Non-Roster Invitees

[stringer bell]

The 40-man roster is full and the Twins have several invitees not on the 40-man roster. If history is any guide, the Twins will employ many players not currently on the 40-man. More often than not, one or more players not now on the 40-man make the club out of Spring Training. 

For the purpose of this poll, please make your choice with the number of days on the active roster the criteria for who is contributing the most to the club. 

[FlyingFinn]

The position would be catcher. Catchers usually get hurt. But we are going to do just like last year with Godoy. Keep bringing up catchers, putting them on the 40 man, sending them back down. They run out of options and someone picks them up on waivers, on to the next guy. Therefore, the catchers will be a number of different guys. Therefore, I picked Coulumbe.

Kind of funny to look at the Saints and Wichita Wind Surge rosters right now, even though they don't mean a lot. The Saints have 7 catchers and 5 OF's. The Wind Surge have 3 catchers with Kiersey the only OF (guess he's the fastest guy we have in the minors so can cover a LOT of ground!).

[Brock Beauchamp]

What a great poll topic. Well done, @stringer bell

[stringer bell]

17 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

The position would be catcher. Catchers usually get hurt. But we are going to do just like last year with Godoy. Keep bringing up catchers, putting them on the 40 man, sending them back down. They run out of options and someone picks them up on waivers, on to the next guy. Therefore, the catchers will be a number of different guys. Therefore, I picked Coulumbe.

Kind of funny to look at the Saints and Wichita Wind Surge rosters right now, even though they don't mean a lot. The Saints have 7 catchers and 5 OF's. The Wind Surge have 3 catchers with Kiersey the only OF (guess he's the fastest guy we have in the minors so can cover a LOT of ground!).

Good point. I couldn't come up with a single catcher who would be promoted. Wolters, Cisco and Greiner all have quite a bit of experience and Cisco was once a top prospect and he's a switch hitter IIRC.

I apparently am the only person that has voted for Willi Castro. I think he has a lot going for himself to get on and stay on the major league roster. He is truly versatile--he's played plenty of middle infield and center has played plenty of outfield in the last couple of years. In addition, he adds a bit of speed and will play 2023 as a 26-year old, and he's a switch hitter without big platoon splits.

[Cornholio]

I believe it will be Blayne Enlow. I have no inside information to support such a claim.

[gman]

Pitchers will probably get the most play,.

[Rosterman]

The Twins will have two roster spots when the season opens due to longterm IL placements.

The only names on the bubble, unless a player has a major meltdown, ae Pagan and Megill, both have to basically make the team or, if removed, probably claimed by another team.

The Twins have no #3 depth at catcher, so if they need to add one, they have to add a guy and if he doesn't work out, start playing musical chairs with that position. Man, they got quite a few catchers vying for play between Wichita/St. Paul, although some (like Chris Williams) will get play at other positions.

The reason Coulombe stands out is that he has been successful with the Twins and if one of the lefty bullpen arms goes down, he would be the first to call and stay if he pitches well. The Twins have a number of arms on the 40-man who can be that 6th starter or perhaps a bullpen arm (Henriquez, Sands, Winder) if that need arrives from the right side of things.

Too many outfielders, which means people like Garlick have to be outside looking in.

[Cris E]

Farmer has caught at the major league level, so for a day or two he can be the backup catcher. More than that and we'd want a real one so we could go back to using him as a utility guy, and at that point we'll end up with one of the geezer non-hitting vets from St Paul parked on the Twins' bench.

[nicksaviking]

Anthony Prato is my long-shot call. He’ll be the RH OF bat everyone’s been clamoring for. The guy knows how to get on base and can play most positions just like Austin Martin, but unlike Martin, Prato has at least a bit of pop, and actually hit last year. He could be a RH Nick Gordon, but with better quality at bats.

If Kirilloff struggles, I got my eye on Alex Isola at 1B and emergency 3rd catcher as my 2nd pick.

[Vanimal46]

Hard to beat left handed and breathing… Coloumbe will find his way back on the roster if he stays healthy. 

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Hard to beat left handed and breathing… Coloumbe will find his way back on the roster if he stays healthy. 

His numbers in the majors the past two years are pretty good, he'll find his way up sooner than later.

[DocBauer]

I selected Coulombe as he just makes the most sense. He isn't great, but he's solid, and been solid for a few years now. It doesn't mean a negative against Moran, it just means opportunity for a 3rd LH who can do a good job in addition to Thielbar and Moran as an affective split differential part of the pen.

But to be honest, I sooooo wanted to to pick "someone else" and name Michael Helman. A slow starter and too old to be considered any kind of top prospect, he started to find himself in 2021 and had a damn good 2022 split mostly at the AAA level. He's a potential late bloomer, with a combination of a solid quad split line with speed and the ability to be at least average at 7 spots based on his track record, though I doubt the Twins would put him at SS except in an emergency. As desperate as the Twins were for a viable lineup to end 2022, and with vast 40 man flux, he should have been up for a look-see. What would have made more sense, Cave...who didn't have a future...or Helman? 

 

[Ryan Atkins]

22 hours ago, Cris E said:

Farmer has caught at the major league level, so for a day or two he can be the backup catcher.

I'm so glad we've moved on from the obsessive (Gardy) desire to carry 3 catchers. The worst-case scenario has always been that you end up playing some portion of one game with an emergency catcher (like Farmer) and the next game your fine again with a quick callup.

[Rosterman]

50 minutes ago, Ryan Atkins said:

I'm so glad we've moved on from the obsessive (Gardy) desire to carry 3 catchers. The worst-case scenario has always been that you end up playing some portion of one game with an emergency catcher (like Farmer) and the next game your fine again with a quick callup.

The Twins have the ability of a real quick callup with AAA in St. Paul.

Will they still be carrying three extra players for road games?

[farmerguychris]

We have a below average pen.  I would vote for any pitcher who may be there this year because they will certainly be given an opportunity to make an impact with as many innings as they likely will need to pitch.