Article: Exploring The Back-End Of The 40-Man Roster

[Cody Christie]

Addison Reed’s reported signing is putting the Twins in an interesting spot. Once Reed passes his physical, he is going to need a spot on the 40-man roster. This also holds true for any future free agents the club signs this off-season. If Yu Darvish ends up in Minnesota, he will need a 40-man spot as well.

 

What players are floating at the back-end of Minnesota’s 40-man roster? Here are a few names that could be forced to pass through waivers in the coming weeks.Buddy Boshers, LHP

Boshers has made 75 appearances over the last two seasons with the Twins. During that time he has a 4.56 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP and a 65 to 17 strikeout to walk ratio. Last season, the left-handed hurler held lefties to a .655 OPS while righties managed a .904 OPS. Boshers will be 30-years old this season and he has never posted an ERA under 4.00 in any of his three big league seasons.

 

Dietrich Enns, LHP

Enns joined the Twins organization last year along with Zack Littell as part of the Jaime Garcia trade. He only made two appearances and allowed three earned runs in four innings. However, he’s posted a 1.86 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP in 116.0 innings at Triple-A. Those numbers are hard to ignore. Enns will turn 27-years old in the middle of May. Minnesota’s new front office saw enough in him to include him in the trade so maybe that keeps him safe.

 

Tyler Kinley, RHP

The Twins just acquired Kinley from Miami during December’s Rule 5 Draft. Because of the rules associated with his acquisition, the club has to keep him on their 25-man roster for all of 2018 or offer him back to Miami. Between High-A and Double-A last season, Kinley had a 3.54 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and a 72 to 22 strikeout to walk ratio (53.1 innings). It’s rare for Rule 5 players to be sent back to their clubs this quickly but the Twins might not have anticipated adding Fernando Rodney and Addison Reed.

 

Gabriel Moya, LHP

Originally signed by the Diamondbacks, Moya was dealt to Minnesota for John Ryan Murphy. He made seven big league appearances last year and allowed three runs in 6.1 innings. In the minors last season, he was almost untouchable. He compiled a 0.77 ERA while striking out 13.4 batters per nine innings. Moya was able to do this while being over two years younger than the competition in the Southern League.

 

Kennys Vargas, DH

Earlier in the off-season, reports had Vargas open to playing overseas. Vargas is out of options and would need to stick with the Twins next season. His lack of defensive flexibility makes it hard to pencil him into the team’s line-up on a regular basis. Players like Joe Mauer, Robbie Grossman and Mitch Garver might all need to see time at DH. At the big league level over the last four seasons, he has hit .252/.311/.437 including double digit home runs in each of the last two seasons.

 

How would you rank the back end of the 40-man roster? Who will be the first to go? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

 

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[Otwins]

I would start with Boshers or Kinley.

Boshers is 30 years old and will at best be the last man out of someone's bullpen

Kinley's chances of making this bullpen have decreased greatly since we have signed three releivers. Boshers now and Kinley when we sign Darvish

[glanzer]

Agreed on Boshers. Doesn't Duke basically replace him anyway? 

 

I would start with Boshers or Kinley.

Boshers is 30 years old and will at best be the last man out of someone's bullpen

Kinley's chances of making this bullpen have decreased greatly since we have signed three releivers. Boshers now and Kinley when we sign Darvish

 

[ashbury]

Apart from specific names, 26 pitchers is a lot. I continue to wonder if the team really will enter the season with only 14 position players on the 40-man, as they currently have.

 

I suppose they can stand pat in that department, and after pitchers and catchers report they will 60-day DL one or more pitchers, and then add some hitters.

 

Or, they could just plan to use what they have, and supplement with non-roster players if injuries occur. That plan won't work seamlessly if the injuries are of the 10-day DL variety; but they could just plan to cross that bridge when they come to it, as regards which pitcher to DFA to make room.

 

Anyway, my point is that the need to identify candidates for removal from the 40-man is even greater than current signings might suggest. I keep thinking a trade will occur, to clear up some of this roster congestion. There is time before Reed has to be added.

[tvagle]

The early idea floated that Moya was going to be dropped just doesn't seem like a good long term plan

 

While Boshers has had his moments I have to ask "Who would pick him up?" Twins have been one of the only teams to employ, soft-throwing, funky-delivery guys from the Independent scrap heap

 

Moya seems to have more upside if we're looking toward a more prosperous future

 

My drop order would be

 

1) Boshers

2) Kinley (we're in spend mode so whats another $50,000 to send him back)

3) I'd look to move Pressly, Grossman as part of a trade

4) Enns

5) Sell Vargas to the Ham Fighters for 3 Round trip tickets to Yu's homeland

[Danchat]

Boshers should be gone with the Reed signing. I also agree that Enns is on the boundary but he should get a shot as a reliever (in AAA). Moya shouldn't be going anywhere, I think he has a bright future for the Twins.

[twins_89]

It seems pretty clear that Duke and Rogers will be the lefties in the bullpen with Moya next in line at AAA. I believe Boshers is out of options meaning he is basically gone already, so the Twins might as well waive him now. Next up would be Kinley. I don't think he has any real chance to beat out Pressly or Duffey (or a healthy Chargois).

[bluechipper]

I agree with the above comments, especially about Gabriel Moya. He should not even be under consideration for being dropped off.

[Thrylos]

Slegers need to be added as well..  Replacement level dime a dozen arm.

[Deduno Abides]

They’ll have more 40 man flexibility after the season starts, because a handful of pitchers will go straight to the DL - potentially Pineda, May, Chargois and Hughes.

[nicksaviking]

Seems like a trade of multiple 40-man players might be good idea. I'd still like to try to grab Danny Duffy to be the rotation's lefty.

[Rosterman]

Yes, the Twins need to make some 40-man moves.

 

They have NO 40-man reserves in the hitting department.

 

But, they have a good chance of opening the season with May and Pineda on the 60-day DL. Plus, possibly, Hughes and maybe Chargois.

 

They would still have 10 or so pitchers to find homes at AAA and AA ball. They currently have 16 on the rosters there, with another 3-4 that COULD move up from Ft. Myers more likely than any of the 16 moving down. Of course, disabled list will claim a few.

 

The Twins have 2 names replaceable. Boshers if you add a bullpen arm and Slegers if you add a starter. Enns has value being a lefty (as does Moya). Mejia might be odd-man out if you add to the rotation. Pressley and even Rodnoy (now) could be expendable.

 

And, is Kinley worthy of a season-long roster spot, now.

 

What you also unfortunately have is 7 arms that WON'T start the season with the Twins and it could be debatable if they would graduate to fulltime service during the season. Gonsalves could be the closest, but you have Jorge, Romero, Littell, Thorpe, Curtiss and Moya. Right now, these guys ARE above the 15 currently on the AAA/AA rosters with only Reed and possibly Tyler Jay ahead of them, but still not guys who would start the season with the Twins. 

 

So it will be interesting to see the musical chairs. Especially when a roster spot or two NEEDS to be kept open to bring up temporary guys if someone just goes on the normal DL during the early part of the season.

 

[Seth Stohs]

 

The early idea floated that Moya was going to be dropped just doesn't seem like a good long term plan

 

While Boshers has had his moments I have to ask "Who would pick him up?" Twins have been one of the only teams to employ, soft-throwing, funky-delivery guys from the Independent scrap heap

 

Moya seems to have more upside if we're looking toward a more prosperous future

 

Moya's name was only thrown out there by Berardino as speculation of him not coming to Twins Fest next weekend. There is no way that they would drop him at this point. Two other lefties on the 40 man would be dropped before him.

[jorgenswest]

Unless Kinley is more reliable than Pressly there is no way to justify the roster spot. He doesn’t help as the low leverage reliever. He can’t be optioned and that flexibility is valuable to a team that should be competitive.

[Seth Stohs]

 

They’ll have more 40 man flexibility after the season starts, because a handful of pitchers will go straight to the DL - potentially Pineda, May, Chargois and Hughes.

 

Of that group, only Pineda would go to the 60 Day DL though.

[tvagle]

 

Moya's name was only thrown out there by Berardino as speculation of him not coming to Twins Fest next weekend. There is no way that they would drop him at this point. Two other lefties on the 40 man would be dropped before him.

Did see a quick retraction (or is it a retwaction when it's on twitter) from Berardino 

 

What's your take on how the 40-man dilemma will shake out Seth? 

[KirbyDome89]

I would shed 0 tears over Kinley being cut loose and a 25 man spot opening up. 

[nclahammer]

I would think Boshers and Slegers, then maybe Enns would be my preference.  

[Doctor Wu]

Like so many others have already said, Boshers should be the first man overboard. And at this point, keeping Kinley around strikes me as a head-scratcher too. All that aside, I'm starting to think that maybe a trade of some sort could be in the wind.

[Otto von Ballpark]

To remove any doubt about Moya's security, because he was added between August 15th and the Rule 5 draft (with less than 3 years service time), he is classified as a Rule 5 "draft-excluded player" and can't be passed through waivers to be sent outright to the minors until mid-March at the earliest:

 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3517

 

So the only way Moya could be removed from our 40-man at this point would be trade or release. Slegers and Curtiss are in the same situation.

 

I'd guess they try to put Boshers through waivers and outright him. Could try it with Enns too, as unlike Moya, Enns was added before August 15.

 

Although it does seem like there can't be possibly be a spot for Kinley anymore either...

Edited January 14, 2018 by spycake

[rv78]

Bye Bye Buddy

[mikelink45]

Kinley made no sense when they drafted him - we had too many good minor league arms to justify having him clog the bullpen for a year.  Now that they have signed three veteran BP arms he is definitely not worth keeping.

 

I agree on Boshers and I am afraid that soon Slegers will be a minor league star and a major league bust.  He seems perfect for an Asian trial.  

 

I am also hoping that after the starter sweepstakes ends we do not do any more adding and keep developing our young talent. 

[Tibs]

Not sure why people are mentioning Slegers. Even if you don't believe in him, he still has potential to be a major league pitcher and there is no reason to remove him right now. There are definitely other 40 man options that make a lot more sense.

[Twodogs]

I could see wasting a 25 man spot for future success if the Twins were anticipating being a bad team this year. But since it appears that they are going to be in the running, they should probably drop the rule 5 guy.

[rdehring]

 

Did see a quick retraction (or is it a retwaction when it's on twitter) from Berardino 

 

What's your take on how the 40-man dilemma will shake out Seth? 

We are going to know in the next day or two.

[Tommygun921]

It'll be Boshers and then Kinley. Definitely will not be Moya. I wish the Twins would trade Grossman and give big Kennys a real chance to be the everyday (most days) DH. But trade Grossman with adding another position player to take his place. Preferably someone with more defensive value. Enns may be on the bubble as well but I think they want to see more from him before letting him go.

[AKTwins]

Boshers is #1 and everyone else is a distant #2 until they have to make another decision. I can't believe Moyà would even be mentioned. I would rather release Grossman than Moyà. At least we have Granite to replace Grossman. Good Lefties don't grow on trees. There are a lot of Bosher types out there.

[Riverbrian]

Kinley would be #1 on my list. 

 

Unless Falvey and Lavine are sure he is the next Johan Santana.

 

His selection made very little sense and when it happened it scared the hell out of me. I thought to myself... OMG... the Twins just committed a 25 man spot to a project. It was the exact opposite of the direction I wouldn't them to go.

 

I kept thinking if the Twins were going to improve that bullpen.. .they wouldn't have given a spot to this Kinley experiment. 

 

Thank Goodness the Twins have signed Addison Reed who can effectively force the experiment off the roster. 

 

It should be Kinley first

 

Boshers 2nd. 

[DuluthFan]

The team should return or trade the rule 5 pick Kinley first. You would only lose one player from the 40 man roster. By keeping Kinley and waiving anyone else you potentially could lose two players on this one decision. You would lose the waived player plus Kinley as well if he doesn't make the 25 man roster.

 

A trade to attempt to keep Kinley won't work in this case because he would have to pass through waivers after being removed from the 40 man roster to make room for Reed.

[Bill Tanner]

 

Moya's name was only thrown out there by Berardino as speculation of him not coming to Twins Fest next weekend. There is no way that they would drop him at this point. Two other lefties on the 40 man would be dropped before him.

I really don't like how Berardino communicated his speculative prediction.  Setting aside the head-scratching logic, why state only that the odd man out could be Moya?  He should have at least provide the bizarre reasoning...or stated Moya's absence as an independent fact for readers to draw their own conclusions.