40 Man Roster Update « SethSpeaks.net

40 Man Roster Update

Joe Christensen is reporting that the Twins have added eight players to their 40 man roster, leaving them with one open spot which could be used on a free agent or for a Rule V draft selection. The eight players added to the 40 man roster are (with where I had them on my prediction the other day and where they ranked in my top Twins Prospect ranking):

1. Brian Duensing – Easy Choice – 20

2. Anthony Swarzak – Easy Choice – 6

3. Drew Butera – Have to Consider – NR

4. Wilson Ramos – Easy Choice – 5

5. Luke Hughes – Easy Choice – 9

6. Trevor Plouffe – Easy Choice – 11

7. Deibinson Romero – Have to Consider – 39

8. Steve Tolleson – Easy Choice – 19

So, no real surprises. The six I predicted were easy choices were all added, and they decided to keep Drew Butera, who many believe could be a backup catcher already and Deibinson Romero, who like Wilson Ramos, has tremendous skills. The only reason I didn’t put him as an Easy Choice was because he was hurt so much last year and only played in Beloit.

So, who is eligible for the Rule V draft? Would you be worried about losing any of these names?

· Tim Lahey

· Erik Lis

· David Winfree

· Zach Ward

· Ryan Mullins

· Jay Rainville

· Kyle Waldrop

· Yohan Pino

· Juan Portes

· Danny Berg

· Matthew Fox

· Rene Leveret

· Edward Ovalle

· Matt Moses

· Brandon Roberts

· Jay Sawatski

· Brock Peterson

I think that Lahey could be taken again. I think Lis could be taken on a team that isn’t good and could use a DH type. Zach Ward could fit into the back of a bullpen. Ryan Mullins is left-handed. Jay Rainville, I actually expect he will be taken. Even with the injury last year, I think Waldrop is a guy that a team that isn’t terrible good could take a chance on.

It should be interesting. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave your Comments here.

November 19, 2008 - Posted by Seth | Anthony Swarzak, Brian Duensing, Deibinson Romero, Drew Butera, Luke Hughes, Minnesota Twins, Steven Tolleson, Top Prospects, Trevor Plouffe, Wilson Ramos | | 27 Comments

27 Comments »

My prediction: Ward gets taken. He’s never had a FIP above 4 or a GB% below 50 in four stops. He’ll be a good middle reliever for someone next year.

Comment by cmathewson | November 19, 2008 | Reply
This Butera thing really got me riled…

Lis is eligible for the AAA portion of the draft and will be taken (same thing with Mullins and Winfree) Peterson would have to go at the major portion of the draft and I am not sure that there will be any takers there. I don’t have much affection for all bat no glove players like Lis and Winfree, but you just don’t let a 22 year old with a close to .200 IsoP go and protect a guy who projects as a mediocre back up catcher at best.

At least Toby was not protected (he is eligible to go, too)

Comment by thrylos98 | November 19, 2008 | Reply
I saw you battling for Butera on the Strib Seth, but I still don’t care for it. Do you really think a team is going to take a no-hit, no-experience catcher and lock him into the majors? I’m glad Deibinson was protected, I truly believe if this kid can stay healthy he could be our ‘Luke Hughes’ of 09′. Great glove and his power is just beginning to develop.

Lis type of players are a dime a dozen, not good enough for 1B and can’t field well enough for OF. Doubt he gets taken. Ward, Mullins, Pino & Rainville could all be gone. Passing Houston Street in the draft looks really bad now with Rainville, Waldrop & Fox on the list.

Comment by brad | November 19, 2008 | Reply
Lis is eligible for the AAA portion of the draft

The Twins will likely protect him on the AAA roster. I think they can protect 20 players and there are only 17 listed. Who else is going to be on that roster?

Do you really think a team is going to take a no-hit, no-experience catcher and lock him into the majors?

A team with a good offensive backup could easily carry Butera as a third catcher, even if he didn’t win the job as backup. Catching is a defensive position. As a result, there aren’t many outstanding defensive catchers that are stuck in the minor leagues for very long.

In fact, Butera is exactly the kind of player who often gets taken in the rule 5 draft. He has major league skills at a defensive position but his bat is suspect.

Comment by TT | November 19, 2008 | Reply
Is Ward eligible this year. He was drafted in 05 but signed late and didnt play until 06. Does 05 count as the first year?

Comment by Dogg | November 19, 2008 | Reply
I have to say, I wasn’t terribly surprised by anything I saw here, just as I wasn’t surprised by the people that were de-protected. Romero was a good call, I think, but I think he could be taken back off the roster rather easily if, later on, the Twins pick up a couple people via trade or free agency. That is, after Butera is kicked out.

The Twins have always (with the glaring exception of last year) been suckers for protecting too many catchers, and Butera is really no exception. He may call a good game (which I haven’t heard from all sources), but his hitting is so meh (which was added to the dictionary, btw) that I can’t even… meh.

My prediction: we lose Lahey (again, this time to a team that will keep him), Rainville, and Ward. We’ll probably get Rainville back.

If someone wants Lis, they can take him with my blessing, even though I am usually a huge fan of anyone with my first name (trust me, it’s pretty rare out here on the East Coast).

Comment by Eric Olson | November 19, 2008 | Reply
The Twins still have Macri and Ruiz on the major league roster. I suspect those are the first two guys to go if they need room.

Comment by TT | November 19, 2008 | Reply
I don’t think the Twins expect to lose any of those players. The last guy they lost in the rule 5 who stuck was Kevin Cameron. They either got the player back or made a deal for everyone else I can think of.

Comment by TT | November 19, 2008 | Reply
Casey Daigle says hi.

Last year, four guys got drafted and the only one to come back was Lahey.

Comment by cmathewson | November 20, 2008 | Reply
“Casey Daigle says hi.”

Huh?

“Last year, four guys got drafted and the only one to come back was Lahey.”

Four? Lahey, Guzman and Dickey… who else?

Comment by Seth | November 20, 2008 | Reply
But we received prospects for Butera and Guzman. Neither Seattle nor Washington were willing to keep those two on their major league rosters.

Comment by East Coast Twin | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Sorry. I meant Dickey and Guzman.

Comment by East Coast Twin | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Alex Romero…

Comment by thrylos98 | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Alex Romero was lost the year before when he was dropped from the 40 man roster. He was just claimed by the D-Backs, not a Rule V situation.

Comment by Seth | November 20, 2008 | Reply
“The Twins still have Macri and Ruiz on the major league roster. I suspect those are the first two guys to go if they need room.”

Or somebody like Buscher if they sign a free agent third baseman. They could also trade somebody who is out of options to make roster space.

I doubt Butera would be a waiver candidate. If they’re protecting him from the rule 5 draft, the chances of getting him through the waiver process would seem pretty slim.

Comment by East Coast Twin | November 20, 2008 | Reply
If the Twins signed Casey Blake and wanted to drop someone from the 40 man roster, it would be pretty obvious to drop Macri, since he would be quite redundant as a right-handed hitter that can play the corner infield spots. Ruiz would be the other option as he’s basically a pinch hitter from the right side of the plate.

Butera is not a waiver candidate. I learned yesterday that players added to the 40 man roster now can not be taken off of waivers until at least Spring Training.

Comment by Seth | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Aright, how about some half way decent news and a potential minor league rule V draft pick for the Twins that will make me forget that they let Lis and Winfree go:

One of my favorite players, Brian Dopirak, he of Cub top prospect fame who was picked by Toronto for nothing in 2007 was left unprotected by the Jays. He had a huge season in the Florida state league (.308/.382/.577, 27 dingers and 88 RBI) and got a promotion to the Eastern league late last season. He’ll be 25 next season and Rochester could do worse that adding a RH 1B power hitter

Comment by thrylos98 | November 20, 2008 | Reply
I don’t get it thrylos… do you think that Lis and Winfre will be taken in the Major League portion of the Rule V draft? I really don’t. And if they’re not, they have been added to the AAA roster so they can’t be taken in the minor league portion.

Dopiriak – Like Lis and Winfree, if he isn’t taken in the Rule V, it is likely that he will be protected on the AAA roster.

Comment by Seth | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Seth,

I think that they will be taken in the minor league portion of the draft.

Here is my math:

The AAA roster has 20 spots. I assume that 15 of these will be taken by players added to the 40 man roster who are not in the 25 man roster. Then you have to look at the players in AAA who may or may not be eligible yet but have to be in the roster so they can play there next year, like Jeff Christy and Tim Lahey (if they do not add them they are automatically minor league free agents). That leaves 3 spots (and this is assuming that they will not re-sign Felix Molina, which will be a mistake, Mariano Gomez, another mistake and Ricky Barrett, mixed feelings). The AA players who need to be added to be protected are (and only 3 spots left):

Erik Lis
David Winfree
Toby Gardenhire
Danny Berg
Yohan Pino
Brandon Roberts
Rodolfo Palacios

Kyle Aselton
Ryan Mullins
Jay Rainville
Zach Ward
Kyle Waldrop
Jay Sawatski
Frank Mata
David Shinskie

(I really do not worry about the Ft. Myer’s guys at this point)

so we have 15 players for 3 spots. I suspect that at least 1 maybe 2 of these spots remains open for possible draftees and signees.

No matter how you added up, only 1 or 2 players could be protected that way and I just hope it is not Toby…

Comment by thrylos98 | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Players can’t be on the Major League 40 man roster and a minor league roster. I think that there are 30-40 players on both the AAA and AA rosters as well. So, over 100 players in the organization get protected. Most of the players taken in the minor league portion are in the low minors. For instance, the Twins drafted Armando Gabino and Jose Lugo in the AA portions and neither had been about rookie league ball. Those are the types available… how Brian Buscher was available when he was, well, that’s just an indictment on the Giants.

Comment by Seth | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Alright, I hope I am wrong

Comment by thrylos98 | November 20, 2008 | Reply
What do you know about Ben Julianel and why is his name so seldom mentioned as a good prospect? All-star reliever…26 saves. I am not a baseball expert, but a cousin to a friend of Ben’s and I am curious.

Comment by Dra Wiersema | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Ben Julianel is 29 years old and spent all of last year in AA, and only has 27 games above AA in his career. He was impressive in 2008 though.

Comment by Seth | November 20, 2008 | Reply
Ben Julianel was re-signed with the Twins last year (Seth, I forgot to add him in the list of people who need to be on the AAA roster next year) so he would not be a minor league free agent.

He will be 29 by next season’s end and has not thrown a pitch above AA with the Twins, even though he was in the Florida AAA organization the year before last. He was the New Britain closer this year and did a decent job. Actually more than that. He was always a strikeout pitcher but before last season he had a hard time finding the plate. In New Britain, he decreased his walks, decreased his strikeouts and held Delaney into a co-closer/set up role.

Frankly, I see him below Delaney and Slama in the Twins’ dept and was puzzled by the fact the re-signed him because with Korecky in the team there is no place for him in the AAA and he is blocking Delaney and Slama (and Michael Allen and Joe Testa behind them)

Comment by thrylos98 | November 20, 2008 | Reply
A couple more things: He is a lefty and could potentially be a LOOGY someplace and his claim to fame was that once he was traded for Sterling Hitchcock…

Comment by thrylos98 | November 20, 2008 | Reply
This is the best summary of transaction rules, including the drafts, that I have seen:

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2003/01/transactions-glossary.html

It indicates teams can protect 38 players on the AAA roster and 37 on the AA. That seems like more than enough room for the Twins to protect everyone on the list. On the other hand, they lost players in the minor league draft last year.

Comment by TT | November 21, 2008 | Reply
Seth, do you have a listing of the Twins top 15 minor league prospects? I’m interested in which 15 have the chance of promotion this season…thanks!

Comment by billr | November 23, 2008 | Reply