2019 Fort Myers Miracle Preliminary Roster

This lineup is insane.

 

I don't really get why they'd want to have Rortvedt and Jeffers at the same level, or that many infielders who should be starting somewhere. IMO, Jeffers and Rortvedt should both be starting somewhere. Also think that either Blankenhorn or Miranda should be at another level. Miranda should be playing everyday.

 

Hope this loaded roster doesn't force Helman to the bench too often. Very interested in seeing him destroy baseballs.

Maybe... but Rortvedt isn't ready for AA, and Jeffers is too good for the MWL probably. My assumption is they'll have pretty close to a 50/50 split in terms of catching, but Jeffers should get time as a DH too (which is why my roster guess had a third catcher there). 

Guys are going to get days off. I think you can work it such that most of them are in the lineup 5 times a week. That's good as most of these guys are young and very early in their minor league careers. 

I was surprised with how aggressive they were with Helman throughout spring training. I don't know if the term "destroy pitches" really works with him. He is a line drive hitter, not much power yet. 

I had thought Lewis would be in AA to begin the year.

I assumed he would be in Ft. Myers to start since he only had like 6 weeks with the Miracle last year. Then with the oblique injury, that cost him some time in spring training, it became almost a given. 

The only thing that had me wondering was if they would be willing to push him up to Pensacola to appease the new affiliate. And because he's really good. 

I think if he gets off to a good start, Seth, he will move up to AA quickly.  Wouldn't surprise me to see him there by May 1.

Wouldn't surprise me either... 

It would be fun if Lewin Diaz got his career back going

That would be fantastic... man, he looks great, clearly he put in a lot of work in the last year despite the injuries. He can hit too, didn't lose any of the power.

Seth stole my thunder on this, but yes, Jeffers bat will play at DH when not catching. Now, what I don't know is whether he can/will play a little 1B as well. The Twins haven't been shy about having their catchers try on a 1B glove here and there.

I see your point about having Blenkenhorn and Miranda on the same squad, but in reality, Blenkenhorn doesn't seem ready for AA yet and Miranda is ready for A+ ball. But remember, each of those two also play some 2B. Additionally, Blenkenhorn has seem some OF time as well. It's really up to Gardenhire to move the guys around and make sure they all play consistently.

Gardenhire has some say in that decision, but all of those types of decisions will come from on top with opinions taken from all over. I'm really impressed by the communication up and down the system, including (I think) with the players too. They'll find a way to keep them all playing and many of them will be made more versatile. Miranda got some time at SS this spring and that can be a good thing to keep his athleticism. May be wise to get Lewis some innings at 3B and in CF. Blankenhorn can play all over, one of the best athletes in the organization. Lineup construction from day-to-day will sure be interesting.

Appreciate the comments! A couple questions to toss your way for comment/opinion. 1] There is obviously a TON of SS talent in the system now, from Polanco on down, but it seems they gave up on Miranda at the spot early on. Is that more about depth, or his growing out of the position, or just not having the range/hands? 2] When the Twins selected Blenkenhorn and Cabbage in the same draft, I thought they got a couple of great athletes who could be huge steals. (Steals being a relative term as they were fairly high slections). We have seen real flashes from Blenkenhorn, far less from Cabbage at this point. At this point, really interested to hear what you think about those two going forward.

For Miranda it's about growing out of the position. Most think he's a natural third baseman. He's big and strong. He's done OK athletically at second base now as well. But obviously the depth is part of it too.

Blankenhorn and Cabbage are both really good athletes. Cabbage is bigger and probably stronger,, but there's been the swing and miss. Very capable at 1B and in the corner outfield spots. It'll be important for him to get off to a fast start. Blankenhorn being back in FM is probably as much about the numbers as anything. He's big, strong and fast. Not great defensively, but capable at 2B and 3B. Fair to say it's a big year for both though.

To put this into proper perspective:

 

1) The Twins clearly had a down year in 2013, with only Jose Martinez and Robert Molina still alive. But they spent their allotment, which has consistently been a source of skepticism for you and others. A few teams spent amounts close to the $2.9M the Twins spent. Texas spent $7.6M.

 

2) They sandwiched a tough year between two that might be pretty good, with Thorpe, Hu, and Quezada all still alive from 2012, and Graterol, Ynoa, Arias, Wells, and Moises Gomez still alive from 2014. We need to consider how few of these prospects pan out.

 

3) For example, the Yankees spent $8.8M in 2012 and $10.6M in 2014. In fact, they signed 10 of the top 20 ranked prospects in 2014. It's early but I don't believe a single one of the two dozen prospects from those years is on their roster, and very few of them even got non-roster invites to training camp. 

 

This is just to say the Twins may or may not have fumbled the ball with Lewin Diaz at $1.5M, but it's a slippery ball to begin with. Just ask the team who took a shot at Yasmani Tomas, about whom the Twins were roundly criticized for passing up, right?

 

The competitive landscape has vastly improved since 2013 because of the joint facility they now have in the DR. I think they're a player now.

That's the nature of signing 16-17 year olds.