Which Twins Could Become Free Agents Later This Week?

With five nearly certain players needing to be added, will be surprised if any of the players you mentioned are added to the 40-man.  Hopefully, Cabbage and most of the others can be signed to a minor league free agent contract and kept in the system.  Especially interested in seeing them retain Whitefield, who I believe can become a very good player later in his career.

When the two or three free agents depart, the 40-man will be down to either 39 or 40.  All future reductions will be tied to opening spots for prospects to be added or free agent signings.

This is the most confusing year in the last five.  The direction of the team, its needs, and its concentration of talent in a few places makes the moves a real challenge to predict. 

Cave should be DFAed. He'll pass waivers easily but Twins should not offer him a minor league contract because Baldelli will still give LF and Buxton sub position to him. He has taken a spot on the roster for too long instead of some one who is capable.

Two ways to deal with minor league free agents: you give them a contract that far exceeeds the probably minimum they might get from another team, or you add them to the 40-man.

Reasons why a player will switch teams once he becomes a minor league free agent? They team doesn't want him back. Someone offers you more money. You see less blockage in your way to advance in another oprganization.

If you are a minor league free agnt that would just be putting in time at the AA level because of two much competition, or if you are AAA filler, you can make a decent living signing with pretty much any organization. Of course, any min or league player risks getting released from the non-binding contact and suddenly faced with job outlooks that often league to independent league ball with the hope for a comeback in a minor league system of a major league team.

The lost season set so many players back. Every major league team is in the same situation, players they wish to keep not advancing past AA ball. So will be interesting to see what prospects might be changing teams, compared to the three dozen folks the Twins signed as basically AAAA fodder last season.

That being sai,d I hope the Twins are not hasty in resigning either Pineda or Colome, although their decision on Coleme means spending $1.25 million for nothing or $5.5 million for something. Is Colome a better keep on the 40-man than, say, Jax or Garza or  Which of thor Thorpe or Smeltzer, any of whom would be jettisoned if they kept hiose names, if any, would remain on a Twin on a minor league contract and the hopes that they can crack the team out of spring training?m.

Wander Javier is an interesting case. He's stalled out a bit as a prospect and normally you'd look at him and think he'd want to move on to another organization and wouldn't be worthy of a 40-man spot. but he's experienced another organization and came back to the twins when presented with the opportunity. So while I still don't think he's a good choice to add to the 40-man...I think there's a real possibility he might be interested in staying with the twins on a minor league deal for another season since he started to get back on track this year being back in his first organization. the grass is not always greener, and he may be less enthusiastic about jumping elsewhere after struggling in Tampa.

9 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

Quick update: Melvi Acosta and Wander Javier will not be free agents at this time. 

Is this due to service time?