Article: Minnesota Twins Top 50 Prospects: 6-10

[maxisagod]

A team may have a fourth option year on a player with less than five full seasons of professional experience, provided that both conditions are met below.

A player has not spent at least 90 days on an active professional roster in a season. Minor leagues that play below Class A Advanced have seasons that are shorter than 90 days, and as such, any player who spends a full season in a rookie or Class A (short-season) league will receive a fourth option year.

A player has not spent at least 60 days on an active professional roster AND then at least 30 days on a disabled list in a season. Only after 60 days have been spent on an active professional roster does time spent on the disabled list count towards the 90-day threshold. As with the prior example, this cannot occur with players who spend a full season in a rookie or Class A (short season) league.

 

Huh, I had never heard that before. Yeah, If this is true, it pushes Kepler from a maybe 40 man add, to a sure add. That type of talent needs to be protected. Kepler ceiling is so high, one strong statistical year from him, and one age appropriate league year from Walker and our system may not take a big hit after promotions from Sano and Buxton.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I was going to write an article about this - and still might - but there is an important factoid that we need to remember when discussing whether or not Polanco and Kepler should be added.

 

Since they both made their full-season debut this year, they will have used up their three options in their first five (full) seasons, allowing them a fourth option year. That essentially allows both players an "extra" year, though it's on the wrong side of the Rule 5 deadline. Both guys are no-brainer adds.

 

So there's a 4th option year for people in this scenario? Was that part of the new CBA?

[Jeremy Nygaard]

So there's a 4th option year for people in this scenario? Was that part of the new CBA?

 

Nope. It's been in play for as long as I can remember.

 

Jose Mijares was added to the 40-man after the 2005 season (his first full-season). He spent a couple seasons in the VSL. His was optioned in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Because he entered 2009 with less than five full seasons, he could be optioned again - and was - in 2009, his fourth optional assignment year.

 

Felix Jorge, who only threw 60 innings last year, should be left in EST until short-season starts. He should then be moved up to Cedar Rapids. That would make 2015 his first "full" season. He needs to be added to the 40-man after the 2015 season, so he would be in the same boat: eligible for a fourth optional year.

[cmb0252]

It is tough to put Thorpe already in the Top 10 simply because he really hasn't proved much yet, he still has a lot of maturity and experience to gain, overall if I were to switch up a few things I would swap Adam Walker and Max Kepler, simply because of what we got to see number wise last year, Walker was the Midwest League player of the year and Kepler is still improving down in Cedar Rapids, but I like Berrios at no. 7, I think he eventually will be up in the Top 5 because he will be a number 2, maybe a number 3 starter when he touches his ceiling(or if he ever does, but im optimistic about him). Watching Berrios pitch in the WBC was FANTASTIC, he was only 19 at the time, throwing Fastballs past elite players such as Robinson Cano, he has no where to go but up! I really don't see Polanco at number 6 though, he had a solid year this year but when you look at players that I previously mentioned they have a bigger upside than Polanco does. Very excited to see what you have as the Top 5! You guys do great work.

 

A 17 year old lefty who can peak out at 95 is definitely a top 10 system talent. There are so few of them. Here is Ben Badler's (BaseballAmerica) take on if Thorpe will be a future big league starter:

 

"Definitely a starter. If had been born in the United States, he'd be a first-round pick. Actually, he'd be just starting his senior year of high school, so he wouldn't even be eligible until the 2014 draft, but I already like him better than some of the arms who went at the end of the first round this year."

[Otto von Ballpark]

Yes. If you have exhausted your option years before you start your fifth full season, you get a fourth year. Kepler and Polanco will only have four full seasons when their options run out after the 2016 season, so they could be optioned a fourth year in 2017.

 

Jeremy, where were you in our extended 40-man/Rule 5 Kepler debates?

 

The extra option year pretty much settles that.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Jeremy, where were you in our extended 40-man/Rule 5 Kepler debates?

 

The extra option year pretty much settles that.

 

Around, but who am I to ruin all that fun.

 

Vargas may be in the same boat as well. His suspension clouds things, but, technically, this season was his first full season. There may be something in the fine print that says otherwise, though. .

[maxisagod]

Around, but who am I to ruin all that fun.

 

Vargas may be in the same boat as well. His suspension clouds things, but, technically, this season was his first full season. There may be something in the fine print that says otherwise, though. .

 

If he was suspended under short season rules (IE couldn't start serving he's suspicion until the short season started) then the option status should count the same way...

[goulik]

I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I think it speaks volumes to the types of players that the Twins are signing that in a strong system, young players they've signed in recent years are very exciting. Of course, youth means longer trek to the big leagues and more opportunity for falling back. But, I like all four of these guys, for sure!

I get what your saying Seth. I should have given my reason why I like it...I love when a prospect reaches the majors at a fairly young age so we can root for them for a LONG time so being this high on the prospect chart and young gives us better odds of seeing them in a Twins Uniform for 15+ years. Even being able to root for them before they get here and knowing the names for a long time. That is why I like their youth.

[goulik]

Sometimes my posts are more emotional than logical.

[Seth Stohs]

Nothing wrong with emotion... of course, if a guy comes up at 25, he can still be with the organization for 12+ years.

[gunnarthor]

One of the undervalued things in prospecting is "old" prospects. Some times it takes time. Guys like Koskie and Youkilis took a long time to make the majors. Youk wasn't a full time player until 27 and neither was ever a top 100 prospect.

[DJL44]

Thanks Jeremy Nygard. This explains quite a bit of how they've been handling Kepler.

[ashbury]

of course, if a guy comes up at 25, he can still be with the organization for 12+ years.

 

A guy who is 37 and still playing for his original team is probably so good that he was up in the majors well before then. Even this year's class of 37-year-olds who have moved around, which of course is the majority, include guys like ARod, David Ortiz, and even Torii Hunter (who we all thought took FOREVER to reach the majors) who were getting starters' playing time before even their 24th birthday.

 

This is not to say older rookies aren't worth cultivating, just let's not go overboard.