There is less than a week until the season gets underway. The Twins, along with other teams across baseball, have sorted through their spring roster and figured out who is going to break camp with the team. With only three games left before the regular season starts, it seems as though the roster is set.
One of the final major announcements was that Pablo Lopez will be the opening day starter in Kansas City on Thursday. What remains unseen is what will happen with Bailey Ober, one of the better starters the Twins had (when healthy) last year, but currently thought to be the 6th option. Will the Twins work with a 6 man rotation, will Ober work long relief or will he start the year in St. Paul, biding his time?
Given the return from injury needed by Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda, it seems fairly likely that Ober will be needed in a 5 man rotation before too long, regardless of where he starts. The bullpen, the center of so much consternation during the offseason and throughout 2022, remains surprise free at this point. Well, of course the presence of Emilio Pagan on the payroll is a bit of an eye opener, but it's not a surprise for him to be on the roster since he is on the payroll.
A lot of the surprises came as the team kept making additions as the offseason rolled on. Michael Taylor as a 4th outfielder is a huge upgrade that I don't think many saw coming. Adding Donovan Solano added some depth at the corners, which ultimately will be important, particularly in the wake of Alex Kirilloff ending up on the Injured List.
The injured list indeed played a role in some other surprise additions. With Kirilloff and Jorge Polanco expected to start on the shelf, and Byron Buxton being slowly rolled out, Trevor Larnach not only will make the opening day roster, but may end up as a regular right out of the gate.
Without a doubt, the biggest surprise that is expected to be on the opening day roster is Willi Castro. Castro came from the Detroit Tigers and signed a minor league deal. He's not likely to hit above .250, but he offers some positional flexibility, and undoubtedly had a solid spring, with an OPS over.800. Castro can fill a few holes right now, and gets rewarded for his hard work in the spring.
It's nice to see a player like Castro on the roster every year. It gives a little bit more significance to spring, and on top of the team, it gives fans an individual player to root for. Opening day is on Thursday in Kansas City. After a busy offseason, we have a good idea on who to expect on the field.
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