Ted Schwerzler

You're missing the point. The evaluation process unfolds over the entirety of a career, of course. Against major league competition however, moving a guy ten times throughout a season and compiling 23 meaningful innings doesn't indicate much of anything.

I'd much rather have went with Tonkin and someone else than Fien from the get go.

The 2015 Minnesota Twins returned to relevance for the first time since the 2010 Major League Baseball season. After a rocky first few games, a spring run put Paul Molitor's club in a great position down the stretch. Not being eliminated from playoff contention until the final weekend hampered Minnesota from exploring some less entrenched options, but no one was a by-product of that reality more than Michael Tonkin. Last season, the Twins jumped down a rabbit hole that has now begun to come full circle. Employing the worst bullpen in the big leagues by multiple statistical measures, they left a lot of things unanswered. One of the biggest misses of those "things" was whether or not Michael Tonkin can be effective at the big league level. A season ago, Tonkin was a 25 year old pitching at Triple-A Rochester. On the season, he posted a 1.10 ERA along with a 10.1 K/9 and walked just 1.1 batters per nine innings. After a 2.80 ERA in 2014 at Triple-A, it appeared pretty apparent that Tonkin was ready for a new challenge. In "understanding" that, the Twins called upon him. In fact, they did so five different times. During the 2015 season, Tonkin was promoted to Minnesota on five different occasions (meaning he was demoted as well). Of those five promotions, two of them lasted just one game, while a third was played out over the course of four appearances. In total, Tonkin gave the Twins 23.1 IP to the tune of a 3.47 ERA and a 7.3 K/9. Those numbers were all compiled while the Twins learned little to nothing about what they had, and in turn, Tonkin about himself. Sure, Minnesota was in the midst of a competitive season that saw them narrowly miss the playoffs, but does that really excuse things? Remember, the Twins owned one of the big leagues worst bullpens a season ago. A.J. Achter, Tim Stauffer, and Aaron Thompson were given a combined total of 60.2 IP despite none of them owning better than a 5.00 ERA. Brian Duensing, owner of a 4.25 ERA and a 4.4 K/9 threw 48.2 IP for the 2015 Twins, and Casey Fien pumped a 5.83 K/9 rate during his 63.1 IP. To summarize, Minnesota chose to give struggling and low ceiling options more run than instead to figure out what they may be sitting on. That leads us to where we are now. Over the course of spring training, Tonkin did everything he could to not make the club. Despite being what seemed to be a roster lock thanks to being out of options, the 26 year old generated a 7.88 ERA across 8.0 IP. The small sample size makes numerical conclusions difficult, but he gave up earned runs in four of his seven appearances, and had as many games result in multi-hit appearances. A team looking to improve upon a bad bullpen wouldn't have carried Tonkin, but the Twins saw their hands tied as they still don't know what they have. At the break of spring training, ESPN 1500's Derek Wetmore asked me if I believed Tonkin would be claimed on waivers, and if so, I would be ok with it. I answered that I thought there was better than a 50% chance he would be, and that it wouldn't necessarily bother me. From a roster standpoint, the Twins relief options on the farm are some of the best in all of baseball. There's reason to believe that the pen is overhauled and turned into an area of strength. From the notion of how Tonkin was handled however, it would be troubling. In selecting Ricky Nolasco for the rotation, Minnesota spared Tonkin a roster spot. It absolutely should be Tyler Duffey pitching among the five, and Nolasco in the pen, but in handling things the way they did, the Twins once again put Tonkin in an odd spot. Now on the roster as a carryover, Tonkin is being asked to pitch in a long relief role. Thus far in his career (60 MLB games) Tonkin has thrown more than 25 pitches just 10 times. Minnesota elected to stretch him out on the Saturday before Opening Day, he threw 53 pitches. In doing so, Tonkin was not available for the rain delayed (per Derek Wetmore and relayed by Curse Of Punto), and didn't make his debut in his new role. What things have boiled down to with Michael Tonkin is a really unfortunate narrative. A guy that excelled at the highest level of the farm system the past two years was never given an opportunity to produce, is now being included out of necessity, and is being utilized in a less than favorable role. Sure, things could all work out wonderfully, but could there have been a more backwards way of going about it? I definitely don't think so. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

As the 2016 Major League Baseball season kicked off, there were plenty of different narratives for this version of the Minnesota Twins. Questions about the bullpen and youth were present, but there was one position that was absolutely cemented in. Paul Molitor had no doubts about who his shortstop was going to be this season, Eduardo Escobar had taken care of those questions. Prior to the 2015 season, Escobar was locked into a competition with Danny Santana as to who would take over as the Twins starting shortstop. There was plenty of reason to believe in Santana's capabilities, and I was among that group. What Escobar did during the 2015 season however, was more than deserving enough on its own, and coupled with how horrid Santana was, it became apparent who the Twins best shortstop was. What Escobar did was nothing short of eye-opening. From the All Star Break on, Eduardo slashed .269/.330/.486 while clobbering eight homer runs, contributing 19 doubles, and driving in 29 runs. On the year, Escobar slugged .445, which (had he qualified) would have ranked second among all major league shortstops not named Brandon Crawford. His 1.5 fWAR put him on par with the Royals Alcides Escobar, who played in 21 more games than the Twins shortstop. By all of his own measures, Eduardo Escobar had emerged. Despite contributing a 2.4 fWAR in 2013, Escobar was pushed to a utility type role in favor of Santana out of the gate a season ago. Danny Santana turning in 16 errors and being worth -15 DRS while earning a -8.0 UZR was the perfect storm to open the door for Escobar. As the offensive production poured on, the Venezuelan slammed the door on any questions about who would play short for the Twins going forward. For most of the 2015 season, Escobar's production was met with some level of hesitation. It had become a wait and see type scenario, in which the bottom could potentially fall out at any point. The resounding fact however, is that the time never came. Instead, Escobar produced on offense while making just four errors in 71 starts at shortstop. He was worth 2 DRS and posted a drastic improvement (2.6 UZR) over Santana in range factor. He had taken his opportunity and run with it. At just 27 years old, and heading into his third full big league season, Escobar has become the Twins present and their immediate future. Minnesota does not have anything on the near horizon at shortstop (sorry Jorge Polanco, but 28 E in 102 G isn't going to work), and Eduardo has long passed the point of needing to look over his shoulder. Top prospect Nick Gordon will continue his rise through the system, and Wander Javier is not far behind him, but neither are legitimate threats to the Twins guy right now. Having seen the emergence and production develop, the Twins can be thankful to have their first legitimate shortstop in quite some time. As Minnesota returns to relevancy, Eduardo Escobar will be a big part of the equation. It may be tough to watch Francisco Liriano continue to dominate in his career, but the move was necessary at the time, and is now paying dividends for the home team as well. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Yeah, I'm not sure I understand what the Twins fear is either. While I mentioned that $2m is irrelevant, I'd argue that roster spot is far more valuable not wasted on a guy like Fien.

And with the Twins bullpen, they can't survive carrying a guy that strikes out hitters at a lower rate than their already bad average.

Waiting months for Opening Day to come, only to have it pass as the nine innings unfold, should help remind us as baseball fans to keep things in perspective. I wrote recently about the importance of Opening Day, and the relative lack thereof. It's a celebration of what is to come, but as a baseball fan, we are locked in for the long haul over the next seven months. There were a couple of key things that can be drawn from what the Twins underwent to open their season however. Over the course of the offseason, the bullpen has been the largest point of contention. After being the worst in the big leagues a season ago by multiple different metrics, it was going to need to be vastly improved for this club to stave off regression. Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan seemed to bank on internal options for the 2016 season, and with a deep farm system, it's hard to blame them. That said, there was still three main points that detractors focused in on. First, the closer. Glen Perkins has been an All Star in two consecutive seasons, but has broken down as the season turns over to its second half. I touched on what Perkins should be this year, and I believe the concern for him is overblown. Let's move past that part. The second arm causing some pause is also a part of the back three relievers that were considered locks this spring. Kevin Jepsen's acquisition last season will go down as one of Terry Ryan's best trades. Behind only the brilliance that was finagling Tommy Milone away from the Athletics, Jepsen resembled a move the Twins needed. He went on to have a career year for Minnesota, and filled in the closer role in Perkins' absence. It's that career year though that makes 2016 somewhat uncertain. With the Twins, Jepsen posted his best ever ERA (1.61), while striking out eight per nine innings, and owning a sub 3.00 FIP for just the third time in his nine year career. Having never totaled a sub 2.00 ERA previously, it was pretty apparent that the performance was going to be difficult to repeat. Things started out on the wrong foot in 2016 for Jepsen as he took the Twins first loss, and his shaky performance was to blame. Generating two quick outs, the former Rays reliever then walked a batter and gave up two consecutive singles to allow the walk of run. What;s worth noting, is this narrative could play out similar to one Twins fans have seen before. Upon joining the Twins a season ago, Kevin Jepsen was tagged for two earned runs in his first game while recording just one out. He took the loss as the Twins fell 4-1 to the Seattle Mariners. From there however, he gave up runs in just two of his final 28 outings. Posting a 0.98 ERA across 27.2 IP, opposing batters slashed just .178/.217/.218 off of him. By all statistical measures, his immediate blip for the Twins was followed by dominance. A sever candidate for regression this season, Jepsen will need to do his best impression of his former self. The Opening Day blunder could definitely be a precursor to future dominance, but for a guy that is looking to be a cornerstone of the Twins relief corps, he'll be battling against himself the rest of the way. Now, both of the former two pitchers are more cautionary tales than legitimate concerns. Unfortunately, the third pitcher doesn't have that luxury. Enter Casey Fien. Arbitration eligible with Minnesota this offseason, the Twins awarded Fien a $2.275 million contract. While the money is negligible, the move immediately draw ire from myself as his roster spot became all but guaranteed. The problem with that, is Fien is far from the best internal option for Neil Allen and Molitor to run out in a relief situation, and taking a spot from a more capable arm seemed counter productive for a team trying to revamp its pen. Despite owning a 3.55 ERA and being mediocre at best in 2015, you'll hear that Fien was better down the stretch. There's some truth to that. In Fien's first 31 games in 2015, he owned a 4.60 ERA while allowing a .270/.285/.437 slash line to hitters. In the final 31 games of his season, Fien turned in a 2.53 ERA while limiting hitters to a much better .229/.256/.314 line. What the numbers don't show is that Fien's production still came largely as smoke and mirrors. Minnesota owned the worst bullpen strikeout percentage in the big leagues a season ago (6.85 K/9), and in those final 31 games Fien (who was "good") posted a 6.75 K/9. Therein lies the problem that is Casey Fien. Over the past three years, Fien's strikeouts per nine innings have declined each season. Topping out at 10.6 in 2013, they dipped to 7.2 in 2014, and were a horrible 5.8 a season ago. It's worth noting that Fien doesn't walk anyone (1.7 BB/9 career), but his troublesome strikeout rate is at the root of the Twins relief issues. In 2015, Fien generated swinging strikes just 8.7% of the time, his lowest mark since 2010. Opposing hitters were able to make contact with his pitches over 83% of the time, also the worst mark since 2010. On top of allowing the ball to be put in play, Fien wasn't just generating soft contact. In fact, his pitches were hit with medium or hard contact 83.2% of the time, again a career worst since the 2012 season. What it breaks down to is Casey Fien being the exact type of pitcher the Twins should have avoided putting in their pen. He's a reliever that strikes no one out, gives up way too many hard hit balls, and does nothing to push a bad bullpen forward. In rewarding him with an arbitration deal, Fien was the choice over the likes of J.R. Graham, Taylor Rogers. Logan Darnell, Nick Burdi, Brandon Kintzler or maybe some other external option. Of course one game is far too early to start cherry picking as to what the rest of the season holds. That being said, Fien allowing four hits and surrendering two runs while recording just two outs very well could be a precursor of things to come. The Twins bullpen should be much better than billed. Ryan Pressly is a weapon, Trevor May could be elite, and Fernando Abad appears to be a nice pickup. All of those things can remain true though, while Fien remains a dumpster fire, and we're going to eventually find out what's down that rabbit hole. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Projections aside, neither Santana or Tillman are a typical Opening Day ace. Tillman though being the same pitcher as Santana, I'll sell that.

Yesterday, Craig Calcaterra wrote an incredible piece over at NBC's Hardball Talk in regards to Opening Day and the celebration that it is. I urge you to read it, the perspective is truly necessary. The basis of the piece is that while Opening Day is no doubt a celebration, it's importance is sometimes overstated. That leads us to here, and what lies ahead. Don't get me wrong, Opening Day is a party, and it should be. We've made it. No longer are we spending days speculating about what moves the Twins may make, or how much of a debacle Miguel Sano may be in the outfield. Instead, the narratives begin to play out in front of our eyes, and unlike the last month of forgettable action, these games count. Sure, Opening Day is one of the days on the calendar a baseball fan circles every season. You don't need a political affiliation to have no better reason to vote for a presidential candidate, than whomever first takes on making the day a national holiday. For the 2016 Twins, Opening Day is going to signify the first time since 2011 in which Minnesota will embark upon another 162 game slate coming off of a winning season. Yes, today is incredibly important. That importance is where things take a bit of a shift however. Opening Day is simply not at all important for what takes place on the field. Everything about baseball's ribbon cutting day is about what takes place off of it. The pageantry, the flyovers, your first ballpark beer, all of those things carry more weight than anything that takes place between the lines today. Minnesota will send Ervin Santana to the mound, making his first ever Opening Day start. The Twins big free agent splash in 2015 could go on to twirl a no hitter, or he may deal a perfect game. Almost as likely, he'll get shelled, give up double-digit runs, and the limited grouping of traveling Twins fans will leave Camden Yards well before the fifth inning. The reality however, is that the outcome is going to lie somewhere in between. Looking at the landscape of the 2016 Twins, and the expectations for the ball club, there may not be a big league team tougher to project. Capable of putting together a run that has them at the top of the AL Central, or watching the inexperience, youth, and gambles crash and burn to the tune of a last place record, Minnesota stands to write a pretty interesting storyline in the year ahead. With that understanding, it's going to take quite some time for a real concrete set of expectations to develop. Beginning the season, the Twins will play somewhat of a softer schedule. Getting some lesser teams on the road (sorry Baltimore, but Chris Tillman on Opening Day?), and dealing with the tougher foes at Target Field (what do we make of the White Sox? And is the Indians rotation really going to carry that outfield?), Paul Molitor's club can position themselves well. Down the stretch though, when the playoffs begin to come into the picture, the Twins will face an incredibly heavy slate of inner-division rivals. By the time for the rubber to meet the proverbial road for Molitor and his gang, the hope would be that Miguel Sano would be roughly 30 homers deep. Maybe Byung Ho Park will have mastered the clobbering of breaking pitches, and Jose Berrios could be well on his way to winning the AL Rookie of the Year award. Sure, all or none of those things may happen, but what's certain is that none of them will begin to take hold on Opening Day. When the Twins take the field against Buck Showalter's Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards for Opening Day, it signifies the end of a long offseason that couldn't come soon enough. The numbers, stats, and developments to come though, well, Opening Day really isn't a place for any of that. Enjoy it, embrace it, and settle in for the long haul. While casual fans will come and go throughout the season, you'll be here, watching the Twins turn "what ifs" into reality for the next seven months. The excitement and fireworks is for them, the box scores and production though is what makes Opening Day a blip on the radar in the scheme of the greatness that is yet to come. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

If nothing else I'm bullish on Santana because of the usage he should see. Less reliance on him, and needing to contribute, I think he lets his athleticism carry him. His luck was inflated was two years ago, and was completely deflated last year. If that evens out and he provides some regulars with days off, he'll be capable.

That really only isn't a Perk thing though. Often, closers struggle in non-save situations as its not something they're used to.

The short term closer would almost be guaranteed to be Jepsen as it was in 2015. Perkins velocity was actually up in his last outing, and higher than it has been in recent spring trainings.

A season ago, the Minnesota Twins were among the worst in the major leagues when it comes to bullpens. They didn't strike anyone out, the group struggled to hold leads, and they were generally overtaxed having to work long games pitching from behind. Although many of the arms didn't have full seasons of inefficiency, it was generally a tale of two halves for a good portion of them. No one experienced that narrative more than Glen Perkins. Making a third straight trip to the All Star Game, Perkins owned a 1.21 ERA in 37.1 innings before the break. He allowed opposing hitters to slash a paltry .188/.217/.246 off of him, while notching 28 straight saves. His 8.7 K/9 was getting the job done, and he looked like the best closer in all of baseball. Then it happened... Upon the calendar turning over to the second half of the season, the train derailed for the Minnesota native. For the second season in a row, he fumbled down the stretch. Pitching just 19.2 innings for the Twins the rest of the way, Perkins owned a 7.32 ERA and converted just four saves while blowing three. He gave up a .360/.394/.674 slash line to hitters, and surrendered seven longballs. To say it was a debacle would be putting it nicely. For the second year in a row, Glen Perkins had disappeared. Looking at 2016, there was a real need for the Twins to improve their pen. With many pieces being makeshift a season ago, Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor needed more arms they could count on. Heading into the spring, only Perkins, Kevin Jepsen, and Trevor May were guaranteed to be among the group (May, after he was ruled out of starting). The Twins addressed their bullpen in much of the same way they did going into the 2015 season. Inviting a handful of non-roster guys to compete for jobs, it was always Fernando Abad that looked the most likely to make an impact. The rest of the 2016 pen will be composed of internal options that have previously performed, and there's a host of high-ceiling guys on the way. What remains the glue of everything however, is just how well Perkins contributes to the group as a whole. Sure, Jepsen filled in admirably for Perkins a season ago, but expecting a career year from him ago may be a fool's errand. There's reason to believe May becomes an elite reliever, but do we really want to be relying on him to close games for the Twins in the upcoming year? Taking some pressure off of everyone would mean Perkins is able to handle his own. I have seen concern from multiple different outlets. There's been rumblings of a man struggling to stay in shape, wondering where priorities lie, and notions that it may be time to move on. Where I believe things are trending however, is the third time being a charm. Glen Perkins is a competitor, he's a realist, and he seems to be one of the most transparent players in the big leagues. There's probably nobody more determined to right his wrongs than Perkins himself. Wanting to turn the tide on two down endings, Perkins has worked through different routines in hopes of putting his body in the best position to withstand the rigors of a full season. The last two seasons, Perkins has seen his fastball dip down into the 93 mph range. After spending 2012 and 2013 throwing right around 95 mph, the dip could definitely be part of the downfall. What Perkins has done this spring however, is show velocity that rivals the numbers posted at the height of his game. In the previous two years, he's struggled to push the radar gun much above the 92 mph range down in Florida. In his recent outings this season, Perkins has pushed up past 94 mph, a very good sign. In his best years, Perkins has struck out right around 10 batters per nine innings. Using his wipeout slider, he's had batters overmatched more often than not. When allowing the ball to be put in play, Perkins has always given up roughly a third of those batted balls to fall into the hard contact range. The last two seasons, that number has continued to rise. For Perkins, it's about getting back to what he has been capable of previously. At 33, it's not about reinventing the wheel for the former Gophers standout, but simply returning to what he's capable of. He needs to keep the ball in the yard, seeing a 2% spike in his HR/Fly Ball rate, and he needs to command at bats once again. As much as staying healthy is a big portion of the equation, the solution simply seems to be returning to a pitching style he once was synonymous with. There's understandable reason to believe that Perkins health has become a detriment to his effectiveness and think that his best days are behind him. The flip side however is that his issues are correctable and making even minor tweaks are the key to him solidifying an improved Twins relief corps. For now, the problems that the Twins bullpen and Glen Perkins are facing can't be overlooked. What also is fair to suggest is that the situation shouldn't be overblown either. Expecting Perkins to return to his former self, and produce in a full season, is something I feel comfortable with at this point. The unfortunate reality though, is that it's a narrative the Twins must have play out. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Prior to the 2015 Major League Baseball season, there was no Twins player I was more down on that Danny Santana. After exploding onto the scene in 2014, and garnering some AL Rookie of the Year votes, regression was looking him right in the face. Unsustainable production at the plate caused worry, and the fears turned out to be more than warranted. In 2016, there's a different tune, however. Santana could be one of the Twins most integral roster components.In 2015, Santana produced an ugly .215/.241/.291 slash line for the Twins over 91 games at the big league level. His .405 BABIP from 2014 came crashing back to earth, and even swung heavily the other way, ending at .290 for the 2015 season. Given the starting shortstop role out of the gates, he was unpredictably terrible, and was given a much longer leash than imagined. Summarizing, the 2015 season is one that Santana will want to forget. Nothing could help him move on quicker though than what is to come in 2016. Santana who has been named to the 25-man roster for the Twins, now finds himself in a different role. Moved back to the outfield in principle, Santana has started games all over the diamond for the Twins through spring training. Having shown the versatility to play on both sides of the infield, as well as spelling uber-prospect Byron Buxton in center, Santana will have plenty at-bats come his way. Santana's approach at the plate has always been one that could lead to some struggles. Taking walks has never been a big part of Santana's game, and the 2.2% walk rate at the big league level in 2015 was a new career low. He swung at pitches outside of the zone over 43% of the time last season, and missed on swings nearly 13% of the time. Neither of those numbers are ideal (although they are better than 2016 regression favorite, Eddie Rosario), but a late-season surge may have seen things begin to click again. Prior to his promotion back to the big league club to end the season, Santana tore up Triple-A Rochester in the month of August. He slashed .333/.352/.506 over his final 20 games there. Posting eight extra-base hits, with three homers, the Dominican seemed to find his stroke once again. Through spring training, Santana has once again impressed at the plate. Given 52 at-bats, he owns a .327/.339/.462 slash line with a homer, and nine runs driven in. Utilizing his speed on the base paths, he's also contributed five stolen bases to the Twins' cause. Projecting forward for Santana, trends should be in his favor. The largest factor in his regression in 2015 was the inflated BABIP in 2014, largely a metric of luck. Santana owned a 26% hard hit rate a season ago, down just 0.5% from the 2014 season. His line drive rate dipped around 6% but there were still not any glaring abnormalities. What the numbers suggest is that Santana simply regressed to the mean, and the ball didn't bounce his way as often as it had the season before. Fortunately for him, in 2015 it bounced significantly against his way more often than not, and posting that poor of a BABIP once again in 2016 doesn't seem like a good bet. So if Santana should be expected to be better at the dish, that means half of his game is already looking to be headed in the right direction. As a utility fielder, the Twins are helping to make sure the rest of it follows suit as well. As mentioned earlier, Santana was given the starting shortstop gig out of the gate in 2015. Across 570 plus innings, he posted a -15 DRS and -8.0 UZR for Minnesota. For some comparison as to just how bad that is, not a single qualified shortstop posted worse than a -8 DRS in 2015, and that was Jose Reyes who played 996 innings. What the Twins found out is that Santana is not a shortstop, at least not in a full time role. Moving Santana away from short, and removing the 16 errors that came with it immediately helps the Twins defensively. It helps Danny too considering he's posted at least league average defensive numbers in the outfield. Playing over 500 innings in center field for the 2014 Twins, Santana held down the spot, even while being a bit below average when looking at range factors. Making a home in the outfield as a rotational type should allow Santana to settle in defensively. Subbing for Eduardo Escobar at short, Brian Dozier at second, or even Trevor Plouffe at third is a way to sprinkle Santana's glove into the infield without relying on him heavily. For the upcoming version of the Twins, a focus on the 25th man will be more heightened than it has been in recent memory. While I'm not suggesting that role is Santana's, the point is that having capable pieces off the bench is a must for a team looking to make the playoffs. Santana operating in a super utility role could be one of the nicest things afforded to the Twins in quite some time. While he isn't Nick Punto defensively, Danny Santana could round into having at least that much value with the mix of the bat, flexibility, and compatibility. If 2015 was the Twins relying on Santana to take a starting gig and run with it, 2016 will be about Minnesota hoping he can reinvent himself by being Danny-do-everything. Expect a jack-of-all-trades, master of none type approach, and thinking it will work out is a pretty good bet. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz Click here to view the article

Prior to the 2015 Major League Baseball season, there was no Twins player I was more down on that Danny Santana. After exploding onto the scene in 2014, and garnering some AL Rookie of the Year votes, regression was looking him right in the face. Unsustainable production at the plate caused worry, and the fears turned out to be more than warranted. In 2016, there's a different tune however. Santana could be one of the Twins most integral roster components. In 2015, Santana produced an ugly .215/.241/.291 slash line for the Twins over 91 games at the big league level. His .405 BABIP from 2014 came crashing back to earth, and even swung heavily the other way, ending at .290 for the 2015 season. Given the starting shortstop role out of the gates, he was unpredictably terrible, and was given a much longer leash than imagined. Summarizing, the 2015 season is one that Santana will want to forget. Nothing could help him move on quicker though than what is to come in 2016. Santana who has been named to the 25 man roster for the Twins, now finds himself in a different role. Moved back to the outfield in principle, Santana has started games all over the diamond for the Twins through spring training. Having shown the versatility to play on both sides of the infield, as well as spelling uber prospect Byron Buxton in center, Santana will have plenty at bats come his way. Santana's approach at the plate has always been one that could lead to some struggles. Taking walks has never been a big part of Santana's game, and the 2.2% walk rate at the big league level in 2015 was a new career low. He swung at pitches outside of the zone over 43% of the time last season, and missed on swings nearly 13% of the time. Neither of those numbers are ideal (although they are better than 2016 regression favorite, Eddie Rosario), but a late season surge may have seen things begin to click again. Prior to his promotion back to the big league club to end the season, Rosario tore up Triple-A Rochester in the month of August. He slashed .333/.352/.506 over his final 20 games there. Posting eight extra base hits, with three homers, the Dominican seemed to find his stroke once again. Through spring training, Santana has once again continued to impress at the plate. Given 52 at bats, he owns a .327/.339/.462 slash line with a homer, and nine runs driven in. Utilizing his speed on the basepaths, he's also contributed five stolen bases to Paul Molitor and the Twins cause. Comparing things and projecting forward for Santana, trends should be in his favor. The largest detractor to his assumed regression in 2015 was in the form of the inflated BABIP, largely a metric of luck. Santana owned a 26% hard hit rate a season ago, down just 0.5% from the 2014 season. His line drive rate dipped around 6% but there were still not any glaring abnormalities. What the numbers suggest is that Santana simply regressed to the mean, and the ball didn't bounce his way as often as it did the season before. Fortunately for him, it bounced significantly against his way more often than not, and posting that poor of a BABIP once again in 2016 doesn't seem like a good bet. So if Santana should be expected to be better at the dish, that means half of his game is already looking to be headed in the right direction. As a utility fielder, the Twins are helping to make sure the rest of it follows suit as well. As mentioned earlier, Santana was given the starting shortstop gig out of the gate in 2015. Across 570 plus innings, he posted a -15 DRS and -8.0 UZR for Minnesota. For some comparison as to just how bad that is, not a single qualified shortstop posted worse than a -8 DRS in 2015, and that was Jose Reyes who played 996 innings to reach that feat. What the Twins found out is that Santana is not a shortstop, or at least in a full time role. Moving away from Santana at short, the 16 errors that came with it immediately helps the Twins defensively. It helps Danny too however, considering he's posted at least league average numbers in the outfield. Playing over 500 innings in centerfield for the 2014 Twins, Santana held down the spot, even while being a bit below average when consulting range factors. Making a home in the outfield as a rotational type should allow Santana to settle in defensively. Sparing Eduardo Escobar at short, Brian Dozier at second, or even Trevor Plouffe at third is a way to sprinkle Santana's glove into the infield without relying on him heavily. For the upcoming version of the Twins, a focus on the 25th man will be more heightened than it has in recent memory. While I'm not suggesting that's Santana, the point is that having capable pieces off the bench is a must for a team looking to make the playoffs. Santana operating in a super utility role could be one of the nicest things afforded to the Twins in quite some time. While he isn't Nick Punto defensively, Danny Santana could round into being at least that value with the mix of the bat, flexibility, and compatibility. If 2015 was the Twins relying on Santana to take a starting gig and run with it, 2016 will be about Minnesota hoping he can reinvent himself by being Danny-do-everything. Expect a jack of all trades, master of none type approach, and thinking it works out is a pretty good bet. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

More than anyone you know I didn't want Nolasco in the rotation. That said, Duffey was told the spot was his to lose and that's what he did. Sure he was trying to add a change up (which he needs) but he was generally ineffective and all over the zone with his go to stuff as well. I don't like it, I would have rather included Duffey, but I get it.

The day has come and gone, Tyler Duffey and Ricky Nolasco had their show down as spring training draws to a close, and the rotation has been all but set. With Nolasco not seeming a likely rotation option coming into the season, Duffey opened the door with his tough spring, and the veteran capitalized. Now with the rotation looking set, a few other dominoes will fall into place. Despite getting a vote of confidence from manager Paul Molitor out of the gate, Duffey did the one thing he couldn't afford to do this spring, be mediocre. As a candidate for regression after a very solid final 9 starts in 2015, the former Rice closer needed to hold serve and the rotation spot was his. While he was looking to add a third pitch to his repertoire, a changeup, it was his command that alluded him most down in Florida. Although Ricky Nolasco was far from a lights out option this spring, he took the door Duffey left cracked open, and kicked it in. Turning in multiple solid performances on the major league side, the man Minnesota owes $24 million over the next two years forced his way back into the team's plans. Now penciled in to be the club's fifth starter, we can begin to wonder what happens next. First for Nolasco. I looked at what needs to go right for the former Marlins ace back in February. He is signed on an over-extended contract given his track record in the lesser national league, and he's coming off two poor seasons for the Twins. First and foremost, he needs to be able to find his confidence once again. Falling behind hitters far too often in his tenure with the Twins, he's generally given the guy at the plate the advantage from the get go. From there, his breaking pitches need to return to what they once were. His curveball has looked sharp this spring, and his slider needs to again be an out pitch. If he can make those tweaks happen, Minnesota may get some use out of their big 2014 expense after all. The dominoes behind Nolasco are the ones that seem almost more intriguing however. It has often been an uttered sentiment that the Twins best case scenario would be for a brief period of positivity causing teams around the big leagues to check in on Nolasco. In reality, he still has a significant chunk of change tied to his name, and Minnesota would have a tough time swallowing the majority of it. Nolasco going well wouldn't be all bad however. Considering the shape of the AL Central starting rotations, the Twins would have to figure in no worse than third among the grouping. With a solid front three, the inclusion of Tommy Milone and Nolasco as 4th and 5th options is far from a bad thing. As the season gets underway, the back end of the rotation could then serve as somewhat of a revolving door for Molitor. Despite being sent down, Duffey is going to resurface with the Twins at some point in 2016. My opinion would be that it's after the debut of Jose Berrios, who I believe is the first man up sometime in early may. Berrios got his feet wet this spring, and while he wasn't lights out, he was always going to be held back for service time reasons regardless. Considering that injuries and shuffles will take place, there's little reason to bank and the starting five staying in tact for the duration of the season. What Nolasco has done in securing a rotation spot however, should be beneficial down the road to the Twins. In terms of Berrios, he presents a realistic roadblock for the immediate future, and in turn allows Duffey to hone in on his newly developing changeup. Whether Berrios and/or Duffey are called upon due to necessity, or by pushing for their inclusion at the highest level, the Twins will have an extended evaluation period first. Both Milone and Nolasco should be capable of giving the Twins quality starts to open the season, and in grabbing a rotation spot, Nolasco helps to let the chips fall where they may. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

This offseason, the Minnesota Twins realized they were closer than ever to a playoff berth. Having just missed out a season ago, the organization realized that top prospects were going to be the key to making it over the hump. Having stayed internal for most of the 25 man roster tweaks, the goal was to put the best club forward on Opening Day. For Paul Molitor, that meant asking 22 year old Miguel Sano to learn right field. Another name came up as a possibility, but what really is next for Joe Mauer? There's plenty of reason to be skeptical about asking a 270 pound human being to play outfield in the big leagues. The Twins knew they were better with both Sano and Trevor Plouffe in their lineup however, so the hand became forced. While I have significantly less worries about how things turn out for Sano than most, many have wondered why it wasn't Mauer who was asked to make the transition. At 32 years old, Mauer is fresh off his second season of settling in at first base. Despite being arguably one of the greatest Twins of all time, and being on a Hall of Fame trajectory with his work behind the plate, brain injuries caused him to reinvent his career. In doing so, the last two seasons have seen Mauer work hard at becoming an asset at first base. While the offensive production isn't on par for the position, his defensive runs saved numbers suggest that he's better than league average with the glove. Had Mauer been moved to the outfield this season, Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor would have been asking their aging star to acclimate to another new role. At this point in his career, it's fair to suggest Mauer is not the athlete Sano is, and therefore would likely have just as many hiccups. In theory, it's understandable to see why the suggestion was presented, but it was never one that needed to play out. That leads us to where Mauer is now, and what is to come. In my way-too-early lineup projection from back in December, I had Mauer hitting 5th for the Twins, and would have considered 6th as well. My thought process was rooted in Joe being put in a less substantial role, and that helping to spark his resurgence. I'm of the belief that Mauer has something left, and I think there's reason to believe he hits .300 again this season. What needs to be considered is exactly what happens when things don't pan out. Following 2016, Mauer has two seasons left under contract with the Twins. Signed through 2018, he will be 34 and 35 in those years, and likely eyeing retirement in the not-so-distant future. 2016 remains a very big make or break year for the former catcher, as it should no doubt shape how the Twins position him going forward. In 2015, Mauer saw his average dip to a career worst .265. His .309 BABIP was the lowest mark of his career, and he was facing defensive shifts now more than ever. Despite improving on his hard-hit contact rate from 2014, it still remained below 30% for the second straight season (a number in which he has always been above outside of his injury plagued 2011). The detractors are fixable, and that provides reason to believe there's more left in the tank. Whether it be sunglasses or some other adjustment that helps to bring forth the necessary improvements, betting against Mauer doesn't seem a wise move. However, when things don't pan out as hoped, Minnesota also has other options. A great current area of strength for the Twins remains their outfield depth. Despite Sano being out of position, he seems a plausible fit at first base in the future (although it's another role he has very limited experience in). There there's prospect Max Kepler who seems positioned to push for significant playing time early in the 2016 season. The shift among the three outfielders is going to make Molitor reconfigure his infield. After inking Byung Ho Park to a multi-year deal this offseason, the Twins have a guy in line for significant designated hitter and backup first base duties for the immediate time being. Whoever comes into the dirt from the outfield is going to be in a place where Park's contributions need to be factored in as well. This all leads us to what may be a (im)perfect storm for Mauer. Should Joe struggle to trend upwards for the 2016 Twins, the next playoff team in Minnesota (likely 2017) may see him as a rotational guy. Providing days off for starters, and hopefully bringing a consistent professional approach to the plate, Mauer could be destined to play out the final years of his career as a reserve. While less than ideal for both the Twins and Mauer, it is a role that could help him to salvage production down the stretch, and allow him to contribute in a passing-of-the-torch type of way. For a guy who already has amassed a higher career fWAR than Kirby Puckett and Tony Oliva, it's tough to look back and think of what could have been. However, as the Twins move more towards a new generation of relevancy, the time is coming to figure out just how Mauer fits into it. Again, I believe Joe has the ability to be a significant asset in 2016 and going forward, but if things take another step back, it may be wise for Minnesota to do so as well. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

There's not enough ABs for that to even be a logical comment, sarcasm aside

After a season in which the Minnesota Twins surprised many around baseball, 2016 presents a whole new opportunity for Paul Molitor and his squad. Now no longer toting the weight of multiple 90 loss seasons, Minnesota looks to expand upon its near playoff performance from a season ago. I have contended often that in 2016, the Twins remain the AL Central team most capable of finishing first just as well as last in the division. Despite having talked about plenty of narratives this offseason here at Off The Baggy, I recently had the opportunity to speak with Twin Cities baseball mind Phil Mackey. He can be heard weekday mornings on 1500 ESPN Radio doing the Mackey and Judd show. While the topics on their show range across all Minnesota sports, Mackey's wheelhouse in no doubt on the diamond, and he's one of the best in the business when it comes to breaking down the Twins. Set up in a question and answer format, Phil fielded a handful of thoughts on the 2016 Minnesota Twins, and offered his perspectives and outcomes for each. Take a look: Off The Baggy: A season ago the Twins were one of baseball's surprise teams. Needing to push the needle further this season, what is the key factor that makes that happen? Phil Mackey: They need two things, in general: A better bullpen and more top-end talent on the roster. Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and J.O. Berrios could solve the “top-end talent” part of the equation. The bullpen remains to be seen. I love Glen Perkins, and he’s been an awesome contributor to our radio show every week, but can he stay healthy in August and September? Can Kevin Jepsen repeat his performance from last year? I feel pretty good about Jepsen-May-Perkins, if healthy, but the Twins will need guys to really step up and lock down innings 5-7. OTB: After going into 2015 with a bullpen that should have caused worry, do you feel the same about the 2016 situation or see it as improved? PM: I think I just answered this question in the previous question, which fits in line with my overachieving personality… The most important thing is for Twins relievers to miss more bats. If I recall, the Twins’ bullpen has allowed more contact that just about any ‘pen in the league over the past couple seasons, which isn’t ideal when we’re talking about holding leads and preventing baserunners from scoring. OTB: It was pretty apparent Danny Santana seemed ripe for regression last season. What player seems like the most likely to regress in 2016 and why? PM: Eddie Rosario seems like the obvious answer here, just considering the enormous gap between his strikeout and walk rates… but I’m going to go with Kevin Jepsen. Last year was a career season for him, and I highly doubt that he’ll be able to repeat it. Sort of like Devan Dubnyk with the Wild. Not repeatable. But we’ll see. OTB: I know you're a big sabermetrics guy. Give me the over/under on some numbers for Eddie Rosario in 2016: 14.0% Swinging Strike, 8 Defensive Runs, Saved 2.0 fWAR PM: Under on the swinging strike rate… Over on the DRS… Over on the WAR. I think the demise of Eddie Rosario is vastly overstated. He’s a sharp dude with great instincts (do you like those scouting terms in the middle of your saber question?), and I think he’ll find ways to adjust and adapt. Of course, I just jinxed him. And now he’ll be terrible. OTB: There should be no shortage of power in the Twins lineup this season, and the club should have a realistic shot at the 200 plateau. Who hits the most longballs for the Twins, and how many does Byung Ho Park tally? PM: If Miguel Sano stays healthy, he’ll lead the team with 30-something. I’ll say 36. With Byung Ho, I honestly have no idea. Nothing would surprise me. If he plays every day, and if you set the over/under at 19.5, I’d probably take the over. But it’s possible morph into more of a platoon bat (with Arcia potentially on the roster), which could reduce his total. Byung Ho has plenty of pop, but can he adjust to MLB location and secondary pitches? Which leads me to a mini-rant… Everyone is so fixated on whether Byung Ho can hit “a major league fastball.” That’s not the issue. I don’t care if every pitch is 100 mph – every professional hitter will square it up if he KNOWS it’s coming. Where MLB pitchers differ most from guys in the KBO, the minors and other inferior organizations is A.) location and B.) command of secondary pitches. /rant OTB: Out of options, and seemingly running out of time, what are your thoughts on Oswaldo Arcia? Is he another potential David Ortiz, or a roster casualty that you're ok losing on waivers? PM: I think it would be a huge mistake to let him walk for nothing. Oswaldo Arcia will hit 20 or 30 home runs for somebody in 2016 if given enough plate appearances. Not to mention, he already has a track record of destroying right-handed pitching. He’s David Ortiz Light. Or Diet David Ortiz. OTB: In the rotation, the Twins top three pitchers all have a strong chance to be pretty good this season. Which of the following do you see as the most realistic outcome? Hughes has a bounce back year, Santana pitches like he finished 2015, or Kyle Gibson emerges as the Minnesota ace? PM: In order of how likely… 1.) Hughes bounces back 2.) Santana pitches like he did in second half 3.) Gibson emerges as the ace In fact, the Twins’ rotation actually has a lot more upside than people are giving credit. Santana and Hughes have both been able to anchor rotations for long stretches in recent years (when they’re ON), and Berrios could fit that bill too. Now, will ALL of them be lights-out at the same time? Unlikely. But there’s upside. OTB: Wrapping up the conversation, the Twins should have three realistic rookie of the year candidates. Who do you see making the strongest push between Park, Buxton, and Berrios? PM: Byron Buxton has the best shot. He’ll start at a premium position and will play every day, immediately. And he doesn’t need to be great at the plate to make a huge impact. If he plays top-notch defense, steals bases and does marginal damage at the plate, he’ll be in the mix. I think his worst-case projection is B.J. Upton. There you have it, Phil might have started to agree with me on Rosario, but I really like the suggestion of Jepsen being a name to cause some pause. I think the Twins bullpen has the chance to be better than we saw a season ago, although I'm not sure strikeouts will improve a vast amount. Regardless of where the numbers fall across different positional groups on this roster, there's no arguing that the 2016 version of the Minnesota Twins has the most intrigue of any team in recent memory. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

The Minnesota Twins have not been to the Major League Baseball playoffs since 2010. Following the 3-0 series sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, Minnesota went on an ugly four-season run losing 90 or more games each year. Having begun to turn the corner in 2015 with a near playoff run, the 2016 squad appears poised to end another long drought. This one focuses on the AL Rookie of the Year award. Marty Cordova was the last Twins player to take home AL Rookie of the Year honors, and he did so following the 1995 season. A 10th round pick by the Twins in the 1989 draft, Cordova earned the award seemingly against all odds. His 1995 season included a .277/.352/.486 slash line with 24 homers, 27 doubles, four triples, and 84 runs batted in. On a terrible Twins team, Cordova was a bright spot. For the 2016 version of the Twins Rookie of the Year candidates, the narrative should be much different. A team that's going to be in a spot to compete, and a player with some impressive pedigree, it would appear that one of a handful of options could emerge as the front runner. With a pitcher, an infielder, and a couple of outfielders factoring into the equation, Minnesota should have no shortage of suitors. Jose Berrios My favorite to take the title for the Twins won't even begin the season on the big league roster. Berrios has been demoted mainly for service time reasons, but could use the first month to get settled in at the Triple-A level. He dominated Rochester a season ago, and has all the makings of a top-of-the-rotation starter. As I've mentioned before, it's hard not to think of him as capable of replicating what Jacob deGrom did in his rookie season. For deGrom, the NL Rookie of the Year was capture thanks to a 2.69 ERA and a 9.2 K/9 while issuing just 2.8 walks per nine. That season, deGrome allowed only seven longballs and tallied 140 innings for the Mets. Last season at Triple-A, Berrios improved upon his Double-A Chattanooga numbers. The Puerto Rican posted a 2.62 ERA (owning a ridiculous 1.08 ERA across his final four starts). Starting 12 games at Triple-A, Berrios struck out double-digit batters twice, and nine another two times. Expecting him to make a splash at the big league level seems like a pretty good bet, and he's no doubt my odds on favorite. Byron Buxton Baseball's best prospect saw his flames fanned some after struggling in his first 138 plate appearances in 2015. The flip side of that thought process however is exactly that total, having just 138 plate appearances under his belt. Just 22 years old and still with tools oozing everywhere, this season should be the one that things start to come together. A season ago at Double-A, Buxton was slashing just .252/.312/.472 through his first 138 plate appearances. He had tallied three doubles, six triples, and four homers in that 30 game span. While the numbers weren't horrible, they also weren't indicative of what he was capable of. His next 28 games at Double-A (prior to his big league promotion) saw him hit to the tune of a .316/.392/.509 line with 12 extra base hits. Then following an injury with the Twins, Buxton went on to hit in all 13 Triple-A games he played in, owning a .400/.441/.545 average. In short, even without his bat Buxton has the ability to be an above average talent due to his defensive prowess. What should be expected though is for a slow-starter to settle in and eventually contribute in a big way at the highest level. If someone is going to take the Rookie of the Year honor from Berrios, it may well be his own teammate. Byung Ho Park It may be somewhat unfair for a 29 year old Korean superstar to be considered a rookie, but here we are. Park is fresh off two straight 50+ homer seasons in Korea, and has acclimated nicely to the big league game. Though it's a small 36 at bat sample size through spring thus far, he's already made some nice adjustments. After being overmatched and likely overwhelmed in his first spring training game, Park has settled in nicely. He's the owner of a .306/.333/.611 slash line and has knocked three balls out of the park while picking up another two doubles. His 10 strikeouts in 36 at bats aren't ideal, but he will likely push his walk rate higher as his power plays and he becomes more comfortable at the plate. If Park pushes anywhere close to 30 homers for the Twins this season (and I expect him to do so) there's absolutely room for him to be considered for the award. Max Kepler If there's a long shot in this group, Kepler is no doubt it. That being said, it's also not fair to discredit the realistic probability that he factors into the equation. I'm of the belief that Kepler will get more run that assumed at the big league level this year, and he has the talent to be an All-Star level player. Healthy after getting a late start to the 2015 season, Kepler went on to pick up Southern League MVP honors. At Double-A Chattanooga, all the German born prospect did was hit. Owning a .322/.416/.531 slash line, he posted 34 doubles, 13 triples, and nine homers while driving in 71. His speed and power combo made him an immediate gap threat, and that will no doubt play well at the expansive Target Field. He's seen an incredible amount of run throughout big league spring training, and it's not at all a mistake. Kepler's opportunity hinges on the performance of Miguel Sano in right field, along with Eddie Rosario at the plate. If he continues to rake to start 2016, and the Twins need a boost in the outfield, expecting Kepler to be it is a good bet. It's been an incredibly long time since the Twins have had so much promise amongst their youth. Sano put together a very strong rookie campaign a season ago, but was outdone by the likes of Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. In the year ahead, the only players outdoing each other could very well be from the same organization. Cordova is long past due in being overtaken as the last Twins Rookie of the Year, and 2016 is shaping up to be the icing on the cake. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

I guess this would seem much more like a forum post than a blog. If you're going to claim something as drastic as this, backing it up with some sort of factual basis would be in your best interest...

If Quentin gets kept, which I don't see happening, it'll be for Arcia.

Back in January, prior to the kick off of spring training, I ran through a 25 man roster projection for the 2016 Minnesota Twins. I have long operated under the belief that very few positions were up for grabs, and continue to stick by that. Ricky Nolasco was never a realistic rotation option and Byron Buxton was never headed back to the farm. That puts my positioning from January in a pretty good spot. With that being said, there are still a couple of tweaks I'd like to make. Now with just a handful of spring training action left, it's fair to suggest that the Twins have all but solidified who will be going north and starting the season with the big league club. Let's take a look at where that puts Paul Molitor's squad. Rotation (5) Ervin Santana Phil Hughes Kyle Gibson Tyler Duffey Tommy Milone Santana should be expected to get the Opening Day nod. He finished the 2015 season on a tear, and would have gotten his first Opening Day start in 2015 had it not been for a PED suspension. A rebounding Hughes will follow him, leaving Gibson, Duffey, and Milone to round out the group. I'm extremely high on Gibson this season and expect him to have a very nice year. One of either Duffey or Milone will transition out early as Jose Berrios is going to get his chance sometime in early May. I have some concern about Duffey replicating his 2015 success. Unless his curve remains incredibly sharp, he'll see some regression. With Milone being out of options, it could be an interesting decision when it comes time to open up a rotation spot. Starters (9) Kurt Suzuki C Joe Mauer 1B Brian Dozier 2B Eduardo Escobar SS Trevor Plouffe 3B Eddie Rosario LF Byron Buxton CF Miguel Sano RF Byung Ho Park DH No changes here, and nothing unexpected. Minnesota was never going to go away from Buxton on Opening Day unless he had an absolutely abysmal spring. 129 at bats is far from something to tie his numbers to, and the top prospect is going to need to be a difference make for the Twins this season. Park has seemed to acclimate well thus far through spring, and there's no reason his bat won't be present on Molitor's first meaningful lineup card. Bench (4) Danny Santana Util John Ryan Murphy C Oswaldo Arcia OF Eduardo Nunez Util Again, no changes here either. Santana and Arcia have not had a good time at the plate during spring training, but both are out of options. For Santana, the ability to play all over the diamond makes him valuable, and there's still plenty of hope that he can be a serviceable utility player. Really the only potential player to unseat Arcia would be Carlos Quentin. Aside from Arcia being out of options, the Twins also don't have to make a decision on Quentin until June 1, his opt out date. This gives Minnesota a couple of months to see Arcia at the big league level again. For a guy that would undoubtedly be claimed on waivers, there's no reason not to hope the 20 home run production of 2014 returns. Bullpen (7) Glen Perkins Kevin Jepsen Trevor May Casey Fien Fernando Abad Ricky Nolasco Ryan Pressly In relief, only one change has been made since the initial roster projection. Alex Meyer failed to grab onto a pen role this spring, and is now headed back to the Triple-A Rochester rotation. In his place, Ryan Pressly takes over after proving to be effective while healthy once again. Unfortunately for the Twins, the misuse of Michael Tonkin a season ago has him in a situation of unknown production, and despite being out of options, his poor spring is probably going to have him passed over. The Twins could have afforded themselves at least one more pen spot in deciding not to offer arbitration to Fien (who's also been bad this spring), but that didn't play out. At the end of the exhibition schedule, the Twins roster is going to be much as it originally seemed. With the influx of young talent, and already determined veterans, there wasn't much wiggle room for Terry Ryan and Molitor. There's no doubt a handful of fringe guys that will make the initial 25 man, and the development of top prospects so close to the big leagues ensures that lack of production should result in replacement. A surprise team a season ago, Minnesota shouldn't expect to be taken lightly in the year ahead, and the team has positioned itself to compete. With the regular season just around the corner, the numbers will begin to matter soon. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz