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.

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.

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.

Spring Roster Update #2

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 (=)
Glen Perkins (=)
Nick Blackburn (=)
Phil Humber (=)
Zach Day (+)
Brian Duensing (-)
Brian Bass (=)
Kevin Mulvey (=)
Randy Keisler (=)
Deolis Guerra (+)
Oswaldo Sosa (-)
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
Armando Gabino (=)

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 (-)
Jeff Christy (=)
Allan de san Miguel (=)
Utility Infielder - 22 - Brendan Harris (=)
Utility Infielder - 23 - Brian Buscher (+)
Randy Ruiz (+)
Alexi Casilla (-)
Alejandro Machado (-)
Matt Tolbert (-)
Matt Macri (-)
Howie Clark (=)
Chris Basak (=)
Tommy Watkins (=)
Felix Molina (=)
Backup Outfielder - 24 - Craig Monroe (=)
Jason Pridie (=)
Denard Span (+)
Jon Knott (-)

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

Starting Pitchers: Kevin Slowey didn't have a particularly great performance in his spring debut, but it's going to take more than one bad outing to dislodge him from his perch as a favorite to win a starting slot. Glen Perkins and Brian Duensing also struggled, but again I don't think that a single bad performance to start the spring is going to do too much to their chances. Nick Blackburn had one of the more impressive performances of the guys on the outside looking in, and if he keeps it up he has an excellent shot at dislodging Slowey.

Relief Pitchers: There was more confirmation in various quotes this week that the Twins are likely to go with 12 pitchers at the start barring something unforeseen happening. Unfortunately, the primary candidates for that twelfth spot -- Carmen Cali and Glen Perkins -- both struggled (Cali walked in two batters with the bases loads, which is obviously not a good way to impress the coaching staff). The Twins would prefer to take a lefty in that position, so we'll see if either Cali or Perkins can come back strong in week two to grab the lead a little more securely. I'm leaving Cali in that spot for now on the board, but another bad performance this week will knock him down.

Infield: The Nick Punto/Brendan Harris battle was officially joined as spring training started, and Punto won week 1. Harris played in the first game and misplayed a double-play ball, throwing wide to first. He also failed to get a hit in his first 4 spring at-bats -- a ridiculously small sample size, to be sure, but remember that the pressure is on Harris to demonstrate his ability with the bat. Punto didn't fare any better at the plate, going 0-for-2 -- but he delivered as advertised defensively. The battle for the second backup infielder spot also got interesting, with Brian Buscher's strong spring so far moving him into position to possibly win that spot (rather unexpectedly). It's still early, and there are quite a few guys battling for the position, but so far the news has been good for BB.

Outfield: Carlos Gomez looked pretty bad at the plate in several at-bats this week, but he showcased his raw talent (strong arm, extreme speed) rather effectively. Denard Span didn't play enough to make any significant statements about his performance (he went 1-for-2), and Jason Pridie went 1-for-6 and looked bad in comparison to Gomez when making a throw to the outfield. With Craig Monroe missing time due to a mild injury, the backup outfielder competition took a brief timeout -- although Jon Knott went 1-for-6. Monroe sits at 1-for-3 on the spring, and should be back early in the week.

Spring Roster Update #1

Every Sunday from now until the end of Spring Training, I'll post an update on the state of the Twins roster. I suspect that the format is fairly intuitive, but I'll explain it here just in case. 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. Finally, there are quite a few players in camp who are there simply to give the team warm bodies in the early days of spring -- those players will be listed in red. After 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
Glen Perkins
Nick Blackburn
Phil Humber
Brian Duensing
Zach Day
Brian Bass
Kevin Mulvey
Randy Keisler
Oswaldo Sosa
Deolis Guerra
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
Armando Gabino

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
Drew Butera
Eli Whiteside
Jeff Christy
Allan de san Miguel
Utility Infielder - 22 - Brendan Harris
Utility Infielder - 23 - Alejandro Machado
Alexi Casilla
Brian Buscher
Matt Tolbert
Matt Macri
Randy Ruiz
Howie Clark
Chris Basak
Tommy Watkins
Felix Molina
Backup Outfielder - 24 - Craig Monroe
Jason Pridie
Jon Knott
Denard Span

Miscellaneous Reserve - 25 - Carmen Cali
Garrett Jones
Jose Morales
Casey Daigle
Mariano Gomez
Ricky Barrett
Julio DePaula
Darnell McDonald

Starting Pitchers: The five I've put down seem like the most obvious choices for the rotation, but there's always the possibility of a surprise (especially with so many candidates). The most obvious opportunity for someone unexpected to make the rotation would probably be in place of Francisco Liriano, who might be sent to Rochester for a bit of a rehab stint if the team doesn't feel he's ready to jump right back into the big league rotation. A second lefty would be a nice addition to the rotation (but who would that second lefty replace?), and I'd like to see Glen Perkins get a chance to start at some point -- although he has a chance to make the team as a second lefty out of the bullpen as well. Incidentally, Scott Baker and Brian Bass are out of options, and so must make the team or be exposed on waivers.

Relief Pitchers: The six players listed are locks to make the bullpen barring an injury or trade. The only question is whether or not the Twins will decide to carry 11 or 12 pitchers. Various quotes from Ron Gardenhire suggest that 12 pitchers is very likely, and this makes sense because of the youth of the starters. Since a second lefty seems the most pressing concern for the bullpen, I'm listing Carmen Cali as the likely 25th man on the roster -- although as I mentioned above I think Glen Perkins could end up filling that role as well. Cali is out of options, however, and that may influence the Twins decision on who to select.

Infield: The only major question at the starting infield positions is at second base, where I've listed Nick Punto as the starter. In a very real sense, it doesn't matter whether I have Punto listed as the starting second sacker or not, because he's going to make the team either in that role or as a utility infielder -- and if he's not the starter, by far the most likely alternative is Brendan Harris. As a result, both players should be on the team, so as I said before exactly which roster spot I have them listed in is irrelevant. Since that gets us to five infielders, there's one spot left. I've listed Alejandro Machado in that position, but that's really just a placeholder, and I expect it to change over the course of the spring. If I had my way, they'd probably take a more traditional corner infielder like Brian Buscher or Randy Ruiz in that position.

Outfield: Carlos Gomez seems to be the best fit in center, but Denard Span and Jason Pridie will compete for that position as well. Craig Monroe will be given every opportunity to win the backup outfielders spot, but with Jason Kubel on the team as the DH, it might make more sense to let Monroe go and take a player like Pridie or Span north to serve as a backup centerfielder and to provide some speed off the bench.