Rosterman

The twins also have to make decisions on Mehia, Enns and Slegers. Sure, it is "nice" to have starting depth, but can they pitch relief, or even long-relief. AT this pont I would rather see one of them at the backend that Kinley (sad to say). Enns is a question. Not doing great, but has possbilities...or if he doesn't, cut him loose. I'm sure the whole "value" thing is in play, and the Twins want to bring him up to see if he can produce at the major eaegue level because of the minor trade value they did. But at some point, if they guys aren't usable, you replace them with guys that are. Or figure out how to use them. Use Duke for one or two batters. But Rodney in setup or mopup until you are comfortable with him back in as closer. Pressly is doing better than Rodney, so is Reed. They both should be getting the ball if the Twins ever have another save situation. Yes, it is too early to panic, and the Twins can run thru Busenitz again and bring up Moya and use Curtis. But at some point, these names will be judged against Anderson and Reed and Melotakis and others, too. If the Twins are a competitive team, that is!

We should just be glad that Goncalves and Romero are showing so much promise. Remember, at the end of the season Santana, Gibson and Lynnn will be gone. The Twins will (hopefuylly) make a decision on Hughes. Depending on the quality of any of these guys, they might be able to flip them out for a solid prospect before the trade deadline or thru waivers in August. Next year: Berrios, Odorizzi, Pineda, May and build from there. Same with the bullpen. The Twins DID make some decent moves to bolster their pitching for a possible run at the Wild Card (if not the division). But they happily didn't tie into longterm contracts and we do know there are POSSIBLE arms in the system to work into the mix.

You hope it is just growing pains after all those days off and playing against some hungry teams themselves. But, yes, the pitching, which started the season well, is quite putrid. It is bad when the bullpen gives up more runs than the rotation, no matter how you look at it. And the offense. Batters protecting each other? Non-existent. Base stealing? Putting the ball in play (strikeout king Sano!). You want Sano to find a grove, Morrison to stop pressing..... Why not use Rodney and Duke in any of these blowouts? Not like they are the pressure guys fer sure.

So, do most of these guys live in housing supplied by the Twins (which would be great if ALL minor league systems did this...i.e. basically own a hotel with 30 or 60 rooms, food service capabilities, meeting rooms and a pool). Plus, they do have better off-field facilities than most minor league parks, right? It is great that the Twins share their High-A space in Ft. Myers, too. Easy to shuffle guys in for some real game experience. Plus great for players on rehab. Are there ANY restrictions on how many players can be in an extended training camp (which also operates in the fall)?

Fernando Rodney not available?

These things are always a gamble. You saw it with Perkins. You saw it earlier with Mays and Blackburn. You can always look bigger, the Joe Mauer contract. Of course, if Joe was going to catch into year 35-36-37 and you didn't need to find, say, a Castro to replace him...then it looks pretty good. Name WONDERFUL more than 3-year contracts the Twins have signed with players!?!

At worse, Moya becomes a situational lefthander. Give him some time at AAA. Actually, would've been nice to see him in the Arizona Instructional League. He is a work in progress. Had the stuff, now needs to know how to use it.

Luke Bard was cut by the Angels. If he passes thru waivers, do the Twins reclaim him for $50,000 and stash him at Rochester?

Molitor got the reserves to play: Grossman, Garver, Ehire and LaMarre started. Stayed a close game. Low pitch count meant you tried to get 7 out of Gibson, but is it really necessary top push starters anymore. The two kids were horrible. Luke Bard cut by Angels. Should the Twins pay $50,000 to get him back?

LaMarre is hot. Okay, Grossman can draw a walk...but.... Line-up construction. How much longer is Sano in the #3. Of course, it is a tossup who bats cleanup. Rosario? Morrison? Sano? Maybe time to put Kepler in the #3 spot (although I would love to see Dozier there, with Buxton getting his act together and leading off, but what do I know - yes, I know nothing). Why send Lynn out for the 7th. You have the BIGGEST bullpen ever. And, please, use Kinley and Moya. Using either of them, you might still be behind by four runs, but no matter what you do you can't control bad pitching. So, safe to say that we aren't safe at all if Rodney has to pitch in a one-run save opportunity? Still scary if it is only a two-run lead. The guy has stuff, but does he really have a plan beyond trying to throw it past the batter (which he almost did, on the other side of Gomez). Always thought Duke was a pure situational lefty. He gets a guy on base, pull him. That's the rule (wish the same could be said on Rodney's use). Trying to squeeze that extra out of a pitcher. Thought Molly would learn from Gardenhie's mistakes. Bad use of bullpen. You right now have EIGHT arms out there. To get NINE out in a game. Go for it! Homer leader leading off. Strikeout King batting third. Morrison fighting to get a hit. Yes, you know (hope) things SHOULD change with the seasoned regulars, but.......

Between Rodney's hit batsman and Duke not touching the bag. Lets FREE Kinley and Moya! Let the new guys pitch!

The Twins should send out Hildenberger and keep the lefty Moya for now. They are already plus+ one in the bullpen and could make another cut down the line when Buxton returns. Hopefully we can get a few decent starts from Hughes before the Ervin Santana decision needs to be made. Please keep him on a short leash if you see him in trouble. (Of course, we want to say that about any starter).

Part of it is that pitchers DON'T need to throw more than 100 pitches, and they play with the ball around the plate more so than ever. I think I bigger question is what is the average pitch conut in a game these days compared to previous years. At some point in every batter's sequence, a pitcher will pitch once or twice to the weak spot. We see it with Sano for sure. He can't lay off those pitches, which are surely balls. Buxton, too. Buxton (as we said for Gomez and Revere) has to bunt more. Well, not actually bunt, but give the illusion that he might bunt a pitch in every at bat. Is that the answer? No. Pitchers are stronger. Bullpens are stronger, too. You can shuffle guys in and out on a whim. Throwing for contact is fine, but there is also a lot of strength in batter arms these days that even the smallest guy on a team can be a long-ball or hard-hit threat (Escobar). No answers. Shorter games? Longer games? Higher scoring games? 2-1 extra inning games still a good watch? We can agree that the skill set of major league ball players, on the whole, has never been higher.

Shows how tough it is to be a pitcher in major league ball. It is work, hard work. With film and all, a pitcher DOES need a variety of pitches that they can ALWAYS throw, as well as being in sync with the catcher and forming an overall game plan with the coaching staff. Especially relief pitchers. Pressly has the stuff. Remember Jesse Crain? I thought, going into last season, that Pressly could be a closer candidate. Still do. As for the Twins bullpen staff this year: Hildenberger is suffering in the same way Pressly did last season. The league has film. They have caught up to him. He's tipping his pitches, especially coming out of the pen. He needs work. Maybe better to do that at AAA for a short spell. Busenitz has shown that he worked out some kinks in spring training, did his job at Rochester, and following a game plan, of sorts. It can be done. Yes, I am disappointed that Kinley isn't getting innings. Here is a guy that is a workable canvas. He has nothing but expectations. No ego. He is there to mold into a pitcher by a major league staff. And he does have the stuff. For him, having a couple of major league coaches work with him and to be in the big league environment is a plus. I feel betetr about him on staff/ Just wish Molitor would take a bigger chance with him early in the season. Moya is solid. He could probably go back down and be told to work on specific stuff. He probably will be the one cut (although I would send out Hildenberger, unless Hughes could also be used in relief when the Twins don't need a #5). But back to Pressly. It will be interesting to see how he is used. Duke should be a 1-2 batter pitcher. Rodney, although entertaining, isn't the longterm guy we want to trot out in close save situations. He (hopefully) can keep himself in the game and possibly become flippable. Pretty sure it is closing or nothing with him. That is a decision the Twins will need to make in a couple of months for sure. Happily there are arms in the wings. Curtiss, Reed, any number of potential starter candidates who could jsut use major league exposure on the short end before becoming a starter. You do have to feel good, overall, for the Twins pitching this season.

As a catcher, he was Cooperstown bound, even with a short career because of the batting titles alone. Even if he doesn't hit 3,000 hits, he still has a decent on-base-percentage. He can't have an average slump like he did for anymore of his playing days. And he will have to know when to hang it up. One year from now, three years from now? Of course, have a super year would help, too. Like batting .400 (not going to happen).

I think the off-season went fine. Lynn is a one-year deal. With Santana still recovering, he is a fine asset to have. The Twins attempted to bolster the bullpen. None of the guys sent to Rochester were cut because they were too good to be in the minors, for now. The Twins saw a solution in Morrison, going thru a bad spell, and didn't trust Vargas. Would the Twins be better off with Vargas at DH/ We won't ever know. But they took a chance on someone who has experience against major league pitching. Maybe it is just a weather issue. The season is still young. I'm more worried, still, about Molitor and line-up construction, and usage of the bullpen as a whole.

The catching prospects are young. The Twins still have Castro for another season. And Garver MAY be able to step it up to be the regular guy in 2020, which means you hope for some competition for the spot come 2021 or 2022. I also see the Twins drafting a catcher as one of their top two picks this season.

It all depends on: (1) Salary. Would he sign continuous 1-year contracts for $8-10, or will it be $10-13 (or more). (2) Who's on first. Rooker and Diaz are at least a year out for regular play. Morrison could be a choice. Sano breaks down and needs to play 1B or DH. If anything see Sano as cementing the DH spot for a longtime to come if the Twins can find a salary haven they both like. (3) Is there a true job for him with the Twins on the field. Mauer is not going to be a bench player. No doubt, he could find one year deals for a substantial amount of $$$ most anywhere, as long as he wants to play, and don't see him playing for a mil (shades of Ichiro) when Joe turns 40.

I was astonished they didn't walk Mauer to load the bases and set up a double play and pitch to Sano. Of course, glad Joe got hit 2,000.

If Molitor didn't win Manager of the Year, would he still be managing the Twins? But back to Kinley. You grab a Rule 5 if you don't have significant depth at said position. The Twins have too much depth (when 25 of your 40-men are pitchers). You don't need to carry a Rule 5 prospect if you are a contending team. They got into a mess when they needed to add people like (Sanchez) Lynn to the 40-man roster. You can't cut loose of-season adds, so you only have the names to deal with who were on the roster by season's end, at best. Come spring training, yes, you can make subtractions. You wonder if Chargois would've been able to pass thru waivers right at season's end when he was still coming of the disabled list. But still, the Pirates took a gamble on Burdi (and by putting him on their 60-day, he gets major league money for not pitching). It's tricky enough, now, when the Twins have to make a move on the 35-man to add, say, Hughes. What happens when Santana returns. Who goes when May is ready to come off the 60-day. What players are on the bubble and will they get a looksee before a cutsee: Enns, Slegers, Mejia? The Twins don't have a lot of 40-man flexibility right now. If they would need a temporary catcher, who does that guy bump off the 40-man? You have to look at the bigger pitcher with Kinley. Does he have the stuff? Yes. Better than other guys you have at High-A and AA, probably not. Who did you lose by keeping a spot open for a Rule 5 - Burdi and Bard. Lucky Reed didn't get grabbed. If Kinley wasn't here, who wold be in the majors: Duffey, perhaps Busenitz, depending on Moya. And we still have Curtiss out there in the mix. What makes the pick tragic will be if he (1) doesn't get a chance to showase his stuff because of Molly and (2) he is sent back to his original team. Not only wasted innings, but wasted roster space.

Let's just say it was wonderful that the Twins did get Odorizzi AND Lynn. If they had just gotten one, I would be more worried. I would hope a patch of Hughes/Enns/Slegers/Mejia can carry us thru however long Santana is out. And I would be willing to call up Rmero/Goncalves/Jorge/Littell once ALL have 3-4-5 decent starts under their belt, if push came to shove. Will warm weather change things up some (Morrison, Buxton). Is the Twins bullpen solid? Those are the bigger questions right now.

Looking at age and actual experience, the Twins were thinking Bard might not be selected. But that is the perfect pitcher for a team to select if they MIGHT be on the outside of competing. And if their pitching death needs the selection. The Twins didn't need to select Kinley. They ahd the pitching depth. Sure, he might be a longer term prospect, but you also have to keep him on the roster who potentially lose him. Bard, Chargois...both had options. They could move freely up-and-down along with other names. That is a plus. Especially is you are a contending club. A contending club doesn't need someone on the roster that the manager will only play because it is a blowout. It's a totally wasted spot, or better left for someone much closer to regular play in the majors. You can argue if Moya is that person, too, so suddenly you have two guys of questionable current quality but lots of promise on the staff. Throw in the almost a rookie Hildenberger who had a mixed spring, as did Busenitz. Whew. And you worry that you might wear out Reed, Duke, Pressly, Taylor in the early season. You are already opening the season with names like Mejia, Slegers, Enns also in the minor league winds. If they don't make a callup his season, due to injury or double-headers, they more than likely will be gone come next off-season. But if that is the case, if they aren't capable of playing in the majors right now, how long DO you keep them if you need, say, a third catcher because of a short-term disabled list visit. Yes, you can hope to do a trade to keep a Kinley on the 40-man and send to the minors. But then, you still have a lot of pitchers on the 40-man NOT capable of pitching in the majors...too many by one's count already: Goncalves, Jorge, Romero, Thorpe, Littell, Curtis. But unlike the aforementioned names, THESE may develop into fulltime keepers, nt just on opening day, and maybe not even by mid-season. And then you have a whole 'nother crop. There is still a chance Burdi could return, if the Twins want him. Bard may flame out. But Chargois may be the real one that got away!

Mistakes happen when it is cold. But you ultimately want to be in the warm dugout more than on the field. Put heat lamps in those Stadium Lights! See you in the cold, again, on Sunday...and don't play the B-squad, Paul...although we all hope Castro is okay!

It was cold out there!

What happened to Joe Cronin. Is Alex Schick still around, as well as Muren? Christian Cavanass get released? I saw that Shane Kennedy and Cam Booser both retired.