JYTwinsFan’s 2023 Payroll Blueprint

[JYTwinsFan]

Notes on the thinking behind this roster as follows:

• Trading Ober and Covacco to Blue Jays for Danny Jansen to turn our catching core into an asset. I'm personally a fan of split catching duties, irrespective of platoon batting advantages. If we need to throw in one more prospect to get the deal done, fine, but nothing of significant value.

• Varland takes the reins of the 5th starter role with SWR and Balazovic as the near term replacements if anyone in the rotation falters early. Paddock comes back late in year as well if needed. Not counting on any of the other upper minors pitchers, but hopefully someone surprises us and makes it a three man race to be first up.

• Love Winder, but moving him to the bullpen full time given the recurring shoulder issues and turning him into a weapon there. If we don't have confidence he's healthy, we give the nod to Megill instead.

• Resign Michael Fullmer or someone similar with $3mil. Then go out and get the best veteran reliever you can for $5mil. Admittedly I don't know who to target in a trade or even FA, so I'll just stick to a dollar amount and consider it an upgrade. I'd love some feedback from the forum on potential names to target within this parameter and I can update.

• I'm not targeting a stud SP until the trade deadline. Let's see this roster get us to the point where we need the late addition. Since we've signed Correa in this scenario Lewis/Lee become our trade bait to land that top SP addition if we see a good fit. We target someone with multiple years or someone we can sign for multiple years and then put the Gray/Mahle/Polanco money toward that pitcher in 2024 and beyond.

• I traded Kepler and Urshela for a low to mid minors pitchers with upside to clear some salary space and hand the right field keys to Wallner. Or if we can get more for either of them or include in the Toronto trade, even better.

• A lot hinges on Kiriloff being back to normal. If that fails I've got Arraez jumping back into 1st Base with back up addition signing below also a consideration.

• The big additions are resigning Correa for the long term, then adding Abreu as fulltime DH for veteran leadership and solid middle of the order bat on a one year deal (perhaps takes two years to get it done, similar to Nelson Cruz Twins era). Alt could be Josh Bell for a slightly longer contract, but feels like the 1-2 year deal is the right play here for the Twins.

• I'm leaving the budget a tad over, but my wiggle room is in Luis Arraez and/or Jorge Polanco. Both of which I'm fine to trade if it means a potential stud addition in the bullpen or some added salary space to add the starting pitcher at the deadline. I love both Arraez and Polanco, but Arraez' stock will never be higher and Polanco is the easiest player to replace long term at 2nd Base from the minors (Julien, Martin, Lewis, Lee).

• Alternatively, if I must be at 140MM tops, then we lose the reliever at $3m (Fullmer) commit to both Winder and Megill at 700K, and then whatever is remaining goes to a BP FA or trade acquisition (roughly $4M).

The day-to-day lineup then looks something like:

1. Buxton CF

2. Kiriloff 1B

3. Correa SS

4. Miranda 3B

5. Abreu / Arraez DH 

6. Larnach LF

7. Polanco 2B

8. Wallner RF

9. Jeffers/Jansen C

 

• C: Ryan Jeffers ($0.70M)
• 1B: Alex Kirilloff ($0.70M)
• 2B: Jorge Polanco ($7.50M)
• 3B: Jose Miranda ($0.70M)
• SS: Correa ($32.00M)
• LF: Trevor Larnach ($0.70M)
• CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M)
• RF: Matt Wallner ($0.70M)
• DH: Jose Abreu ($20.00M)
• 4th OF: Gilberto Celestino ($0.70M)
• Utility: Nick Gordon ($0.70M)
• Utility: Luis Arraez ($4.27M)
• Backup C: Danny Jansen ($4.27M)
• SP1: Sonny Gray ($12.00M)
• SP2: Tyler Mahle ($8.00M)
• SP3: Kenta Maeda ($9.00M)
• SP4: Joe Ryan ($0.70M)
• SP5: Louie Varland ($0.70M)
• RP: Jhoan Duran ($0.70M)
• RP: Jorge Lopez ($3.00M)
• RP: Griffin Jax ($0.70M)
• RP: Jorge Alcala ($1.00M)
• RP: Caleb Thielbar ($2.00M)
• RP: Josh Winder/Trevor Megill ($0.70M)
• RP: Reliever TBD ($5.00M)
• RP: Michael Fullmer ($3.00M)

Payroll is 3.97% under budget

[TopGunn#22]

Tremendous job JY !  My only quibble is that Jansen is twice the player Jeffers is.  Jansen is your starter.  Abreu is a bold signing but could be a great middle of the order hitter, ala Nelson Cruz.  

[JYTwinsFan]

1 hour ago, TopGunn#22 said:

Tremendous job JY !  My only quibble is that Jansen is twice the player Jeffers is.  Jansen is your starter.  Abreu is a bold signing but could be a great middle of the order hitter, ala Nelson Cruz.  

Yea good call. Chalk that up to my laziness in not swapping their position on the roster builder! But yea...Jansen would be the primary catcher in all likelihood if not certainty. Which hopefully lights a fire under Jeffers or at least allows him to relax a bit.