With a week to go before opening day, the Twins roster seems to be pretty much set. There were a few minor surprises but for the most part, the usual suspects will be heading north this coming weekend.
It looks like Carlos Gomez has done enough to edge out Jason Pridie and Denard Span for the center field job. I always felt it would take a slip up on his part or extraordinary play by either Pridie or Span for Gomez to lose out. Neither of those things happened. Now his speed and athleticism could be a real asset in the outfield and at the top of the batting order.
One player who kind of came out of nowhere is Matt Tolbert. He looks set to be a utility guy, who will probably pinch run and come on as a defensive substitute late in games. I was expecting Brian Buscher to take this roster spot but Tolbert has apparently beaten him out with a good performance in camp.
Another mild surprise is Brian Bass, who looks set to join the bullpen after several strong outings this spring. I thought Glen Perkins would make the team, either as a starter or a reliever. However, he hasn't looked sharp this year following a long lay off last season due to a shoulder injury.
Finally, it looks like Nick Blackwell will start the season in the Twins rotation. Francisco Liriano missed the start of camp due to visa problems and as a result in behind in his preparation. The organization is being very careful with him as he's by far the most talented pitcher in the system. His lack of professionalism at times has caused concern within management. Hopefully becoming a father will help him grow up.
So here's roughly how the team should look on opening day:
Line Up: Carlos Gomez CF/R
Brendan Harris 2B/R
Joe Mauer C/L
Michael Cuddyer RF/R
Justin Morneau 1B/L
Delmon Young LF/R
Mike Lamb 3B/L
Jason Kubel DH/L
Adam Everett SS/R
Rotation: Livan Hernandez RHP
Boof Bonser RHP
Kevin Slowey RHP
Nick Blackburn RHP
Scott Baker RHP
Bullpen: Joe Nathan RHP
Pat Neshek RHP
Matt Guerrier RHP
Dennys Reyes LHP
Jesse Crain RHP
Juan Rincon RHP
Brian Bass RHP
Bench: Mike Redmond C/R
Nick Punto 2B/3B/SS/S
Matt Tolber IF/OF/S
Craig Monroe OF/R
The bullpen looks to be the team's strength. The starting rotation will almost certainly be its weakness. The line up is a bit of a mystery but I believe it will provide more offense than last season with fairly comparable defense. Hopefully Liriano can finish his preparation and join the team before too long. While I don't hold out much hope that the Twins will be competitive this year. I am excited to see how the young players and new additions work out.
