Article: Twins Add Three Players To 40 Man Roster

[Seth Stohs]

On Monday night, the Minnesota Twins (and teams around MLB) needed to add players to their 40-man roster. By adding these players, they will not be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft next month. They will be at Twins MLB spring training.

 

The Twins added left-handed pitchers Lewis Thorpe and Stephen Gonsalves and right-handed pitcher Zack Littell.Pitching was the theme of the Twins 40-man roster additions. Adding three pitchers to the roster continues the front office's theme of finding and retaining quality pitching.

 

Stephen Gonsalves was the easiest choice of the group. The lanky left-hander from California has been the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2016 and 2017, and he was the runner-up in 2015. He was invited to spring training in 2017. He had a 9.7 K/9 rate in 2017 in AA and AAA. He will be 23 years old through the majority of the 2018 season.

 

Gonsalves was excited to learn that he had been added, but knows it comes with more work. He told Twins Daily, "I'm very thankful for the call I received this morning, but this is only a stepping stone to my dream to become a big leaguer. Now it's time to push even a little harder and fight for a jersey."

 

The Twins acquired right-hander Zack Littell from the Yankees in a late-July trade for Jaime Garcia. On the season, he went 20-1. He went 9-1 with Tampa in the Florida State League. He went 5-0 for Trenton, the Yankees AA team, and then he went 5-0 with Chattanooga. That's 19-1, so I included a playoff win that he got to make it an even 20. His combined ERA was 2.69 and he averaged 8.1 K/9. Littell will be 22 through the 2018 season.

 

Littell was also excited to learn that he was added to the roster. "It’s awesome to get this news, and I couldn’t be more excited about this year. Obviously this isn’t the end goal, but this step feels really good to have accomplished and motivate me even more to keep going."

 

Injury always makes 40-man decisions interesting, and the Twins had a couple such decisions. One made the roster.

 

Lewis Thorpe was a Top 10 Twins prospect as a 19-year-old after a nice showing in Cedar Rapids. Unfortunately, he missed over two seasons due to a Tommy John surgery and a bout with mono. He returned this year, and moved up to Ft. Myers, and he looked good again. He posted a 2.94 ERA in 77 innings in Ft. Myers. He walked 31, but he struck out 84. Thorpe will turn 22 on Thursday.

 

Thorpe was a little surprised when he got the call today. "It felt awesome when I️ got the call today. I️ was in shock and was just so excited." He continued, "After having two-and-a-bit years out of the game, it’s just a relief they still believe I’ve got what it takes to still get there. I’m very excited for 2018, to see what it has to offer me. I’ve still got to work hard because I️ haven’t made anything yet."

 

 

 

So, there are several players who are more likely to be selected in the Rule 5 draft including Nick Burdi, Jake Reed, Lewin Diaz, Kohl Stewart, Luke Bard, Ryan Eades, Brian Navarreto and Mason Melotakis.

 

What do you think of the Twins decisions tonight?

 

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[Seth Stohs]

I guess I was wrong on Lewin Diaz... and I wonder how likely it may be that he and Jake Reed and Nick Burdi and even Kohl Stewart might be selected in the Rule 5 draft next month. 

[nytwinsfan]

Seems right. The one I'm worried about is Jake Reed. He seemed pretty close to the majors. Burdi I was less worried about because of his injuries. Guess Stewart could be lost as well. Wasn't worried about Diaz, given how far away he is.

[tvagle]

Do you think this will be the only announcement? Or could they be working on some prospect trades that may not pan out until closer to 7:00pm deadline?

[Seth Stohs]

 

Do you think this will be the only announcement? Or could they be working on some prospect trades that may not pan out until closer to 7:00pm deadline?

 

Fair point... they could probably still add more, but if that's the case, there was no reason to announce these three players now. So, I would guess not. 

[Steve Lein]

Lots of guys left off who are the type to get selected.

 

I've said for a while I think they were going to lose multiple guys. Hopefully none of them come back to bite the Twins! 

[jud6312]

I think some of these could come back to bite them. Wow. 

 

There's really not enough fat on the roster to add a couple more of those guys?

[DuluthFan]

Four spots remaining?

 

Could it be room for free agent pitchers?

 

 

 

Please?

[jud6312]

 

Four spots remaining?

 

Could it be room for free agent pitchers?

 

 

 

Please?

Big Sexy, Perk, whoever was the 3rd lefty out of the Indians pen in 2013, and a Rule 5 middle infielder.

[clutterheart]

Hope Thorpe can stay healthy and put in about 140 innings in AA next year. His pitches seem good enough to be effective he just needs to show he can be a durable starter.

[jorgenswest]

Seth - you are not wrong on Diaz if he gets selected.

[Thrylos]

Thorpe is the surprise in this group.  Likely the Twins know better than me about Burdi's health (and it was that botched trade to ATL for health reasons as well,) but, I'd have him ahead of Thorpe at this point.

 

What I don't get is that Boshers (and Slegers to a lesser degree) have 40-man spots at this point.

 

I don't think that anyone will pick up Stewart and have him stick to the majors for a full season.  He was horrible last season.

 

Ryan Eades might surprise some people.  I think that as a reliever has a future in the majors.

 

A couple of more thoughts:

 

a. I suspect that there will be trades and some of these players will be traded

b. how in heaven does Deron Johnson still has a job with the Twins with so many high round picks in his tenure bombing? 

[KGB]

Four spots remaining?

 

Could it be room for free agent pitchers?

 

 

 

Please?

 

With 4 open spots and a couple easy roster waiver candidates,it looks like they are planning a busy off-season.

[nicksaviking]

Is it strange that even with the big(ger) named gues made available, Luke Bard is the one I'd most bet on being chosen?

[nicksaviking]

With 4 open spots and a couple easy roster waiver candidates,it looks like they are planning a busy off-season.

But unless they are signed really early in the off season, usually when teams sign free agents prior to the draft the simply hold off on finalizing the deals until after.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Seth - you are not wrong on Diaz if he gets selected.

 

He was #4 in my list of 4 givens... I'm much more surprised that Jake Reed was left unprotected... I'm as confident that Reed will be selected in the Rule 5 draft as I was in Zack Littell getting protected. It's gonna happen... or I will again be shocked if it isn't. Consider Zack Jones got selected two years ago, and Reed is a far better prospect now than Jones was then... Nothing against Jones, but Reed is more of a prospect, much more ready for the big leagues.

[Danchat]

Interesting, I was expecting more names to get added. I think the three names added are good adds. I think the guys left off the list will be fine - I think we tend to overreact about losing our own guys. Maybe one of them will get claimed (maybe Reed or Bard?) but I don't think it's anything to worry about.

[Guest]

Surprising about Stewart. I expect he will be selected. Now, whether he sticks, that’s another question.

 

It’s kind of surprising that they kept four open spots, when it would be easy to release someone later if they want to add someone else.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Thorpe is the surprise in this group.  Likely the Twins know better than me about Burdi's health (and it was that botched trade to ATL for health reasons as well,) but, I'd have him ahead of Thorpe at this point.

 

What I don't get is that Boshers (and Slegers to a lesser degree) have 40-man spots at this point.

 

 

So that they've got guys to drop when they need to later in the offseason. I'd keep Slegers, but I'm shocked Boshers is still rostered. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Is it strange that even with the big(ger) named gues made available, Luke Bard is the one I'd most bet on being chosen?

 

Reed and Burdi much more likely to be selected than Bard, they're just younger, but I do think Bard could be selected if the right team sees the right numbers. He's got some good stuff.

[twinstalker]

No way in hell Lewin Diaz gets picked.  No way in hell Twins were going to lose Thorpe.  Those were the biggest two locks I had.  Lewis Thorpe would be the first pick or essentially the first pick, given the maneuvering teams do up front in Rule V.  Diaz, of course, can't help a single team and can't be wasted space with so few position spots used.  And unless something clicks, I don't see much evidence for high-end potential.

[Tom Froemming]

I think Diaz gets picked, but ends up being returned. I'm curious if maybe the pitching moves suggest the team is more likely to beef up the bullpen via free agency than the rotation. One thing I'm confident about is this means the Twins will be active on the free agent market.

 

Four spots open. Ohtani+Darvish+Wade Davis+Carols Santana = four baseball players. Coincidence? Well, yeah ... probably

[Vanimal46]

I'm excited about the decisions tonight. The 40 man is valuable real estate, and it appears that a few spots are open for free agents (IFA included for Otani to MN believers!) And/or trades.

 

Rule 5 hasn't proven to be impactful in recent years. More often than not a player is returned to their original team within the season.

[AZTwin]

Could we trade any of these guys are international money to sign Otani?

[tvagle]

Wishing and hoping for a headline like this from the Twins in the next 14 minutes:

 

Rangers Acquire Burdi, Bard, Reed from Twins for Int'l Money...All of It

[SDTwinsFan]

Wishing and hoping for a headline like this from the Twins in the next 14 minutes:

 

Rangers Acquire Burdi, Bard, Reed from Twins for Int'l Money...All of It

That would be pretty amazing!

[nicksaviking]

Reed and Burdi much more likely to be selected than Bard, they're just younger, but I do think Bard could be selected if the right team sees the right numbers. He's got some good stuff.

I'd hate to lose those guys but I figured with Burdi's injury and Reed's decreased strikeouts and increased walks last year, both looked iffy to stick. Worth a selection in the draft though.

[Han Joelo]

The Yankees traded 2 or 3 guys today/recently.  How do they compare to the likes of Reed?  Rainy day project for someone.

 

For me, this says a lot about the caliber of prospects some of these guys are, which is to say less than I hoped.  Goes a ways towards explaining why a guy like Reed didn't get a look last season.  He'll probably get taken, and probably be okay...just not as good as whatever free agent the Twins plan on signing.

 

The Three Chosen Ones were no-brainers for me.  Burdi's injury clouds things, and Diaz...just not sure what to make of that one.  

[jorgenswest]

Yankees added more international money today.

[Guest]

So that they've got guys to drop when they need to later in the offseason. I'd keep Slegers, but I'm shocked Boshers is still rostered.

 

Right now, Boshers is one of the four best lefty relievers in the organization and none of them have really distinguished themselves. Boshers isn’t on the team because of absolute talent, but because of relative value. This should likely change before spring training or shortly thereafter, especially if Tyler Jay looks good and healthy.

 

Slegers probably has more upside than Boshers, but his roster spot also may depend on what happens during the offseason and how healthy Trevor May is. Also, there are younger pitchers who could pass him, but not yet. In his behalf, his results have been good and he may be receiving the benefit of the doubt, if Falvine think he was given incorrect coaching because of his height. Right now, Slegers is probably slotted as the first starter in Rochester to get a chance at Target Field, if needed.

 

It will get tight in Rochester, however. Behind Slegers, there are Gonsalves, Romero, Littell, Enns and Jorge, with Thorpe possibly pushing from AA, and who knows what’s going to happen with Stewart. Also, again depending on the offseason, Mejia and possibly Duffey could need spots in Rochester’s rotation, if a couple of solid starters are signed. At some point, also, May and possibly Hughes will be making at least rehab starts. In 2018, it’s going to get a lot more competitive than it’s been in years to keep a pitching spot.