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Roster sizes for all MLB teams will be shrinking by two spots come May 2nd. Teams will be limited to 26 players until September. While the Twins have taken advantage of these spots for more pitchers in April, there are hitters on the Twins bench that may be impacted by roster decisions next Monday. The Twins lineup is stacked on paper. Their performance is off to a cold start in April. Even with the slow start from hitters such as Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco, their performances will not cost them a roster spot. The Twins hitters most likely to be sent down are the outfielders on the active roster not named Byron Buxton or Max Kepler. With Alex Kirilloff also entering a rehab assignment with the Saints this week, his return to the Twins roster will also cause the clearance of a roster spot. If one outfielder on the Twins' current roster would benefit from being a 'victim' of the roster downsizing next week, it's Gilberto Celestino. The 23-year-old has been used primarily as a pinch runner and defensive replacement in his ten games with the Twins this season. He has made just three starts, including last night's game against the Tigers. Celestino has only managed one hit in 12 at-bats and one walk. During his time with the Twins last season, Celestino has been on the Twins roster for his running and defensive skills but has struggled to adjust to hitting against major-league arms. Celestino certainly has the talent to be an everyday outfielder or even fourth outfielder for the Twins someday. He is showing he still needs regular playing time at St. Paul to adjust to Major League pitching, and Celestino would be the Twins hitter who would benefit the most from these upcoming roster cuts. In addition to Celestino, Trevor Larnach could benefit from the roster downsizing, especially if Kirilloff returns to the Twins by May 2nd. Larnach has shown signs of improvement at the plate in the 12 games he has played for the Twins this year. Larnach and Kirilloff are still far from playing their 100th career game, and the Twins front office seems to lean toward Kirilloff being the everyday left fielder for the time being. Kyle Garlick is the last outfielder on the Twins roster that could be sent back down to St. Paul following next Monday. The Twins' 30-year-old backup outfielder has only managed two hits in 15 at-bats this season but has been a pinch hitter in crucial spots against left-handed pitching. Garlick certainly looks to be the safest in keeping a roster spot with the Twins when the rosters shrink, but if he continues a cold streak at the plate, will that cost him a trip back down to St. Paul? Jose Godoy is the last hitter on this list, likely sent down when the roster size goes down from 28 to 26. Godoy does not have many of the same questions as Celestino, Larnach, or Garlick. Yes, he would benefit from more consistent playing time with the Saints. However, the main question that hangs over Godoy staying with the Twins after May 2nd is if the front office wants to have three catchers on the roster and not two. With Gary Sanchez day-to-day and emergency catcher Jhon Romero on the ten-day injured list, Godoy's spot on the Twins roster looks to remain for the time being. Before the Twins called him up for his season debut on Sunday, Godoy had caught four games for the Saints, hitting .133 with the team. The Twins are currently carrying 14 pitchers and will likely keep it that way until they need to bring the number of pitchers on their roster down to 13. That date changed on Monday when it was announced that teams will be able to keep 14 pitchers on their 26-man roster until May 29th when they can only have 13 pitchers on the 26-man roster. Celestino is the hitter that makes the most sense to be sent back down out of these four. Celestino has talent that still needs to see consistent playing time, and with how the Twins' everyday lineup currently pans out, he won't be seeing that playing time. Check back later when we look at which pitchers might be candidates to head to St. Paul. Let us know which hitters you would send down and why in the COMMENTS below. View full article

Before Byron Buxton walked off the Chicago White Sox with an absolute mammoth tank job, it was apparent that multiple players were unavailable for the Twins. Minnesota values rest as a baseball season will forever be a marathon and not a sprint. Late in Sunday’s game, Jose Godoy came to the plate with runners on first and third while Minnesota needed a run. Carlos Correa was on the bench, and so too was Ryan Jeffers. The former was simply getting a day off, while the latter was out with a left knee contusion but said to be available. Rocco Baldelli opted to let Godoy hit rather than pinch-hit the $35 million talent in Correa or bring in a better catcher and bat in Jeffers. The recently-selected backstop bunted and popped the ball in the air. The Twins didn't score, and the opportunity passed them by. It was at that moment it became abundantly clear that Minnesota will continue to value rest. Being told he would get the day off, Correa wouldn’t be inserted without it being forced on the Twins manager. Maybe more a part of the equation was Jeffers, who would’ve needed to come into the game behind the plate. Being available to pinch-hit doesn’t mean Minnesota wanted half of their ailing duo strapping on the gear unnecessarily. Looking at Correa and his workload, he’s played in 14 of Minnesota’s first 16 games. Last season he played in 148 of 162, and in the shortened 2020 campaign, he missed just two games. Before that, however, his time on the Injured List was notable. Correa played in just 75 games for Houston in 2019 after playing in just 110 and 109 the two years prior, respectively. Managing workloads isn’t something new for Minnesota. It’s been widely reported that the Twins see more benefit in keeping players fresh each time they step on the field instead of running them down with consistent usage. Installing a nap room for veteran designated hitter Nelson Cruz was a part of keeping his aging body going, and there have been plenty of instances over the past few years in which long-term availability was the primary focus. Not coincidentally, Minnesota’s starter was also dealing with a managed workload on Sunday. Chris Archer’s plan was just 60 pitches as he looks to build his body back up after injury-shortened seasons the past few years. While he lost control late in his outing before giving way to Josh Winder, it’s evident that the Twins would prefer Archer’s availability remain down the stretch. Having gone through multiple seasons in which depth is tested at inopportune times, the focus for the organization has been to keep their best players available to them. Turnover in the training staff has occurred, and investment has been made in understanding more body science-related advantages. It’s likely by design that a manager who dealt with injury so heavily throughout his career is also a strong leader when it comes to pushing the health and availability of his players. Baldelli has a way of connecting with those around him, and it’s a trait that helps him get buy-in from players when being agreeable to decisions and tweaks. April results matter just as much as those in September, but it’s certainly more challenging to get good results late if you’re scrambling to replace talent. View full article

The Minnesota Twins have played 16 games during the 2022 season, and while they’ve largely avoided the injury bug, the catching depth is being tested early. Jose Godoy drew his first start, and it seemed there was no one behind him. Throughout the season thus far, manager Rocco Baldelli has used both Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sanchez in the same starting lineups often. With both catchers being deployed, there’s the reality of a lost designated hitter should they need to swap out mid-game. Baldelli has noted that the club was working through identifying an emergency option, and while that hasn’t yet been needed, the depth is being tested early. After being in the lineup for Friday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox, Sanchez walked with catching coach Hank Conger back to the dugout after initially heading to the bullpen for warmups. Jeffers was shifted into the starting lineup, and it was announced that Sanchez had a sore abdomen. He underwent further testing on Saturday, but an MRI revealed only a minor indication of injury. Avoiding the Injured List, for now, he remained on the active roster over the weekend. On Sunday, Minnesota had penciled Jeffers into the starting lineup with Sanchez out, but ultimately he was scratched with a left knee contusion. After placing Jorge Alcala on the 60-day Injured List, the open 40-man roster spot was given to Jose Godoy as a necessary move to have a catcher available. Although Jeffers was said to be potentially available off the bench, that seemed thwarted with multiple late-game situations where his bat or glove could’ve provided an upgrade. While it’s certainly understandable that Minnesota wants to be cautious given the length of the season and needing to keep guys healthy, Sunday’s action brought up questions regarding what happens at a position tied to significant injury risk. Before the season started, the Twins dealt both Mitch Garver and Ben Rortvedt in separate trades. While that signified Jeffers as the starter and led to an acquisition of Sanchez, it turned the position on its head. Minnesota claimed Godoy off waivers in a depth move, but he brings just 16 games of experience to the table after debuting with Seattle last season. The Twins have a trio of backstops at Triple-A, and each provides a different skill set. David Banuelos is a 25-year-old with just a .574 career MiLB OPS. Caleb Hamilton is a 27-year-old with a better bat owning a career .667 OPS. The most intriguing name may be the recently claimed Chance Sisco. He’s a former top prospect with an .807 OPS in the minors. He’s yet to put it together at the big-league level but may be next in line for Minnesota. There’s no denying that it would be a very negative development if both Sanchez and Jeffers were lost at any point during the season. Happening a few weeks in is even less ideal. As their injuries stand now, both seem to be highly short-term and are being managed to have them back quickly. However, playing catcher will invite nicks and bruises, and the Twins may have seen a quick glimpse of what they wish to avoid in keeping all of their backstops healthy. Over the weekend, Jeffers saw his bat start to heat up, and carrying that momentum forward would be an excellent development for a player the front office so clearly believes in. Sanchez has flashed extreme pop at times, and while his glove still leaves plenty to be desired, he’s settling into a new home with the Twins. The duo looks like part of a strong position group, and Baldelli needing to figure out how to operate without them is not something he will want to do often. I don’t know if Godoy or Sisco can hack it for the Twins over any significant stretch of time. I’d certainly prefer not to find out as well. View full article

The Twins Opening Day roster is becoming more and more clear by the day, and could continue to change as we go forward. Lefty Danny Coulombe has made the roster. He was added to the 40-man roster this morning. Catcher Jose Godoy was DFAd to make room, but there is a new catcher in the organization. Two other players were assigned to minor-league camp. The Twins need their roster for Opening Day to be at 28. As of this moment, it is now down to 30 players following a flurry of roster moves on Monday morning. First, congratulations to lefty reliever Danny Coulombe. The 32-year-old veteran has worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings this spring. he's given up just two hits, walked two and struck out six. When he makes his first pitch in 2022, he will have pitched in eight major-league seasons. Over the past two seasons, he has worked in 31 games for the Twins including 29 games in 2021. From 2016-2018, he pitched in 134 games for the Oakland A's. He has also pitched for the Dodgers in his career. To make room for Coulombe on the 40-man roster, the team designated catcher Jose Godoy for assignment. The move seemed strange at the time as the Twins will only have two catchers on the 40-man roster, one of which is Gary Sanchez. The 27-year-old made his MLB debut a year ago for the Mariners, but this will be his third DFA since the end of last season. However, soon after, the team announced that they have signed catcher Chance Sisco to a minor-league deal. He will report to St. Paul shortly. The 27-year-old backstop was a Top 100 catching prospect in 2017 and 2018. He played in the 2016 and 2017 Futures Games. He debuted with the Orioles in 2017 and has since been a part-timer in the big leagues. In 196 career games, he has hit .197/.317/337 (.654) with 24 doubles and 16 homers. So, basically, he is Jose Godoy. But, he does provide depth behind the plate. In addition, RHP Jake Faria and infielder Daniel Robertson were also assigned to minor-league camp. They will head to the Saints as well, maybe in time for their season-opener on Tuesday in Louisville. That leaves the Twins with 30 players on their active camp roster. There are 17 pitchers. There are now just two catchers. They have six infielders and five outfielders. The lone non-roster player remaining in camp is outfielder Kyle Garlick. So, what does it all mean? Well, basically it means that the biggest decision remaining is whether to add Kyle Garlick to the 40-man roster or just roll with Brent Rooker. It isn't an easy decision. Garlick crushes left-handed pitching, and that is an important trait for a fourth-outfielder. While not great defensively, he can play both corners adequately. Rooker is on the 40-man roster, but he has been slowed by a shoulder injury. On Saturday, he returned to the Twins lineup. He is in the Twins spring lineup for Monday. It is very possible that the decision has been made and they will just wait until after today's game to announce it. The interesting piece will be who would get DFAd to make room for Garlick on the roster. In addition, the Twins will have to decide whether they want to start the season with 15 or 16 pitchers on the roster. if they want 16, they will need to option one pitcher to St. Paul. If they decide to take just 15 pitchers, that would leave possible the idea of keeping both Garlick and Rooker on the active roster, though a roster move would still be needed. How is this going to shape out over the next few days? Will the team make any trades before the season to add another pitcher, or a player from another position? What do you think? View full article

More than any season in recent memory, this one strikes me as the most unpredictable when it comes to the Opening Day roster. That’s partly because another pitching move should be coming, and the rosters have expanded, but the suitors for bench roles remain up in the air. In most seasons, we have a general consensus of one or two players that will make the final bench role for the big-league roster. This year Major League Baseball announced that rosters would start at 28 players, at least through April. That’s two additional spots beyond what has become recent custom. Let’s assume Minnesota uses additional openings on pitchers, given the likelihood that starters aren’t entirely stretched out, and we’ve got a 13 position player configuration. Knowing that the lineup will have nine starters and that Carlos Correa’s spring training debut looks like a pretty good glimpse of what it may look like on Opening Day, we have four bench spots to work with. Here’s how I see that shaking out: The Given (1): Luis Arraez As of this moment, I think only Arraez is marked in pen to start the season on the Twins bench. He’s a second baseman that’s below-average defensively virtually everywhere he plays but has shown positional flexibility. Arraez’s greatest asset is his eye and the batting average it generates. Despite being routinely shifted, he can spray the ball all over the diamond and is a lineup asset when healthy. If he’s not traded for pitching to a team looking at him as a starter, having this type of talent on the bench for Rocco Baldelli is a great commodity. The Assumed (1): Jose Godoy Claimed off waivers last week, Jose Godoy is a good bet to make the Opening Day roster because managers love third catchers. If Baldelli is going to use Gary Sanchez as his designated hitter in any given lineup, that means there’s no one to back up starter Ryan Jeffers. With Ben Rortvedt traded to the New York Yankees, Godoy is the lone option left on the 40 man roster. He’s a career minor leaguer with just a .723 OPS in over 2,000 plate appearances. That said, he’s only 27-years-old, and clearly, Minnesota thought something of him to file the waiver claim. Unless another option emerges at catcher through waivers in the next two weeks, this is probably who fills the spot. The Uncertains (4): Nick Gordon, Brent Rooker, Trevor Larnach, Gilberto Celestino Quite possibly the most challenging group to peg because you could go either way on a number of these guys. Larnach is easily the most talented of the group with the highest ceiling, but being a left-handed corner outfielder, he fills the same profile as both Alex Kirilloff and Max Kepler. Among this foursome, Larnach is the guy needing consistent at-bats most. He makes the club only if there’s an avenue for that to happen. Minnesota won’t include him to sit. Next in line would be Gordon, and for good reason. He filled a utility role admirably last year, even if the bat doesn’t really play. Gordon can take over in all three outfield spots, though his speed masks his arm strength. It’s a nice addition to a bench that hasn’t had wheels in some time, but that really comes down to how aggressive the Twins want to be on the base paths. For Rooker and Celestino, the situation couldn’t be more opposite. The former saw quick success but has basically become a swing and miss power hitter that struggles defensively. The latter struggled mightily in a premature promotion but has the chops to be an above-average defender in the outfield. Celestino’s impressive return to Triple-A could make him an enticing option for the fourth outfielder, but more seasoning on the farm makes sense too. The Doubtful (1): Jose Miranda It’s not as though talent suggests Miranda won’t make the club, as he dominated both Double and Triple-A last season. The problem is that there’s no straightforward avenue to playing time, and he needs to be more than a utilityman if the Twins want to start him on the big club. Miranda can play second, third, and first base. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s the first man up, but barring a trade, it seems unlikely he’d unseat a guy more able to ride the pine. The Dark Horses (2): Tim Beckham, Daniel Robertson Two non-roster invitees have continued to generate at-bats this spring, and both have substantial big league track records. Beckham is a former first overall pick, while Robertson has done a good job filling in anywhere on the diamond in short stints. There’s probably more to like about Robertson’s game than Beckham’s, and despite the notoriety of the former Rays top pick, I wrote about the other guy being a dark horse to watch this winter. Either of these two would need a 40 man addition should they be chosen, which is, of course, another scenario working against them. Assuming Luis Arraez is among them, who are your three favorites to fill out the Minnesota Twins bench on Opening Day? View full article

Spring training is finally underway. With that, it's time to fire up my annual preseason breakdown of the Twins' depth and outlook at each position. Today we kick things off at catcher, where the original plan was dramatically altered by a series of trades last weekend. Projected Starter: Ryan Jeffers Likely Backup: Gary Sánchez Depth: José Godoy, Caleb Hamilton Prospects: Alex Isola THE GOOD The Twins are all-in on Ryan Jeffers. By trading Mitch Garver and Ben Rortvedt on successive days, the front office decimated its high-level catching depth. Yes, all the moving and shaking did bring back Gary Sánchez, but he's an occasional (at best) catcher with one year of team control remaining. Jeffers is the guy. Clearly the Twins have been heartened by his performance through two big-league seasons and are ready to commit. The 24-year-old former second-round draft pick rose fast through the system, playing only 167 games over a season-and-a-half in the minors before being summoned from the alternate site in 2020 to help the Twins. He has since shown to be a quality defender with good power, equating to 1.1 fWAR over 111 games for the Twins. He was Twins Daily's pick for team Rookie of the Year in 2020. Overall, defense has definitely been Jeffers' calling card in the big leagues. He runs the staff with confidence, bringing good mechanics and instincts behind the plate. His pitch-framing stands out as well above average, ranking in the 74th percentile last year according to Statcast. The bat is lagging behind the glove here, for sure, but given he's only 24 and followed an accelerated development path, it's reasonable to expect some offensive growth ahead. He slashed .286/.377/.452 in the minors, flashing solid discipline that will hopefully translate over time to the majors, and his power tool is definitely legit. When Jeffers gets into one, the ball takes off. The same can be said for his new backup. Sánchez is a masher, and a fair approximation of Garver at the plate. In fact, his All-Star campaigns in 2017 and 2019 were basically what you'd hope to see from Garver in a full season. Sánchez has 138 career home runs through age 28, leading all catchers since 2016, and has been a reliable slugging force even when his offensive game has otherwise run astray. Defensive misgivings aside, it's nice to be able to plug Sánchez's threatening bat into the catcher position from time to time. THE BAD Even before they traded Garver and Rortvedt, catching depth was an area of uncertainty in the Twins system. No one outside of the top three had any MLB experience, Garver was running out of team control, and Jeffers was a question mark. Make no mistake: Jeffers is still a question mark, having seen his OPS+ drop from 119 in 2020 to 83 in 2021. It's just that he now bears a much higher level of expectation and dependence. Sánchez might be a comparable bat to Garver, but he represents a huge drop-off defensively. It's actually pretty hard to make sense of Minnesota's plan in light of their commitments to quality defense, and timeshares behind home plate to reduce wear-and-tear. Are they actually going to let Sánchez catch a sizable share of the team's games? Really?! His defensive issues are well known, especially among Yankees fans. Sánchez has led the league in errors at catcher three times, and allowed the second-most stolen bases of any backstop last year. His rigid movements and slow reactions lead to numerous costly mistakes; Sánchez ranks sixth among all active catchers in passed balls allowed. Here's a, er, "highlight" reel of his glovework: He struggled so mightily in New York that some Yankees pitchers notoriously asked not to have him behind the plate in games they started. That doesn't seem like a great situation for a Twins staff that expects to usher in multiple young pitchers this year. Despite their claims otherwise, I find it difficult to believe the Twins are going to follow through on the current plan. But until something changes, Sánchez is lined up for a big portion of work behind the plate, and we are one Jeffers injury or demotion away from him being the primary guy there. Ack. To make up for the loss of Rortvedt, the Twins claimed José Godoy off waivers from San Francisco on Thursday, infusing at least some semblance of experienced depth behind Jeffers and Sánchez. Godoy is actually quite similar to Rortvedt in profile – a mid-20s, no-hit defensive specialist who's gotten his feet wet in the big leagues. He's a reasonable swap-in that at least gives the team some peace of mind in terms of contingencies. There are players further down in the system like Caleb Hamilton and Chris Williams with the potential to reach the majors relatively soon, but they're not high-caliber prospects and could use more seasoning. THE BOTTOM LINE The Twins imploded their catching depth in order to unload Josh Donaldson's contract. The pipeline is very thin at this position and Sánchez is a year away from free agency, so there is a ton of pressure on Jeffers to entrench himself as a long-term fixture behind the plate. That's a bit of a scary proposition, since he's hardly established himself as a surefire MLB starting catcher. But it's a risk the Twins were willing to take as part of their offseason roster overhaul. This team was in an enviable spot with two starting-caliber catchers under control for multiple seasons. Now they've got Jeffers and a pseudo catcher/DH in a walk year, followed by little assurance at one of the most attrition-filled positions in the sport. Catcher now stands out as a glaring weakness for this franchise, unless Jeffers and Sánchez can both convincingly put their disappointing 2021 seasons behind them. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Become a Twins Daily caretaker View full article

While the Twins played their first spring training game, the front office stayed active with a waiver claim for catcher José Godoy. What can we expect from the 27-year-old catcher? Jose Godoy, despite his age, made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Seattle Mariners. The Venezuelan native signed with the St. Louis Cardinals a decade ago and labored through the minors with them for the first eight seasons of his career before joining the Mariners late in 2020. A handful of injuries pushed Godoy to the major-league level, netting him 40 plate appearances for the 90-win team. Just four days ago, Godoy had been claimed by the San Francisco Giants who then put him on the waiver wire again. This time, the Twins were awarded his rights. With just a handful of plate appearances to his name, it’s difficult to analyze what he brings to the table with both the glove and the bat. In May, Eric Longenhagen wrote that Godoy is “a lefty stick with good feel for contact and a frame built to withstand the beating catchers take.” Continuing, he says that he “like[s] him as upper-level depth and think[s] he’d be a fine third catcher on a 40-man roster.” Andrew Baggarly, when writing about Godoy for the Giants (yes, he has been claimed twice now in a week), called him “an upper-level catching alternative.” It appears that is how Godoy will fit into the Twins roster. Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sánchez will demand the majority of playing time at the position, but the alleged plan to have Sánchez DH consistently leaves the team thin at the catching position; just two untimely injuries could leave the Twins in a prickly position. Godoy looks to be insurance against any such outcomes. Godoy slashed .285/.330/.413 in 73 games at AAA Tacoma in 2021. He still has two options remaining, so the Twins could: 1.) Keep him on the big-league roster as the third catcher, allowing Gary Sanchez to DH more often. 2.) Option him to St. Paul, and if one of the Twins catchers gets hurt, call him up. 3.) Try to pass him through waivers again, and hope that he clears waivers and can be sent to St. Paul. What do you think his role can be with the Twins? Leave a Comment below. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, or email View full article