If papers were still printed out, I'd have a literal yard of grading next to me that I don't want to do. And I have to negotiate a beef between my head coach and an irritating sprint coach who seems to have taken to heart my ill-considered over-validation of his ability. Doing this seems more fun, though I doubt I can sustain it. I can't post like I'm young anymore.

2022 was tremendously disappointing because my only expectation *prior* to the acquisition of Correa was that the team would be fun to watch. Buxton would be healthy, now that they paid him, as though things ever work that way. Joe Ryan would build on his 2021 epiphany. Maybe the league would try to limit the shift, a decision I'd otherwise hate, permitting Max Kepler to actually hit again. Things of that nature. Then they acquired Correa and the sweet smell of playing in the deep end of the free agent pool* went to my head and I had expectations for the team. And they played well long enough that I believed them. And then they lost, which is unpleasant but not really unfamiliar and time is long, but they were also boring.

The defensible decision to rest Buxton to keep him fresh entirely failed. I actually didn't hate the idea, especially if it's supported by a deep bench - something newmanagement has treated like a priority, I think. But I'm not really wedded to that view. I don't know. I should read something that tells me the answer, but managing injuries just seems more art than science to me. Like, it's obvious when a coach or a manager is being completely thoughtless about it and risking somebody's career. But beyond that I think there's a lot of good ideas that sometimes go unlucky. So "failed" feels like the most practically descriptive word here, but it's not morally descriptive or anything. Or even that it was particularly poorly executed, though I'd happily hear and argument about that from somebody who knows more about it. That feels interesting and fair.

But that was 2022 and now we're looking forward. Can a contender be built around this present roster? Is the front office just making the right noises about pursuing Correa? What's Royce Lewis and Brooks lee? Yes, obviously. Is there a rotation that can be made that rises beyond "huh. interesting?" Will it include actual left-handed starters? Am I going to do a "Goodbye, Miguel Sano" post? What's the 2023 schedule look like? Am I gonna be able to get to a game?

I know I used to start this with a forty man roster. So that is below. Maybe I'll talk about it tomorrow. Maybe I'll give up on this entirely. Please note that Ryan Jeffers is the only catcher on the forty man roster, which feels like an alarming backfire but helpfully offers something to talk about if I return to this post. Somewhere out there are catchers who will end up on the Twins forty man roster. Let's find them together!

Jorge Alcala
Jordan Balazovic
Matt Canterino
Jhoan Duran
Blayne Enlow
Sonny Gray
Brent Headrick
Ronny Henriquez
Griffin Jax
Jorge López
Kenta Maeda
Tyler Mahle
Trevor Megill
Jovani Moran
Bailey Ober
Chris Paddack
Emilio Pagán
Joe Ryan
Cole Sands
Caleb Thielbar
Louie Varland
Josh Winder
Simeon Woods Richardson

Ryan Jeffers

Luis Arraez
Kyle Farmer
Edouard Julien
Royce Lewis
Jose Miranda
Jorge Polanco

Byron Buxton
Gilberto Celestino
Mark Contreras
Kyle Garlick
Nick Gordon
Max Kepler
Alex Kirilloff
Trevor Larnach
Matt Wallner


*i can still mix metaphors like i'm young, though

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad