Rosterman

So Lance Lynn shuts out the White Sox for 7+ innings with only one walk and 9Ks. Go figure.

2017 showed there might be a contention possibility, all depended on how Cleveland played the off-seson. To reach the Wild Card...wild thought. But the Twins did try to expand on the momentum of being in a weak divisiion without handcapping themselves by trading away prospects and, especially, locking into longterm contracts. The division IS weak and Cleveland is running away in the division with a poor record. You can look back and say that is the Twins had Mejia instead of Lynn, would they be five wins to the better than now? If Ervin Santana wasn't out for nearly four months and just out for one, would they have done it? Of course, no one predicted that EVERYONE would falter. Polanco gets suspended. Buxton and Sano get demoted. Dozier has holes in his bat. Kepler improves in one area and falls apart in tow others. They lose a veteran catcher. And Joe Mauer just contributes. They made decent signings/trades/ Got a first-rate closer who also keeps games exxciting. Two setup guys. They added a started on a one-year deal and another in trade. They got a 1B/DH with some power. All brilliant and economical signings. So economical that we now question WHY did they bother to sign the guys themselves for a bargian because didn't they think there was a reason every other team was hemming and hawing about these guys. We will now enter 2019 same as 2018. Same prospects hoping to make it big. Joe Mauer still there. The difference is that the aging vets will be gone and the choice needs to be mae to bring in another run of one-year lowballers, or just go with youth and what you can stuff in the cracks. They can pretty much fill the 40-man with guys on the team and in the organization. Can they improve? Sure, you can spend money and improve every position. But this is also the time to start closely evaluating the farm system. You will be trading pieces this coming season, and more than likely the next year, in hopes of getting more than decent team controlled pieces to strength true weaknesses.

You have to think ahead, if it means promoting guys before their time. Makes them better for spring training and next season. Right now the Twins have Berrios, Gibson and Odorizzi for the rotation. Mejia is showing some life. Romero got some experience and should only be better next season. There is an option of Ervin Santana being back. And Michael Pineda should egt some innings in September. Add in that you have Goncalves and Littell sitting ready in the wings for a chance, looks pretty good, doesn't it? You also have Thorpe, De Jong and Slegers. Castro should be back behind the plate with a much improved Garver. By all account Joe Mauer will return. You will still have Polanco and Sano and Adrianza. The Twins need to let Gordon come up and flounder if he must. You can always make a decision, then, for a short-term bandaid, not like him at all, or whatever. Depending on Sano and his remainder of the year you can start thinking of his place with the Twins. Is he a first baseman? A DH? Should you make a play again for Escobar? And then you also have Austin as the bench bat who can play first or the outfield. The outfield is set with Rosario, Kepler, Buxton and Cave. Twins lucky this year, they got more time or lower longterm salary for Buxton AND Sano. Lamonte Wade is in the background. The Twins could keep Grossman. The fate of Granite is up in the air. Rodney could be back as closer. He has the stuff. He keeps the game interesting. How many saves does a truly rebuilding team need? Can he suffice? Addison Reed could be acak, as he IS signed for $8 million for another season. Youc an assume that Hildenberger, Curtiss, Busenitz and Moya are in the mix. The fate of Duffey and Rogers can be determined. Magill is a possible Keeper. May is there. You have these arms for consideration from the minors: Jake Reed, Nick Anderson, D.J. Baxendale, Luke Bard, Tyler Jay...and Kohl Stewart will be added to the 40-man. Looks like the Twins have a team for 2019. WIll they be good? You don't know...it is up to the players. Your questions are 1B/3B/DH and can Gordon handle 2B (or do you move Polanco there). DO you stay young or keep the presence of Ervin Santana for another season. And the Field Staff. Do you make changes?

Overall, you can do nothing but be impressed. Dozier, may be worth more, but he has issues which is why the Twins weren't able to trade him for anything of substance in the past, and he actually went to a team that DIDN'T need to start him for the rest of the season, as either the Twins were asking too much to begin with, or there were others players more suitable for even a short term rental out there (and there were and they went to other teams). Pressly is a loss. He has been badly overworked this season and may just mellow out in the contending bullpen of the Astros. Always felt he had closer potential (like Jesse Crain) and that the Twins were fools to rid themselves of the player. But they got a nice return for someone who they grabbed in a Rule 5 draft. The Twins got a bench bat for next season who can play first, DH or work in the outfield, probably better than Grossman/ They got a pitcher who will bebattling Aaron Slegers for a spot on the 40-man come the off-season and who should get a looksee come September to see if he can handle long elief. They got waaaay too many outfielders, young outfieledrs. But we have to begin to question what the Twins will do with Kepler, what is the longterm spot on the team of Buxton, and CAN the Twins deal Rosario after maybe getting him on a team friendly extension. All deecisions that need to be made more towards the end of next season. But by 2021, expect the Twins outfield to look very different. What they didn't get...viable middle infield help, although they have that in the minors. Also, no catcher, but they MIGHT have two coming up towards 2020/2021. Now the question is what kind of movement do we see in the minors, how many free agents (including minor league free agents) do the Twins go after in 2019. But the system looks pretty darn good, especially with rotation arms.

Is Nick Gordon ready? Perhaps not. Would Brent Rooker be challenged at the Big League ;level? Probably. Should both get added to the 40-man roster this season instead of waiting until a later date? Why not? Right now, you have litle to lose having bpth of these guys in the majors taking some regaulr at bats for more than the month of September. Sure, the recent trade with the Yankees has set a temporary block on the arrival of Rooker, , but we are talking the future. Don't, front office, drag out Adrianza or Motter or Grossman to play as regulars. We NEED to give some exposure to the future. Let them take some licks. You can always send them back to the minors. The tell will be who closes for the Twins. Sure, Addison Reed is signed for another season and you have Belisle. But in rebuild mode, let Reed go on the August waiver wire and save $8 million next season. Let us see if Curtiss or Hildenberger or maybe even Trevor May can be the closer of the future? You have to make some 40-man decisions. Look at Kohl Stewart, Busenitz long and hard, maybe Luke Bard. Or move on. Is Zack Granite totally out of the picture? We know Buxton ain't. Don;t do waiver wire claims yourself. You can do all those for spring training invites ()look over the many many names that have since departed Twinsland, if you get a chance, of folks who didn't produce for Rochester or Chattanooga). Of course, still can't wait to see what happens with...Joe Mauer. And, of course, the Field Staff.

TWINS PAY HALF OF LYNN'S SALARY FOR REST OF SEASON. Is Austin as good, right now, as Logan Morrison? Is he a better choice to have as minor league depth, a bench bat than, say, Kennys Vargas? We will find out in 2019. Remember, who plays first if Mauer goes parttime and Sano fails. (Yes, Rooker is in the wings). Prtty much means we won't see Rooker this year, though.

Any issue with De Jong is he 40-man roster space he commands. He does have options, but if you remove him, you could lose him. He's 24, still has options, and at some point you have to ask is he a better keeper than Tyler Duffey or, say, Aaron Slegers, who could be used in long relief, too. You also got a corner infield prospect with some power for postotns that are weak (unproven) in the minors, third and first base. If nothing else, if power develops, he could be a nice bench-bat in the far future who can also play the field. Yes, he is pushing Robby Rinn for a spot in the organization come 2019. The $75,000 seems a laugh, especially when the inherited salary for Duke is next to nothing, and I'm pretty sure any team would've taken Duke for just giving the Twins salary relief come August. Worthwhile pickup. The Twins will have a lot of bullpen openings if the purge continues with Rodney, perhaps Addison Reed, the loss of Belisle (please) and a decision to be made on names like Taylor Rogers (and even possible replacement Tyler Duffey).

LOADS OF INTERESTING COMMENTS. Some Back -- You don't wait until the last minute to sell. Your players aren't the only ones out there. You do it when the opportunity arises. It would be wonderful to trade assets like Lynn, Dozier, Morrison, Duke, Rodney. But there are other equal, if not better, players floating out there. A team has to WANT this player for their contending roster. Your next step in the August waiver wire where a team HAS to take the player if they claim them, which can offer you salary relief and the potential to play someone in future plans, if you choose to let the player walk. You might be able to get a very minor prospect back in a deal. Again, the end of July dedline allows you to play teams against each other, or MAYBE you have to pay some of the outstanding salary to lose the player. Paul Molitor is a Hall of Fame person. That he can't take a couple of days to do festivities in Cooperstown, promoting the great game of baseball, should never be questioned. I'm sure arrangements are made, and the fact that the Twins are on a roadtrip close to the area also comes into play. This is an extended family thing. That he is still on the field for a team is a plus for the team, as well as baseball (although many of us MIGHT wish that he was not the field manager anymore). Should the Hall of fame have a better schedule for their induction ceremonies? Probably NOT on the final days of trading in July. Yes, maybe it should happen on the last day of the All-Star break, or the weekend before the All-Star game. whatever. But Hall of Famers is a unique club of a small amount of players and allowing them ALL to gather, if able, is a plus for baseball! People seem to forget that the Twins could have a decent rotation in 2019. They have Berrios, Gibson and Odorizzi. You forget that Pineda may be coming back for some innings in September. That three of these guys will be in walk years is the bigger question for the front office in the off-season. We also have Romero, Goncalves, Slegers, Mejia, Littell in the wings. And he potential exists that Ervin Santana could have his option picked uo for a modest $14 million. And, finally, how much stock should you always put in minor league numbers? Would nick Gordon flounder if he came up? Would Bent Rooker be in a chase game of "who strikes out the most" with Sano if he would jump from AA ball, a jump that has happened repeatedly in the past in the Twins organization? Would a player be hungry enough to shine shine shine if given a chance in the majors for more than a game or a week? And, then, will the coaches work and the players be willing to work to become a better player at the major league level? You don't know until you give it a shot.

What kind of moves will be forced in the minors, especially three potential starting outfielders who neded to be plugged into the low minors. Will the Twins start cutting some folks alredy on rosters? And with the potential of more to come? Sano NOW needs to produce, and by playing third base. Motter stays at Rochester. Okay, fine. but, again, here was a strange move by the Twins. You were, in all matters, moving infielders. So, when you bring back Santana...you keep Belisle? Of course, Belisle will be the closer if the Twins move Rodney, right? Instead of auditioning people in the organization for the long haul. ANy news on where Felix Jorge is hanging out?

A possible back-of-the-rotation arm and a couple of promising outfielders. What makes the additional outfield talent a plus is that you aren't tied into extending Kepler or Buxton yet if you don't wish, and you can dangle Rosario out there next season, if you wish (and the comments we all make about his bat and glove seems like someone we don't trust). I can almost say for certain that the Twins had no intention on making a qualifying offer to Escobar. I doubt that they wanted to spend $25 million over three seasons to extend him. Now they will have the opportunity to enter the bidding war for him in the off-season if Eduardo doesn't resign with Arizona right away. Our question now is: can Sano come abck sooner rather than later and play third.

I'mthinking NONE of the guys need to be put on the 40-man roster. And the chances of any of them being grabbed in a Rule 5 draft are pretty slim at this point, if any of them do need to be grabbed. Pressly has shown a flair in his work for the Twins. Like Jesse Crain years earlier, he had closer written all over him, although, like Crain, it may never pan out in the long run. One thing we know. 51 appearances. Molitor will now have to find someone else to overwork.

Unfortunately, many of the pieces that would be nice to jettison (because they will be walking at season's end) are not only NOT VALUABLE to other teams, but NOT contributing much better than a replacement value. Dozier, Morrison CAN be replaced. Lynn CAN be replaced. Rodney and Duke and Reed can basically be replaced in roles by pitchers already here and we HAVE to get competent quality outings of possible arms at AAA. If the guys are going to walk AND not contribute much, if anything, to the current season, then they are taking away roster time, space and money.

Who's on third?

From the current 40-man roster, 17 guys should still be around come 2020. Berrios, Gonsalves, Littell, Romero, Thorpe for the rotation. The bullpen holdovers are Hildenberger, Pressly, Moya, May, Curtiss. On the field we have Garver, Polanco, Sano, Buxton, Cave, Kepler, Rosario, So go from there. Out of all the names above, Thorpe would probably be etting his first major look. So you have to ask who is coming up in 2019? Rooker, Gordon? Who would make their debut sometime in 2020? On a bigger scale, besides the free agents you would jettison this season (Belisle, Duke, Lynn, Rodney, Wilson, Astudillo, Dozier, Morrison, Escobar, Mauer) you have some names that could play in 2019, but are they needed for 2019 - Gibson, Odorizzi for example. You also have Pineda who will be free after next season. You have Castro who will be free if he comes back from injury after next season. And you have these names who will PROBABLY not be a part of the team come 2020 and you can ask how valuable they would be for 2019 - Busenitz, Duffey, Magill, Mejia, Reed, Grossman, Slegers, Rogers, Adrianza, Granite, Grossman and he possible pick-up of Ervin Santana because a $14 million solid start might be hard-to-find. If you COULD get more for any of these names this season compared to next, would you do it? Not that people are standing in a line to get Twins folks for their team.

I don't picture the schedule changing by shortening, but possibly eliminating off days and having more players on a team. 28 perhaps (what with pitch counts and such) or maybe a flexible number that can be activated/unactivted on game day. The union would like it because more players get major league service time (and pays dues et al). I might also see split seasons, similar to the minors, with winners declared in each half...so teams are kept in contention that way. I would hope ticket prices would stabilize and the thought of sold out stadiums is a better bet than outpricing the common fan. I mean, concessions and gear ARE sold if people are kept interested in a team, right? Electronic strike/ball counting will probably take place, with umpires becoming monitor guys who watch calls on replay.

Escobar is NOT an elite player. I doubt that he will command a super contract in the off-season. Call me wrong when it happens, but I doubt it. Worth $19? Not really. Teams stockpile relief pitchers for the playoffs, possibly guys to replace their 5th starter or real backend of the bullpen guys. The Twins have a few possibilities here. Are ANY of the Twins relief pitches irreplacable (Hildenberger, Pressly, Rogers, etc.). Maybe someone would want Morrison as a bench bat. But more of a salary dump in August and glad someone grabs the guy. Does the Santana option travel with him if traded? If he pans out in his last dozen starts, might not be bad to have him return for Lance Lynn money. The big question, are the Twins going into rebuild mode. Then you look at WHO on the roster should open in 2019. Who will they keep, at this point of time, in 2020. Who is still around in 2021.

Who closes for the Twins in the future> Can Trevor May be made into a closer? Is Pressly worth the trouble? Is Hildenberger for real? Still, we ar talking about heading towards 2020 and 2021, reality. Who on the team will still be on the team in 2019. Better yet, in 2020. Or better yet, 2021. That should also factor into trading current pieces. Remember, you can pretty much sign at this stage of the game comparable players for perhaps 75% of the Twins roster, probably at a cheaper rate that they would receive in pay come 2019 or 2020, if not even the bygone pieces.

See they promoted Ryan Jeffers to the Kernels. Good for him. Let's bump up a couple more catching prospects!

The Twins will, again, be able to offer some bargain free agent contracts, probably for a season, to people hoping to rebuild value (as well as be valuable in mid-season to a club looking to rebuild). The end of this season and msot of next they have to have a quality look at just what the system may be giving them for the next 3-5 seasons, be it extensions to Buxton, Sano, Berrios, Kepler or early looks at Rooker, Arraz, Gordon, even Krilloff and Lewis. Prospects have to be given a chance to come up and fail a bit, maybe go abck down and work some more, and then come up to stay. Then, going into 2020 and 2021 you start looking at heavy multi-million dollar elite free agent contracts. Oh, yes, Mauer manages to stay around for the right price. But I do think he could easily get $7-10 million elsewhere if he desires.

Did miss Alex Perez getting bumped up to Rochester...his third level of play this season!

The BIG question is who to drop (prospects) from the 40-man and who to add. Will Luke Bard get consideration? What is the fate of Kohl Stewart. Depends on if we do see people like Nick Gordon and Brent Rooker still this year, or the Twins just bypass a major league advancement because they can. The jettisoning of free agents alone should make some comfortable space, and the Twins should be able to buy a rotation arm, a couple of bullpen arms, perhaps a backup catcher, and a slugger who can also play first base (sound familiar). But it depends...are they rebuilding, or contending?

First, I do not see the Twins front office taking the gamble and giving a qualifying offer to either Dozier or Escobar. $19 million is a lot for either player. Yes, one one front you would say either player would be foolish NOT to take the offer. But looking at the bigger picture, you will be sitting around the same place in the standings in 2019 and have two guys who will be free agents at season's end and you'd be dangling them and WILL anyone trade for them, plus would you have to eat salary. That is ONE BIG IF! Also, I think we can say that the Twins really have no desire to longterm sign Dozier at this point, and Brian has made it known that he will welcome free agency and now has two months to increase his value and vie for a multi-year deal. If he does it somewhere else, the Twins CAN always come bsck and revisit Dozier, if they see that Gordon or whomever won't replace him in the near scheme of things. Escobar IS NOT an elite player. But at what price do you keep him, and does he see visions of glory in getting a BIG contract for multi-years in 2019? That is the question. CAN the Twins meet him halfway, give him a decent contract (south of, say, $25 million for three years). Is that too much to pay for another season as a starter, if need be, and two seasons as a versatile backup infielder, if push comes to shove. You can also justify overpaying for his clubhouse presence. BUT, and it is a BIG BUT, do you trust that he will not be deadwood at the plate or on the field for the next few seasons. If you can't reach an agreement NOW, you trade him -- and like Dozier, he is a revisit candidate in the off-season. Unfortunately, unless you are surefire that Sano IS your third baseman, you have a void. What do you get in return? Well, at this point neither player is #1 on anyone's want list, so any deadline deal will happen when other possibilities come off the plate, if at all. I don't see much in the way of a quality return (which will hurt the Twins more with the loss of Escobar). BUT if you ARE losing both at season's end, getting something is better than letting them just walk at the point you don't think you can catch Cleveland. And if you decide to ride this out a bit, do you let them walk in the August waiver claim time, hopefully getting a prospect (or pulling them back and keeping them), or just letting them go for salary relief and so you can play THE FUTURE. Escobar is one of your top TRADE CHIPS, although, like I said, he is not an elite piece. He might be a productive piece for the remainder of a season, moreso than any other offensive-category player (Grossman, Morrison, Dozier, Wilson). But right now, he is not a prize glove in the middle infielder and an adequate glove at third base. He hits doubles. He has some power. But he goes hot and cold. He's not a leadoff guy, he's not a cleanup slugger. He is a solid player (this season, and the last two). Unlike Dozier, he ahs been consistent. Dozier may get a hot streak and slug out 20 homers in the next two months and hit .350, which is good for Brian and his future, but not really doing anything for the Twins if they play, at best, .500 ball the rest of the way. You just never know, but now is the time to judge your minor league system, make decisions on guys you have to remove from the 40-man to add more in the off-season. THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT in the future scheme of things. If you egt minor league depth, that second or third prospect in line from an organization, that 41st player, you might be happy. The Twins did a good job signing (and trading) for pieces to make them a stronger team in 2018. Unfortunately, none of them really worked out (shades of Rodney who gives us suspense). The joy is you can still go out and buy a rotation arm, three bullpen arms, a backup catcher and a 1B/DH in the off-season and probably egt what you with the spring training promises this year. But IS IT MORE IMPORTANT to advance and see what you will have for 2019 (or even 2020) now than do this all over again. Dozier you didn't feel like signing in the off-season. There wasn't much of a trade market for him the past couple of seasons. Escobar is an elite bench guy, but NOT an elite regular...although he does have flashes and shines...but I don't see any team going after him to be their 2-3 year future at any position. He will get a contract (think Nunez) and be able to stay in the majors at least 4-5 years in some capacity. But these two players? Well, the Twins will have people kicking the tires and looking them over carefully as they judge other sellable items out there in the realm of baseball, or do they just go with the unproven parts they have in their own system.

You always wonder about the prospects, but the Twins seem to short leash them these days, although SLegers did get a second start and bombed after an excellent first start, shades of 2017. Still, decisions need to be made going forth. Romero may have been tired and rushed, coming uo direct from the minors and thrown into play, but still....the message is there...produce and you stay in the majors. Don't produce, you go down the next day. And even players like Jake Cave have to know that at some point, they may fall to the numbers game (and the desire to keep Robbie Grossman's bat) and no matetr how well you might be playing (remember Ryan LaMarre), you can get demoted. Yet Wilson remains. Belisle pitches. And Willians still hasn't put on a cather's mitt. The Twins do have to remove free agent assets: Dozier, Lynn, Rodney (perhaps), Duke. Morrison and Reed probably should be gone, too. All will walk at season's end. What is the value (monetary) for an Escobar contract. You probably do keep Mauer and let him play out his career in Minnesota because "who's on first?" The Twins gain service time credit on Buxton, Sano is doing whatever in the minors, both not talked about much these days, for some odd reason...the talent IS there. Boston, Toronto and Cleveland could sink the Twins, who still have 30 or so games left in the season against weaker teams.

Wow, it only took Duke 20 pitches and Belisle 26 pitches. But Willians 35. Someday the guy will catch. And, of course, the team somehow at Adrianza at first base. Go figure.

But should it prevent you from figuirng out a way to jettison bodies and salaries and guys who AREN'T coming abck in 2019...especially those NOT producing in 2018. Logan Morrison, Addison Reed, Brian Dozier are all replaceable. So is Robby Grossman. You can probably live with Zach Duke and Fernando Rodney. Lance Lynn and Ervin Santana. If not traded, allow to pass into waiver claim territory come August, which may be the only alternative. I think YOUNG talent can perform equally as well and if the Twins win, it will be because of the future, not the guys trying to restore a career in the final months.