Yardbarker: Julio DePaula

MiLB Free Agents: Twins Have 14

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:17:53 -0500

I asked Joe Christensen if he was aware of who the Minnesota Twins minor league free agents were, and today he sent me the list, and posted them on his blog as well.

Here are the fourteen from the Twins organization:

RHP:Julio DePaula (AAA), Danny Graves (AAA), Tom Shearn (AAA)
LHP: Ricky Barrett (AAA), Carmen Cali (AAA), Mariano Gomez (AAA), Jason Miller (AA)
1B: Garrett Jones (AAA)
2B: Felix Molina (AA)
SS: Sergio Santos (AAA), Howie Clark (AAA)
OF:Joe Gaetti (AA), Darnell McDonald (AAA), Tommy Watkins (AAA)

A lot of the players are the same ones that the Twins signed as MiLB free agents last season. It'll be interesting to see if Watkins yet again remains with the organization, and with some of the players in the fall leagues, will the Twins retain them?

Finally Some Action: Four Outrighted

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:13:16 -0500

We've been waiting for some rumors or some sort of action since the Twins picked up Mike Redmond's option what seems like a month ago. Last night, the Twins made their first true moves of the off-season.

As expected, the Twins outrighted four players off the 40-man roster to open space for additions from the minors, free agency and trades. Right-handed pitchers Julio DePaula and Oswaldo Sosa, catcher Ryan Jorgensen and infielder Sergio Santos were all outrighted off the roster to Triple-A Rochester.

These moves were to be expected, and in the State of the Roster article a few weeks ago, we stated all three of these moves with the exception of Jorgensen.

Pat Neshek was reinstated from the disabled list per league rules, and with the subtractions and one "addition", the Twins have have six open spots as the roster stands at 34.

The room should allow the team to add higher-performing guys such as Luke Hughes, Steven Tolleson and people that they want to protect from the Rule-5 Draft.

State of the Roster

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:41:17 -0500

There will undoubtedly be moves made by the Twins front office this off-season, whether it be adding another piece to the bullpen, trading away one of the many outfielders, or upgrading the left side of the infield via trade or free agency. Those things we cannot predict, but what are some of the moves we can expect within the next month or so?

Who’s Leaving?

There are four players on the roster that are now free agents (when they declare), and they include Adam Everett, Nick Punto, Eddie Guardado and Dennys Reyes. It is all but assured that Everett and Guardado have played their final games with the team, as neither really produced and have no true value to next season’s club.

Reyes will likely at least get some conversations with the team, but there is a good chance he will be classified as a Type B free agent and thus will command a decently big deal. With Jose Mijares in the fold and Craig Breslow likely returning, the Twins might be more apt to let him walk and possibly receive a compensation pick.

As for Punto, it’s hard to tell if he’ll return. As much as many fans don’t like him, Punto can be a very valuable asset if used correctly. Punto has above average defense and is a pretty decent bat off the bench. If signed as a utility player, Punto is a solid option. But, how much interest will he draw from other clubs around the league?

Arbitration Players

Francisco Liriano will not qualify for arbitration this year despite his agent threatening to file a grievance a few months back. Jason Kubel and Matt Guerrier will both be arbitration eligible, and the team will need to make give them the one-year deals, trade or release them, or sign them long-term.

It’s almost certain that Kubel will be retained, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him locked up for the future. However, with an abundance of outfielders, there would be a small chance that Kubel could be the player the team chooses to deal.

As for Guerrier, while he really struggled this past season, his price shouldn’t be so high that the Twins wouldn’t take a chance on him rebounding in ‘09. The club held on to Juan Rincon last season, so I have a hard time believing that they would let Guerrier go.

What Else?

The team has plenty of room on the 40-man roster, and those spots should continue to open up when guys like Everett and Guardado officially walk. The Twins should also clear some of the other spots held by players that have no value. Will the Twins let guys like Oswaldo Sosa, Julio DePaula, and Sergio Santos walk?

One other thing to think about as we head into the off-season is player options. From what I know, both Phillip Humber and Boof Bonser are out of options and would need to clear waivers to head to the minors. Will the team keep them for next season or attempt to deal them rather than lose them for nothing?