Rosterman

The Twins did try earlier, what with Meyer, May, Worley and such. Plus drafting ALL those pitchers for a few years. The results, uneven if not a disaster. When you are looking at the names for the future, especially the near future, many weren't considered in the top prospects world (Eades, Slegers, Hurlbut and Hildenberger, Rucinski, Busenitz). But, yes, it is nice to get three solid arms that have the potential of making the major leagues at some point. But you never, ever know. Then, again, you look at the majors and the guys drawing a salary and wonder if a Kohl Stewart would be as good as a Gibson or a Hughes and even that Haley guy you took a shot in the Rule 5. We still have some fluff on the roster. I mean: Boshers, Duffey, Belisle. You have to ask what roles they are looking at for Rogers. Is Pressly worth the long leash. What place in the bullpen do you give Hildenberger. And Busenitz...why not use him...what is he sitting around in the bullpen doing...guarding the treat backpack? I'm still not seeing a "place in the lineup" role for anyone but Dozier so far this year. I'm not sure who the longmen or setup guys truly are in the pen. I don't know why we are pressed to get five innings. let along six, out of our rotation and how can that get fixed. And what is the bench...or better yet, we don't have a true DH. Cheap seats come September?

I like Dozier, but should he be the leadoff hitter most all of the season. He is still a bargain and contributes well. But I don't see anyone knocking down the door to get him and, as they showed in the off-season, no one really thought he would repeat his 2016 campaign. The question is can he and the Twins reach an agreeable contract? At worst, I picture Dozier being a viable DH in a couple of years who can still play the field.Assuming that we don't have the "where to play" Mauer issue, and Sano can still play third base.

Offense consistency (lineup construction, too, perhaps) and the bullpen. Those bullpen arms are going to wear down fast.

By trading Santana we free up salary that could be spent on a similar, probably younger, possibly better free agent, especially if combined with other available budget funds. If you keep Santana, you have an aging starter that needs to pitch 200 inning to vest, yet again, for another season. It's a gamble if he will be better or worse. Is he the star of your rotation, or do you get something back for him, free up monies (yes, what do they do with any of the savings this year on anyone they possibly trade) and go big in 2018 or 2019. Santana is a fine pitcher. He has a very decent contract. He should be able to play for his contract. But the chances are better than 50% that he will not get better at this point, but probably worse.

The Big Question always is: Does Minnesota have players that other teams want and at what price. Yes, shedding salary is always a plus (especially when you are eating salaries) but I look at it this way. You rid yourself of any pending free agents first, if not in contention. It will make it easier if you wish to revisit them in the post season. Next, final year arbitration candidates. If the Twins had since Plouffe packing, for example, they could've negotiated with him in the off-season, assuming his new team decided not to offer him arbitration. Next you look at any over-paid arbitration candidates. Cut loose Gibson or Escobar, same thing. Will anotehr team go to arbitration, or will they be cheaper on the free market. Next you start looking at the guys that are the 40th-45th man on your rosters, pending minor league free agents, players you may not protect, or even those out of options (like Polancho). You start looking at packaging playrs. But remember, just because YOU want to rid yourself of a player doesn't mean anyone will give you anything of importance for such a player. And the other team, in turn, is looking to shed players the same way you are looking at shedding players...the major exception being if a prospect package that you can't refuse is dangled in front of you, and it has to be pretty darn good. Even multiple players for one can go down badly (remember the Santana trade, even the Ben Revere trade...May pending still). I would, say, release a guy like Hughes if my accountants would let me write off his salary this season, when my payroll is supposedly under budget. The purpose being to have even more money to spend on free agency, which is a crapstorm anyways. Of, and Joe Mauer, do you want to play for a contender this season or next?

May will need to build up arm strength. So he's not a regular until 2019. He might flip between spot starts and long relief if the timetable works for 2018. Gonsalves and Romero (and Jorge) will still be on innings limits and will be in AAA and on the call-up list. So, yes...we have Berrios and Mejia and whomever we can cull from free agency. Of course, given some of the names, we might be better set to go with Slegers and Hurlbut and Eades for the near future. I'm not looking forward to the off-season. I'm looking forward to August to see if there is a smidgen of interest in any of our players as waiver claims, just to free up salary and roster space - Santiago, Gibson, Grossman, Andrienza, Belisle, Gimenez for starters.

The Twins are facing a new bullpen again next season. Breslow is gone. Belisle will be gone, too. Kintzer is a free agent. Pressly needs to reimpress again. Tyler Duffey is a two-pitch wonder. Taylor Rogers needs stamina. We have seen glimpses of brightness from Busenitz and Hildenberger. But remember, people start to chart and watch video. Rucinski also has promise. Perkins might come back. But do the Twins really need to contract him out again? There's at least four openings in the wings. Combine that with a rotation that is basically Berrios and maybe Mejia going into 2018. Wow!

And soon we will be harping about the manager and the coaching as the Twins fade into oblivion as the summer wanes.

Yes, the Twins DON'T have to trade Ervin or Dozier. They could, if blown away with an offer, but they will still have more opportunities to address their placement in the organization come off-season and even into 2018. Kintzler is interesting. Again, you have to get something in return, yet he is in the midst of a walk season and MOST team would see him as a fine setup man. But if you do trade him, you will have a better chance to resign him, if you wish, in the off-season. The Twins will put players on waivers come August, see if they can spin a deal, or make the decision to just save salary and open up a roster spot for some deserving name not on the roster. The dilemma is that we'd like to see Romero or Gonsalves, but both are hitting inning limits. But if you suddenly see 3-4-5 roster spots opening for players you will be protecting (or maybe just want a looksee) and September is around the corner, well, minor leagues playoffs be damned. It will be interesting to see what happens when other teams pull further ahead. The Twins have been doing very well this year with basically no marketing plan, no stars that they encourage people to come and see (I remember filming a Byung-Ho Park commercial last summer that was never aired) and the possible end of the season for fan interest which can happen come the State Fair and Back-To School and last-month-at-the-lake and the Vikings Machine rolls into town and Super Bowl becomes the talk of the town. Hummmm...maybe see the Twins making more trades for that guy CASH and his brothers, dollars and cents.

.500 may not cut it for contention anymore or even a shot at the wildcard. Of course, it makes the Twins a more viable thing to visit (i.e. ticket sales). That is the MAIN concern about the front office overall. Keeping the attendance momentum going past the State Fair. If I was the Twins, I would be thinking hard about making a HUGE splash at the Minnesota State Fair...dragging out former Twins, having appearances by current ones (especially if they are here on the disabled list for sure) doing a nice big screen with "great play" loops, promotional handouts showcasing the current crop of future Twins as well as guys of the future. Anything but the garage remainder sale of jerseys for folks who no longer play for the Twins. Be nice if they could jsut set up a nice dollar dog stand, but that raises other issues, I guess.

I doubt if Moya would be taken as a Rule 5 yet, so the Twins may be lucky there. Still, they have to think about adding him to the 40-man...and he'll need time at AAA.

Yeah, the Twins need (and will) continue to put butts in the seats for what they play in August. But once the State Fair hits and kids go back to school, a non-winning team will flounder and there could be lots of cheap seats, especially as the Vikings ramp up their season and Super Bowl becomes the talk of the town. The only way the Twins get get any ink between September and March 1 is to go deep in the playoffs or the World Series. And that is not probably at this point. The biggest free agency signing will be buried. It will be tough and interesting to see how the Twins market themselves for the rest of the season, especially if they become a rebuilding team.

They still have Dillon Gee and Melville to drag out. And maybe Slegers or Eades or Hurlbut. Of course, you want your top starters to be at AAA (unlike your top prospects who are at AA) because that means they can throw 150+ innings in a season. That's the predicament the Twins find themselves in. At worst, if they are out of the hunt, they should be looking at Romero and Gonsalves and more of Jorge in August before giving the fifth spot to whomever (40-man spots remaining). You can still move a lot of players around in August. The Twins just have to face that they may end up with a losing record, especially if Cleveland and Kansas City improve themselves to make the division more uneven. I still say, play for 2018 and 2019. If the shoe isn't fitting for those seasons, get new shoes.

It's a good move. Regarding Recker, the Twins currently have Garver and Murphy at Rochester and Paulino and Rohlfing at Charlotte. The question is, who comes off the 400-man for him. The Twins have to now decide who stays and who goes among Mejia, Gibson, Colon, Santiago, Garcia for three spots. Throw Ge in the mix, and let's see some new names in the rotation for the second half. Assuming Mejia will go back to the minors (because he can). We might have seen the last of Santiago and Colon has to pitch like he means it. Does anyone want to see Gee get a chance in the rotation? Just remember that the next big happening will be after August 1 when you throw goes out there and see if anyone wants to claim them. That's where you hope Santiago puts up a couple of good starts, Colon maybe shows some life. If nothing else, you can hope someone claims Gimenez, let's say (who will be a free agent) which makes you happy that you do have Recker for AAA if you bring up Murphy or Garver. But right now, the Twins will have FIVE catchers on their 40-man? And I would rather see them try and pass Recker thru waivers than the younger Murphy. Wow. $800,000 for a 15-year-old. Sometimes you do have to keep in mind the investment pricetag in a player when you do they trade them. At that price, he was a pretty good thought of prospect at one time.

The Twins will have 7-10 guys that the HAVE to protect in the off-season. They probably could find an even dozen that they should...so some of those names can be traded, whomever they may be.

At first, I am aghast when the front office talks of Ervin Santana's inconsistency. The guy who have three more wins, perhaps, if the bullpen performed correctly more often than not and if the offense would gets its act together, and that is NOT taking into account last season. And then I tell myself "that is why" he should be dangled as trade bait, but if the Twins did trade him, people would shout and heads would be asked to roll, but still...is he going to be better than he has this past year or worse...and when will the downslide happen. If it IS happening, then he still has one more start to increase his trade value, or maybe he does want to work out his contract with the Twins and see if the Twins can be magical and make the playoffs with 83-84 victories in the division. But still, every pitcher is going to have BAD games, and Ervin is still a .500 pitcher with a 4.00 ERA, especially if pitching on a bad team. Sh he should be applauded, everyone should be gttateful that he is performing better than expected, and save the inconsistent remarks for folks like Gibson and Santiago.

Well, when you look at Burdi, the earliest he MIGHT be ready is 2019, and you do have to start about thought on addng him to the 40-mam. Make that someone else's issue for a couple of years and revisit him yourself down the line. Whatever team see Burdi will have to be thinking the same.

Garcia is still a rental. But the Twins do have a number of prospects that MAY have to be protected on the 40-man. They might as well trade someone on the fringe that they probably won't protect rather than lose them. Or to make a roster spot for someone else (which is what they did, essentially last year, with Alex Meyer...deciding he wouldn't work into their plans). So if it is a pitcher on your fringe for a rental that you MIGHT wish to resign, go ahead and do it, I...guess.

Kohl Stewart might've been the likely candidate, especially if the Braves were going to eat any salary (the Twins would want SOME of their draft investment back for a rental). Or maybe it was Lewis Thorpe. Maybe Glen Perkins (wait, he's not a prospect). Some of us hoped it would be Nick Tepesch or Yohan Pino. Of course, pick a name of a Twins pitching prospect on the DL? Chargois, Reed, Jay, Burdi, Zack Jones...the lsit goes on and on and on it seems. But it may also be a hitter.

These guys in the indy leagues are some of the hardest working players in the game, especially the ones on the field. There is not a lot of roster movement and the playing conditions (and clubhouses) aren't always the best, unless YOU ARE a Saint and have some pretty comfy digs. Baseball is a beautiful game. The best starter can lose a game 1-0. A misplay can make for a big inning and destroy the game. Umpiring is always inconsistent, it seems. You may not feel the best every single game, It's 3 hours of being on the field or on the bench. And I love it, especially in Saints land!

The Twins right now are a destination for pitchers wanting to get a second chance, if they can bump any of the high-priced failures the Twins continue to throw on the mound off the mound. Like two years ago, we are going a bit ga-ga over a barely .500 club in a weak division that has: (1) A rebuilding offense that is inconsistent at best, bad average at worst. Teh good news is that the youngsters should improve over time. But, truly, who is knocking down the door to acquire ANY of the players we put on the field not named Sano? And even those that might show a smidgen of interest that the Twins would be willing to trade for anything, something (Gimenez, Grossman, Adrianza) will not necessarily bring back anything in return. (2) A starting pitcher needs to have an era under 4 in order to win with this team. (3) The bullpen is a mess. Kintzler, in all liklihood, could be gone. Names like Rucinski, Busenitz, Wimmers, Tonkin might still be bandied around next year. Reed, Melotakis, Chargois, Curtiss are in the wings, still. I would not build a pen around Rogers, Duffey, Hildenberger and call it great. Who will close? Can Pressly find the magic pill? (4) The Twins are actually having a good season. Whatever they budgeted for play should be higher than expected unless they have a total fallout come September. They should still be able to weave the magic of going to the game up to State Fair time (and they should be thinking hard-hard-HARD about how to promote the team at the State Fair rather than just running a lame remainder booth). (5) Should they just open the coffers and spend-spend-spend? It might help if they could find a taker for Mauer (be interesting to see what happens when players go on the waiver wire in August...will someone grab Hughes, Mauer, Breslow, Belisle) which is probably when the real movement of some names MIGHT happen with little or nothing in return. (6) The Twins will have quite a few players to protect on the 40-man come this Fall, some of them not likely to contribute in 2018 (i.e. like Rosario, Jorge, Romero and Vielma this year). BUT BACK TO THE ABOVE! A destination for pitching? Maybe if the Twins do get into the playoffs and can get a set line-up heading towards 2018. We still don't have a great leadoff hitter. Who bats second? Why is Sano batting third ever? Buxton is still at the end of the order. No one knows what to do with Rosario. We still need to commit to a shortstop, and MAYBE should take an early look at Nick Gordon...can it hurt? Or do you NEED to keep him off the 40-man as long as you can (didn't seem to be a problem with Polanco and now you can't send him back down for more seasoning without the risk of losing him, which may/may not be bad at all). I'm happy we are having some wonderful years from Berrios and Santana. That Kintzler is a bright light (shades of Nunez from last season). I'm excited to see if Sano hits 40 home runs. The club is closer to .500 than not, which is a major plus and a good feeling, but there are still so many problems in line-up construction and the bullpen. But there is more good play on the field than bad, or so I like to see it that way. The front office is still working thru things and having a winning team probably hurt more than benefited the new front office from doing massive wholesale changes. The minor league system is shining (so what is the difference between coaching down there and up here). The Twins had a good draft and we might see players pushed a tad more. But the remnants of past drafts are imploding, slowly. I can't wait to see the Twins figure things out (what with the Super Bowl offering competition for the limelight in the off-season) and glad attendance is holding its own (it could've tanked bigtime).

If the Braves are doing this, I would just walk away and hope Colon has more than another start and then turn to Gee. Yes, I'm not sold on Gibson remaining, and Santiago will return, but his stock is slim as he'll be a free agent. (Two pitchers the Twins hopefully could've flipped, if they had produced).

Be interesting to see the 40-man roster move this time. Is he better than Dillon Gee? Since he is pure salary dump and a rental, you trade a prospect - I say someone from A+...look, maybe it will be Dereck Rodriguez. I imagine the Twins are presenting any number of names that that MAY have to protect next season but really don't, especially from the lower minors.

If there is one thing I like about Molitor, he is not afraid to use his second catcher in a game. This having to keep the guy ALWAYS on the bench during the Gardy years wore thin with me. The bigger question...do the Twins see Garver as a catcher for the future, catching upwards to 100 games a season, or will they be happy to get 80-90 game and rrtate him with someone else. Having him catch more often than not is the ONLY reason to keep him at Rochester right now. If he comes to the majors, he won't neccesarily get rotations behind-the-plate. That he can play 1st base (probably as well as Vargas) and the corner outfields (on par with Grossman) is a plus factor. He has the potential to hit as well as anyone else in the designated hitter spot not named Sano, who is playing well at third, But if you goal is to have him share catching duties 100% with Castro next season, and probably take over the job in 2019...it ain't happening if you are forced to find him playing time with Gimenez as the backup backstop. But yes, the next time you drop down the bullpen and amp up the bench, bring him up for the week or two to get a taste of the big leagues.

They should start by jettisoning any deadweight on the 25 man and 40-man roster. DO the housecleaning now. If you can, replace the deadweight with guys in the system that are hungrier than some of those taking up space. Then look at what you have left in the system. Who NEEDS to be added to the 40-man, who won't find room at the inn. And fill all those released minor-league free agent holes with more released minor league free agents that JUST MIGHT be betere than the ones you passed to pasture. Except for Santana, Kintzler and maybe, just maybe Dozier...you have no one of real worth to trade. You have no one of really any worth to spin for some prospects (sadly). You do have a wealth of prospects you might able to spin as being a year away to other folks, but it won't bring you much in return. If you can afford it, grab a contract or three NOT named Colon or Sandoval. There's a reason they look too good to be true. They aren't good, and that is true. Really, the Twins don't have MORE to offer than other teams at this point in time. All they have is money, and lots of roster space. It is a miracle that they have been playing and producing as they have. I am glad for that and love listening to the games when I drive around, but can't understand why the station cuts out when I'm out in Lakeville. Really. Really. I would say be buyers. But to trade, you need to have pieces you can afford to giveaway, and the Twins just don't have those. They can sell, but no one is lining up and knocking on the door wanting you to open early.