Twins

The Twins have completed several rounds of roster cuts this spring with another handful to go. Still, several non-roster invitees remain in camp and have a legitimate shot at making the Opening Day roster.

Thursday afternoon, Rocco Baldelli announced that Twins rookie right-handed pitcher Joe Ryan will take the mound in game one of the Twins 2022 regular season against the Seattle Mariners. Naming a rookie the Opening-Day starter says many things about the Twins' state. So let’s dive into what this means.

Twins fans have grown spoiled at the DH position. Over the past three years, Nelson Cruz graced us with his excellence, setting an unreachable standard.

The team won't be able to match his production, but if there's a silver lining to his absence, it's that the lack of a dedicated full-time starter at DH creates a lot of flexibility – and opportunity.

With the bullpen still in flux a week out from Opening Day, the Twins were busy on Thursday adding much-needed bullpen depth to the organization. The Twins signed veteran right-handed relievers Tyler Bashlor, JC Ramirez and Jake Petricka to minor-league deals.

Before the internet, folks would prepare for the upcoming season by reading one of the many preview magazines that cost an arm and a leg at the grocery store. My dad would always say that you could tell how good a team would be by how many times the preview of it said "if."

As we inch closer to a mid-July draft, the baseball world has understandably been focused on Spring Training and an Opening Day that now is only a week away. A quick reminder, the Twins are currently scheduled to make the 8th and 48th picks. 

We are just one week from Opening Day. The roster cuts continue as the Twins sent two more players to minor-league camp on Wednesday morning. 

Last winter, the Twins brought in Alex Colome to serve in a late-inning role, but he failed miserably. Now, Taylor Rogers is returning from injury, so what’s the team’s late-inning bullpen pecking order?

The Minnesota Twins are now just a week from Opening Day, and while payroll flexibility remains, the reality is the runway is basically shut down. The bodies in camp are the ones to choose from going north. So, how did Derek Falvey and Thad Levine do?

For five straight seasons, Max Kepler has been Minnesota's starting right fielder on Opening Day. It's the longest-running streak of stability at any position on the team. 

He's about to stretch it to six, but there's a growing sense Kepler's days with the Twins are numbered. What's next in right?

Following their 9-4 win over the Pirates at Hammond Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, 11 players found out they will be heading to minor-league camp. Soon several of them will be on a plane to Minnesota to start their Triple-A season with the Saints. 

During the post-MLB lockout period, Twins fans have been embroiled in a bit of a waiting game for the front office to add some more starting pitching depth. But now, with Opening Day about a week away, it seems time might be running out in the eyes of both fans and the Twins front office. Or is it?