I think the success the Cardinals are having with young pitchers should speak volumes to the Twins to get the young arms up here. May hopefully will be up in the next couple of weeks and Meyer should show up in September. Berrios in 2016 may be a reach, but he may make it. Stewart should be here in 2017, so the future is bright. Now if we can find some hitters.

 

But the Cardinals might just as easily be a cautionary tale. All of the young arms that had so much success last year have either fallen back or gotten hurt this year. It is the vets that are carrying them so far.

Lots of people are only playing the cards we have in our hand right now. I think LF is wide open in this org and they could easily grab another bat the way they did with Willingham. Rosario has not been outstanding since he came back, Hicks may never hit, and with Mauer at 1B they need some place to hide the glove of a power bat.

This is pretty close, I think. I bet Pinto makes it as a catcher. With that, then Vargas can DH:

 

1. Buxton, CF

2. Mauer, 1B

3. Sano, 3B

4. Vargas, DH

5. Dozier, 2B

6. Arcia, RF

7. Pinto, C

8. Rosario, LF

9. Polanco/Santana SS

 

Bench: Santana/Polanco (Santana providing IF/OF possibilities), Hicks (OF), Herrmann (C/OF), Plouffe (3B/OF)

 

Starters: same

Bullpen: Perkins, Burdi, Tonkin, Lefty (probably not Ibarra or Thielbar), Achter, Oliveros, Guerra

 

I agree with all, except I think we will have a different catcher, a free agent or someone like Turner that isn't on the radar. I don't think we trust Pinto. I think Polanco will be the SS.

 

Probably one free agent in there somewhere, my guess is LF depending on how Rosario progresses, or if Hicks can turn it around.