Rosterman

Trevor Hildenberger claimed by Giants. Sean Poppen traded by Pirates to the Rays. And Wilfredo Tovar, who was a journeyman minor league free agent at Rochester for a couple of years, returns to the majors with The Mets!

17 RUNNERS LEFT ON BASE! Gotta play fundamental ball. Bullpen can't hold the game close. And even after a battle back, who do you call?

Ryan LaMarre added to the Yankees roster, repalcing an injued ex-Twin, Aaron Hicks.

Free vaccines and a beer. Man, I wish I had waited for the days when getting a shot would also get some swag!

The friggin' pain is the Twins have four arms on the injured list taking up 40-man roster space, and all four will probably NOT pitch in the majors this year (Smeltzer has to be on the bubble for sure when he comes off). There is not a lot of play on the 40-man unless the Twins start jettisoning outfielders.

Sano is worthless, but a gamble if a team would trade for him. If the Twins designated him for assignment, I do see someone taking a chance and absorbing his salary. Donaldson is pretty much here to stay. He will be able to run out his Twins career, if not at third base, possibly first or as the designated hitter who can also play the field. At some point, you have to look at 2021. Of course, ALL the potential free agents are available: Simmons, Pineda, Happ, Shoemaker. The Twins have to be ready to take a call or make a call when another team gets an in jury and is loooking for a viable major league replacement. Kepler and Polanco may not fit into future plans. A hard decision ahs to be made on Buxton and Berrios if they hold worth come the trading deadline. If both are healthy, they could bring solid returns because they both have a little bit on control left. The bigger question: who do we need to see given an early opportunity and are the future for the Twins in 2022 and beyond. Lewis and the pitching duo are both disabled. I doubt the pitchers will see much service this year, although they should. The Saints have a roster full of AAAA guys right now. Who plays first (Kirilloff). We have catchers for the future and Garver could still be a viable bench guy. Is Arraez our second baseman. Is Gordon in the mix after a one game shot in the majors. Larnach will be here to stay. But who else is on the cusp? Is Rooker a player, even for the shorterm? How long will a rebuild happen? The Twins blew it, so far, in 2021 NOT getting a legitimate closer, going for power arms in the bullpen. The starters have been okay, but ALL of them just get to the five inning mark. The bench is a disaster. You can't have starters hitting .200 across the board (Cave, Kepler, Sano, and seems in some ways maybe Garver and soon Simmons). Working in rookies who would have more failings than positives overall can work if you are not in contention. But, yes, the BIG QUESTION - do Twins players have ANY value! Will other teams be shopping at The Dollar Store, Target, or the high-end store that we all walk through to look at stuff, but never buy!

Any other team can claim a Rule 5 and follow the same roster rules. If no one claims the player, he is offered back to the original team for a 50% refund of the Rule 5 monies. The team does not have to put him on their 40-man. Also, if no one claims and if the original team doesn't want him back, the team he started with can take him off the 40-man and bury him in the minors.

Oh, and Drew Butera who has been on the Rangers taxi squad was picked up by the Angels and added to the major league roster.

Also noticed Zack Littell made it back to the majors with the Giants bullpen, briefly.

I'm hoping the Twins decide to let relievers start the games and let the starter finish the last 4-5 innings. Maybe that will work.

I see lots of "former Twins" playing in 2022 from our current squad.

The Twins now have a reason to play Sano at first base, and the Big Guy needs to produce. Garlick and Cave will play the outfield and then the Twins will have to make a Big Decision when Kirilloff needs to come back. At that point, Alex will probably go on rehab to the Saints and, depending on the play of the duo, come back shortly with regular play. Larnach has a good two weeks to show off at AAA, although not being on the 40-man puts his chances of an early recall at nill at this point. Of course, the need to be called a Minnesota Twin in 2022 is now in the play of Sano, Garlick and Sano.

Rene Rivera who caught for the Twins waaaay back in 2011 is back in the majors with the Indians.

But...if they refuse the assignment and thus become a free agent, do they lose pay?

All it took was money to keep Trevor May!

Someone didn't read that Rogers can't pitch back-to-back. Be glad he got the one out and move on. But to whom? You got a friggin' closer you are afraid to use. Gotta blame the front office on this one. The Twins have no bullpen arms that can stand having a runnenr at second. Why the lefty? Who pitched horribly the night before? Well, okay, because your choices aren't all that great beyond Alcala who may be the closest the Twins have in a future closer in a rebuilding team. They need a closer. They left the gate open and Trevor May moved onto the Mets. This guy might've turned the corner if he had stayed a Twin. Only hope is Duffey stops screwing around and uses the arsenal he did last year.

Free Garlick!

What has Buxton's price gone up to these days. Five years $100 million with an option year or two? Would Berrios be pushing similar territory? Wasn't the whole purpose of Target Field was to create a revenue stream to keep your own free agents (pandemic aside). Yes, Buxton has to fight the full-season image, but you can move him to a corner at some point. He could also come up lame. Come mid-July if he keeps close to this pace, what kind of haul would get, mostly prospects - and we know how that pans out. But, yes, right now he has the most value ever!

Sano, Sano, Sano. He's our third baseman. So we don't need anyone new there. We got Donaldson. Okau, Sano to first. Sano as a DH, but wait, we got Cruz. So Sano at first. Remember Sano bombed in the outfield. But go look at his stats. How many games he plays. He can hit homeruns, but so can other guys. Kirilloff is the first baseman of the future, assuming Larnach is on the cusp, Buxton is longterm, and Kepler remains a Twin. At some point the Twins need to part ways with Sano. It would be nice if he was actually worth something in the trade market?! Does he have any minor league options? I think not. Also he has five years of service.

I'm thinking Sano will also be back tomorrow. Jeffers left so they could better finalize for minor league play beginning next week. He is only a light-rail ride away. I still think Rooker has potential. Again, depends on Sano. But will Cruz be back as DH in 2022? Rooker can play 1B/OF and DH. Sano can play 1B/3B/DH/ Kirilloff will be in leftfield, barring advancement by Larnach.

There is always a winner each day...and a loser. Amazed at how many teams are at .500 or below compared to winning records. Yet no one yet (it is still April) is totally running away with this thing called a baseball season. Baseball is such a team sport, and it relies on hitting, pitching (giving up less runs than runs scored against), and fielding (not giving those extra outs). If it was so easy, one team would win every year...and the joy is that we see more and more teams staying competitive outside of just spending the most money.

The thing is, he hasn't play in a good solid run of consecutive games anywhere outside of spring training. He needs to play everyday, be it here (instead or Sano or Garlick), or at least a good stretch at AAA until the Twins figure out what to do with Garlick or Sano.

Twins need to figure out if they want Buxton AND Berrios longterm now, or forget it. Jeffers back to AAA would be a good move. But can we live with Willians as the second catcher...for awhile. I imagine Kirilloff will also go back when Sano is activated.

He is already a GM. Yes, the Twins job can lead to bigger and better. He may get a job like the President one he passed on with Philly. Falvey could look at a job with the Sox or Yankees or Dodgers, soemthing bigger. And then Levine could move into that position with the Twins. But right now, his general manager job is pretty good in Minnesota as a team builder thingie. Moving to a different general manager job isn't likely. But it is all about mon ey in the end. And any interest shown him can increase his salary here, if need be.

I like that Rocco has finally been dealing a consistent lineup. Now players have to stop striking out. But the return of Kepler, Garlick and Sano doesn't raise expectations. Simmons is fine, but he is still a contact guy. Cathcing is so deep in the hole, both on offense and defense. Is there anyone out there and is it worth to take a gamble on...Lucroy? I almost feel like I would go with Willians everyday until he can't do it no more. Clippard is disabled. Littell is in the minors. Poppen is with the Pirates. May is May and would fit right in with the current bullpen. Wissler and Romo are both horrible, so glad they aren't in the pen. The strikeout is fine, if it doesn't come with walks and hit batters...as well as the long ball. Hard throwers are fine, yes. But sometimes you do want a Brandon Kintzler coming out of the pen. Between starters that, as a whole, can barely pitch five innings, and no roles for the bullpen (go ahead, let's pitch two innings, you are closing today, you come in and stand three runners everyday, just throw buddy you are on your own). What looked like a reasonable strength for the Twins ahs turned into a disaster, especially when a team can't push across more than two runs in a game. The key for the Twins has always been what to do with Sano and can Buxton play today. At some point, you just gotta cut Sano rather than work around him all the time. And going forward, look at the 40-man. Who is NOT going to be on the roster in 2022 (prospects currently there) and those that are currently holding a space and you have no desire bringing them back, make the hard decision of eating salary or give a short string for them to increase their value and trade them off to make room for a prospect and create a temporary roster spot for someone, eprhaps, who is hungry to be a major league player again.