In Part Two of the 2013 blueprint, I discussed the pitching staff. Now . . . that problem has . . . .clearly been solved. So something much easier is in store. This is the lineup/bench I propose for the 2013 Twins

Span CF

Revere LF

Mauer C

Willingham RF

Morneau 1B

Plouffe 3B

Doumit DH

Dozier 2B

Florimon

Parmelee

Carroll

Mastroianni

Herrmann

The bench is meant to be a return to the "Thome bench." This means that the Twins would have either a good replacement already up with the team in case of injury or one good-great bat on the bench for every single game (pinch hitting for Florimon, Dozier, or possibly Revere. As it turns out, Chris Parmelee appears to be the odd man out for the first several games of the season, but he can be worked into the rotation to give optimal rest for six other guys, especially Mauer, Morneau, Doumit, and Willingham. I still prefer a Willingham-Revere positional flip, but this would still work even if they stayed where they are right now.

Jamey Carroll might end up being the starter somewhere (I would say SS), but if not that just means he is a late-inning replacement and a backup at 3B, SS, and 2B, and thus getting plenty of at bats.

I realize that putting Chris Herrmann on this roster flies in the face with what I have said about AA and AAA, but I also think that Herrmann's value for 2013 is with the Twins has Doumit-lite, certainly getting a chance to take over Doumit's role as Mauer's catching partner in the future. Butera can be given a nice little salary to be the AAA catcher, working with pitchers as they come up through the system. Maybe he can be called up if there is an injury and certainly in September. But there is no reason to have him on the Twins roster. Herrmann, in my view, belonged in AAA by mid-season 2012 at the latest anyway. He also adds LF depth (and likely can adapt to RF and even 1B).

Mastroianni would return in his role as a backup for all three OF positions and a speedster on the bases. It might not be a bad idea to also get him 2B time in emergency situations (basically if Jamey Carroll becomes injured in a game).

Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, Joe Benson, Rene Tosoni, and Evan Bigley would be the Rochester OF/DH, with perhaps Tosoni or Bigley trying out at 1B. Eduardo Escobar and Chris Colabello would be the other players at Rochester who could factor into the 2013 Twins roster.

People have generally overlooked how successful the Twins were with this intact lineup during the middle of the year. This was essentially a .490 ballclub with the continuing pitching problems of relying on AAA pitchers. Adding Parmelee in a real sense does a number of things. It provides the Twins with a bench threat for every single game. It also provides rest for players so that they stay fresh. Mauer, Willingham, Morneau, and Doumit all fall into this category. Herrmann just needs to play with the Twins and provides insurance in the OF if the Twins start trading players from their starting OF.

So we have the Twins 25-man roster? We are all set, right? Not really at all, and the final segment of this blueprint will address the future of the Twins, the 40-man roster, and some other comments on how I would act as a GM of this team.

It's pretty darn perfect. Of course, the option is resigning Butera as a free agent to a much lower salary than he would get in arbitration, and the chances of him getting a million from anyone else should be slim or none. Also, we must ask how bad the need is for a

third catcher.

They should sign Butera to a five-year deal to be the catcher at Rochester and mentor of upcoming pitching prospects! Here Drew, here's a $2 million/5 year deal. We won't pretend you are MLB-caliber anymore . . .

They should sign Butera to a five-year deal to be the catcher at Rochester and mentor of upcoming pitching prospects! Here Drew, here's a $2 million/5 year deal. We won't pretend you are MLB-caliber anymore . . .

Exactly im sure Butera can be a decent mentor. But his time as a MLB player is over. IMO we should just let him fade away into oblivion.

Rosterman,

I think the idea of having 3 catchers that all play multiple positions is a great one. Mauer and Doumit can both DH and play first base, and Hermann also plays the roll of a 5th outfielder.

It leads good, versatile bench and keeps gardy happy with 3 catchers.

I'm hesitant to find stick two guys who are still developing into major leaguers on the bench. I'm not a fan of Parmelee being sent back to AAA, but if he's going to be the odd man out, then Gardy has to really work to get him into the lineup at the beginning of the season when he has a lot of healthy veterans. I don't see that happening.

And Herrmann needs to play in AAA or AA everyday. Butera is a perfectly acceptable option to have 150-200 AB, though I'd be just as happy without a 3rd catcher.

With regard to Parmelee, even if everyone is healthy, there can still be a rotation with Doumit, Mauer, Morneau, Willingham, Span, and Revere. They have 7 guys for 6 spots this way. Maybe Parmelee doesn't start in the first week, but would thereafter. I realize that this rotation is not very lefty/righty friendly though.

Herrmann had better be done with AA. If they send him back there again, they are nuts. Anyway, it isn't clear to me that he has to have that kind of playing time if his major league playing time is going to be limited no matter what given the existence of Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit, and Josh Willingham. Herrmann is not going to be a starter in the league for awhile. This is a different scenario than Revere and Parmelee when we all talked about how they have to be up and playing every day or down and playing every day.

And there is no real other option as a third catcher. Giving 150-200 at bats to Butera is a total waste. He is just a terrible offensive player and his defensive ability is often overblown. He is good at working with pitchers, though, so hence the whole AAA career I have planned for him . . .

Now if the alternative would be to not carry a third catcher and have someone like Escobar up with the team, that would be ok.