TD Mailbag: Mauer's Future and Prospect Timelines

Twins Daily Member Kirby_waved_at_me:

How bad does Ricky Nolasco have to be to lose a spot in the Twins' rotation? Conversely, how good does Alex Meyer have to pitch to earn a spot?

If Nolasco pitches as badly as he did last year, they're going to remove him. But if that's the case, some sort of significant injury is going to come to light. He's got too much ability to keep getting rocked to that extent unless there's an underlying issue.

The bigger question is, what do they do if he's performing badly but not terribly (i.e. 4.75 ERA) and there's a guy on the farm who's clearly ready to step in (like, say, Meyer)? I don't know the answer, but I'm very curious to find out.

Twins Daily Member mike wants wins:

Which minor league RP will we see up early? Not a big fan of not using your minor league system for those guys fast, before they get hurt (which seems to be what many, not all, other teams are doing now).

Michael Tonkin will be up early, if not out of camp. A.J. Achter has a chance. Neither Nick Burdi nor Jake Reed has pitched above Single-A, but it wouldn't shock me to see either (or both) up and making an impact in the second half. Those guys can bring it.

@MrNewBrighton on Twitter:

What kind of season can we expect from Joe Mauer in 2015? (I'm hoping for .315 15 HRs 100 RBI #MNTwins

I like the optimism. I won't venture to guess at this point on his home runs and RBI, but I do think he'll get back to batting over .300 with an elite OBP. Nice piece to have around the top of the lineup.

Twins Daily Member stringer bell:

Are the Twins really going to go with their current options for center field? Related question--will Danny Santana see considerable time in center this year?

There's still plenty of time to grab a free agent stopgap -- Colby Rasmus, Nyjer Morgan and Eric Young Jr. are among the remaining available names -- but it looks like they're comfortable rolling with Aaron Hicks and Jordan Schafer. Nothing wrong with that, in my mind. Those two fit nicely as platoon partners and can both offer solid defense. Byron Buxton should be along shortly.

@Ex_Twins_News on Twitter:

MN Native Mark Hamburger has an invite to Spring Training. Does he have a shot at appearing with the big league club in '15?

Hamburger is a great story, so I'm certainly hoping so. He's got a steep hill to climb though. He was unspectacular as a 27-year-old in Triple-A last year and the reliever pipeline is pretty flush in this system.

@Twins_guyTJZ on Twitter:

With enough internal depth at first base i.e.Vargas and Adam Brett Walker, where does Mauer fit into the Twins long-term future?

Hard to say at this point whether Vargas' bat is legit. He's exceptionally strong and certainly looked the part last year, but he doesn't control the strike zone well and pitchers started to take advantage in the last few weeks. He needs to prove himself in 2015, and even then, I think he's a DH. Walker hasn't played above Single-A.

Actually, the name we should be wondering about in this conversation is Sano.

@Nieman1499 on Twitter:

Thoughts on Lewis Thorpe? He had a great first year - Does he project as a reliever or starting pitcher?

He was phenomenal at Cedar Rapids last year, blowing away opposing hitters as an 18-year-old. But his season ended on an ominous note health-wise, so it'll be interesting to see how he looks and feels in the spring. If all goes well, he has a chance to start, but Low-A is a long way from the majors.

Twins Daily Member jharaldson:

Ron Gardenhire was either first or second in the AL for Manager of the Year 6 times and has been linked to 0 manager jobs this offseason. Joe Maddon was either first or second in the AL for Manager of the Year 2 times and a team fired its current manager and hired him almost immediately after he came available. Why has Ron Gardenhire generated almost no interest in the MLB community?

I get the sense that he's more than content taking a year off. Why wouldn't he? He's still getting paid by the Twins and has no obligation to do anything really. If I were him, I'd enjoy a summer with the family and then see how things shake out around the league. Maybe something opens up that appeals to him, or maybe a club makes an aggressive run at him. But it also bears noting that all those Manager of the Year votes are well in the past, and the last time he oversaw a winning team was five years ago.

Twins Daily Member SwainZag:

What's the timeline for Nick Burdi? Any chance that Sano and Buxton both start the season in Rochester?

Burdi is interesting. He'll start the season at Double-A most likely, but I can't imagine he'll be there long. He could be up very quickly. He's filthy.

I think both Buxton and Sano are pretty much locks to start in Chattanooga.

Twins Daily Member youngpadawan:

Could Gordon pull off a Buxton-esk first full season and shoot up prospect rankings? How do their first half seasons compare?

You can't really expect anyone to follow in Buxton's footsteps -- he's a very rare talent. Gordon should take a step forward but it wouldn't shock me if his bat takes a while to develop, especially the power. He's still a wiry teenager.

Twins Daily Member Halsey Hall:

Who's the cream of the crop in the Central Division this year?

The Tigers will be strong again, with or without Max Scherzer. Chicago has obviously loaded up big-time. They're probably the two front-runners, though Cleveland is sneaky good with that young rotation. I expect Kansas City to take a major step backward.

Twins Daily Member Bark's Lounge:

Based upon what you know about the Twins players behind the scenes (leadership, respect, preparation, etc.), if the Twins were to name a Player or Players a Captain - who do you think would get to wear the "C" on their uniforms?

Brian Dozier is the first name that comes to mind. Very personable, very approachable, and an excellent example of someone who works hard and maximizes his ability. He was an eighth-round draft pick and middling minor league prospect who has turned himself into a borderline All-Star second baseman in the majors. Hard not to respect that.

Twins Daily Member Tibs:

What is it going to take for the Twins to win the division?

I'm done with this 90 loss stuff. Win Twins!

Couldn't agree more. It will take sustained high-level production from the offense, and massive improvements from the starting staff. Neither is implausible. But more than anything, it will take a soft division. The Twins need a team or two they can beat up on (that's basically always been their recipe for AL Central titles), and they'd probably need to be able finish first with a high-80s win total because 90-plus is too much to ask at this point.