Twins Minor League Signings: Offseason '13-14

[Seth Stohs]

I thought it would be good to start a thread on Twins minor league signings this offseason. Some will be players that are returning to the Twins, and others will be from outside the organization (starting after the World Series).

 

Mike Berardino is reporting the Doug Bernier has signed to stay with the Twins.

 

I can report that James Beresford has signed to stay as well.

 

Both will be invited to Twins spring training.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

BA reported those both in their most recent transaction log. They also reported the Twins re-signed Virgil Vasquez earlier in the off-season. R&P 14 is in progress and I hope to have something published this weekend.

[stringer bell]

Thanks guys for keeping up on this. A couple of the players signed will play in the majors I'm sure. We just don't know which ones. I'm not a big fan of zero power middle infielders, but Beresford has hit better as he has advanced--perhaps he can provide competition for Escobar and also provide major league ready middle infield depth.

[Seth Stohs]

It's official on Vasquez, Bernier and Beresford. The Twins also brought back Jermaine Mitchell and Lester Oliveros. (I still think Oliveros will get added to the 40 man)

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Vasquez, Mitchell and Oliveros are all currently playing in Venezuela as well. There are many soon-to-be MiLB FAs that last played with the Twins playing there too. Dakota Watts is the only one currently under team control playing, in addition to the other guys.

[Seth Stohs]

That's, in part, due to the 40 man roster regulation just going into effect.

[Seth Stohs]

According to Matt Eddy (Baseball America), the Twins have re-signed C Jairo Rodriguez, 1B Reynaldo Rodriguez and 3B Deibinson Romero to minor league deals. None of them need to worry about being taken in the Rule 5.

[maxisagod]

Reynaldo Rodriguez who was in AA last year? This seems odd. One of Hicks or Vargas must be moving to AA, they seem sure there is going to be room for him in AAA? Also for Romero to get at bats either Plouffe gets injured early or Sano starts the year at AA.

[maxisagod]

And by odd, I mean for the players to sign. There's nothing wrong with depth for a team, but it seems like these two guys are going to get less at bats than last year.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Of the three, I found the Jairo Rodriguez return the most surprising. Rodriguez was basically used as an organizational-float and I thought he was on borrowed time the whole second-half of the season.

 

Rodriguez will compete for 1B at-bats in Rochester. Parmelee and Colabello and Vargas and Hicks sandwiched him last year and they'll likely do the same this year. Without much 1B-depth (not that it would be tough to add) at the lower levels too, it makes sense to bring him back.

 

Romero really improved his standing within the organization after this past year. I would guess he got a ST invite (I bet the others did too) and will be Plouffe's competition. This also will make Sano earn his eventual assignment to Rochester, which also makes sense.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

In the newest installment of minor-league transactions, the Twins have re-signed both LHRP Aaron Thompson and C Dan Rohlfing.

 

All changes shown here.

[Seth Stohs]

In the newest installment of minor-league transactions, the Twins have re-signed both LHRP Aaron Thompson and C Dan Rohlfing.

 

All changes shown here.

 

I like both of these signings. Thompson has some (very little) big league time and is still just 27. he's got good stuff. Like Jeremy said on Twitter, he could take Duensing's spot.

 

Dan Rohlfing is a right-handed Chris Herrmann in that he is a very good, athletic defensive catcher who has the ability to play elsewhere. There's value in that for the Twins, but also for Rochester.

[Thrylos]

I like both of these signings. Thompson has some (very little) big league time and is still just 27. he's got good stuff. Like Jeremy said on Twitter, he could take Duensing's spot.

 

The problem with Thompson and the other AAAA LHPs the Twins have is that they are soft tossers. His FB is of the 88 mph variety. Duensing reaches 94-95 and averaged 92.5 the past season. They already have 4 soft tossing lefties (Diamond, Albers, Hernandez -if he stays-, Thielbar) at least (I'd argue that Darnell and Dean are also) ahead of Thompson.

 

Minor league filler barring injury, I think.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The problem with Thompson and the other AAAA LHPs the Twins have is that they are soft tossers. His FB is of the 88 mph variety. Duensing reaches 94-95 and averaged 92.5 the past season. They already have 4 soft tossing lefties (Diamond, Albers, Hernandez -if he stays-, Thielbar) at least (I'd argue that Darnell and Dean are also) ahead of Thompson.

 

Minor league filler barring injury, I think.

 

I wouldn't dispute any of that. But I think Diamond and Albers and Dean will get every opportunity to be rotation guys. Hernandez is probably gone. That leaves Duensing and Thielbar with little actual competition. Thompson get a chance to compete, which is never bad, even if the competition is.

[ashbury]

I like both of these signings. Thompson has some (very little) big league time and is still just 27. he's got good stuff. Like Jeremy said on Twitter, he could take Duensing's spot.

 

At AAA this year Thompson had a 1.4 WHIP, and he didn't have a lefty-righty split that would suggest a LOOGY role either. Nothing else in his career leads me to forecast him to do even as well as Duensing if he got the chance. I'd see him as organizational depth only.

[Seth Stohs]

I'm pretty much good with any minor league signing. There's little downside. Thompson's a solid left. Darnell and Dean may end up ahead of him, but let it play out. Depth is a good thing.For the record, I would absolutely keep Duensing around.

[ashbury]

I'm more than fine with minor league signings too. I just took issue with the part about replacing Duensing.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Referenced tweet, for the record. I'm assuming that he'll be an NRI, but I wasn't suggesting this means Duensing is out of a job now.

 

@jeremynygaard: .@skaro21 @SethTweets @MattEddyBA Thompson could compete for Duensing's job; Rohlfing good catching depth.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The Twins added Edgar Ibarra to the 40-man roster today.

 

They also signed Wilkin Ramirez to a minor-league deal with a ST invite. Ramirez joins Bernier, Romero, Mitchell, Rohlfing, Oliveros and Thompson as non-roster invites.

[Seth Stohs]

According to Baseball America, the following Twins minor leaguers have become free agents:

 

Minnesota Twins

RHP: Nick Blackburn (AAA), Kyle Davies (AA), Cole DeVries (AAA), Deolis Guerra* (AAA), Miguel Munoz (Hi A), Dan Sattler (AA), Manuel Soliman (Hi A), Tom Stuifbergen (AA), Dan Turpen (AA)

LHP: Nelvin Fuentes (Hi A), Pedro Hernandez (AAA)

1B: Jeff Clement (AAA)

2B: Eric Farris (AAA)

SS: Ray Olmedo (AAA)

OF: Brian Dinkelman (AAA), Jhonathan Goncalves (Hi A), Angel Morales (AA), Jordan Parraz (AA), Antoan Richardson (AAA)

[goulik]

Who do you want resigned? My list predicting how you would start with:

Soliman, Stuifbergen, Hernandez, Goncalves, Morales

[Seth Stohs]

I'm always fine with any minor league signing, but I'd like to see them bring back Guerra, Richardson, Stuifbergen (when healthy), Hernandez.

[Thrylos]

Dink is a really good community guy in Rochester and with the potential to be a future coach/manager someplace with the Twins (think Watkins). I think that the Twins will try to sign him.

 

DeVries, Stuifbergen, Guerra, Soliman, Morales should all be re-signed also. It was not long ago that the last four were top 15 prospects, and they are all relatively young (24 or less.) The 3 pitchers all coming back from injuries. I'd rather see them have another chance than the 30+ never had beens who they sign every year. Morales had a break-through season in Fort Myers and bombed in New Britain. This team is thin in OF talent (believe it or not.) I'd rather see him than Richardson.

 

DeVries, I think, can help the Twins. Few remember, but before he returned to starting, he was a lights out closer in New Britain. His curve plays really nicely in the pen. I think that he should be fighting for a pen position the spring, if healthy.

[Rosterman]

I actually don't see a big demand for any of them. Dinkelman is on his last legs. It would be nice to keep him in the organization as a coach or instructor, if he can't land a job elsewhere. DeVries also won't have people knocking doors, I believe. But ll the others have pretty much worn out their time in the organization. Guerra is coming off an injury year and is the sole (and was considered the prize) of the Santana trade. Would be nice if they could keep him for one more season to see IF... Morales is lost in the outfield shuffle. I thought Bigley was going to be a free agent, too. But looks like he gets another chance. Be interesting to see who the Twins do sign. Former draftees like Heston and Leesman were available for a song during the summer. But see no great losses overall. And will be interesting to see what does happen with Blackburn (heck, Humber got a job with Oakland).

[Shane Wahl]

I would certainly try again with DeVries, Guerra, Stuifbergen, Morales, and Soliman. The pitchers all have some potential value in rebound seasons, and three of them were legit prospects. Morales . . . well maybe a second year in AA and he gets his (old) groove back. I am not a fan of tossing away any more damn CFs up in here!

 

Dinkelman's on-the-field value is in being a super utility guy (good for every minor league team to have one of those). If they have a younger version or can find one, he is replaceable.

[Thrylos]

Jason Bartlett is old news by now, but it was also reported that the Twins have re-signed Deolis Guerra (which is good news)

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Dinkelman's on-the-field value is in being a super utility guy (good for every minor league team to have one of those).

 

You forgot about Randi Dinkleman.

[Joe A. Preusser]

Dink is a really good community guy in Rochester and with the potential to be a future coach/manager someplace with the Twins (think Watkins). I think that the Twins will try to sign him.

 

DeVries, Stuifbergen, Guerra, Soliman, Morales should all be re-signed also. It was not long ago that the last four were top 15 prospects, and they are all relatively young (24 or less.) The 3 pitchers all coming back from injuries. I'd rather see them have another chance than the 30+ never had beens who they sign every year. Morales had a break-through season in Fort Myers and bombed in New Britain. This team is thin in OF talent (believe it or not.) I'd rather see him than Richardson.

 

DeVries, I think, can help the Twins. Few remember, but before he returned to starting, he was a lights out closer in New Britain. His curve plays really nicely in the pen. I think that he should be fighting for a pen position the spring, if healthy.

 

You are correct, I did NOT remember his former success in the pen until you reminded me. Why on Earth don't they ramp him back up to pen duty? He has either failed or been mediocre as a starter. Let's keep that pipeline of fresh young pen aces coming.