stringer bell

Here's my list of active MLB players who actually played a regular season game for the Twins: Liam Hendriks (CWS), Jonathan Schoop (DET), Robbie Grossman (DET), Rich Hill (BOS), Hansel Robles (BOS), Josh Donaldson (NYY), Marwin Gonzalez (NYY), Aaron Hicks (NYY), JT Chargois (TAM), Matt Wisler (TAM), José Berríos (TOR), Jake Odorizzi (HOU), Jason Castro (HOU), Niko Goodrum (HOU), Kurt Suzuki (LAA), Sergio Romo (SEA), Martín Pérez (TEX), Mitch Garver (TEX), Eddie Rosario (ATL), Trevor May (NYM), Eduardo Escobar (NYM), Kyle Gibson (PHI), Nelson Cruz (WAS), Sean Poppen (ARI), Alex Columé (COL), Tyler Kinley (COL), CJ Cron (COL), Brusdar Graterol (LAD), Taylor Rogers (SDP) and Zack Littell (SFG). Several ex-Twins started the season the the Injured List included Andrelton Simmons, Ben Rortvedt, LaMonte Wade Jr., Ehire Adrianza and Lance Lynn, Brent Rooker is not listed on San Diego's active roster, so he must have been optioned to AAA.

It seemed that the only guy Rocco trusted to go long was Berrios. I think there is/was justification for such an approach. In addition he dealt with a dozen starts from Ober in which the innings were going to be limited no matter how effective he was. If the veteran guys pitch well when fully stretched out, I expect he'll let them go a bit. I really don't think there won't be many longish outings in April with the short spring training and the expanded pitching staff.

Joe Smith was born before the Minnesota Twins won a World Series. As for the Union stuff, i dunno. It would appear to be a occupational hazard to be a union rep. Winning helps clubhouse chemistry.

I’m holding you to each and every detail roger.

Hope, sure. Bet the house on it? I won’t. Perhaps a reasonable thought is that some of these guys are closer to their 2019 numbers than 2021. We’ve had a lot of disruptions and strangeness in the last two years.

Who will get DH at-bats? It looks to me like it could be Arraez a fair amount versus right handed starters and Sano and Sanchez against lefties.

The DFA saga of Ralph Garza Jr. continues. He was DFAed by the Red Sox after being claimed when the Twins DFAed him, and now claimed by the Rays. Brandon Waddell (remember him?) was outrighted by the Cardinals.

I saw Jax' last appearance and he had some tough luck, but also he lacked command, walked a couple, hit one and pitched behind most of the time. Such a small sample size exacerbates a bad outing like he had. I still am not confident he can get big league hitters out, whether as a starter or reliever. I'd rather see Celestino in St. Paul, but he does provide what the Twins need as far as defense, handedness and ability to cover in center. I hope we see a regular left fielder while Kirilloff gets more time at first. I've profiled the ultimate left fielder as Martin, but it looks like he'll be playing shortstop at Wichita. Larnach could figure in here, too, but he is a left handed hitter and not a plus defender.

Your framing of the question tells me why you're unconvinced. Taylor Rogers was an All-Star because he was in Denver during the All-Star break. I thought there were other years when he could have been considered, but he got his chance last year. You have also decided that the 26-year old Paddack will be no better than reclamation projects Bundy and Archer. It is like a polling firm asking if you wanted to vote for the no-good-so-and-so or their guy. I'm emotionally vested in Taylor Rogers' story and hate to see him traded. He has become a better pitcher than anyone projected and I do believe his absence in the clubhouse will be felt. That said, he wasn't an all-time great and his contribution on the mound can be made up for by the others in the bullpen. I don't know if they will, but it is possible. We are seeing some of the philosophy of Falvey and Levine play out here. They aren't going to play huge dollars for relief pitchers and they aren't going to sign starters long term contracts. I don't know if they're right, but it seems to be how they roll.

If the Twins are going to take a hitter out for defense, it should be Sano, with Kirilloff moving to first. With the reinstatement of the ghost runner in extra innings, Rocco should be more eager to get his best defenders in the game in late innings, because the probability of a replaced player like Sano having his turn in the order come up in extra innings is now pretty small.

I don't think Celestino is an odd choice as a backup outfielder. He hits right, so could relieve Kepler or Kirilloff versus a tough lefty and he's sound defensively, with the ability to play center in the event that Buxton is out. I don't think either Rooker or Garlick was a good fit. Neither is a plus fielder, with Rooker being in well-below average range. Rooker hasn't hit left handed pitching either in the minors or the majors and Garlick wasn't on the 40-man roster, which was a problem and also says something about his overall ability. Neither guy stepped up in the abbreviated spring training. Rooker's trade gives them a chance to reconsider Celestino, who is the best fit as a fourth outfielder.

Jax was sent down.

I also think that Winder could be the victim of adding an additional pitcher (2 for 1 in the swap with SD). Jax has continued to be uninspiring to me, but many are saying he could be really good in a relief role. With the added starter, the Twins could choose to sent Winder to St. Paul. Edit to add: The Twins notified Duran he was on the roster, they've done no such thing for Winder. That figures into my thinking.

Actually, the 29th guy is Stashak, who we've been told stayed in Florida. Regarding Rooker and Garlick, Rooker was on the 40-man and never optioned or taken off the 40-man, so until one of those things happen, you are on the team. I do think there is a chance that Garlick makes the Opening Day roster, but clearing that spot on the 40-man is still an issue. Actually, there are still a lot of teams that need to finalize their roster and I continue to believe that someone who is cut loose from another team would be a better fit than Kyle Garlick, or Celestino or Larnach for that matter. However, claiming someone from another team and putting them on the roster would still require a 40-man move.

According to the updated Twins' website, there are 29 active players, including Paddack and Pagan. Cody Stashak, for some reason, is not listed as injured or in the minors. Subtracting Stashak, there are 28 players--17 pitchers and 11 position players. If the Twins choose to add Kyle Garlick, someone (probably a pitcher) must be sent to the minors or disabled and someone will have to be taken off the 40-man roster. If the Twins add back someone who was in the minors (Larnach, Miranda, Celestino), but is on the 40-man roster, then a pitcher would have to be demoted. I remain interested in what is going on with Stashak. Perhaps they are looking at a more severe injury and contemplating whether he should go on the 60-day list, maybe they're trying to outright him and are waiting to see if he's been claimed.

I might if people are misspelling his name four years from now.

I’m sad that Rogers was dealt. Relief pitchers don’t seem to have much value with this front office, but the bullpen as a whole, is going to be vital. Youngsters Duran and Alcala will have to step up.

The Padres don’t need a quarterback, so I’m sure Rodgers is not coming to them in a trade. C’mon people, spelling names isn’t that hard.

Polanco had nothing to prove in Florida—get his at-bats in and get his timing down—from the start of camp, Rooker and Garlick were competing for a spot on the roster, a totally different perspective for the spring.

I hope you’re right. Going to spring training, I thought neither of the final choices (Garlick, Rooker) was worthy of a roster spot and their performance has not changed my opinion. They don’t need a star, they just need somebody that fits the team’s needs. That is not Rooker or Garlick.

Except that the Twins would actually have to add a position player after May 1, since they are going with 16 pitchers. BTW, at least two Twins teams in the 60s didn’t use 16 pitchers in the entire season.

I just checked Drew's profile at BBRef, specifically the similarity scores. I was disappointed that he didn't pair up with Sal. However, I did chuckle to see the names to whom he was compared--Bobby Wilson, Tom Prince, Corky Miller. There have been a lot of modest hitting catchers cycling through the Twins and I think that is the story throughout MLB.

I'm with you on Martin, Larnach, Sano, Kirilloff and Sanchez. I'm pretty sure the Twins don't quite see it that way just yet. As far as Upton, I think he's past his "use by" date except when it comes to hitting against the Twins.

A lot of players are becoming available between now and Opening Day as the teams settle on their rosters. As for the cutdown on May 2, the Twins, as currently configured would have to drop three, not two, pitchers and add a position player. Perhaps they'll go with a third catcher, depending on how things go in April with DHing Sanchez and how Jeffers is playing. Barring injuries, adding a third catcher would require exposing someone to be claimed. Rooker has options so if the Twins want to demote him, they can, with no risk of losing him. Garlick is on a minor league deal, so he also can be demoted with no risk of losing him. If they want to keep him on the active roster, someone would have to be placed on the 60-day IL or designated for assignment.

Flexibility is a good thing. That the Twins have several guys that they can option to AAA is key especially when they have to cut back to 13 pitchers after May 1. The unfortunate thing is that there are several candidates for promotion from AAA who would have to be added to the (already full) 40-man roster. While I wouldn't wish it on any particular player, disabling injuries happen and if they're severe enough, the player can end up on the 60-day IL opening room on the 40-man roster. I'm tracking transactions throughout baseball and Detroit just placed three players (two pitchers) on the 60-day IL and three more (two pitchers) on the shorter 10-day list. The Twins wouldn't have that much to do if they want to bring someone across the river from St. Paul, but candidates like Smeltzer and Cano would have to be added.