Spring Training is now multiple weeks old for the Minnesota Twins. They have played to a 6-6 record up to this point and are now gearing up for Opening Day.
As roster battles continue to take shape, there is a need to get the regulars more consistent playing time.
Rocco Baldelli must trim down the group of men on the roster, and tighten up his clubhouse.
After a game against the Baltimore Orioles today (Mar 9), Minnesota began the process of whittling down their options.
Nine players optioned to minor league camp for Minnesota Twins
There are a handful of Minnesota Twins players that were never going to make the major league club. Invited to big league spring training for a myriad of reasons, their time to be optioned was always going to come.
A handful of veterans and minor league prospects are now among the group sent to the back fields.
| Name | Position | Highest Level |
| Cory Lewis | RHP | Triple-A |
| Randy Dobnak | RHP | MLB |
| Erasmo Ramirez | RHP | MLB |
| Alex Isola | C | Triple-A |
| Yunior Severino | INF | Triple-A |
| Emmanuel Rodriguez* | OF | Triple-A |
| Travis Adams* | RHP | Triple-A |
| Marco Raya* | RHP | Triple-A |
| Matt Canterino* | RHP | Double-A |
Most notable of the cuts would be Cory Lewis.
He looked sharp in two innings of Grapefruit League action and picked up a pair of strikeouts. His knuckleball pitch may be a record-breaking offering in speed at the big league level.
He’ll be part of a talented rotation at Triple-A St. Paul, and should appear at Target Field at some point this season.
Last season, Randy Dobnak made his way back up to the big leagues, and finished with a 5.59 ERA over 9.2 innings, for the Twins.
Mot recently, he pitched six scoreless innings, including a three-inning outing on Sunday.
Dobnak picked up seven strikeouts in the outing. No longer on the 40-man roster, Dobnak is in the final year of a five-year extension worth $9.25 million.
Minnesota brought Erasmo Ramirez in as a late addition to compete for a bullpen spot. He was an easy choice to option after suffering a significant tear that could threaten his season as a whole.
Both Alex Isola and Yunior Severino are Triple-A depth pieces.
The former will rotate time at catcher alongside Jair Camargo, and the recently acquired Diego Cartaya.
The latter was previously on the 40-man roster but his .254/.342/.434 slash line at Triple-A across 128 games last year played himself out of the picture.
MN Twins 40-man talent headed to St. Paul
The Saints rotation should have plenty of talent in it this year, and they will all be depth pieces that the Minnesota Twins can rely on. Marco Raya and Travis Adams were added to the 40-man roster this offseason.
Now, each is looking for the opportunity to make their big league debut.
Emmanuel Rodriguez hit Triple-A last season despite an injury-plagued campaign. He had thumb surgery this offseason, and was already behind schedule after suffering an ankle injury.
But, he should be running this week and will get in minor league action before the season kicks off.
Matt Canterino also is among the 40-man group that was optioned. He is dealing with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for months, after making just one Spring Training appearance. It’s a tough blow for a prospect that needs to make it work this season.
His injury may make it difficult for the Twins to keep him on the 40-man over others over the course of the year.
After trimming down the group by nine spots, the Minnesota Twins still have 48 players in big league camp. They have 17 days to make the final 22 roster moves.
