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Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- You can find the introductory segment in this series, including my criteria for eligibility to be a prospect and the list of the 2016 top 40 players who graduated as prospects or are not in the system, here. Here is my 2016 Twins off-season top 40 prospects list (summary of 1-40) for reference. This is the countdown for players ranked 51-55th in the system. You can find players 56-60 here, players 51-55 here, and all segments in the se
-SHTICKBALL- In a stunning reversal of conscience, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame will induct a member this summer who owes nearly all of his successes to the benefits of steroid use. Former Commissioner Bud Selig has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite his time overseeing the game running rampant with performance enhancing drugs, now a topic that makes any baseball player's Hall of Fame credentials wilt like Toons dropped in “The Dip”. When inducted, Selig will beco
Over the past few seasons, I've found myself having a player or two that emerges out of nowhere to be a key cog for the Minnesota Twins during the regular season. In 2015, it was Eddie Rosario, and last year, I was in on the Max Kepler bandwagon prior to Spring Training starting. This season, I can't seem to pinpoint someone I feel as confident about, but there's a guy that I think has a shot to help the Twins in a big way. Before we get to that though, this season should provide some competit
HEY YOU! YEAH YOU IN THE BACK. We didn’t forget about you. Brand spankin’ new Supershow is live for your listening pleasure! This week Dan and Panda give their 2017 predictions for your Minnesota Twins (if you like Max Kepler, we have good news for you), and they also talk a bit about Brian Dozier’s trade status, and Joey Bats. Dan forgets that RBI and hits are not the same thing... The gang is also joined by Barry Campbell (Hockey Wilderness) as they talk in depth about the Wild, and what
Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- You can find the introductory segment in this series, including my criteria for eligibility to be a prospect and the list of the 2016 top 40 players who graduated as prospects or are not in the system, here. Here is my 2016 Twins off-season top 40 prospects list (summary of 1-40) for reference. This is the countdown for players ranked 51-55th in the system. You can find players 56-60 here and all segments in the series here. 55. Cody St
The Minnesota Twins are quickly closing in on an end to the offseason. With pitchers and catchers reporting to sunny Fort Myers in short order, Paul Molitor and the Twins brass will need to evaluate who they take north to start the 2017 season. Projecting the 25 man roster in January once again leaves plenty of room for shifting, but I'll try to sort through what I see happening. This offseason, Brian Dozier had been the talk of the town in regards to a potential trade with the Dodgers. He's n
My first blog on TD site. Hope you enjoy!! As background, while terribly discouraged about the team's 2016 season, I must say there was a major silver lining : recognition by ownership that Ryan and Company had failed miserably in his second attempt at a rebuild. Finding new baseball leadership was a breath of fresh air this dormant franchise has needed for so long now. The good old boy network was finally broken with new, young, forward-thinking leadership with Falvey/Levine, or so we all
The Minnesota Twins removed Terry Ryan as general manager last season, and in doing so, brought in a completely new way of thinking in the form of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. While there's plenty of reason to believe the new structure will work better, there's question as to how what's in place will be handled. For the most part, a roster overhaul isn't a one offseason thing, but there's two players that could see their fate hang in the balance. First comes in the form of Byungho Park. He wa
Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ----- You can find the introductory segment in this series, including my criteria for eligibility to be a prospect and the list of the 2016 top 40 players who graduated as prospects or are not in the system, here. Here is my 2016 Twins off-season top 40 prospects list (summary of 1-40) for reference. Without further ado, here is the 2017 countdown of prospects, with their ranking in the 2016 list in parenthesis: 60. Mike Cederoth (--) DOB: 11/
On paper, Jim Miller’s major league statistics don’t exactly scream Cooperstown. During the six years he spent in the majors, bouncing around from the Baltimore Orioles to the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and finally the New York Yankees, Miller compiled a 2-3 record with a 3.48 ERA and 57 strikeouts in just over 67 innings of work. His time with the Yankees was short, as he pitched just 2 2/3 innings, but he had a longer stint with Oakland, pitching 48 2/3 innings with a 2.59 ERA in 2012
Here we sit on January 10th and we are asking ourselves the same questions we have been asking since October 3rd, "Are the Twins going to trade Brian Dozier?" So far this off season the Twins have hired a Chief Baseball Office and General Manager and signed Jason Castro to a 3 year $24.5M contract. Since then they have non-tendered Trevor Plouffe and signed a handful borderline replacement level/minor league free agents. In a normal off-season this would be big changes for the Twins organ
This offseason, the Minnesota Twins haven't done much to add to a club that lost a franchise worst 103 games a season ago. While a rebuild seems logical, and a new front office has been installed, it's hard to fault the organization for taking a wait and see approach. Offensively this club isn't in a bad place, and while pitching is an issue, it shouldn't be historically bad again. However, looking at the potential 25 man roster, there's two former prospects that could be on the outside looking
Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- With pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training in about 5 weeks, it is time for the annual Twins' off-season top prospect list. The past 4 seasons, this list was a top 40 list, but I decided it to grow it to a top 60 list this off-season for various reasons, including some uncertainty towards the end of the rankings, plus the fact that I tend to include several players who have not yet played stateside. Unlike other prospect lis
We've now turned the calendar to 2017, and the offseason is quickly coming to a close. The Minnesota Twins will report to sunny Fort Myers in a matter of weeks, and shortly thereafter Opening Day will be upon us. Dominating headlines this winter has been what the Twins will do with Brian Dozier, and it is in that decision that we can raise questions about what the plan for the future is. Conventional wisdom says that the Twins should trade Brian Dozier for the best possible return. He's the cl
The Major League Baseball offseason is now well into the heart of winter. Multiple big name free agents have been signed, and a handful of large trade chips have been moved. For the Minnesota Twins, the talk has been all about Brian Dozier and a potential fit with the Los Angeles Dodgers. What's worth wondering though is why the club hasn't shopped Ervin Santana more. Entering 2017, Santana will be 34 years old, and still have two years left on his contract (as well as a 2019 team option). He'
This offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed closer Kenley Jansen to an $80 million contract. The New York Yankees inked closer Aroldis Chapman to an $86 million deal. Late inning super-reliever Andrew Miller was the Cleveland Indians star of the Postseason, and Wade David held that title as the Royals closer a year prior. Back end relief pitching has become the new phenomenon, but the Minnesota Twins will ignore the trend in 2017. Glen Perkins was a 1st round pick by the Twins in 2004 out o
2017 is here, Miguel Sano is 23 years old, and the Minnesota Twins can finally call him a focal point on their 25 man roster. The long time heralded prospect out of the Dominican has long since made his big league debut, but many around Twins Territory are still awaiting his breakout campaign. In 2017, as a 24 year old, Sano coming into his own may be the best thing possible for the local nine. I've been pretty critical of Paul Molitor's handling of young players. To put it mildly, I don't bel
It's that time of the offseason again, and with the Minnesota Twins in rebuilding mode to start 2017, plenty of new faces will filter through Target Field this season. For those that don't quite make it to the big league level this year, there is plenty on the farm to be excited about. This week, Seth Stohs, Jeremy Nygaard, and Cody Christie will launch the Twins Prospect Handbook. The official launch of the 2017 Twins Prospect Handbook will come on Wednesday January 4. As a must read publicat
One of the questions the Twins must be asking is whether Brian Dozier will retain his value. We have seen his streakiness in season, but season to season he has been pretty reliable. I do wonder if hitters with his characteristics (pull hitters, fly ball hitters, relatively high ISO, right handed) tend to be more streaky within season. On the other hand, slash stats don't stabilize short of a full season and really aren't very meaningful in splits. We shouldn't expect them to be reliable by th
Paul Molitor compiled over 3,000 hits and played in over 2,600 games in his career. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. Paul Molitor the player accomplished about as much as humanly possible of the baseball field, the managerial version has been less successful however. Now with a new front office regime in Minnesota, Paul Molitor will be proving his worth to an entirely different crowd. The argument can definitely be made that the Twins manager should've been fired
August 14, 2016 was the last time Trevor May started a game for the Minnesota Twins. He lasted just three innings giving up two runs on five hits. Since that game against the Cleveland Indians, May has worked solely as a reliever for Minnesota. Now with his status for 2017 up in the air, it appears a return to the rotation could be in the cards. Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Ben Revere, May was always the headliner of the deal that also included Vance Worley. He was e
As the offseason rolls on for the Minnesota Twins, easily the biggest storyline thus far has been the potential trade of Brian Dozier. I believe it's a move they must make, and more a matter of when as opposed to if. In a potential Dozier transaction though, the Twins will be faced with an interesting decision. Do they trust the next man up? In the particular scenario of second base, the next man up would be Jorge Polanco, who played out of position at shortstop a season ago. The reality for a
There are all kinds of questions surrounding whether the Twins should trade Santana. The market is a huge factor. Is it better to keep him given the limited options in or outside the organization? Is it better to trade him given the demand and supply? Will the demand be greater in July? My interest is exploring the likelihood that he will continue to be a valuable pitcher for the next three seasons that the Twins can control. I looked for a similar group of pitchers with a healthy track rec
I am not a follower of Donald Trump. I have participated in several no kings rallies and am disgusted with what he and his followers have done to our country and the world. I would like to know what most Brazilians feel about the United States now and about the folks our citizens have elected to represent us.