like Granite and Slegers and Dejong not to mention Duffey or Busenitz that could be removed for free agents or signing other “better” 40-man guys released by other teams. The other question is who besides Bard and Baxendale will walk as free agents. Is Navaretto a minor league free agent? If so that may be the only reason to add him if you can’t resign him to a minor league contract.

Rocco Power! Let's see how the coaching staff shakes out, now. I like it!

Yes, Rosario might be at his best for trading. Sadly, you still have to sit on your hands with Kepler and Burton and pray for prospects. Is Gordon a second baseman or shortstop. He is, by all accounts, a top prospect. But his value, at the moment, isn't all that high since he has played reasonably bad at AAA. The Twins need to try him out and just see if he is hungry enough to play in the majors. Addison Reed, at this point, can be written in as the closer for the Twins. Not that someone else (May) can't take that job away. Sadly, unless Reed IS a closer, no one would be eager to grab his $8 mil salary. Although it is Year 3 of the Falvey/Levine regime, it is, essentially, Year Two as they came in late and inherited a 2017 team. Made some changes in the offseason for 208, most notably trying to field a halfway decent team to compete in the AL Central (where they did come in second, again). I still give them until 2020/2021 to show us Big winners. So 2019 is still a rebuild and 2020 is the year I expect to see things happen. As for Sano, he creates questions not just at third, but also at firstbase and designated hitter. Is he another Oswaldo Arcia, or can he be the once and future David Ortiz the Twins need for the next decade, getting a decent salary and making us love him at the plate as a face of the franchise. And Rooker is bad at first AND the outfield? Makes you NOT want to trade Rosario.

Leadership, of course. Ability to work with both young players and veterans. A personality to deal with the media and public. Someone who looks not only at analytics, but also how the player fits into the lineup and the team as a whole. And someone who has a say in the overall field staff of the team and works closely with management on the new Twins Way. It's a new world for the Twins. Considering that there might be only half-a-dozen holdovers from the 2017 team and maybe a couple more from the 2018 team in the grand scheme of things go forward towards 2020 and beyond, the manager will be able to put their own leadership stamp on the Twins. Not a one year deal for sure. Be interesting to see how the overall coaching staff pans out.

I do wonder how much say the new manager will have in the ENTIRE coaching staff.

Gibson, sign him for 3-years and an option, but do consider trading him if he pitchers well. You have to find starts in 2019 for the next crop to see what you do have. Ae goncalves and Stewart for real? Can Romero be a stud come 2020. When do you pitch Thorpe. Chances of Odorizzi and Pineda being here in 2020 are slim to none. If they pitch great, you get MORE prospects. Sano is the BIG question. Is he at third, first or just a DH. If you move him to 1B/DH, then you need a third baseman. Will be interesting to see the monies thrown at Escobar. I doubt the Twins will spend BIG in the free agent market, and sadly any monies saved in 2019 WON'T be added to 2020 and beyond. The fat wallet is always a plus in Pohlad land, it seems. Again, they will try and do some stopgaps that may be flippable. I would not consider that to be ALL bad, if the bodies perform a tad better than, say, Lynn and Morrison and Reed did this apst year. WOuldn't it be funny if the Twins signed Dozier for a one-year, only to flip him again in mid-season?

So, what is important for a first baseman...a BIG BAT (homers) or a great glove. They do have a need to hit, either for an above average average, or be a slugger of sorts. But what do you really need? First, you have to have a good idea of who is on second and what is at shortstop. What kind of glove do you need (and stretching power) to field plays from those positions at the bag...some of the time. Also, urability for the same reasons is a plus. For that reason alone, a first baseman needs to hold down the bag on a more than regular basis. Plus, so pitchers know how the guy will field the occasional pickoff throw, too. The Twins have: No one. Tyler Austin CAN play first, he's a good temporary fix. The Twins need to roster him in 2019. He can also DH and play some outfield. So look for him to make the team. Still not sure if he can hold down the position for the long haul. Same with Miguel Sano. The guy IS comfortable at third base, moving to first puts you in the game a lot more. Does he have it to do that, or will he be best served being a designated hitter where he can spend ALL his time on working on hitting and studying the pitchers. I ahd a thought of Max Kepler being the first baseman of the future. But at what point does a guy need time in training. He hits enough homers, his average is below average. But he has the make to be Dougie Baseball, which is fine unless you have a Justin Morneau in the wings. Is Brent Rooker that guy, or better served as a corner outfielder in place of Kepler out there. Rooker is the question. All of the above guys should be Minnesota Twins players in 2019. Probably all back in the fold the following season, too. So, barring a terrible terrible downslide (again) by Sano, Tyler AUstin being the Return of Kevin Maas or Chris Parmelee, and Max Kepler just being okay...we patch things for 2019 and look to see what Lewin Diaz and Luke Raley can offer to the mox. But then, we still have the question...I don't know, third base!

Mejia is interesting. Too bad they didn't get more out of him. I think he needs to remain on the 25-man. Being a lefty, he will get every chance to break with the team. Still the core 7. Will be given part of 2019 to prove they belong or...adios! The question is: do you offer 2-3-4 (or option year) contracts to Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi, Trevor May, Taylor Rogers (along with Berrios and Rosario NOW) to keep them a part of the future team...and for how much! If a player isn't suited for the team in 2020 and beyond, you have to start thinking of them as a commodity NOW and trade piece. Hopefully for something equal (younger) and better.

Mending with Escobar? Hey, he was going to explore free agency anyways, went to Arizona, performed well. Eduardo will take the money and run with it. I'm sure he would happily return to Minnesota for the right payday. And he knows he would have a playday here. If the Twins are going to go into the Free Agent Market, they have to latch onto the name that can be the Face of the Franchise for 2019 and a strong face beyond. They have to bleed Minnesota Twins. Otherwise, why bother throwing all that money out there. Of course, two or three names - Bullpen/Rotation/Batter would be a good Trio for selling tickets. And the Twins can afford to overspend. They have $35 million coming off the books after next season. There is nothing that says a lot of the arbitration guys will be around in even two years.

Stop being down on Nick Gordon. He COULD be better than he was at AAA. Don't expect our front office to do the exact same thing as Milwaukee. First off, season one they came in late and dealt with holdover issues. Season two, they revitalized the minors and built their own crop of prospects but had to play the game of competition for the Wild Card and sign free agents and stick with the Manager of the Year. This is the first full season of them doing what they want. Of course, Sano and Buxton (and Kepler) are still works in progress. The bigger question is do they push prospects out of spring training or mid-season. I see them entering the free agent market for REAL holes bigtime in 2020. UNLESS, they can sign some solid longterm pieces this of-season, but will the players come to the Twins AND NOT field better offers elsewhere. I felt they did a wonderful job at the trade deadline. I want to see who starts at AA and AAA next season. Hopefully a limited amount of minor league free agents filling out the AAA roster. But Job One! Hire the Manager of Choice. Figure out the coaching staff and strength/condition staff. Make a couple more changes in minor league staffs. Yes, it MAY be a boring Hot Stove League season. But the Twins will still be stronger than three other teams in their division and will have money to spend if they can make hard decisions on internal players.

You forget that draftees don't play ball everyday, which is what the low minors is all about. Then working on a schedule of food, sleep, fitness and playas you build up stamina and face increased competition at each level. Good piece.

What to do with Sano is the key. Like Mauer, he is the questionable need of the team. Is he a third baseman? If not, you need to grab Escobar again, or maybe a longterm solution. If he plays fist, is he a better choice overall than Austin/Kepler at the bag. If he is a DH who can also still need to look at third base and first base...hard.