Rosterman

But who will still be pitching for the Twins, or in the organization, come 2018 and especially 2019. Wimmers was showing signs of success after battling injuries over the past few seasons. He was actually the closer at Rochester and got a cup-of-coffee with the Twins, finally, last season -- which is what you hope happens to 1st round draft choices. But because of age and roster number crunches, they felt Boshers was worth more than Wimmers and no one claimed him and Wimmers looking in the mirror still felt the Twins were good for a go and signed a minor league contract. Tonkin the Twins don't want to lose yet. But eventually, they will. I don't see him being back next season at all. And Haley. Okay, an okay pick-up, but we have significant depth of 41st-roster men already from ALL the minor league free agent signings. The bigger question is HOW WILL THE TWINS win with the team they are putting on the field. How many real changes have they made - Castro and Gimenez, Breslow and Belisle. Throw in Haley. That is it. I'm sure the cheering sections are being established right now in different parts of Target Field. Would the Twins have been better served to just push the prospects. You expect that will happen, especially in the bullpen, and if the veteran rotation implodes you should be able to throw the same poitches with Berrios, Wheeler, Mejias, Gonsalves and Stewart, who will ALL be here in the next couple of seasons more than likely, unless they pitch so brilliantly in the minors that the Twins feel a need to trade them. Again, one doesn't see a lot of worth in the Twins 25 above and beyond the prospects who really are already seasoned from a year or two and have to show that they belong. Otherwise, the chances of someone claiming a Tonkin, Duffey...heck, teams passed on Park who looks like he might've been a steal if someone was smart outside of the Twins. Lets hope Polanco, Sano, Kepler, Buxton, Rosario show us great play. Quite frankly there is no one in the current rotation or even the bullpen that I would care to see on Opening Day 2019.

Can't wait to see the breakout at Rochester and Chattanooga with more than 30 pitchers vying for roster spots, many that will be returning for another season at the same level.

Yeah, the DL will probably have Vargas, Adrianza and O'Rourke on it to start the season, and the Twins would be wise to let Perkins ease back in and put him on the 50-day...because they can. Sure, they need a couple of roster spots. Boshers is a name that will be sent onto Rochester or elsewhere (all those non-roster guys will be taking up some space, unless the AA/AAA disabled list gatehrs some names). Interesting to have to choose between Tonkin and WImmers. The Twins have a bit invested in Wimmers, so it would be nice to see if he can be a presence for the next couple of seasons. Of course, all players ARE on a short leash, especially Danny Santana and Escobar. Surprised Drew Stubbs didn't take the offer. He didn't show alot in spring training that will get him a major league roster spot, and I would think he might've been on the ball enough to know that if ANY of the Twins outfielders start off badly, they could be demoted for regular playing time at AAA, as well as the possible injury angle, and he would've been in a decent position for first call-up. I'm trying to figure out what the Red WIngs rotation will be. Is Duffey better suuted for the rotation, or the bullpen. But, I imagine, he will be on a leash, too, as the twins watch the progress of Mejia and Berrios for immediate needs. I'm curious to see what Jason Wheeler does at AAA. And what position Yohan Pino is used in the minors. Too many names down on the farm. Kudos to Park for finding his swing and getting into the groove. Plus, the guy is actually autographing items for fans after last season where he had the most "certified" autographs on cards available of any player in the Big Leagues. But his signature has shortened significantly. I'm hoping Stu Turner comes abck, as the catching depth is really light in the minors...no extra bodies if someone goes on the DL at the moment. Can the starters come out of the gate strong? What will the bullpen really contribute? Talk about a bench...really...ask yourself WHY would you play any of these guys on a regular basis compared to promoting someone from the minors to take a position if there is an injury. And what will the line-up be...and can that line-up be set this week. No need to have those extra bodies in camp. Give a good week to your regulars...you have to win games in April, Twins, if you want fannies in the seats this summer!

The big question is where are the Twins heding with offense players like Buxton, Kepler, Polanco, Sano, Rosario plus pitchers like Gonsalves, Berrios, Stewart and whomever else is in the mix. Will ANY of these guys fail, or be a longterm bargain, or do you also ry and trde them. Who is pushing any of these guys for a job. Right now,the Twins even seem to lack trdaing depth in the minor leagues if they wish to depend on growing from within. So the alternative is strictly to spend money, and probably spend big and hope you can move that BIG contract mid-term.

Sadly, Chargois, with all his potential, will probably get bumped to the minors. Man, what a miserable bullpen. Capable guys, but they have to notch it up to be real shut-down guys. The 5th starter spot is still up for grabs. Sadly, we really wonder who from that lsit will be around in 2018. Can agree with the lineup AND the bench. Not the best bench. But not sure if I do want to carry Vargas. We don't have a comfortable power replacement for Sano at third if he is the DH. That's where we have some shakiness. Polanco has to make the roster and play and I hope he does well, a well as the outfield...which if they play to their potential will be superstar land. Of course, we all wonder what Joe Mauer will do in 2017. I'm so torn between THAT 25-man roster, who filling it with even more rookies. I'm not sure the roster you present will win 70 games. But a roster of prospects might lose 100 again, sadly.

I'm worrying more about where the extra 15 guys on the 40-man and the 22 invites to spring training will find a home at AAA and AA ball and where the Twins of the Future will end up. At some point (soon) the minor league vets need packing papers to find jobs elsewhere (or go to the indy leagues) and the Twins need to give competitive playing time to their real prospects. That I wouldn't miss most of the names mentioned above shows just how weak the Twins are in pieces that NEED to be on the roster and that ANY OTHER TEAM might want. Except for Trevor May, ALL the names above will not be here in 2018. That's what is truly scary. And I don't really see any of them creating any value as a trade possibility (maybe Breslow at best) and even then, we would just get back someone that needs protection from another team.

You cut first from the 40-man of guys who have pretty much no chance of making the team in case of injury during spring training. If in major league camp, they go on the major league disabled list. Minor League free-agents aren't in that category, as well as other minor league guys. You will see players shuffle over at times from minor league camp to offer some depth during spring training. But right now, you don't want to pay them a major league salary if injured.

We have to see who is patched into the bullpen. Lineup construction is a key. Less strikeouts. Putting the ball in play. Runners moving. Strong starts from the big 4. Not just five innings anymore, especially with the bullpen, which needs to stay at 7 and not climb to 8.

What is scary is looking waaaaay ahead. Who on the current 40-man roster do you expect to be here in 2019. Who in 2020. After you eliminate about half the names at the least, then you start looking at the prospects that will make the call this season (few) or in 2019 (many) and 2020 (hopefully everything is pretty set). Then you figure out the revenue you will have fielding the current team and the team of 2018 and who you might be looking at as a free agent, or better yet trade some of these prospects that MAY not pan out for the expensive guys early. Man, I look at the 62/63 names that opened spring training camp and the list that I expect to be here is 2018: Berrios Chargois Hughes Jorge May Mejia Melotakis Romero Rosario Santana Castro Garver Dozier Mauer Polanco Sano Vielma Buxton Palka Granite Kepler Gonsalves Reed Slegers Gordon Hey, I have my 25-man roster! For 2018.

If the Twins had gone into total rebuild mode, jettisoning their salaried starters and throwing an all rookie staff out there, Jason Wheeler would've made it for quite a few starts. You can argue if he is a better choice than Duffey, who should probably be in the bullpen, but with the arms in the wings the Twins have so many on-the-edge players that MIGHT get an opportunity in another organization, but probably not the Twins. All the guys mentioned above could depart the Twins and PROBABLY (sadly) not be missed. How time passes you by, or you are replaced at the higher level and kept back because of some minor league veteran contract, of which the Twins have many this season -- be interesting to see how THAT shakes out. You always hope guys like this might get a glimmer of a chance and would thrive...because it is make the majors NOW or not.

I would play musical chairs after the first 30-40 games of the season. Praytell DON'T let your hot arms totally start at Rochester until the weather becomes more inviting. And there is nothing wrong with Ft. Myers, too. But the Twins do have a lot of pitching decisions to make. Too many minor league free agents taking up space this season...so far!

Tyler Duffey is also in the mix. And the topper is that the Red Wings rotation will be filled with guys that will probablyu never make the Twins (outside of Berrios) and how long will they block any advancement of guys from AA. Of course, since Santiago was an arbitration salary, the Twins could still release him and just be on the bubble for 20%? Am I right, or wrong on that? Combined with an uncertainity on Hughes, and Gibson needing to show something, the Twins rotation is still in shambles. In some ways, I see the Twins trying to field a somewhat veteran team hoping for a fast start out of the gate and trading some of the vets either way and not fielding any prospects until they have convinced people to invest in various season ticket packages. Rochester AND Chattanooga rosters are currently full, and there's still 15 guys to place somewhere on the 40-man roster!

This can be outrageous. Really. Which is why you draft and develop pitchers. But, what ever the market will bear. Those bench guys, too, are getting expensive...if you want predictable quality play.

I would argue that Grossman is a lock. The Twins will probably go with three bench guys and keep a longman/starter (May, Haley, Hughes). Escobar can also play the outfield. But Santana is out of options. The catching situation is a mess. And who won't the Twins keep (Santana, Grossman) if they need to add anyone to the 40-man. Did you know that back in the 60s roster out of spring training were at 28 until May 15th. The most notable casuality of all of this was Chuck Schilling, who came to the Twins from the Red Sox in the Dick Stigman trade. He sat on the bench for all that time with NO playing time and then was sent to the minors and chose to retire instead.

I still would love to know THE REAL STORY behind the Park signing. First off, the Twins won the bidding rights by basically being the only bidder for his services. Were they playing lip-service to the fan base by being in the mix for what appeared to be a power swinger from Korea, only to have it backfire when noi one else thought the aging rookie was work the posting fee. Then the Twins made what could best be called a lowend offer to Park to playlongterm for the team AND HE ACCEPTED. Did Park know something the Twins didn't know? Plus the fact that you did pass him thru waivers and no one claimed him. Yes, the posting fee is a big eat anyway you look at it. If the Twins could shed the rest of his contract, it would've been a bonus for the new regime. Not to say that Park CAN'T REBOUND. But when you look at the bigger picture, do you want him or Vargas, is Sano the DH now or in the near future. It was a bad move and if the Twins were posturing for the sake of making themselves look competitive in the international market, than there was something wrong with the front office system bigtime. But moving on...spirng training AND THE FUTURE has begun!

There's sure a mess of names to fill in the blanks. Perkins. Kintzler Belisle Pressly Rogers are all givens. O'Routke Chargois Tonkin are in the mix Have to decide about Duffey Haley. We also have Boshers Light Baxendale Miller Reed Wimmers at Rochester People like Zach Jones Hildenberger Bard Burdi Melotakis Peterson shouldn't be at Chattanooga. And then look at the rotation mess at Rochester: Greenwood Pino Rucinski Turley Tracy Tepsch Huribut Vogels Wheeler Mejia not to mention Gonsalves Jay Stewart And the Twins can't put together a dominant bullpen or rotation...yet!

I was thinking Pat Light would be up to be a free agent himself if he chose, which was one of the reasons the Red Sox dealt him to the Twins...they had no place for him on their own 40-man. But not sure the reasoning behind this 40-,am acquisition, unless they hope to flip him to the minors themselves.

The Twins NOW had a backlog of catchers at AAA. Unless someone doesn't work out...or they go to AA...which would be a tragedy if Garver loses out to Murphy. The bigger question is would the Twins want Turner back if he doesn't stay with the Reds. Designating Park was a big move...because basically the Twins had invested $12 million in the guy that they wouldn't see back on a waiver claim. I would take the grab if I was a rebuilding or lower run team with Park. He could turn out to be a slugger. Vargas over Park? Yes, it seems strange, since BOTH have options to go to the minors. But I bet Vargas would be claimed if he was designated for assignment. What scares me is that the Rochester roster is pretty full right now, as is Chattanooga. Where do the 15 extra bodies on the 40-man go? The Twins have taken a flyer on an awful lot of minor league free agents this round: Miller, Tepsch, Vogelsong, Giminez, Tracy, Gonzalez, Shuck, Hague, Paulson, Rucinski, Centeno, Castro, Turley, Gamache, Roriguez, Strausborger, Pino, Rohlfing plus re-siging Greenwood, Reginatto and anotehr Rodriguez. Throw veteran Park down there and you got too many non-system prospects taking up spaces.

Injuries happen. What makes it tough is when the derail people who are using up their options or coming up on arbitration issues. The Twins have been a bit unlucky in those areas. Part of the blame has to be put on players, too. Sometimes WE whine when they complain about any ache or pain. But better to be careful than sorry in the long run. Yes, it is a competitive profession. Always someone younger, cheaper, maybe even better on the horizon. One little things can end your career or send you into minor league free agent for life limbo.

I think he is in a holding pattern. See if Berrios is the real deal, if May can start. We still have Santana. Gibson could rebound. We have Hughes under contract. And need to have a good looksee at Gonsalves and Stewart and a few others. And, supposedly, there is a whole hsot of bullpen arms that have to be better than the ones we currently have on the roster. It is rebuilding time. This year is critical. The offense has to find its place. People are playing for jobs. He has shown that he is not afraid to cut salary. And if you are a prospect, the world is yours if you show your stuff and work with the Twins system. But there will be a lot of empty seats at Target Field and closed concession stands.

Hopefully Gibson betters himself than being a five inning pitcher. Doubt Berrios, May or Duffy will break the mark. Ervin needs to build a workhorse reputation. He's playing for one more BIG contract, multi-year, down-the-line. But, yet...the day of seeing such a feat by multiple Twins pitchers in uniform may be fleeting forever.

I can live with keeping Dozier if Polanco can play short. I would rather have Escobar as the utility guy. But, yes, it shows how other teams are valuing he players the Twins have. Combine that with the crop of inor league free agents the Twins put on contract...meaning right now there's not a lot of space at AAA for AA guys from last year. Be interesting to see who egts the push and how long the leash i on the spohs.

Well, they just paid $8 million to Santiago. So he starts. Santana starts. WIll Phil Hughes come back...then he starts. You have Kyle Gibson, who needs to prove himself capable of starting, and possibly being a trading chip if he excels. Then we have Trevor May, who still needs to be stretched out. We may have Tyler Duffey, who led us in victories last season, as well as ERA (on the wrong end). And we have Berrios, who some may say needs more seasoning. Sigh. Maybe at the end of the season a couple of others materialize (Gonsalves and Stewart, for example). But I just hope the rotation can keep their eras in the low 4's rather than pushing 5.

Well if the Twins are truly in a rebuilding mode, they are doing what's best, standing pat and evaluating who they do have to put on the field tomorrow and longer down in the future. We also see that they really have no talent that other teams value. Dozier and Santana may be the best trade chips, but nothing happened. Both are still relative bargains for the Twins, although probably a luxury on the longrun. Trevor Plouffe was a loss, but he ended up getting a $5 mill contract, soemthing the Twins would've surely paid if they ahd the opportunity. But this is where arbirtation works against you. Making those tough decisions...again on a luxury you don't really need. Do the Twins have bad contracts? Of course. Mauer is two years and counting right now. Park is a works-in-progress. Perkins and Hughes need to comeback, but do we think they will shine and pitch to their worth, elt alone become, if possible, viable trade pieces? Perhaps not. I actually don't see anyone hungering for the Twins BIG prospects like Berrios, Buxton and Sano. Maybe Kepler has some life, but still people will wait and see. If they pan out, the Twins did good and have some keepers. If they don't, the guys won't work in the majors long and the next rung will get their chance. So much IS about development of prospects, guys who you can keep and play for 4-6 years, if not more. Who do the Twins curently have? Perkins, Dozier, they let Plouffe go. Gibson isn't quite there and might not make it. Polanco, Vargas, Danny Santana, Pressly, Tonkin and May are the main holdovers that came up in our system, and Ryan and Trevor came from elsewhere. Not speaking well of the system since 2013/14. SO it ultimately boils down to the players the Twins have and their perceived worth in the major leagues. Not alot of value, not a lot of tire kicking to even see what it would take to pry ANY of these guys away. Are they better than players currently on any major league team in question, or prospects in the chute? And that goes to show you the challenge the new administration has!

Wow! Heatrtless. How about Chuck Schilling and Russ Nixon from Boston for Dick Stigman. Interesting that he WAS a Twin because he was on the 28-man roster that was cut to 25 in mid-may, but never got in a game during that time. Whatever happened to that rule?