40 Man Roster Management October Update

[MMMordabito]

Well, Colina going to Texas just opened up a spot.  Could it be for one of the Rule 5 eligible arms that went to the AFL? Funderburk? This is going to be an interesting off-season.

[twinssporto]

Looks like Edwar Colina wasn't a lock....Head scratcher. 

[Minny505]

@Danchat, I pretty much agree with all of this. I'd want to just leave a couple spots open for signings, so I'd leave off Garlick and Smeltzer. But if I were doing a full 40 from this list alone, I would be completely simpatico. 

[Danchat]

10 minutes ago, Minny505 said:

@Danchat, I pretty much agree with all of this. I'd want to just leave a couple spots open for signings, so I'd leave off Garlick and Smeltzer. But if I were doing a full 40 from this list alone, I would be completely simpatico. 

I would too, which is why I noted that the bottom 6 guys would be the ones getting DFA'd once free agents/others are added. Garlick and Smeltzer are at the top of the chopping block.

[Minny505]

On 10/4/2021 at 8:05 AM, DJL44 said:

I think I heard that Randy Dobnak could be outrighted and he would not have enough experience to become a free agent. I expect that to happen. He should be in the "middling" category with Jake Cave and Nick Gordon.

Recency Bias is a powerful drug.

Not sure if you realize this, but Dobnak is just a few months older than Bailey Ober. Comparing their first 20 starts, Dobnak was a superior pitcher and at a younger age.  

I do think Ober will have the better MLB career going forward, but I would also say it's more of a coin flip than most of the Twins Daily community gives Dobnak credit for.

[Minny505]

On 10/4/2021 at 6:59 AM, stringer bell said:

Not to bag on Rooker, but what he brings to the table is exactly what the Twins already have too much of--a bat-first corner guy whose biggest strength is plus power. What the Twins need from their position players is more guys who can run and make contact and also play defense.

I was thinking that combining the strengths or Arraez and Gordon would make a wonderful tenth starter--Gordon's speed and ability to play some shortstop and center field combined with Arraez' OBP and bat-to-ball skills (plus some defensive versatility) make for a fine player who could fill in at several positions. 

Rooker hit nine homers in 213 plate appearances and somehow only drove in 16 runs. I know that RBI is an opportunity stat, but that number seems incredibly inefficient. There is probably some market for him and I would urge the team to trade him.

 

On 10/4/2021 at 7:27 AM, adjacent said:

Agree on Rooker. His power is indisputable, but he doesn't recognize pitches that well, and his fielding is almost Delmonesque. Also, we don't need another year of Cave. Celestino can fit that role

The Twins need a backup/platoon RHB corner OF. Would you rather keep Garlick or Rooker to fill that roll? I think I'd prefer Rooker, but I could be swayed.

That said, I'm not dropping both of them with no one on the roster to fill the role. 

I want Celestino getting daily reps in St. Paul, on call to fill a starter's role when when someone gets injured. He shouldn't be a bench player at this point.   

[DJL44]

12 minutes ago, Minny505 said:

Recency Bias is a powerful drug.

Not sure if you realize this, but Dobnak is just a few months older than Bailey Ober. Comparing their first 20 starts, Dobnak was a superior pitcher and at a younger age.  

I do think Ober will have the better MLB career going forward, but I would also say it's more of a coin flip than most of the Twins Daily community gives Dobnak credit for.

I don't think Ober will ever be more than a 4th starter. Dobnak is a 6th or 7th starter on a good team.

Do you really think another team is going to want Randy Dobnak's contract after the ineffective and injured season he had? If so, they can have him.

[Minny505]

4 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I don't think Ober will ever be more than a 4th starter. Dobnak is a 6th or 7th starter on a good team.

Do you really think another team is going to want Randy Dobnak's contract after the ineffective and injured season he had? If so, they can have him.

Unquestionably. You don't drop 4/5 starters with that kind of owner friendly contract.

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

35 minutes ago, Minny505 said:

Recency Bias is a powerful drug.

Not sure if you realize this, but Dobnak is just a few months older than Bailey Ober. Comparing their first 20 starts, Dobnak was a superior pitcher and at a younger age.  

I do think Ober will have the better MLB career going forward, but I would also say it's more of a coin flip than most of the Twins Daily community gives Dobnak credit for.

I think how Ober gets there is probably more sustainable but I'm not writing off Dobnak until we see him healthy again. The last 14 or so months have just been a mess for him.

[Rosterman]

Maeda eats a roster spot during the off-season.

 

You can't drop Rule 5 eligible players if added to the roster until spring training. You can trade them.

 

You need to have a few players that can be bumped if you do sign a free agent.

 

You can go after guys like, say, Billy Hamilton and sign him to a minor league contract. Same with most of the Twins current bullpen arms. The only issue comes as spring training winds down and if you want to add them to the 40-man. Of course, injury lists help then.

 

If the Twin are truly going to be a competitive team, I doubt they grab anyone in the major league potion of the Rule 5. They have enough of their own guys to worry about.

 

The pain is that so many of the guys they worry about fill the same bill as Colina...will they be ready to play or contribute in 2022. When. Not an issue if in rebuild and you can bring them up to learn on the job. But the following all fall into that category: Lewis, Miranda, Balazovic, Duran, Enlow, Sands, Gore, Fundeburk, Moran. Add in names like Gordon, Jax, Barnes, Rortvedt and Celestino who didn't really make you want to write their names in ink on the 40-man. When you start looking at names like I just mentioned, you have to ask "who in this group is the future of the Twins." Once you add them, you will always run the risk of losing them to someone else.

 

I want to hear the Twins deal with their field players as real position players, not..."he can also play centerfield, or be moved around the infield, or play first in a pinch." We seemed to have a team of multi-positional players who just weren't cutting it at the plate or in the field in 2021. There is a reason someone is a "back-up infielder" or a 4th outfielder.

 

[roger]

Twins 40-man is at 48.  Don't know about Sands, but those other four (Miranda, Lewis, Enlow and Winder) MUST be added.  So that means they need to get down to 36, before opening spots for any free agent pickups or trades.  

That means that the Twins will need to cut, waive, release, trade 12 players on the current 40-man.  That's one of four, its gonna be a blood bath.  Expect a lot of young men are turning off their phones as they really do not want a call from the front office.

[gunnarthor]

Twins moved six off the 40 man

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/10/twins-outright-kyle-barraclough-nick-vincent.html

"Kyle Barraclough, Nick Vincent, Ian Gibaut and Luke Farrell were all removed from the roster, as were lefty Andrew Albers and infielder Drew Maggi."

[stringer bell]

All pretty easy cuts. All but Gibaut are over 30 and the upside is very limited. I would think the Twins can't afford more than one out-of-options reliever who didn't spend the whole season in the majors (Minaya?) to stay on the 40-man. I was previously wrong about Garza Jr. (he has options), but that might not save him either. 

Derek Law has elected to become a free agent. I believe he had been outrighted off the 40-man already. I also noted that JaCoby Jones is a free agent. A possible minor league signing who could fill center if Buxton went on the shelf. Never much of a hitter.