Article: Minnesota Twins Roster Projection 4.0

[boomerb5]

Kubel and Bartlett *might* have something left in the tank. maybe.

But this team is not competing, so it makes ZERO sense to still have either of them even in a position to possibly claim a roster slot. Colabello and Parmelee both have far more potential than Kubes. I thought scholarships were a thing of the past.

[bdoom5]

I hate to say it fellas, cuz I love the Twins, but I see us losing a lot of games. Im guessing a lot of 5-1 or 6-2 games. We aren't going to score a lot of runs. Hurry up and heal Sano!

[bdoom5]

Kubel and Bartlett *might* have something left in the tank. maybe.

But this team is not competing, so it makes ZERO sense to still have either of them even in a position to possibly claim a roster slot. Colabello and Parmelee both have far more potential than Kubes. I thought scholarships were a thing of the past.

 

Not in the Twins clubhouse. We need youth. Youth equals excitement. This roster is stale! I wish I could be more positive, but hard to do. Im a realist. Half of our players wouldn't start for 97% of other clubs.

[SydneyTwinsFan]

Hermann is just a head scratcher. Escobar can be an emergency C for a couple of innings - that's part of what he brings to the Util role.

 

There needs to be a competent back up for Mauer at 1B (if he is going to spelled here and there at DH or the odd day off). The bench also needs a late innings PH threat off the bench. Ideally you combine those two roles, and handily the Twins a few options in that regard. Sadly one of them is not Hermann. Parmalee or Colabello both work here - choose your poison, I don't have a strong view either way - but for God's sake don't sacrifice the overall versatility of the team/bench because your blinded by the apparent versatility of one bits and pieces player who doesn't (yet) bring any upgrade in skills to the roster.

[LaBombo]

If a roster with 3 catchers, a lineup 4 or more days a week with Suzuki batting second, and another 90-loss season isn't enough to get Gardenhire fired, then the organization is doomed to fail until there's a complete front office purge.

[LaBombo]

Oh, and If they really go with 3 catchers all season and the over/under on the total number of times this year that Willingham and Kubel have a catcher pinch run for them is set at 10, I'm putting 20 on the over.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I'd rather have Thielbar and cut ties with either Duensing or Diamond (or both and add Tonkin).

[pierre75275]

I am okay with the bullpen Nick has listed. I would rather have Thiebar then Diamond, but I would rather have Deduno then Tonkin. If Diamond is horrific in the pen then send him down and if he doesnt clear waivers then oh well, so be it, and bring up Thiebar. If a start is injured/falters, put in Deduno and call up Tonkin. I would rather see Colobello then Kubel, nostalgia aside. Kubel is on a minor league deal so he can be optioned. I would like to keep Parmalee if possible but but then but I think that makes the roster weaker not in just his spot but a couple other spots as well.

[jorgenswest]

I would love to see a Willingham, Parmelee and Arcia or Kubel Outfield. I bet so would the Twins' pitchers...

 

I don't want to see it either, but I am not sure Presley is a lock.

[jokin]

Oh, and If they really go with 3 catchers all season and the over/under on the total number of times this year that Willingham and Kubel have a catcher pinch run for them is set at 10, I'm putting 20 on the over.

 

Can you put me down for the "versatile" Chris Hermann getting 19 of those 20?

[twinstalker]

First, Kubel did not turn down a major league offer to sign a minor league offer with the Twins. Show me one player who has done that, and I'll show the most absolute exception to the rule to ever exist.

 

Second, when the Twins signed Kubel, I think I was the only one screaming then. What's happening now (if it does) was totally predictable. Kubel could do nothing but hurt the Twins. We'll have to see whether the management is simply the worst ever or merely just horrible.

 

Enough hyperbole for everyone? :-)

[jmlease1]

If Bartlet makes this squad I might vomit. And I say this as someone who didn't want him dealt all those years ago. But he's done nothing to indicate he's got anything left in the tank, and with Escobar in place there's not even any playing time available. So what's the rationale, other than the "veteran presence" card? (which the Twins have in guys like Willingham, Mauer, and Suzuki btw)

 

I hope that Pinto's presence doesn't mean we carry a 3rd catcher. Again, Pinto needs to get PT there, so there wouldn't be a lot of ABs for Herrmann so it would be mostly a dead roster spot as a security blanket if Pinto got a start at DH. That's a waste. Colabello would be better as a bench bat, has some positional flexibility and balances Kubel (assuming he beats out Parmelee) as a RH bat.

 

I'm a little concerned at how the bullpen is shaping up as Deduno doesn't seem to be necessarily all that well suited to the role and no one knows about Diamond. (It would be interesting if Diamond can add a little mph to his fastball as a reliever, though; with good control and a little more gas he could be useful) But realistically the bullpen rises and falls on Perkins/Burton/Fein/Duensing and everyone else is fairly marginal. Hopefully a deal gets made?

 

I still have a lot of hope for Gibson and I'm hoping he really does get the last slot. (I do find it interesting that ESPN: The Magazine actually has our pitching staff getting worse this season, however. Sigh)

[mnfireman]

Relievers are seemingly looked at as a dime a dozen, until your bullpen starts blowing games. The team should break camp with the 25 best players and, as the season wears on, trade from a position of strength (pitching) to fill in the position(s) of weakness. Other teams are able to do it, why can't the Twins?

[Tuba]

All this talk about emergency catchers, don't we have one on the roster named Joe Mauer?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

First, Kubel did not turn down a major league offer to sign a minor league offer with the Twins. Show me one player who has done that, and I'll show the most absolute exception to the rule to ever exist.

 

Second, when the Twins signed Kubel, I think I was the only one screaming then. What's happening now (if it does) was totally predictable. Kubel could do nothing but hurt the Twins. We'll have to see whether the management is simply the worst ever or merely just horrible.

 

Enough hyperbole for everyone? :-)

 

Well, screaming isn't allowed at Twins Daily

 

As camp has gone on, yes, to me Kubel has had the feeling of more and more inevitability even despite his performance. And if he's not hitting he's not filling a need. I've got to think not everyone in the front office is going-ho about Kubel, though.

 

Parker H. has posted heat charts here on TD, and Kubel's swing has developed a massive hole where the high strike is, and I've got to think opponents are aware of this and will start exploiting it once the games count.

[Seth Stohs]

Seth, would you rather have Pinto start out at AAA? Just curious what your thoughts are on that. I agree if he does not play 5 days a week(which I hope he does) then he should be playing catcher every day in Rochester.

 

 

Either way, I want him to play 5 games a week. If he's with the Twins, maybe he catches 2-3 times and DHs 2-3 times.

 

If he's in Rochester, I'd want him to catch 4 times and DH maybe once.

 

As for if he should be on the team, Nick makes the argument for him... the offense could be bad and he could help.

[LaBombo]

As for if he should be on the team, Nick makes the argument for him... the offense could be bad and he could help.

That's more of a philosophical question along the lines of whether the focus of the season should be about developing players or avoiding 90 losses and saving Gardy's @ss than it is about what to expect from Pinto.

 

But yes, 5 a week sounds about right.

[Seth Stohs]

Kubel and Bartlett *might* have something left in the tank. maybe.

But this team is not competing, so it makes ZERO sense to still have either of them even in a position to possibly claim a roster slot. Colabello and Parmelee both have far more potential than Kubes. I thought scholarships were a thing of the past.

 

I'm all for Colabello and Parmelee... spent time talking with both. However, we don't know that they have "far more potential" than Kubel. Kubel is still young at 31-32 and has the potential to hit .280 with 30 HR. I don't think we'd say the same for Parmelee, would we?

 

As for Bartlett, he missed all of 2013 and the final 2/3 of 2012. Clearly he's rusty. That said, he could be a starter if he gets his legs under him. Maybe, or most likely, not, but you never know.

[PopRiveter]

"it is looking like Pinto will make the roster because the Twins need his bat."

"I think Gardenhire would like to have Chris Colabello on the team, but it's going to be tough to fit him along with a third catcher."

 

Seems to me, they'd add more offense by making room for Colabello than by making room for Pinto, even if he's just half of a platoon dh.

 

That said, I'm really struggling to find enthusiasm for Kurt Suzuki at bats.

[Dr. Evil]

Starters- Pinto, Mauer, Dozier, Plouffe, Florimon, Willingham, Hicks, Arcia, DH Colabello/Parmalee platoon

 

Bench- Suzuki, Escobar, Colabello/Parmalee, Pressley

 

Starters- Nolasco, Hughes, Corriea, Pelfrey, Gibson

 

Pen- Perkins, Burton, Feiin, Duensing, Swarczak, Thielbar, Tonkin

 

AAA- Kubel, Bartlett, Hermann

Waivers- Diamond, Deduno

 

Let Kubel prove he's back on Rochesters time. Bartlett, I'm just not interested for so many reasons. Diamond and Deduno dont crack the rotation so don't dilute another area of your team by putting them in the pen.

[jokin]

First, Kubel did not turn down a major league offer to sign a minor league offer with the Twins. Show me one player who has done that, and I'll show the most absolute exception to the rule to ever exist.

 

Second, when the Twins signed Kubel, I think I was the only one screaming then. What's happening now (if it does) was totally predictable. Kubel could do nothing but hurt the Twins. We'll have to see whether the management is simply the worst ever or merely just horrible.

 

Enough hyperbole for everyone? :-)

 

It was pretty widely reported at the time of the Kubel signing that he had at least one offer on the table that he had declined, leading reporters to speculate then that Kubel was coming to the Twins with pretty strong assurances for making the club and a bonus-heavy split contract that was potentially more attractive than the major league offer(s?). Of course, we'll never know for sure.

"Orioles GM Dan Duquette discussed a major league deal with Kubel's agent at the Winter Meetings, but the outfielder declined the offer, saying his intent was on going back to Minnesota, where he played from 2004-2011. He must have assurances that he will be included on the Twins opening day roster."

 

As for you and you being the only Twins fan out there screaming, that didn't mean that there weren't others of us out there questioning the signing, there was a long thread on Twins Daily after the signing, especially with the documentation of the alarming K% trend over the last 4 years and his well-known dislike for Target Field.

[savvyspy]

I would hope that Colabello beats out Kubel.

 

And the bullpen could be bad. We have no idea how Deduno and Diamond would actually do there. Thielbar and Tonkin are obviously better options, but they have options.

 

Actually we should know Diamond will be as useless as a reliever as he is as a starter. Time to cut bait.

[beckmt]

Just concerned that if Diamond pitches well in his next outing, twins will send Gibson to Rochester because he has options. Agree that it is time to cut bait with Diamond. Kubel vs Parmelee is the big one, but believe the Twins can stash Kubel at Rochester for about a month, which is all it would take to see if Parmelee makes it. Really afraid they will send Arcia to Rochester and keep both Kubel and Parmelee.

[Dantes929]

Geez, what was the point in signing Kubel to a minor league contract if he was guaranteed to make the opening day roster? Just to soft sell it to Twins fans? What other teams would offer Kubel a major league contract?

[clutterheart]

Looks like Gardy has decided Hicks starts at CF:

 

"Hicksie is probably going to be in center," Gardenhire said. "He's been running the ball down pretty good."

 

On Herrmann

Gardenhire said that the Twins are simply looking for more versatility off their bench, which gives a leg up to Herrmann, who can catch and play the outfield.

"Everybody forgets about that guy, but he's pretty good," Gardenhire said. "He's an interchangeable part we're discussing. His swing has gotten better, and he's gotten better all around."

[jorgenswest]

What is the Twins responsibility to the season ticket holders and sponsors.

 

Squeeze as many wins as possible this year?

 

Build a foundation for the next winning team?

 

I am certain someone will say yes and yes.

 

However, their roster decisions might lean them one direction or the other. I am not a season ticket holder. My thoughts shouldn't carry any weight.

[Seth Stohs]

Herrmann can play 3 outfield positions. He can go into 1B. He played 3B in college. Of course he can catch. He also takes real quality at bats, uses the whole field and can hit some gaps.

 

I do think that Presley isn't the given that I thought he was all along.

[Nick Nelson]

I do think that Presley isn't the given that I thought he was all along.

Yeah, the more I think about it the more I think Presley's name should be in black. If Herrmann's on the roster they don't really need him, and he hasn't shown anything this spring.

[twinsfaninsaudi]

I disagree on Diamond. I don't think the Twins care much about losing him

at this point. Nor should they. They have Johnson, Gilmartin, and Ibarra for depth from the left side. I think it'll be Thielbar instead of Diamond.

[twinsfaninsaudi]

Geez, what was the point in signing Kubel to a minor league contract if he was guaranteed to make the opening day roster? Just to soft sell it to Twins fans? What other teams would offer Kubel a major league contract?

 

The Orioles DID offer him a major league contract and he turned it down convinced he would make the Twins opening day roster.