2015 spring training: Twins make first round of cuts

It's been three weeks since pitchers and catchers reported for duty, so it was only a matter of time until the Twins made a few decisions to start trimming the roster. Minnesota cut nine players this afternoon and four more later in the day, leaving 48 players in camp - including 11 non-roster invitees.

Reassigned to minor league camp

• Jose Berrios (RHP): Berrios impressed pretty much everyone in two starts, striking out four and not issuing a walk in six innings of work. All arrows are trending upward for this young man, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him in Minnesota before the year was out.
• Byron Buxton (CF): Performance is not indicative of talent, and that was certainly the case for Buxton who went 1-for-8 with a pair of walks in six games. Depending on how the year goes, we should still see him between the All-Star break and September.
• Argenis Diaz (IF): Diaz was 1-for-8 in six games, drawing a walk against five strikeouts. He is neither prospect nor Major League depth, but he could contribute for the Double or Triple-A teams this year.
• Tyler Duffy (RHP): Duffey didn't record an official inning this spring. He should spend most of the season at Triple-A.
• Mitch Garver (C): Garver was 0-for-4 with a walk in four brief appearances this spring.
• Heiker Menesis (IF): Menesis was 2-for-9. Like Diaz, he does not qualify as prospect or Major League depth.
• Ryan O'Rourke (LHP): O'Rourke wasn't given much of an opportunity, logging just one inning in one relief appearance, but this was always going to be an uphill battle considering the number of left-handed relievers above him on the depth chart.
• Taylor Rogers (LHP): Rogers didn't record an official inning this spring. Like Duffy, he should also spend most of the season at Triple-A.
• Adrian Salcedo (RHP): Salcedo made three relief appearances totalling just 1.2 innings. He struck out two, and didn't allow a base runner.
• Stuart Turner (C): Turner was 2-for-4 in three games.

Optioned

• Logan Darnell (LHP): Darnell logged 5.1 innings in three appearances, striking out six and walking four. He could very well be the first left-hander that the Twins call upon when a need arises.
• Max Kepler (OF/1B): Kepler was just 1-for-9 in four games this spring but received strong endorsements from General Manager Terry Ryan who said "I thought he had one of the better camps. He's kind of what we were envisioning when we signed him when he was 16. ... He certainly has skills."
• Jorge Polanco (SS/2B): Polanco appeared in seven games this spring, going 3-for-7. The Twins could look to him for short-term help in the middle infield this year.

None of these moves are particularly controversial. The listed non-roster invitees (all players who have been reassigned) never had anything better than a long shot to make the team, and you could say the same for the three players on the 40-man roster.

According to Mike Berardino, Miguel Sano, Lester Oliveros, and Jason Wheeler have all been told that they will be cut as well. For Wheeler and Oliveros, both on the 40-man roster, it sounds like their moves will be officially announced tomorrow. Sano will also be optioned, but based on Terry Ryan's comments in the article I'm not sure if that will be tomorrow or later this week.

Non-roster invitees still in camp include right-handed pitchers Blaine Boyer and Mark Hamburger, catchers Eric Fryer, Tyler Grimes, and Dan Rohlfing, infielders James Beresford, Doug Bernier, and Jose Martinez, and outfielders Eric Farris, Danny Ortiz, and Shane Robinson.