The Twins made a roster move that was all together rational and easy to understand today. In fact, if there was a problem with the maneuver it was that it wasn’t done sooner. Nick Blackburn and Tsuyoshi Nishioka were outrighted off of the 40 man roster.
First it should be noted that there was a reason this move was done now aside from the obvious “they haven’t been very good.” With Blackburn and Nishioka off the 40 man, spots are opened for two other players to get on the 40 man roster for September call ups, so guys like, Aaron Hicks or Esmerling Vazquez can join the team, whereas, if they were off the 40 man, they would have seen their season end in September without a look from the big league club.
The thing about September is this. For weaker teams, those out of contention, the month is for preparing for the future. Leaving players, healthy players, off the roster indicates that they are not part of the immediate future. Nishioka is 28 and Blackburn is 30. If they aren’t part of the immediate future, what part of the future ARE they a part of? This is a good sign that the Twins are taking a drastic step towards the future, no matter how scary it may be.
For those who worry about the finances of the Twins, and whether or not they spend enough money on the team, remember this. They recognized that two players, making 8.5 million dollars shouldn’t be on the roster next season, and took steps to prevent it. They are eating cash to make sure that the team is the best it can possibly be going forward. You have to look really hard to find something bad with this move.
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