New Britain Roster

Since I'm posting this so soon after another post, just a reminder that if you want to see my comments on tonight's season opener, you can scroll down below this post for a Nightly Notes post.

Last night, I commented on the Rochester Red Wings roster for the start of the 2008 season, and I'm continuing that series tonight with a look at the New Britain season opening roster.


Starting Pitchers:

Ryan Mullins, Anthony Swarzak, Yohan Pino, Oswaldo Sosa, Jay Rainville

No major surprises in the names on this list -- I predicted that each of them would end up in New Britain based largely on last year's performance and the fact that they slot into New Britain pretty effectively. Each of these guys are reasonable prospects in their own right, but Pino is particularly interesting to me and will be the guy who I follow the most closely this year. Sosa is the only one of the bunch who is currently on the Twins 40-man roster. I expect this to be a pretty strong crew, and while space is limited in Rochester there may be at least some opportunities for promotion -- after all, I have Heath Totten in the Red Wings rotation right now, and I could see any of these guys moving up and replacing him at some point. However, space will likely be more limited once Francisco Liriano winds up back with the Twins and Nick Blackburn fills out the Red Wings rotation.

UPDATE: LaVelle Neal said in his blog today that Jason Miller will be in the rotation rather than Yohan Pino. I was basing my rotation off of what the Rock Cats website said, and LaVelle should be more connected to the actual goings-on with the team than the website guy for New Britain. In other words, expect Miller, not Pino, to start.


Relief Pitcher:

Kyle Aselton, Armando Gabino, Jay Sawatski, Jason Miller, David Shinskie, Ben Julianel, Zachary Ward, Errol Simonitsch (DL), Jose Mijares (DL)

Zachary Ward was primarily a starter last year, and may get a chance to do some starting this year if someone currently in the rotation struggles or gets hurt. He was pretty good last year despite his horrendous 5-17 record. I'm most surprised to see Jason Miller on this list -- Miller had moved up to Rochester for the last couple of years, and if you remember, he made his big league debut last year, so being busted back down to AA has to hurt a little bit. I'm not sure what else he can prove in AA, but I suspect that he'll either pitch well enough to earn a promotion or he won't be around for long. I'm particularly interested in seeing how Aselton and Shinskie perform this year in the Rock Cats bullpen, and it will also be interesting to see if Jay Sawatski can recover from a bit of an off year last year in which he was only so-so in Rochester and (mostly) New Britain.


Catchers:

Drew Butera, Jeff Christy

With Korey Feiner and Kyle Geiger having been released from the organization, Butera and Christy were pretty much shoe-ins for a place with the Rock Cats this season. Butera was acquired in the Luis Castillo trade last year, and settles in for his first full year in the organization with a reputation as an offensive liability but with great defensive ability. Christy, meanwhile, is entering his third year in the organization after being drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 draft by the Twins. He actually hasn't played all that much -- he had just 246 at-bats between Ft. Myers and New Britain last year -- but his quick rise to AA indicates that someone in the system believes he, too, is a pretty solid catcher (or that there was no one else left in the system who was advanced enough to fill a spot in AA).


Infielders:

Brock Peterson, Felix Molina, Trevor Plouffe, Luke Hughes, Steven Tolleson

When the Twins brought 2B Felix Molina back into the organization as a minor league free agent, I'm not sure if they expected to assign him to AA for yet another season. Molina first made his way to New Britain in 2005, and has been there ever since -- and you have to wonder what a third full season (and fourth overall) will do for him. When he was re-signed, I expected him to at least be used in Rochester -- but I guess the Twins felt they needed someone to fill this role. Expect Molina to get plenty of playing time again this year, and just maybe he'll get promoted to end this extremely long tenure with the Rock Cats. Brock Peterson returns for a second season as the primary Rock Cat first baseman. Trevor Plouffe is the most compelling name on this list, and will serve as the starting SS for the team -- once a top prospect, Plouffe lost his luster and a lot of fan support after struggling early on as a professional. Last year marked something of a renaissance for him, and hopefully he can keep up the good work and fully bloom as a prospect again this year. Hughes will be the primary starter at 3B, and Tolleson will be a bit of a utility infielder.


Outfielders:

Brandon Roberts, David Winfree, Matt Moses, Erik Lis, Dustin Martin

See some interesting names on this list? Winfree, Moses, and Lis are all former infielders who are expected to be used primarily as outfielders this year. Lis is particularly compelling as a big name power prospect, and he should get a chance to play at 1B and DH in addition to the outfield. For Matt Moses, this may be his last chance to prove himself in the organization before the Twins finally decide to just classify him as a bust. Meanwhile, Brandon Roberts will try to prove that he remains a solid centerfield prospect after a year in which he hit .293 in 369 AB's. That might have been enough to get him a promotion to Rochester if the Twins centerfield situation at that level weren't quite so crowded. As it is, he'll stay in New Britain and anchor the middle of the outfield as Winfree, Moses, and Lis continue making their transition at the corner spots.

Nightly Notes: Game #1

It wasn't perfect, by any means, but the Twins picked up a nice season-opening win against the Angels tonight, 3-2. The following are some notes on the games, but I want to remind anyone reading this post that I don't construct these comments as game recaps -- you can find that stuff anywhere. Instead, it's just some rambling thoughts on what I was looking at throughout the game. Here goes:

1.) It was great to see Livan Hernandez turn it on for the opener after what was really a pretty horrid spring. Amongst the most important numbers for Hernandez: he got 11 ground outs compared to 9 flyouts, and he was especially effective at keeping the ball on the ground early on; and perhaps most importantly, he was relatively effective at keeping Angels off the bases, as he allowed 7 hits and no walks in his 7 innings. That translates to a WHIP of 1.00, and considering that Hernandez had a horrendous WHIP of 1.60 last season, it's a good sign. However, just because Hernandez was very effective tonight doesn't mean that fans should get overly excited just yet -- remember how well Ramon Ortiz pitched early last season? In fact, Ortiz had an eerily similar 7 inning, 2 run performance in his debut as a Twin before eventually falling apart completely. Hopefully that doesn't happen to Hernandez, and I'm excited after seeing him pitch tonight, but I also know that Hernandez hasn't been all that great for the last few years, and I don't expect him to maintain the level he pitched at tonight.

2.) I know that a lot of people complained about the Joe Nathan signing, and I know that empirically you can demonstrate that closers are overpaid, but how great was he tonight? The one hit he allowed was a dribbler, and you just knew that he was going to close this thing out. As I said when I commented on the Nathan signing a few days ago, I think this was a good move even though the Twins almost certainly paid more for Nathan than a closer is "worth" in terms of statistical value. It's also nice to see that Pat Neshek came out ready to wow -- yes, he got a call or two to go his way, but he still struck out the side and looked filthy doing it. I have absolutely no concerns about the back end of this bullpen. Now, we'll see what happens when guys like Rincon and Reyes get back on the mound . . .

3.) There was a lot of chatter from fans before the game about Craig Monroe getting the start over Jason Kubel as tonight's DH, with many of them pointing to this move as a sign that Ron Gardenhire knows nothing about baseball. After all, how could the vaunted "lefties are supposed to play against right-handed pitchers!" trope ever possibly fail!?! Look, if I were lucky enough to be managing the Twins, I almost certainly would have started Jason Kubel. I have absolutely no idea why Gardenhire went the other way. This is not, however, a sign of the apocalypse. It's not an indication that Gardenhire is a fool (other things may suggest that, but not this). It was hardly the most egregious example of a managerial move that's ever been made. Maybe Gardy felt it was important to keep a left-handed bat available on the bench for a late inning pitch-hitting situation (someone other than one of the light-hitting switch hitters, that is). Whatever the reason, it obviously didn't pay off (Monroe went 0-for-3, while Kubel got a hit off the bench) -- but there's no reason to overreact to the decision to go with the veteran Monroe.

4.) Brendan Harris got a couple of hits today, but he also struck out twice and left three runners on base. Hits are great, and I'd rather see him on base than striking out, but they don't mean a whole lot if they don't result in runs one way or another. Let's hope that Harris can keep hitting as the season goes forward, hopefully with some ducks on the pond next time.

5.) Loading the bases with fewer than 2 outs should result in a run. Far too often last year, it didn't -- and tonight didn't give me confidence that the Twins inability to hit in that situation is going to go away anytime soon.

6.) Everybody's talking about the snow, and what would have happened if this were 2010. Bottom line, April will suck in the new ballpark. However, the rest of the season should be pretty amazing, even with the occasional rainout. I think it's worth it, but that doesn't mean I don't wish a retractable roof stadium wasn't on its way. Unfortunately, that wasn't politically possible, and I'd rather have the Twins stay in Minnesota with some new scheduling issues than see them relocate.

7.) I'll end with Carlos Gomez, and I'm not going to say much because you either saw his performance or can read about easily enough. Bottom line, he showed a lot of great stuff today while also managing to make me shudder a bit (sliding head first into first base? D'oh!). Two steals, two hits, and a walk is nothing to sneeze at, though, and you have to love the relieved expression he had on his face after the leadoff double. I think the kid will be just fine this season, but we'll see.

Rochester Roster

The season opening roster for the Rochester Red Wings was released on their website today, and while most of the names on the list were expected, there are a few surprises. Here are some thoughts on the guys starting the season in AAA:

Starting Pitchers:

Glen Perkins, Brian Duensing, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, Zach Day (DL), Heath Totten

Duensing, Humber, and Mulvey were all expected to start the season in AAA, so there are no surprises there. I thought prior to the start of spring training that Perkins was likely to make the big league roster as either a starter or as the last man out of the bullpen, but it was clear that if he didn't make the big club, he was going to end up here. Zach Day doesn't really fit in any of the lower levels of the system, and he wasn't going to beat out the young guys for a major league roster spot, so a slot in AAA makes sense -- although as noted, he's starting the season in the DL. Finally, Heath Totten was a bit of a surprise to me -- he was one of a number of minor league free agents brought in by the club, and based on his career numbers I was thinking he'd be lucky to make the Rock Cats roster. Instead, he'll probably get a few chances to start for the Red Wings, although he could be used in the bullpen, also.


Relief Pitchers

Ricky Barrett, Carmen Cali, Casey Daigle, Julio DePaula, Mariano Gomez, Danny Graves (DL), Bobby Korecky

The big surprise here is Danny Graves, who I didn't even realize had been signed by the Twins. Beyond that, this is a fairly balanced bullpen (3 lefties and 3 righties) that doesn't have any real standout stars. Bobby Korecky will likely return to the role of the Red Wings closer (he saved 35 games a year ago) -- although it's not like it really matters, since the Twins don't exactly need to be breaking in a closer. Carmen Cali is probably the first option out of the names on this list to get called up if the Twins have an injury in the bullpen, but it's probably equally likely that the Twins would go with one of the starters (Perkins especially) if they needed to fill a roster spot. The only question: where is Randy Keisler? A roster spot in New Britain seems unlikely, so perhaps he's been released.


Catchers

Jose Morales, Eli Whiteside, Ryan Jorgensen (suspended)

Jose Morales should get a chance to play a lot, as at this point he's the Twins emergency third catcher. Whiteside is a veteran who hopefully will play reasonably well without taking playing time away from Morales. Jorgensen is another guy (like Graves) who I didn't even know was in the organization. No real surprises here, and while I'm sure Drew Butera would have liked to start out in AAA rather than his likely destination in New Britain, there wouldn't have been enough playing time to go around.


Infield

Chris Basak, Brian Buscher, Alexi Casilla, Howie Clark, Garrett Jones, Alejandro Machado (DL), Matt Macri, Randy Ruiz, Tommy Watkins

Talk about an eclectic group. There are a couple of good prospects (Casilla and Macri) and one pseduo-prospect (Buscher) on the list, but the rest of these guys are unlikely to ever make an impact at the big league level, and a few (Howie Clark, Chris Basak) just don't seem to fit particularly well in the organization. Randy Ruiz will probably play mostly at DH, but with Garrett Jones likely playing a lot in the outfield (he's listed as an infielder on the roster, but that doesn't mean much), he might also get some starts at 1B. Alexi Casilla will probably play mostly at shortstop, with Macri at 2B and Buscher at 3B. Watkins, Basak, and Clark will be lucky to get whatever playing time they're handed, and are unlikely to play significant roles with the team. As for significant missing names -- Felix Molina failed to make the squad, and it seems questionable that the Twins will give him a roster spot in New Britain, but we'll see. I also thought that Brock Peterson had a good chance to get a promotion to Rochester, but it looks like a return trip to New Britain is in his future.


Outfield

Doug Deeds (DL), Jon Knott, Darnell McDonald (DL), Jason Pridie, Denard Span

With Deeds and McDonald starting out the season on the DL, Knott, Pridie, and Span should get a significant amount of playing time. That would almost certainly be the case anyway for Pridie and Span, who will probably split time respectively between CF and RF (with Span likely getting a bit more time in CF). Garrett Jones and Randy Ruiz will likely also get some time in the outfield (although watching either of them patrol the outfield might be harmful for your health, so be wary).

Rule 5 News

In case you hadn't heard, the Twins today agreed to a swap with the Seattle Mariners that allows Seattle to keep Rule 5 pick R.A. Dickey and which will send the Twins catcher Jair Fernandez. Dickey was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent, making him a somewhat unusual Rule 5 pick -- typically, Rule 5 picks are younger players who haven't yet had a chance to get on a 40-man roster. Dickey, however, is a veteran knuckleballer with 266 big league innings under his belt. He actually was very good last year for Milwaukee's AAA club, posting a 3.72 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 169.1 innings of work. His career big league numbers, however, aren't very good (5.72 ERA/1.57 WHIP), and at 33, I'm not sure if he's going to get better. I don't really know much about his history -- it's possible that he developed his knuckleball relatively recently, in which case his previous major league numbers might not be as relevant. Nonetheless, I don't feel like I'm going out on a limb by saying that Dickey wouldn't have been a significant factor for the Twins, and losing him to Seattle in the draft didn't bother me.

As for the pickup of Fernandez, I don't have much to say. He's a 21-year-old Colombian who has spent the past two seasons in the lower levels of the Mariners minor league system putting up unremarkable numbers. I certainly don't expect him to be an impact player in the system at any point, but who knows.

Finally, just to recap what's happening with the Twins other Rule 5 losses from this past year: Tim Lahey, a right-handed pitcher who was taken by the Rays for the Cubs, was claimed off waivers by the Phillies yesterday. That means that the Rule 5 obligations surrounding Lahey are now transferred to Philadelphia, so if he's sent down by the Phillies he would have to be offered back to the Twins. It sounds as if the Twins would probably take him back, so be on the watch for that this season. As for outfielder Garrett Guzman, the Twins already worked out a deal with the Washington Nationals that will allow Washington to keep Guzman -- but I haven't yet seen an announcement on the player the Twins will receive back in that deal.

Liriano Out, Blackburn In -- For Now

I made it back home a little earlier than I anticipated, and within moments had seen the news that Francisco Liriano has been optioned to Ft. Myers. I wasn't going to blog until tomorrow, but this is a pretty big deal and I thought I should post a few thoughts.

First, I thought that the Twins would take Liriano north, and have been saying so all year. Still, I can't disagree with the decision to give him a couple of minor league starts (it sounds like one in Ft. Myers and one in Rochester). This is also great news for Nick Blackburn, who will get at least a couple of chances to prove his value to the team.

What's interesting about this move is that the Twins made the decision to option Liriano rather than placing him on the DL. However, on further review this isn't particularly strange. First, under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, an option is officially used on a player only if that player is on optional assignment for more than 20 days in a season. For Liriano, that means that if he is recalled by the Twins before the 16th of April, and doesn't get optioned again this season, he won't have used up an option year. Even if he does, however, who really cares? This would be Liriano's second option year. That would leave him with another year in which he could be optioned. Is there really any doubt, however, that once healthy Liriano is going to remain a big league player? The Twins don't need to be careful with his option years, because almost certainly he isn't going to use them.

So, the last piece of the roster puzzle seems to have fallen into place. Now, we can look forward to tomorrow's spring finale against the Pirates, and Monday night's season opener against the Angels. I can't wait!

Quick Update

I'll be back home tomorrow, and plan on resuming a regular blogging schedule starting on Saturday. Thanks for your patience with my downtime -- I could have blogged, but I would have been squeezing it into some pretty narrow windows of opportunity, so the quality would have been worse than normal (feel free to take potshots on the quality of my content -- I pretty much opened the door on that one).

Incidentally, I should plug the southwest corner of Colorado for those of you who are considering a vacation. There are some unbelievable views, especially in the San Juan Mountains (Silverton, where I spent the last three days, sits at 9300 feet right in the middle of the San Juans). Mesa Verde National Park is in the area as well, and is spectacular. If you're into completely silly but somehow compelling locations, this part of Colorado is in the Four Corners region, so you can drive down from Mesa Verde and get the opportunity to be in four states at once. Depending on the time of year you visit, there are opportunities to hike, mountain bike, ski, fish, raft . . . it's pretty much a mecca for outdoor activities. Heck, there are even a couple of reservation casinos in the area if that's your thing. My guess is that if you find your way to this part of Colorado, you won't be disappointed. That's enough shilling -- time to get to bed. I'll catch you all on Saturday (unless something major happens tomorrow and I feel compelled to blog in the evening).

A Few Thoughts

I'm safely in Silverton, CO and I do indeed have access to reliable high speed internet. Time constraints are an issue, though, so don't expect any major updates this week. While I have a moment, here are some thoughts on the big day the Twins had yesterday:

1.) If I had time, I'd write a fairly long piece on the Joe Nathan extension. As it is, let me just say that I agree with this signing. Now, before some of you SABR-minded folks come after me for failing to recognize that closers don't deserve the money they're paid, etc. etc. etc., let me say that I agree that this is probably true. Nonetheless, Nathan is a very good pitcher, he does the job effectively, and there's no reason to think that he'll suddenly become ineffective during the life of his contract. This move allows the Twins to save a bit of face with the fans who think that letting Torii walk and trading Santana were the wrong decisions (they weren't, of course, but the majority of the fan base doesn't pay enough attention to realize that).

More importantly, the Twins could actually afford this extension, and this is a very important point. The Twins have Mauer, Morneau, and Cuddyer locked up each for at least the next three seasons. Meanwhile, the next wave of guys the Twins will need to re-sign (Delmon Young, Francisco Liriano, et al) won't be eligible for free agency for at least that long either. Add to that the fact that the Twins don't seem to be a big destination for free agents, and it became apparent that the money might as well be spent to give Nathan a contract more in the market-value range. Are closers overpaid? Yes. But sometimes you can afford to overpay, and all things considered this is one of those times.

Now, one of the things that makes no sense to me is the complaint from some fans that, if the Twins could afford to sign Nathan to this deal, they could have afforded to sign Santana. Simply put, that makes no sense whatsoever. Santana just got nearly $140 million, while Nathan got just over $40 million. That's slightly less than a $100 million difference. Do I really need to belabor the point? We're talking a whole different ballpark here, friends. I suppose the Twins could have decided not to extend Nathan, Morneau, or Cuddyer in order to sign Santana -- but that might not have been enough, because Morneau and Cuddyer would, of course, have continued to get arbitration raises for a few years. So now, to afford Santana, we were maybe talking about trading one of those two. This is all speculation, but I hope it puts to rest the notion that the money should have been used to extend Johan -- you can't cover $140 million with $40 million, last I checked.

So, the bottom line is that I'm perfectly satisfied with this signing. Sometimes you have to look beyond the bottom line, and considering all of the circumstances involved here, I don't think this was a bad decision.

2.) Carlos Gomez won the CF job, and while I think that was the right decision, I do feel bad for Denard Span. Hopefully, Gomez is fantastic -- but if he's not, I hope the Twins give Span a chance to show what he can do at the big league level. If nothing else, Span establishing himself as at least a moderately capable big leaguer would be good for the Twins because it would raise his trade value. We'll see what happens.

3.) I can't really argue with the decision to keep Matt Tolbert over Brian Buscher. How disappointing has the play of guys fighting for infield jobs been this spring, though? Obviously, that category excludes Mike Lamb, Adam Everett, and Justin Morneau -- but look at how bad Brendan Harris, Nick Punto, Buscher, and Tommy Watkins were (amongst others). Did anybody really want to make the team? I'm guessing Tolbert will get a shot to play a little at 2B, SS, and 3B -- we'll see if he sticks. If so, he's next year's Nick Punto (in terms of versatility, hopefully not in terms of batting average).

4.) Obviously, Nick Blackburn and Brian Bass are left in camp fighting for what might be just one roster spot (the 12th pitcher spot). I stand by what I said on Sunday -- I think Bass has the last spot in the bullpen sown up, and I expected Blackburn to be kept around in case either Scott Baker or Francisco Liriano starts the season on the DL or on a rehab assignment, respectively. It's sounding more and more likely that Blackburn will make the team one way or another -- and there's even a possibility that Philip Humber could find himself in a Twins uniform getting a start if both Liriano and Baker are shelved early on. I'm going to continue arguing the point that Baker and Liriano will actually make the team -- but I seem to be a minority at this point. Ah well -- if I'm wrong, I'm wrong!

5.) Congrats to the Red Sox for winning game 1 of the regular season. I have to say, though, that I hate everything about these season openers in Japan, down to the advertising on the helmets. You want to play exhibitions in Asia? Fine. Regular season games, though, should be played in a team's home ballpark, and the audience here shouldn't have to get up between 3 AM and 6 AM (depending on location in the US) to watch the first game of the season. I don't know -- call me provincial if you want, but I don't like it and I probably never will.

A Note About the Upcoming Week

This week is spring break for students here at the University of Colorado, which would seem like the perfect chance to get some blogging in (such as, say, finally finishing the relief pitcher rankings from my Organizational Rankings series). However, I actually have to leave town on Monday morning with some other students and the professor of my Problem Orientation class. On the plus side, I get to return to Silverton, CO, an old mining town in the southwest corner of the state (just north of Durango). It's a very interesting part of Colorado to visit, and I'm looking forward to going back. On the downside, I'll be busy actually doing some work this week, so finishing the Org Rankings is a pipe dream (maybe next weekend -- I'm hoping).

Here's the rub: I'm supposed to have access to high speed internet at the hotel where I'll be staying, so I should at least be able to make some comments on the final roster as it gets set. However, my blogging time will be severely limited -- I'll probably only get a chance to write in the evenings after we finish our daily work. In other words, you shouldn't expect timely commentary (even less than usual, that is).

Spring Roster Update #5

This is the second to the last roster update that I'll be posting this spring, with the last simply being a recap of the final roster next Sunday. The format for this update is the same as it has been for the past several weeks -- players who I predict will make the team will have a number listed before their name (since I'm counting out the 25 roster spots). Players who I believe are locks to make the roster will be bolded. Players who are still in camp and who have a chance to make the roster will be listed in blue, while players still in camp who have no shot (barring a miracle) of making the team will be listed in red. Players who have been cut will be listed in a separate section. Finally, my thoughts on the way the roster is shaping up follow the list of names.

POSITION - ROSTER SPOT - PLAYER

Staring Pitcher - 1 - Livan Hernandez (=)
Starting Pitcher - 2 - Scott Baker (possible DL stint needed) (=)
Starting Pitcher - 3 - Boof Bonser (=)
Starting Pitcher - 4 - Francisco Liriano (=)
Starting Pitcher - 5 - Kevin Slowey (=)
Nick Blackburn (=)
Philip Humber (=)
Closer - 6 - Joe Nathan (=)
Setup - 7 - Pat Neshek (=)
Bullpen - 8 - Matt Guerrier (=)
Bullpen - 9 - Juan Rincon (=)
Bullpen - 10 - Dennys Reyes (=)
Bullpen - 11 - Jesse Crain (=)
Bullpen - 12 - Brian Bass (+)
Casey Daigle (=)

Catcher - 13 - Joe Mauer (=)
First Base - 14 - Justin Morneau (=)
Second Base - 15 - Brendan Harris (+)
Third Base - 16 - Mike Lamb (=)
Shortstop - 17 - Adam Everett (=)
Left Field - 18 - Delmon Young (=)
Center Field - 19 - Carlos Gomez (=)
Denard Span (=)
Right Field - 20 - Michael Cuddyer (=)
Designated Hitter - 21 - Jason Kubel (=)
Backup Catcher - 22 - Mike Redmond (=)
Eli Whiteside (=)
Drew Butera (=)
Utility Infielder - 23 - Nick Punto (-)
Backup Outfielder - 24 - Craig Monroe (=)
Jon Knott (=)
Utility Infielder/Outfielder - 25 - Matt Tolbert (+)
Brian Buscher (-)
Jason Pridie (=)

Players No Longer in Camp
Zach Day - reassigned to minor league camp
Brian Duensing - reassigned to minor league camp
Deolis Guerra - reassigned to minor league camp
Oswaldo Sosa - optioned to AA
Armando Gabino - reassigned to minor league camp
Jeff Christy - reassigned to minor league camp
Allan de San Miguel - reassigned to minor league camp
Alejandro Machado - reassigned to minor league camp
Felix Molina - reassigned to minor league camp
Jose Morales - optioned to AAA
Darnell McDonald - reassigned to minor league camp
Jose Mijares - optioned to AA
Julio DePaula - optioned to AAA
Bobby Korecky - optioned to AAA
Mariano Gomez - reassigned to minor league camp
Alexi Casilla - optioned to AAA
Matt Macri - optioned to AAA
Chris Basak - reassigned to minor league camp
Howie Clark - reassigned to minor league camp
Carmen Cali - outrighted to AAA
Kevin Mulvey - reassigned to minor league camp
Randy Ruiz - reassigned to minor league camp
Tommy Watkins - reassigned to minor league camp
Randy Keisler - reassigned to minor league camp
Ricky Barrett - reassigned to minor league camp
Garrett Jones - outrighted to AAA
Glen Perkins - optioned to AAA

Analysis
Starting Pitchers: The rotation appears to be set barring last minute decisions on injury/rehab status. Livan Hernandez will start on opening day, and will probably be followed either by Scott Baker (if he's healthy and his arm strength is up to snuff). Boof Bonser will either follow in Game #3 or take Baker's spot if necessary. After that, Francisco Liriano seemed to claim his spot in the rotation with today's excellent start, and Kevin Slowey seems to have done the same yesterday. I expect the Twins to keep Nick Blackburn around camp next week in case there's a setback or new injury, but the rotation appears to be set otherwise.

Relief Pitchers: With Glen Perkins being cut this morning, Brian Bass is in an excellent position to grab the 12th spot on the pitching staff. That spot could still go to Casey Daigle, Philip Humber, or Nick Blackburn -- but that would be an upset. Bass is getting a start tomorrow, and I suppose its possible that he could be so bad that the Twins think twice about taking him north. That doesn't seem likely, however, since the Twins seem to want to keep him around, and Bass would be unlikely to clear waivers if he was cut from camp.

Infield: We're left to ponder for now over who is going to win the job of the starting second baseman, and I doubt we'll get anything resembling an official announcement thereof. Still, Nick Punto had another 0-fer today, while Brendan Harris had a good day yesterday. As a result, for the first time all spring I've moved Harris ahead of Punto on my depth chart -- I doubt even Gardy's love for Punto can keep Punto's .136 out of the conversation of who should get the start on opening day.

Outfield: Carlos Gomez seems to have played well enough to win the starting CF job, although Denard Span has admittedly had an excellent spring, making the decision at least more difficult. Ultimately, I think Gomez has done enough to break camp with the Twins, especially considering that the Twins undoubtedly desperately want to demonstrate to the fans that they got something out of the Johan Santana trade that will provide an immediate benefit to the team. With cuts expected tomorrow morning, we could find out then whether Gomez has indeed won the job.

Busy 24 Hours for the Twins

La Velle Neal has a blog post this morning with a lot of important tidbits. Since it's important stuff, I'm largely going to just repeat a lot of it, with a few comments as I go along:

1.) Glen Perkins was cut this morning. The handwriting was on the wall after his last performance, which continued his trend of just not being very good this spring. This was a significant cut in terms of making clear what the Twins intend on doing going forward this season, as it puts Brian Bass on the verge of making the team as the 12th pitcher. I like Perkins a lot, but there's no question that there were better options this year. Hopefully Perkins will re-establish himself this season in AAA -- and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him get the call later this year, either as a starter or a reliever.

2.) Neal also mentions that some significant cuts are expected to be made tomorrow morning. I suggested last week that the Twins would probably make final roster decisions today, so that the team that was going north had a full week to concentrate solely on getting into playing shape. So what can we expect to see tomorrow? I would guess we'll get a final determination on almost everything. I expect both Denard Span and Jason Pridie to be cut tomorrow (more on this when I post my roster update), along with Philip Humber, Brian Buscher, Eli Whiteside, and Drew Butera. Why no Kevin Slowey or Nick Blackburn? Well -- I expect Slowey has made the roster as the fifth starter, and I suspect Blackburn will be kept around in case a decision is ultimately made that Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker need to start the season on a rehab assignment.

3.) Some big Rule 5 updates were also included in Neal's post. First, for the second straight year, the Twins agreed to a trade with the Washington Nationals allowing the Nats to keep a Rule 5 pick despite sending him to the minors. Last year, it was pitcher Levale Speigner. This year, it's outfielder Garrett Guzman. There's no word yet on the player coming back to the Twins, but in exchange for Speigner, the Twins got outfielder Darnell McDonald back -- so don't expect a whole lot. Elsewhere, the Mariners are believed to be close to giving knuckleballer R.A. Dickey a spot on their roster, and Tim Lahey was pitching well until recently with the Cubs. If either of these guys come back before the season starts, then, it will probably be Lahey. I know there was a lot of interest in Dickey because of his unusually fast knuckleball -- but frankly, I don't see it. Maybe he'll be great for the Mariners, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

4.) Finally, there's a distinct chance that a deal with Joe Nathan could be announced today. If it happens, I'll more to say on that at the time.

Spring Training Roundup

First, let's all give thanks that Duke has, once again, bowed out of the tournament early (being a Pitt alum, I never thought I'd find myself rooting for WVU -- but for today at least I was doing exactly that). Now, onto the Twins:

1.) With Livan Hernandez and Boof Bonser locked into the rotation, all attention has turned to the other three spots. While I'll be posting more specific thoughts on this tomorrow in my roster update, for now I'll just say that Kevin Slowey has likely nailed a spot down as well. The real questions surround Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker, who both will be on the roster if they're healthy enough to contribute. I'm more comfortable with Baker right now than I am with Liriano, although I still think there's a better than 50% chance that both start the season in the rotation. Today, Nick Blackburn yet again made a solid argument for being the first alternate, with Philip Humber and Brian Bass right behind. Glen Perkins' mediocre spring continued, as he gave up four more hits (including 2 runs, 3 earned) in an inning of work. I strongly suspect that, in light of the solid performances by the other competitors, Perkins has been removed from consideration for a spot in the rotation.

2.) With yesterday's cuts of Randy Keisler and Ricky Barrett, Perkins seemed to be in a good position to get the last spot in the bullpen. However, there seems to be a lot of sentiment towards keeping Brian Bass on the team in that spot so as not to lose him; Bass is out of options and has had an excellent spring, so he'd probably end up being claimed off of waivers if he were cut from camp. While I was originally in favor of carrying a second lefty in the bullpen, I have to admit that I wasn't dazzled by any of the lefties that the team had in camp. With all of the youth that's going to be in the rotation, a 12 man pitching staff is probably a necessity, however. In that case, why not carry a guy like Bass who can give you a bunch of innings if necessary? He may not be a lefty, but he's pitched well and by keeping him on the roster you avoid losing him. I'd be somewhat surprised at this point if Bass didn't win this job.

3.) La Velle Neal of the Star Tribune suggests today that Matt Tolbert may be the leader in the battle for the second backup infielder position, thanks largely to the implosion of Brian Buscher. I really can't argue with his logic; Tolbert has played reasonably well, while Buscher has suffered through a wicked slump of late (at least he got a hit today). Meanwhile, someone (can't remember who) pointed out the other day that there doesn't seem to be a lot of reason to carry two left-handed hitting third basemen on the team (starter Mike Lamb is the other lefty), and I have to agree with that logic as well. While I have viewed Tolbert as nothing more than a longshot all spring, I have to acknowledge now that keeping him on the team might make sense. Of course, the question of playing time for a guy like Tolbert might be an issue -- and that's why I'm still not convinced that he's going to make the squad.

4.) Incidentally, Brendan Harris might have taken a step towards winning the job as the starting second baseman today by going 3-for-4. I say "might" because honestly, he's not exactly had a great spring, and one game doesn't change that. With Nick Punto having an equally horrid spring to this point, however, a few good at-bats might be all it takes to win Harris the job. Of course, as I mentioned a few days ago, a platoon situation has to still be considered a strong possibility as well.

5.) Carlos Gomez went 2-for-4 with a double, 2 K's, and yet another stolen base today. Denard Span got a hit in his only at-bat after replacing Gomez. Honestly, I've been really impressed with Span's play this spring -- but this job has to go to Gomez, doesn't it? It just seems to me that, despite his youth and propensity to make some big mistakes, he also has the potential to be a difference maker on the team even this year. I think Span would make fewer mistakes, but also would be nowhere near as spectacular overall. Honestly, I'm fine with whatever choice the Twins make -- I don't doubt that Gomez could benefit from some more seasoning in AAA -- but if I were making this decision, I'd almost certainly go with Gomez.

Morning Cuts

A number of questions were answered this morning with the Twins latest round of cuts -- although for the most part, they weren't the questions that most of us have been waiting for. Still, there were some interesting names on the cut list. Here goes, with some thoughts:

Randy Keisler - LHP - reassigned to minor league camp
This isn't particularly surprising; Keisler was brought in as a potential lefty reliever/swingman starter possibility, but he just wasn't impressive enough to move past the young guns who were in the system before him. I assume that Keisler will be asked to stick around in Rochester in case there's an injury in the bullpen, but I won't be all that disappointed if he's just cut.

Ricky Barrett - LHP - reassigned to minor league camp
Another lefty possibility in the bullpen, Barrett was brought into camp after being removed from the 40-man roster in the offseason. He pitched 6 innings in camp, giving up 3 earned runs on 5 hits while striking out 2 and walking 4. The K/BB ratio wasn't very good, but the other numbers weren't terrible -- just not good enough to really get himself moved into the discussion as a legitimate contender for a spot on the big league roster. Like Keisler, he's a possibility for a mid-season call-up if someone in the bullpen gets hurt.

Tommy Watkins - IF - reassigned to minor league camp
Watkins was brought back into the fold this off-season as a minor league free agent, which I was pleased with because Watkins is a veteran of the Twins minor league system and its nice to see him still around. The question is what role Watkins can legitimately expect to pay in the system this year. I'm sure he'll get a roster spot in Rochester, but how much playing time will he get, and where? The bottom line relating to this cut is that Watkins had an awful spring at the plate (the ordinary caution about small sample size applies), and didn't prove himself to be a legitimate big league candidate. While Watkins made his big league debut last year, I'd be stunned to see him get another callup -- which is really too bad since he hit .357 in 28 big league at-bats before getting hurt.

Randy Ruiz - 1B/OF - reassigned to minor league camp
Ruiz was one of my dark horses throughout camp, because I was intrigued by his minor league numbers and thought he could bring some power to the team off the bench. However, it became apparent throughout the spring that he's -- shall we say -- a bit deficient defensively. He also didn't really fit into what the Twins need to fill out the roster; if they were carrying 11 pitchers, they'd have an extra spot to stash a guy like Ruiz, but with 12 pitchers likely making the roster the team really needs to get the maximum value out of all 13 position player slots. As much as I was rooting for Ruiz, even I recognized that, and I agree with the decision to cut him.

Garrett Jones - 1B/OF - outrighted to AAA Rochester
Jones cleared waivers and has been outrighted off the 40-man roster. This was necessary since Jones was out of options, and so had to make the team or be offered up to other organizations. Of course, it was a pretty safe bet that Jones was going to clear waivers, because he's demonstrated very little potential as a big league player (many fans are fond of pointing out that he has a "long swing"), and he's not getting any younger. Still, he's got a shot to get back onto the roster if he plays well this season in Rochester and the team needs someone with some left-handed power off the bench. La Velle Neal asked an important question, however: where's Jones going to get his playing time, and at who's expense?

Spring Training Roundup

I'll be posting a full update tomorrow after the game. For now, I'll just say this: it sure looks like Kevin Slowey won himself a spot in the rotation tonight, doesn't it? He was awfully impressive, and came into camp penciled into the rotation. It ain't over till it's over, but this looked pretty definitive to me. Time will tell. More to come tomorrow -- until then, enjoy the Tourney (and I hope your bracket looks better than mine).

Spring Roundup

I didn't get a chance to post on yesterday's game, so here's a two day post covering the rather interesting developments of the last two days:

1.) Scott Baker's illness is all over news, and I have to admit it doesn't look good. Baker will hopefully be able to get a bullpen session in on Thursday and get a start on Saturday or Sunday, but that would seem to be an absolutely best case scenario, and very little with Baker has followed the best case over the last ten days. If he can't meet that schedule, he is unlikely to be able to get his arm strength up to the necessary level to start the season on the big league roster, and he would probably start on the DL. Obviously, for the young guys in camp, Baker's illness may present a chance to get into the rotation at the start of the year -- but for fans, this is a blow. Baker could very well be the best pitcher in the rotation this year, and any time that he misses will be disappointing.

2.) Francisco Liriano still can't throw his slider consistently, and his arm strength isn't up where it needs to be yet. Nonetheless, the Twins seem to still be leaning towards starting the season with him in the rotation, and having him work his way back to full strength at the big league level. I agree with this plan, but if Liriano is really bad early then he should probably be sent down. There's no reason to mess with his confidence any more than it's already been messed with. Maybe that's a reason to have him start the season on a rehab assignment in Florida, but I think that if there's any chance for him to make the roster then he needs to do so. I think he'll improve more quickly that way, even if it does likely mean some poor performances early on.

3.) Philip Humber was finally given a start today, and while he wasn't great he also wasn't that bad. Humber gave up 2 runs on 5 hits in 3 innings of work while striking out 2. I think that keeps him in the running for a spot in the rotation, but his competition stepped up today as well. Nick Blackburn gave up 2 hits in 2 innings, Glen Perkins and Randy Keisler both had perfect innings, and Casey Daigle (a candidate for the bullpen) went 2 innings while allowing just a hit and a walk. We'll see what Kevin Slowey and Brian Bass do the next time they go out, but the big winner here is probably Blackburn, who continues to look sharp.

4.) Brian Buscher's rough patch continued, as he went 0-for-4 today. Meanwhile, longshot roster candidate Matt Tolbert went 3-for-4 and stole a base, bringing his spring average to .308. As I said before, I think Buscher and Randy Ruiz at least bring some power to the bench (more Ruiz than Buscher), while Tolbert is essentially another Harris or Punto off the bench (with offensive ability probably between the two). Still, with Buscher in an absolutely evil slump and Ruiz an unlikely choice, Tolbert might take the position by default if he keeps playing well.

5.) Carlos Gomez went 0-for-3 but stole 2 more bases. Talk about accentuating his biggest weakness while demonstrating his most significant strength! Gomez has stolen 8 bases this spring -- I wonder what he'd do in a full season if he got on base at least reasonably often. More than likely we'll get a chance to find out.

Spring Roster Update #4

Every Sunday from now until the end of Spring Training, I'll post an update on the state of the Twins roster. There are 25 roster spots available to be filled by the various players in camp. The 25 players who I think would win those roster spots will appear in black, listed by position. Some of those players are locks to make the team, barring injury, and I've bolded those players. Players who I think still have a chance to win one of those spots will be listed in blue. Also, there are quite a few players in camp who are around simply to give the team warm bodies in the early days of spring -- those players will be listed in red. The order in which a player is listed under any position is a rough rank-ordering, and I'll also note whether a player has moved up or down that list (with a +/-/= system) based on performance so far this spring. If a player is cut, he'll be removed from the main list and placed in a "players cut from camp" section.

At the end of the list of players, I'll offer some brief comments explaining my choices. You should remember that this list does not represent the list of players who I would take north if I could at the end of Spring, but rather the players who I think will win jobs.

One final note: the 25th spot on the roster could go either to a 12th pitcher or a 14th position players. As a result, that position will appear at the end of the list, with both pitchers and position players who could win the position listed.

POSITION - ROSTER SPOT - PLAYER

Starting Pitcher - 1 - Livan Hernandez (+)
Starting Pitcher - 2 - Scott Baker (possible DL candidate) (=)
Starting Pitcher - 3 - Boof Bonser (+)
Starting Pitcher - 4 - Francisco Liriano (-)
Starting Pitcher - 5 - Kevin Slowey (=)
Nick Blackburn (=)
Philip Humber (+)
Brian Bass (+)
Randy Keisler (+)
Closer - 6 - Joe Nathan (=)
Setup - 7 - Pat Neshek (=)
Bullpen - 8 - Matt Guerrier (=)
Bullpen - 9 - Juan Rincon (=)
Bullpen - 10 - Dennys Reyes (=)
Bullpen - 11 - Jesse Crain (=)
Possible alternates listed under roster spot #25

Catcher - 12 - Joe Mauer (=)
First Base - 13 - Justin Morneau (=)
Second Base - 14 - Nick Punto (=)
Third Base - 15 - Mike Lamb (=)
Shortstop - 16 - Adam Everett (=)
Left Field - 17 - Delmon Young (=)
Center Field - 18 - Carlos Gomez (=)
Denard Span (+)
Right Field - 19 - Michael Cuddyer (=)
Designated Hitter - 20 - Jason Kubel (=)
Backup Catcher - 21 - Mike Redmond (=)
Eli Whiteside (=)
Drew Butera (=)
Utility Infielder - 22 - Brendan Harris (=)
Utility Infielder - 23 - Brian Buscher (=)
Randy Ruiz (=)
Matt Tolbert (+)
Tommy Watkins (+)
Backup Outfielder - 24 - Craig Monroe (=)
Jason Pridie (+)
Jon Knott (+)

Miscellaneous Reserve - 25 - Glen Perkins (+)
Casey Daigle (=)
Ricky Barrett (=)
Garrett Jones (+)

Players No Longer in Camp
Zach Day - reassigned to minor league camp
Brian Duensing - reassigned to minor league camp
Deolis Guerra - reassigned to minor league camp
Oswaldo Sosa - optioned to AA
Armando Gabino - reassigned to minor league camp
Jeff Christy - reassigned to minor league camp
Allan de San Miguel - reassigned to minor league camp
Alejandro Machado - reassigned to minor league camp
Felix Molina - reassigned to minor league camp
Jose Morales - optioned to AAA
Darnell McDonald - reassigned to minor league camp
Jose Mijares - optioned to AA
Julio DePaula - optioned to AAA
Bobby Korecky - optioned to AAA
Mariano Gomez - reassigned to minor league camp
Alexi Casilla - optioned to AAA
Matt Macri - optioned to AAA
Chris Basak - reassigned to minor league camp
Howie Clark - reassigned to minor league camp
Carmen Cali - outrighted to AAA
Kevin Mulvey - reassigned to minor league camp

Analysis
Starting Pitchers: The battle for positions in the rotation remains remarkably tight, and this thing could go in any number of directions at this point. First, a few notes on the guys who I have listed in the top 5 spots (those names, incidentally, haven't changed since I first posted -- although the order has). Livan Hernandez is now being listed in the #1 spot, since the Twins have suggested that they plan on having Livan start on opening night against the Angels. That will more than likely remain the plan, despite Hernandez's absolutely horrid performance this spring (which didn't get any better today). Meanwhile, I removed the bold from Scott Baker's name -- not because he's done anything wrong this spring, but because there's some talk that he might have to start the season on the DL because of his back. I don't think that's going to happen, but there's enough uncertainty to unbold him. Meanwhile, Boof Bonser has done enough to secure a spot and remains a lock. Francisco Liriano may or may not be ready for the season to start, and could end up in Rochester to build up his arm strength and his confidence (although I don't think that's a problem). Meanwhile, Kevin Slowey appears to be coming around, and if he doesn't bobble things again I think he'll make the team.

What about the guys behind those five who are fighting for spots? Well, Kevin Mulvey has now been cut, so that removes one name from the competition -- and with Carmen Cali also gone, I think Glen Perkins is the most logical choice to be the 12th pitcher on the team, giving the Twins a second lefty in the bullpen. That would mean that four guys remain in the competition. Nick Blackburn had been cruising along before his start this week, where he struggled. Nonetheless, he should still be the first guy in if something happens to one of the top 5. Philip Humber has been really, really good this spring, which is why I've slotted him in right behind Blackburn. Bass and Keisler have a much smaller chance to make the team, but I can't disqualify either of them, and both pitched well in their most recent performance. This week is crucial -- the rotation will likely be set by this time next Sunday.

Relief Pitchers: The only drama here all spring has been whether the Twins would carry 12 pitchers. The answer still seems to be yes, but with Carmen Cali gone, Glen Perkins is now the logical choice to fill that spot. Who else could be competing? Well, lefties Randy Keisler and Ricky Barrett are still around, and the Twins could still go with Casey Daigle or one of the guys competing for a spot in the rotation. None seems as likely as Perkins, who has some big league experience out of the 'pen.

Infield: The second base battle remains uncertain, but Alexi Casilla is no longer an option after being cut. I'll say it again -- if neither Punto nor Harris impresses, Punto wins the job. However, there is at least the possibility that the team will essentially continue the battle into the start of the season, maybe even with a platoon type system where Harris plays against lefties and Punto against righties. We'll see how they go with this thing, but I think Punto is going to get the first shot to fail in real games. Meanwhile, a whole host of potential backup infielders were cut this week, leaving Brian Buscher in pretty good shape. The Twins now have an open roster spot if they want to carry Randy Ruiz, but Buscher's versatility remains an advantage for him, despite his recent struggles. Matt Tolbert also remains in camp, but I'm not sure what he adds at this point.

Outfield: Craig Monroe will make the team -- I don't think there's any longer any question about that. More than likely, he'll be in a backup role, but the possibility remains (as Pat Reusse pointed out) that he could be used in CF if none of the Twins main (and young) options wins the job. Either way, Monroe will be wearing a Twins uniform, which is somewhat surprising to me -- he's really done well this spring. With Jason Kubel as the DH, the Twins don't really need to carry another outfielder. If they decide to go with just 11 pitchers, however, a guy like Garrett Jones could still make the club.

Two More Cuts

The Twins made two more cuts this morning, one of which I foresaw and one which surprises me a bit -- although I can't say that either disappointed me. I'll be posting a roster update later today, but for now, here are some thoughts on the cuts:

Carmen Cali - LHP - outrighted from roster (cleared waivers)
Cali seemed to me to be the front-runner in the race to win the job as the teams 12th pitcher, and I've been tooting that horn all spring. Turns out I wasn't just wrong -- I was woefully wrong. Cali, who was out of options and so had to clear waivers to stay in the system (he did) was having a reasonably good spring -- he hadn't allowed a run in 3.2 innings of work, but he had walked more batters than he had struck out, so all was not perfect. Still, the Twins wanted a second lefty reliever, and Cali seemed to be a likely option. While I'm not in the least upset with this cut, I am a bit surprised. The biggest beneficiary of this cut is probably Glen Perkins, who now seems to be a logical fit in the bullpen. There are certainly other alternatives, and I've already been woefully wrong once on who would win the 12th spot, but for now Perkins seems a likely choice. Of course, there's one other possibility here, and that is that the Twins needed to make room on the 40-man roster for someone they intend to bring north who isn't currently on the roster. The only players that it seems even possible that that could apply two would be Randy Ruiz, Casey Daigle, or Randy Keisler -- and frankly, I doubt that any of them will make the team (despite my lobbying for Ruiz all spring). That makes it most likely that Cali was just cut, plain and simple, with no ulterior motive.

Kevin Mulvey - RHP - assigned to minor league camp
I expected this cut to come two days ago, when the Twins made the second round of cuts. Mulvey survived that round for some reason (maybe there was disagreement over whether he should be sent down just yet), and was scheduled to pitch yesterday -- but that never happened, and the handwriting seemed to be on the wall when he wasn't put into the game (of course, it's always possible that La Velle's belief that Mulvey was supposed to pitch yesterday was wrong). Mulvey didn't have a bad spring, but he also was nowhere near the guys in front of him in the battle for a starting spot. This was a good move, simply because it gives guys who still have a shot of making the team a chance to get innings.

Spring Roundup

As promised, here are some thoughts on the happenings of the last few days of games:

1.) Phillies pitchers this afternoon struggled mightily, as a whole host of Twins players picked up multi-hit games today. I'll start by discussing the duel that developed throughout the day between Carlos Gomez and Denard Span. Gomez ended up going 3-for-4 with a homer and a couple of steals (one on a pickoff play -- the steal is great and all, Gomez has to reign himself in a bit and not get hung out like that). Span countered by going 2-for-5 with a double and at least one great catch in center. Honestly, if Gomez keep playing like this, he's unbeatable in the race in CF -- but I'm pleasantly surprised at Span and Jason Pridie (who picked up a hit in his only at bat) hanging in there. Incidentally, Gomez was following up a 2-for-5 day of his own, so he's 5 for his last 9. Span, on the other hand, went 0-for-4 in his last game.

2.) Nick Punto is 3-for-8 in his last two games. That's not going to set the world on fire, but it looks effective put up against Brendan Harris' 0-for-4 in that span. Frankly, all I wanted from either of these guys was to start showing some offense -- Harris did that a few days ago, and Punto is starting to do a little of it now. With Punto playing at least moderately well over the past couple of days, I have to think he's doing enough to stay in the drivers seat to win the 2B job.

3.) We haven't seen Brian Buscher in three days -- does that mean anything? I think he's in pretty good shape to try to claim a roster spot, especially after the first two round of cuts when Jose Morales and Alexi Casilla were sent down. However, if the Twins were interested in putting him on the roster, wouldn't they be giving him more AB's against big leaguers? Not that I have an answer for who they'd go with instead -- Randy Ruiz maybe, but he hasn't had any at-bats in awhile either. Garrett Jones, who's out of options and could theoretically be kept around as a backup 1B/OF/DH/bat off the bench, has received 5 AB's over the last few days and hasn't picked up a hit. As of late, no one seems to want to claim the last position player roster spot.

4.) The battle to win spots in the rotation sure is getting interesting, isn't it? Kevin Slowey started today and went 4 very solid innings, allowing just a run (and that on a homer by Ryan Howard -- we really can't fault him for that, can we?) and 2 hits while striking out 5 batters. Glen Perkins got himself into a bit more trouble in his 2 innings of work, but ended up giving up just 1 run on 3 hits in that stretch while striking out a batter. Add to those performances two excellent outings yesterday from Boof Bonser (4 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 3 K's) and Philip Humber (3 hitless innings -- and still a perfect ERA this spring), as well as scoreless performances on Thursday from Brian Bass and Randy Keisler, and this thing just keeps getting more and more interesting. The only guy who really struggled over the past few days on the mound was Nick Blackburn, who gave up 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings of work on Thursday -- but if he can recover by his next outing, that's not going to take him out of the running for a starting spot. I'm going to go into some detail on the issue of who should get spots when I post my next roster projections tomorrow -- but there's no question that it's a lot of fun to watch right now!

5.) Glen Perkins could still end up in the bullpen as the team's 12th pitcher, but I'm still thinking that Carmen Cali is going to get that spot. He's out of options, he's had a good spring, and the Twins saw what he could do last year, and so are presumably comfortable with him. Unless he really struggles over the next couple of weeks, I think he's the guy. On the downside, his 0.00 ERA has been earned in just 3.2 innings of work this spring, and he has more walks (3) than K's (2), which is never good. Still, I'll be a bit surprised if they go in a different direction with this spot.

6.) This is a huge week for the Twins and the players fighting for spots. The last week of the spring is usually used to hammer the team that's going North into shape, getting guys as many AB's and innings as possible (without wearing them out, of course). This week, in other words, is not the week to have a bad performance in camp. I'm actually expecting a couple of cuts tomorrow or early next week, with a bunch of cuts coming up a week from tomorrow. I'm guessing we'll know who wins most of these spots by Wednesday the 26th, at the latest -- but I certainly could be wrong. Personally, I hope they don't drag it out.

Cuts -- Round Two

Right on schedule, the Twins trimmed some more fat off of their spring roster. While none of the cuts was tremendously surprising to me, there was at least one that disappointed some fans (more on that in a second!). This post is simply going to cover my thoughts on the players who were cut, and I'll also give some ideas on who could be next. Incidentally, if you're looking for notes on today's game (and yesterday's, which I haven't discussed yet), I'll be posting something later tonight. Now, onto the cuts:

Julio DePaula - RHP - optioned to AAA
DePaula, who made his big league debut last season in a rather forgetful stint with the Twins, was in camp solely because he's on the 40-man roster. He actually put together a solid spring, giving up just 2 runs and 5 hits in 6 innings of work -- but DePaula was never a legitimate candidate to make the team. The Twins have, at best, just one available spot in the bullpen (and that's assuming they take 12 pitchers north), and that almost certainly will go to a lefty or a veteran. Still, it never hurts to have a good spring, and now DePaula can start working on getting ready for Rochester's season.

Bobby Korecky - RHP - optioned to AAA
Korecky is in a similar position to DePaula in that he was only in camp because he's on the 40-man roster, and he also fits the same niche as DePaula, meaning he was pretty much fated for an option as soon as the spring started. Still, Korecky also had a good spring (albeit in very limited action -- 0 runs in 3 innings of work), and like I said earlier that can't hurt. Now that he's on the 40-man roster (he was added in November), he's got a chance to make his big league debut at some point this season. Now just wasn't his time.

Mariano Gomez - LHP - reassigned to minor league camp
I was pushing for Gomez to be cut prior to the first round of cuts, but the Twins kept him around. He proceeded to continue pitching unimpressively, and now he's out of camp. Gomez was always a long shot to make the team, but because he's a lefty he at least was in a more preferable position than DePaula or Korecky were coming in. Of course, when you give up 6 runs on 7 hits (3 of which left the park) in 5 innings, you pretty much remove yourself from consideration. I won't particularly miss Gomez -- there are other, better options for the position that he was competing for. Maybe he'll get a chance in the minors to prove that he can be an asset for the organization.

Alexi Casilla - IF - optioned to AAA
Here's the most controversial of today's cuts. With the struggles of Nick Punto and Brendan Harris as they fight for the second base job, many fans were pointing at the speedy and young Casilla and shouting "that's our guy!" I didn't jump on this bandwagon, mostly because I didn't think it was realistic -- the Twins are going to keep Punto and Harris on the roster no matter what happens, and while both could have made the team as backup infielders with Casilla as the starter at 2B, I just didn't see it happening. More problematic, though, is what I've read about Casilla's attitude from the beat writers. He still apparently hasn't developed a big league mentality, and Gardy doesn't accept that from his players. Aside from all that, Casilla hasn't exactly blown away the competition with his performance this spring, either -- he's hitting .250, with 5 hits in 20 AB's, but none of this hits went for extra bases and it sounds as if several of them weren't particularly well hit. I'm still enthusiastic about Casilla's future, but honestly I think Punto or Harris would be a better choice at 2B to start the season.

Matt Macri - IF - optioned to AAA
Macri went 3-for-15 this spring, as he waged a long-shot battle to claim a spot as a backup infielder (or an even longer-shot battle to try to become the starting 2B, depending on how you look at things). He's more than likely going to be the starting 3B in Rochester this season, and that should be more than enough for him. A solid season will give him a shot in the bigs in the future, but there didn't seem to be a lot of reasons to keep Macri around camp any longer this year.

Chris Basak - IF - reassigned to minor league camp
Basak went 4-for-14 this spring, but he had no shot to make the team after being removed from the 40-man roster during the off-season. I'm still not sure why the Twins felt the need to claim Basak off waivers from the Yankees last season, but here he is nonetheless. There's not much more to say about Basak, really -- he was a warm body in camp for the early part of spring, and this cut is completely unsurprising.

Howie Clark - IF - reassigned to minor league camp
Ditto what I said about Basak being a warm body. Clark went 3-for-16 on the spring and was used in a number of roles, but the veteran journeyman probably could have hit .500 and not made the team. I'm hopeful that the Twins decide to let Clark go rather than giving him a minor league roster spot, but we'll see what happens at the end of the spring. I have a sinking feeling that he'll get some playing time for Rochester this season.

Who's Next?
Tommy Watkins and Matt Tolbert remain in camp, and while Tolbert may stick around beyond the next round of cuts, Watkins should be gone soon -- he's had a horrid spring. LHP Ricky Barrett also remains in camp, despite having virtually no chance of making the team (although he's had an OK spring). The Twins will also want to start whittling down a couple of the starter candidates who are at the bottom of the list -- Randy Keisler and maybe Kevin Mulvey are likely to go before too long. While any number of other players could be cut at any time, the names I've listed above are those who I would be most comfortable saying are likely to leave soon.

Oh No! The Mayor's Cup is Lost!

Alright, someone has to pay. The Twins will have to hang their heads in shame when walking around Ft. Myers for the next year, as they lost the Mayor's Cup 3 games to 2, losing to the Red Sox today 12-7. I guess the Red Sox were just warming up with that World Series title last year . . .
On to some stuff that really matters:

1.) Francisco Liriano obviously wasn't sharp today, but I disagree completely with the idea that he has no chance to make the big league squad out of spring training. Yes, Liriano only went 2+ innings today -- but he threw 58 pitches, which is about what he would have been at with three solid innings of work. In other words, he got his work in today, and that's what's important at this time of year. Now, that said, he's going to have to perform well in the next couple of weeks to get an immediate ticket to the Majors instead of a rehab visit to Rochester -- but I think he's still on track to do that, especially if the Twins slot him in at the back end of the rotation to give him some extra time to get ready. Time will tell, but I don't think he's done yet.

2.) One guy who probably is out of contention after today's poor performance is Kevin Mulvey. Mulvey went 2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits with a K. Mulvey started off camp behind a whole slew of pitchers, and would have needed to be brilliant this spring to win a job. Today's performance was not brilliant, and with more seasoned options ahead of him, whatever chance Mulvey had more than likely came to an end today. UPDATE: I should mention that at least one reader felt that I'm being a bit harsh on Mulvey, since he would have gotten out of the inning if Gomez hadn't lost a ball in the sun. It's a fair enough point, but I stand by my argument -- Mulvey needed to be brilliant all spring to springboard past a load of guys in front of him (here's my count -- Hernandez, Baker, Bonser, Liriano if healthy, Slowey, Perkins, Blackburn, Humber, and probably Bass -- am I missing anyone?), and he wasn't brilliant. I therefore stand by my original comment, and I don't expect Mulvey to be in big league camp much longer. Feel free, as always, to disagree in the comments.

3.) Offense out of the 2B position! Really!?! Brendan Harris finally put together a 2 hit game, going 2-for-3 and driving in 3 runs. Nick Punto has been horrendous at the plate, but until this point Harris hadn't been much better. This helps his cause, but he'll need to keep it up over the remainder of the spring to beat out Punto's strong defense. This was, at least, a start.

4.) Brian Buscher went 0-for-3 again today, dropping his spring average to .190. I still believe what I said yesterday -- that Buscher has impressed the coaching staff this Spring and has a very good chance of making the roster, despite his struggles over the last couple of days. Nonetheless, Buscher's recent offensive struggles might open the door for another candidate -- somebody like, say . . .

5.) Randy Ruiz! Ruiz went 1-for-2 today with 2 runs score (I presume he reached on an error, but I could be wrong). If Ruiz keeps hitting, he's got a shot. He's more limited than Buscher defensively (which is a big reason why Buscher has a bit of an edge for that roster spot), but you never know what might happen. Now, one thing I wasn't aware of until digging a little deeper on Ruiz was his past history with the Scarlet "S" of baseball -- back in 2005, Ruiz apparently tested positive for steroids twice (yes, twice in the same season). At this point, one would hope that he's moved on beyond his steroid-using past, but it was disappointing to hear about the past use. Still, I'm not naive enough to think that no Twins players have ever used steroids (heck, Rincon has that positive test on his record, and other past Twins like Matt Lawton have been implicated as well) -- so is it worse to know about the use, or to just naively think no one is using? I guess I'm glad I know about Ruiz's past, but so long as he isn't using now, I'm also not going to let it stop me from rooting for him to have a solid spring.

6.) Carlos Gomez went 0-for-3 again today -- could Denard Span really be pulling into the lead for this battle? This really is going to fascinating to watch down the stretch!

Spring Training Roundup

A bad loss today (if there really is such a thing in Spring Training), 7-1 at the hands of the mighty Rays. Here are some thoughts:

1.) Of course, the biggest news today was that the Twins plan on having Livan Hernandez start on opening night. Frankly, I'm underwhelmed. Give the spot to one of the young guns like Scott Baker. Honestly, I understand the motivation behind giving Livan the start -- I'm sure opening night is a big deal for these guys, and it might mess with a youngsters mojo. Honestly, though, Livan? Anyway, Hernandez was pretty mediocre today, going 4 innings and giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk while picking up a K. But hey, he's a veteran so poor performances in the spring don't matter, right? RIGHT?!?

2.) Meanwhile, Glen Perkins was underwhelming again today, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits in 2 innings while striking out a batter. Considering that a number of the Twins young pitchers are starting to hit a solid groove, Perkins simply cannot afford to struggle like this. I don't think his chances of making the team have disappeared just yet, but he's quickly running out of time to turn things around.

3.) Remember when I thought Mariano Gomez would be amongst the first cuts of spring? Well, maybe he should have been -- he gave up 2 runs on 2 hits in 1 inning of work today, and has a 10.80 ERA. To my knowledge, he hasn't done anything to indicate that he would be a good addition to the big league club (other than throw the ball with his left arm). I'm thinking his time has run out, and wouldn't be surprised to see him cut as soon as tomorrow.

4.) Jason Pridie keeps getting an at-bat here and an at-bat there, and he's making the most of it. Today, he replaced Denard Span in center and went 1-for-1 to raise his spring average to .304. Say it with me -- "the sample size is small" -- but a decent batting average sure looks better than a bad one, fair or unfair. Span also picked up a hit, going 1-for-3 before leaving the game. Both are hitting much, much better than Carlos Gomez. This center field battle feels a bit like a see-saw, doesn't it? I'm still saying Gomez is the favorite, but we'll see how the rest of the week plays out.

5.) Doesn't Nick Punto realize that he could clinch the starting 2B job with just a little bit of offense? He went 0-for-2 again today, giving him a .077 batting average on the spring. Brendan Harris hasn't exactly been dashing either, but he's been at least a bit better than Punto with the stick. How disappointing, though, that neither of these guys have been getting it done. Meanwhile, fans are starting to call for Alexi Casilla -- and while I thought coming into the spring that there was essentially no chance of that happening, I have to admit that it's starting to look like an attractive possibility. If you're going to be bad at a position, why not be bad with youth?

6.) Craig Monroe went 2-for-3 and is hitting .375. Forget about it -- he's making the team. He's swinging the bat too well not to, and the Twins could use his veteran presence on the bench. Also, he at least seems to be somewhat versatile, and probably wouldn't completely embarrass the team if they had to use him in CF for a game or two. At this point, there's no reason not to give him a roster spot.

7.) Brian Buscher, who has been a bit of a cause celebre this spring, went 0-for-3 today and is now hitting .222 this spring. Time to write his obituary? Hardly. Remember, small sample size makes batting averages fairly meaningless, and the team has gone out of its way to praise Buscher's work ethic and performance. He may not make the team, but if he doesn't it won't be because of his batting average.

Spring Training Game #12

The Twins picked up another win this afternoon, beating the Marlins 4-2. Some quick thoughts:

1.) Kevin Slowey finally put together a solid outing, going 3 scoreless innings while allowing 6 hits and striking out 3 without walking anyone. I'm a little concern about the number of hits -- two per innings is too many -- but he was able to get out of trouble and picked up a fair number of K's. Phil Humber, meanwhile, picked up 2 more scoreless innings today to continue his excellent spring. While I consider him to be behind Slowey, Blackburn, and Perkins in the battle for a spot in the rotation, there's no question that he's been excellent this spring (in games that count, anyway), and he belongs in the conversation as well.

2.) Carlos Gomez went 0-for-3 while Denard Span went 1-for-1 and stole a base and Pridie went 1-for-1 as well. Can the phenom hold onto his advantage, or will Span (or Pridie) come up and steal it from him? We aren't going to know until the last week of camp, I would guess, but it sure is fun to follow day-to-day.

3.) Randy Ruiz went 1-for-3 today (which qualifies as a bad day for him with the spring that he's putting together), but the one hit was a big one -- a three RBI double that provided the winning margin for the team. I seem to say it every day, but keep your eyes on Ruiz.

4.) Another day, another Brendan Harris 0-fer. If you have two choices at 2B, and neither is hitting, you go with the guy who provides plus-defense, right? Am I wrong here? I realize that the sample size is still small, and I accept that Harris is a better hitter than he's showing (and a better hitter than Punto, for that matter), but having seen a bit of Harris' defense this spring, I'm actually starting to lean in Punto's direction. Feel free to bash me in the comments on this if you must . . .

5.) My guess is that Tommy Watkins will be cut within the next week. He's done nothing offensively (0-for-3 again today) and I still think that he looks like he gained weight in the off-season. Watkins callup last year was a great story, but I don't think it's going to be repeated in 2008.

Today's Big Winner: Kevin Slowey
Runner-Up: Phil Humber

Today's Big Loser: Tommy Watkins
Runner-Up: Brendan Harris

Spring Roster Update #3

Every Sunday from now until the end of Spring Training, I'll post an update on the state of the Twins roster. There are 25 roster spots available to be filled by the various players in camp. The 25 players who I think would win those roster spots will appear in black, listed by position. Some of those players are locks to make the team, barring injury, and I've bolded those players. Players who I think still have a chance to win one of those spots will be listed in blue. Also, there are quite a few players in camp who are around simply to give the team warm bodies in the early days of spring -- those players will be listed in red. The order in which a player is listed under any position is a rough rank-ordering, and I'll also note whether a player has moved up or down that list (with a +/-/= system) based on performance so far this spring. If a player is cut, he'll be removed from the main list and placed in a "players cut from camp" section.

At the end of the list of players, I'll offer some brief comments explaining my choices. You should remember that this list does not represent the list of players who I would take north if I could at the end of Spring, but rather the players who I think will win jobs.

One final note: the 25th spot on the roster could go either to a 12th pitcher or a 14th position players. As a result, that position will appear at the end of the list, with both pitchers and position players who could win the position listed.

POSITION - ROSTER SPOT - PLAYER

Starting Pitcher - 1 - Francisco Liriano (=)
Starting Pitcher - 2 - Scott Baker (=)
Starting Pitcher - 3 - Livan Hernandez (=)
Starting Pitcher - 4 - Boof Bonser (=)
Starting Pitcher - 5 - Kevin Slowey (=)
Nick Blackburn (+)
Glen Perkins (-)
Phil Humber (=)
Brian Bass (+)
Kevin Mulvey (+)
Randy Keisler (=)
Closer - 6 - Joe Nathan (=)
Setup - 7 - Pat Neshek (=)
Bullpen - 8 - Matt Guerrier (=)
Bullpen - 9 - Juan Rincon (=)
Bullpen - 10 - Dennys Reyes (=)
Bullpen - 11 - Jesse Crain (=)
Possible alternates listed under Roster Spot #25

Catcher - 12 - Joe Mauer (=)
First Base - 13 - Justin Morneau (=)
Second Base - 14 - Nick Punto (=)
Third Base - 15 - Mike Lamb (=)
Shortstop - 16 - Adam Everett (=)
Left Field - 17 - Delmon Young (=)
Center Field - 18 - Carlos Gomez (=)
Right Field - 19 - Michael Cuddyer (=)
Designated Hitter - 20 - Jason Kubel (=)
Backup Catcher - 21 - Mike Redmond (=)
Eli Whiteside (=)
Drew Butera (=)
Utility Infielder - 22 - Brendan Harris (=)
Utility Infielder - 23 - Brian Buscher (=)
Randy Ruiz (=)
Alexi Casilla (=)
Matt Tolbert (=)
Matt Macri (=)
Howie Clark (=)
Chris Basak (=)
Tommy Watkins (-)
Backup Outfielder - 24 - Craig Monroe (=)
Jason Pridie (=)
Denard Span (=)
Jon Knott (=)

Miscellaneous Reserve - 25 - Carmen Cali (=)
Casey Daigle (+)
Julio DePaula (+)
Mariano Gomez (=)
Ricky Barrett (+)
Garrett Jones (-)

Players No Longer in Camp
Zach Day - reassigned to minor league camp
Brian Duensing - reassigned to minor league camp
Deolis Guerra - reassigned to minor league camp
Oswaldo Sosa - optioned to AA
Armando Gabino - reassigned to minor league camp
Jeff Christy - reassigned to minor league camp
Allan de San Miguel - reassigned to minor league camp
Alejandro Machado - reassigned to minor league camp
Felix Molina - reassigned to minor league camp
Jose Morales - optioned to AAA
Darnell McDonald - reassigned to minor league camp
Jose Mijares - optioned to AA

Starting Pitchers: I decided to leave Kevin Slowey listed in the #5 spot for this week, but further struggles will dislodge him from that spot. Nick Blackburn seems perfectly poised to take it over -- he's been very good so far in camp, and surprisingly (to me) it could result in him winning a spot in the rotation. Meanwhile, as long as there's a battle for the spot, guys like Phil Humber and Brian Bass stay alive in the race. With Francisco Liriano making a successful return to the mound this past week, it also makes it more likely that Liriano will break camp with the team. Meanwhile, even though Boof Bonser struggled today, I think he remains solidly in line to be the #4 starter this season.

Relief Pitchers: With Jose Morales having been optioned out of camp, it makes it more likely that the Twins will carry 12 pitchers when they head north. Carmen Cali remains in control of that spot, but I expect Glen Perkins to make a strong bid for the position down the stretch, especially if the other starter candidates (like Blackburn) continue to put themselves in position to win a starting spot, thus crowding Perkins out of that race.

Infielders: Nick Punto is 1-for-11 and Brendan Harris is 4-for-17 so far this spring -- not exactly a rousing offensive battle for the position. I think that Punto wins a tie between these two because of his defense, and so far I would say that neither has stood out enough to grab the advantage -- making Punto the winner by default to this point. The other open spot is the second backup infielder position, with Brian Buscher leading that race for the second consecutive week. Meanwhile, dark horse Randy Ruiz continues to make a case for a roster spot, as he's now hitting .471 on the spring and showing off some power (with 2 homers and a double). I'm going to keep mentioning him, even though it's unlikely that he could win a spot.

Outfielders: Carlos Gomez seems destined to win the starting center field spot, which is what most of us thought was going to happen when the spring started. Yes, there will be some issues if he's asked to play a full major league season -- but it would also be very exciting. Meanwhile, Craig Monroe is hitting well after returning to the lineup and seems to be well on the way to securing the spot as the teams backup outfielder. Interestingly, Jon Knott has been reasonably impressive to this point, showing some pop in his bat that I, for one, didn't really expect to see. I don't think he has a shot (he's even less likely than Randy Ruiz, in my mind), but maybe he'll play well enough to make things interesting for Monroe.

First Cuts of Spring

As expected, the Twins cleared some room in camp this morning by making the first round of spring cuts -- and they went a bit hog wild, cutting 12 players from camp. I had predicted 8, and of the 8 names that I listed, 7 were cut -- the only unexpected survivor, in my mind, was lefty Mariano Gomez. Here are the names, with a few thoughts on those who I didn't mention in yesterday's post:

Expected by me:
Oswaldo Sosa - RHP
Armando Gabino - RHP
Deolis Guerra - RHP
Jeff Christy - C
Allan de San Miguel - C
Felix Molina - 2B
Darnell McDonald - OF

Unexpected Cuts:
Jose Mijares - LHP
Zach Day - RHP
Brian Duensing - LHP
Jose Morales - C
Alejandro Machado - IF

Mijares wasn't actually unexpected -- I just forgot about him yesterday. He is going to miss significant time this season (probably the entire season) with an injury sustained in a car accident, and so I don't believe he was ever actually in camp. Nonetheless, he's on the 40-man roster and so had to be officially dealt with by the team. The team chose to option him to AA New Britain to clear him off of the active roster, and while there had been some speculation that he would eventually make his way onto the 60-Day DL, this presumably makes a lot more sense from a financial standpoint since Mijares would have had to be paid a big league salary for the season if he was on a big league DL.

Now to the more surprising names, starting with Zach Day. I wasn't a big fan of the Day signing at the time, because I was ready for the full-fledged youth movement to take over the rotation. It became a moot point, however, when the team signed Livan Hernandez to hold down the requisite "veteran pitcher" slot in the rotation. Day pitched just three innings in camp, giving up 3 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Simply put, those weren't good enough numbers to justify keeping him around when he no longer fit anywhere on the roster. He's now in minor league camp, but I think he'll have to earn a spot in the Rochester rotation -- depending on how things shake out, there simply might not be any reason to keep him around even in that role -- although at the list I think he could be kept around as a long reliever even if he doesn't make the rotation.

Brian Duensing was a surprise to me because I thought he'd make it at least to the second round of cuts -- however, he was absolutely terrible in limited action this spring, never finding his control. In 2.1 innings, Duensing gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks while striking out just 2. Basically, I think he played himself out of a more extended run in spring training. His odds of making the team were never good, because there were so many players in camp who were above him in the pecking order. Nonetheless, this was a bit of a flame-out on his part.

Perhaps the most surprising cut announced today was Jose Morales. Obviously, the Twins already have their starting and backup catchers solidly locked in place, but a lot of fans who I've spoken with this spring (including some in the comments on this blog, if I recall correctly) thought that Morales could make the team as the 25th man on the roster. I think this move, more than anything else so far, provides a pretty strong indication that the Twins are serious about taking 12 pitchers north -- and that's a strategy I agree with considering the youth of the starting rotation. Morales was removed from big league camp by optioning him to AAA.

Finally, Alejandro Machado didn't last long. When I released my first list of roster projections, I put Machado in the drivers seat for the second backup middle infielder position -- mostly because there were a lot of names and I thought he had a skill set that might be useful. I moved him out of that position quickly, but I'm still surprised by the quick cut for Machado. It was fairly clear from the sparse use the team made of him this spring (just 5 AB's), however, that the Twins never really considered him a viable major league option.

From this point on, expect a few cuts to be made every couple of days going forward. Last year, the first list of cuts was made on Monday, March 12 -- and the next two cuts came the next day. In other words, marginal players (such as Mariano Gomez) could be gone at any time. The really interesting cuts, of course, aren't likely to come until the last week of camp.

Finally, I'll have a roster update posted later today -- but I want to give this post some time to breath at the top of the blog for a few hours first.