Twins Add Four Players To The 40-Man Roster

[Parker Hageman]

According to a press release, the Minnesota Twins will add four players to the 40-man roster: RHP Alex Meyer, LHP Jason Wheeler, OF Eddie Rosario and IF Miguel Sano.

 

Per the Twins' press release:

 

 

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have added right-handed pitcher Alex Meyer, left-handed pitcher Jason Wheeler, outfielder Eddie Rosario and infielder Miguel Sano to their major league roster.

 

Meyer, 24, spent the season at Triple-A Rochester, going 7-7, 3.52 ERA (130.1 IP, 51 ER) with 64 walks and 153 strikeouts in 27 starts. Meyer was acquired November 2012 from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Denard Span.  He was the Nationals first round pick (23rd overall) in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Kentucky.  He was most recently ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the Twins system by Baseball America.

 

Rosario, 23, split the 2014 season between Single-A Ft. Myers and Double-A New Britain, hitting .243 (84-for-346) with 20 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 40 RBI in 87 games. He also played for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .330 (33-for-100) with four doubles, two triples and 18 RBI in 24 games. The Puerto Rico native was originally drafted by the Twins in the fourth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.  He was most recently ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the Twins system by Baseball America.

 

Sano, 21, missed the entire 2014 season recovering from “Tommy John” surgery on his right elbow. He was originally signed by the Twins as an non-drafted free agent in 2009 and has hit .279 (384-for-1375) with 92 doubles, 17 triples, 90 home runs and 291 RBI in 379 career minor league games.  He was most recently ranked as the second-best prospect in the Twins system by Baseball America.

 

Wheeler, 24, spent the 2014 season between Single-A Ft. Myers, Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester, going 11-9, 2.67 ERA (158.1 IP, 47 ER) with 37 walks, 115 strikeouts with two complete games and one shutout in 26 starts. The 6-foot-6, 251-pound left-hander was originally drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Loyola Marymount University.

 

The Twins now have 40 players on their major league roster.

 

[Seth Stohs]

The three givens and Wheeler.

 

I like it. I actually think Wheeler has a bigger upside than Gilmartin... That said, I think there is a decent chance that Gilmartin could be lost. 

[Parker Hageman]

Per the voice of the Miracle, Brice Zimmerman:

 

Late in 2013, Wheeler worked with Ivan Arteaga to tweak his delivery to boost velocity. FB went from 86-87 to 89-91 and touched 94.

 

This past year, Jason ramped up his pace and approach, going after hitters aggressively, relying on FB and throwing less change-ups.

 

[Seth Stohs]

Here is more on Jason Wheeler. I chatted with him in May for this Twins Daily story. 

 

This will definitely effect the timeline of his next career as a lawyer... 

 

 

“I got my degree in my first two off seasons. I was drafted in 2011, and I didn’t play that year, so I went and took the fall semester of 2011. And then I did the fall of 2012 after I played in Beloit, and I got my degree. I’m a Business Law major with a Math minor. I took the LSAT, the Law School Admissions Test, this past offseason, and I did very well on it. So that’s good. That’s good for five years, so if something happens with baseball, if it doesn’t work out, I can go to law school. I can apply whenever I want over the next five years.”

 

Not a bad fallback plan.

 

His brother Ryan is an infielder. He has spent time in the big leagues the last three years with the Diamondbacks and Rockies.

[Parker Hageman]

Spoke with Mike Radcliff yesterday and he talked about Jason Adam who was left off the 40-man roster and now exposed to the Rule 5. It sounded like the Twins do not feel that Adam's arm is back to 100% and it showed in his command. Scouts thought he looked tired in the later portion of the season. Based on that, it's possible that he was left off because the organization feels that most teams will pass on him in that draft. 

[nater79a]

The three givens and Wheeler.

 

I like it. I actually think Wheeler has a bigger upside than Gilmartin... That said, I think there is a decent chance that Gilmartin could be lost. 

 

The lefty Gilmartin seems like the perfect player that another club could stash at the end of their 13-man rotation.

[Seth Stohs]

Adam's performance in the AFL likely helped the Twins case to not add him.

[KGB]

Will the Twins still be able to remove other players from the 40 man roster so they can draft players in the Rule 5 draft?

[pierre75275]

Is it possible to get a complete list of twins players who could be taken in the draft? I have seen partial lists but not complete

[nater79a]

Be interesting to know the percentage of Rule 5 draftees that stick on the 25-man roster the whole year. Have to believe there's a decent chunk that get offered back to their old club or a deal is worked out.

[nater79a]

Will the Twins still be able to remove other players from the 40 man roster so they can draft players in the Rule 5 draft?

 

I believe if the Twins non-tender some players on the 40-man (Duensing, Swarzak, Nunez etc...) it'll open some room to participate in the Rule 5 draft or sign some major league FA's. Could be wrong.

[DJL44]

Are they still hoping to sell Colabello to Korea?

[Willihammer]

Is it possible to get a complete list of twins players who could be taken in the draft? I have seen partial lists but not complete

http://twinsdaily.com/organization-chart.html

[Lonestar]

I would rather have Gilmartin than Swarzak (in his second year of arbitration), Thielbar, Thompson, Fryer, Colabello, Nunez, Parmelee.  Not the first time I haven't seen eye to eye with Terry Ryan.

[Madre Dos]

YEAH! So happy for Miguel and Eddie!

[Seth Stohs]

Will the Twins still be able to remove other players from the 40 man roster so they can draft players in the Rule 5 draft?

 

Yes, on December 2, they have to determine status of the arbitration-eligibles. If they sign free agents, they would have to drop someone from the 40 man roster. That's a reason to keep some "droppable" players on the 40 man.

 

Note - The four players added today can not be removed from the 40 man roster until sometime around spring training, by rule, not that any of these would. 

[Seth Stohs]

Be interesting to know the percentage of Rule 5 draftees that stick on the 25-man roster the whole year. Have to believe there's a decent chunk that get offered back to their old club or a deal is worked out.

 

Without looking at the history, but it seems like only 2-4 Rule 5 guys will stay with the team that selected them. It's pretty small. Twins have done well with Scott Diamond and Ryan Pressly the last few years.

[Seth Stohs]

Are they still hoping to sell Colabello to Korea?

 

I don't think the Twins would be the team to initiate those discussions, but there has been no update on it in weeks.

[Seth Stohs]

http://twinsdaily.com/organization-chart.html

 

Note that this is not yet a complete list. Jeremy continues to update it as he has time. There are several players who were in Cedar Rapids or lower that are also eligible that aren't on here yet, but will be when complete. Also, those guys aren't going to be taken.

 

I think I included all (or at least most) of the eligibles in my article from Tuesday. 

[Seth Stohs]

I would rather have Gilmartin than Swarzak (in his second year of arbitration), Thielbar, Thompson, Fryer, Colabello, Nunez, Parmelee.  Not the first time I haven't seen eye to eye with Terry Ryan.

 

It's hard to say... I mean, Swarzak maybe... but unlike Gilmartin, Thielbar has been able to actually get the job done the last two years at a high level in the big leagues. Gilmartin's about potential at this point. Some of the others, sure, but again, we don't see what the Twins front office or minor league scouts and coaches and coordinators see. 

[Brandon]

Without looking at the history, but it seems like only 2-4 Rule 5 guys will stay with the team that selected them. It's pretty small. Twins have done well with Scott Diamond and Ryan Pressly the last few years.

and Johan Santana (sort of.  they were going to draft him till they made the trade instead) and Shane Mack, There was a left hander from Seattle who was Australian that didn't stick but pitched in the majors a bit.  and that back up OF that played some in the 2000's too from Tampa Bay.  He went back to Tampa then was included in Delmon trade if I remember correctly.  He got some time with the Mets. 

 

I think nowadays its a good place to find depth pieces. and I do think it is a mistake not to protect Gilmartin.  I think he has value.

[Rosterman]

Yes, a player has to stick. You might lose a Gilmartin to a team that doesn't have a lot of choice prospects and would pitch him out of the bullpen. But if he has a bad spring, you wonder if it is a good $25,000 looksee investment. But if the Twins lose anyone, it would probably be him.

 

But look at names the Twins have taken and besides Shane Mack, Johan Santana and Scott Diamond a year later, and maybe Ryan Pressly...not much.

 

Here's a great look at the history of Rule 5, including who the Twins lost (names like Tim Lahey, Kevin Cameron, Reggie Smith, Levale Speigner).

http://twinstrivia.com/2012/11/29/twins-rule-5-draft-history/

[jokin]

It's hard to say... I mean, Swarzak maybe... but unlike Gilmartin, Thielbar has been able to actually get the job done the last two years at a high level in the big leagues. Gilmartin's about potential at this point. Some of the others, sure, but again, we don't see what the Twins front office or minor league scouts and coaches and coordinators see. 

 

I responded to you before on Thielbar,  I'll say it again-  he did not get the job done in 2014.  His numbers collapsed to half of what they were in 2013.  He also lost his split advantage against LH batters.  And "high level" success? OK, he's in the majors, but he has virtually never been called upon to pitch in high leverage situations.  I'd much rather expose an Indy League-refugee in T-Bar (who may or may not be claimed) versus taking the very likely path of losing a former 1st round draft pick in Gilmartin.

 

 

 

Brandon, on 20 Nov 2014 - 12:46 PM, said:

I think nowadays its a good place to find depth pieces. and I do think it is a mistake not to protect Gilmartin.  I think he has value.

[ashbury]

Based on that, it's possible that he was left off because the organization feels that most teams will pass on him in that draft. 

You don't need most teams to pass on him.  You need 29 teams to.

 

_{^{picky picky picky...}}

[Otto von Ballpark]

Further picky picky picky... why was a post about players being added to the "major league roster" moved to the minor league forum?

 

40-man ("major league") roster talk is probably of great interest to the main forum too, if you could keep it cross-linked there.

[beckmt]

Have no problem with this.  Thought the Twins might drop a few more players, but maybe there is a trade working that would need a lower piece or two to be included.  Do not have strong feelings on Gilmarten, maybe Twins viewed him as another starter like Kris Johnson or some of the starters the Twins have been putting out in spot situations the last 3 years.  We do not see the scouting reports, though Seth and some others have better sources than the rest of us.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I responded to you before on Thielbar,  I'll say it again-  he did not get the job done in 2014.  His numbers collapsed to half of what they were in 2013.  He also lost his split advantage against LH batters.  And "high level" success? OK, he's in the majors, but he has virtually never been called upon to pitch in high leverage situations.  I'd much rather expose an Indy League-refugee in T-Bar (who may or may not be claimed) versus taking the very likely path of losing a former 1st round draft pick in Gilmartin.

Thielbar has two option years left -- he would probably get claimed.

 

Very different from Gilmartin, who is merely subject to Rule 5 at this point (although I am certainly warm to the argument he should be protected over a few of our other 40-man bodies).

[James]

Thielbar has two option years left -- he would probably get claimed.

 

Very different from Gilmartin, who is merely subject to Rule 5 at this point (although I am certainly warm to the argument he should be protected over a few of our other 40-man bodies).

Well, they do have until midnight tonight to remove someone else and add Gilmartin.  I don't know if a team would be willing to stash him for an entire year on a major league roster as he doesn't have any experience as a reliever.  It does seem like some team might take a chance on him, but maybe the Twins don't think that he'd stick with another team and would be returned.  Or maybe they don't believe that any other team will select him.  I don't know, but I agree that I am a bit surprised he wasn't added to the 40 man as well.  

[KGB]

Well, they do have until midnight tonight to remove someone else and add Gilmartin.  I don't know if a team would be willing to stash him for an entire year on a major league roster as he doesn't have any experience as a reliever.  It does seem like some team might take a chance on him, but maybe the Twins don't think that he'd stick with another team and would be returned.  Or maybe they don't believe that any other team will select him.  I don't know, but I agree that I am a bit surprised he wasn't added to the 40 man as well.  

 

If you drop someone from the 40 man roster, I believe they go through the waiver process and a team would just have to claim them and put them on their 40 man roster.  If a player is pickup up in the Rule 5 draft, the team has to pay $50,000 plus keep him on the 25 man roster.  So it more likely to get someone through the Rule 5 draft then through waivers.

 

Also with Scott Diamond, the Twins didn't keep him on the roster, they had to trade a player back to the Braves so they could send him to the minors.

[maxisagod]

If I remember correctly the 1st year Benson and Parmelee were eligible for the rule 5, they were not protected or taken (though that's the  year they both had great years and were added later).  When I think of guys like Micheals or Goodrum I think why risk it and then remember the option clock starts with these guys. Will they be ready, here to stay in 3 years? Can a team stash them? 

 

Last year people were surprised when they  adding Polanco, Vargas, and Kepler. All 3 seem  like smart moves in retrospect, lets hope these moves are also well planned out as well. 

 

My guess: Twins lose someone, just maybe not the guy or guys we think.