stringer bell

You have to have Polanco and Berrios at Fort Myers. Vargas and Oliveros at New Britain and a couple of starters at Rochester--the Twins broadcast showed five Rochester pitchers with excellent ERAs. I guess Pino has been the most consistent. Daniel Ortiz and Gilmartin could be candidates at New Britain as well. I think Walker and his power should get some consideration in the FSL.

Well, not to defend every choice Gardenhire makes but given that there weren't any other real choices, what is the manager to do? Escobar has had a really good run hitting and he is a competent fielder, he should be the regular at shortstop whether he has a long leash is another question. There are no real backups for a guy hitting under .200, so Santana has gotten two starts in center field. I don't think the three weeks Santana has spent in the majors will ruin his development. Unfortunately, the manager's options were really limited.

Agree with just about all of this posting. Plouffe had a bad game on Friday (0-4 at the plate, a couple of substandard throws) and earlier in his career I would have worried about a downward spiral. I fully expect Trevor to do good things the rest of the series.

I hope Aaron Hicks has a nice year and increases his value enough to be traded for something useful. I am not really down on Hicks, but I don't think his bat will play at anything but center and that will be occupied by Byron Buxton soon enough. A couple of myths continue about Hicks. Is he fast? Not Revere or Buxton fast for sure. I don't think he is as fast as Denard either. further, and more to the point, his great arm and good speed don't make him a good defender, at least not yet. Finally, in terms of hitting, Hicks has one of the lower averages of any player after his first 400 plate appearances. Yes, the OBP looks OK and he showed a couple flashes of power last year, but an OPS of .602 and OPS+ of 68 aren't good enough for a young player to stay in the majors. Hicks has shown some signs of improvement. I hope they are substantial and not just a fortunate streak.

Right now, the Twins have a wealth of shortstop candidates. Conventional wisdom is that shortstops aren't platooned because working with the keystone partner is so important. Here is my view on the shortstops and my best guess to what will happen. I invite anyone else to comment and offer their opinion. 1) Eduardo Escobar. Escobar is starting most games right now and why not? He's hitting over .340 and he's pretty good in the field. News flash. Eduardo Escobar won't hit .340 and he's not going to get 50 doubles. When his bat cools, we'll see how Gardy feels about playing Escobar every day. For whatever reason, Escobar has been tabbed as a utility guy and he is a versatile player. Defensively, he is a solid shortstop with good hands and a strong arm. He doesn't have great range. I think Escobar has earned this shot and I think there's a chance that he may succeed. Regardless, he has proven he is a capable utility player. 2) Danny Santana. He has the range that Escobar lacks. Routine plays are a challenge. Since his promotion, Santana has played short and center field and demonstrated his blazing speed and strong arm. So far, he has also hit the ball great. Santana isn't going to hit .400 any more than Escobar will hit .340. In fact, if he gets a couple hundred plate appearances, it is really doubtful he be above average as a hitter. In his very short trial with the Twins, he hasn't shown he's ready to be a regular major leaguer, but he also has shown he has major league tools. A trip back to Rochester is nearly certain. Maybe he can develop into a big league regular with quite a bit more sizzle than Escobar offers. 3) Eduardo Nuñez. He is the most established hitter of the group, but that isn't saying much. He currently has taken on the utility role that Escobar vacated. If EE slumps, I wouldn't be surprised if Nuñez gets a shot to prove that his bad defensive rep is an overstatement or not. I can't see Gardy going with one of the worst defensive shortstops for long, but then again we saw Plouffe and Nishi playing the position. 4) Pedro Florimon. The manager is reportedly already missing his magic glove, but Florimon just didn't hit in about 70 plate appearances with the Twins, and hasn't hit at all in AAA either (and has already committed 5 errors--those minor league fields must be rough!). I think Florimon's peak as a hitter was what he produced the first half of last year and that is barely passable. He needs to put up some kind of offense to justify his recall. Down the road, there are others, but they are years away. I hope someone separates himself. Some are predicting that the Twins will draft a shortstop with their high first round pick, maybe that will the solution to the shortstop problem.

Danny Santana is a major league prospect. He isn't in the Twins' Top Ten and he isn't a Top 100 prospect in minor league baseball. Most players with his pedigree don't become stars, but some do and I imagine some become All-Stars and most likely some have become Hall of Fame players. Santana's strength as a prospect are his raw tools. He has great speed and a strong arm. His minor league stats have been unremarkable. Finally, he is a prospect in a position of need for his team. Santana was called up because there really wasn't any one else available. He was healthy and on the 40-man roster in a situation where there Twins were without a sufficient bench and had two players hitting below .130. What are the odds that a stopgap call-up stays in the majors and never looks back? I would say about 1 in a 1000 when the guy is a middling prospect as is how I profile Mr. Santana. I am a Twins fan and I hope for the best for my team. Against all odds, I am hoping that the Twins called up Santana at exactly the minute that he "got it" and that he would develop into a solid major leaguer. It appears that Santana's chance to thrive could come as an outfielder. That makes the chances of success even smaller than one in a thousand. I can hope for the best, but realize that it is a near certainty that Danny Santana will be back in Rochester long before the All-Star break. Maybe, just maybe, he'll defy the odds. By the way, hoping for Santana to defy the odds doesn't mean that I accept the Twins puzzling moves (I'm trying to be kind). Two straight years of center field struggles without adequate back-ups is only part of their problem. Carrying too many relief pitchers, falling in love with no-hit catchers and failing to be pro-active when injuries occur are pretty much inexcusable, if not inexplicable.

Brian Dozier wasn't a high draft choice. He had a breakout minor league season in 2011 and became a prospect for the Twins mostly because of the dearth of talent at shortstop, which was then his position. Dozier was then assigned to Rochester and got a promotion to the Twins after a hot start in Triple A. Brian's rookie season was by most measures disappointing and ended with a demotion back to Rochester without a September recall. 2013 looked to be a year of decision for Dozier. He was moved to second base and given the inside track to win a starting position there for the Twins, which he did. After a slow start, Dozier hit well starting in mid-May and throughout the season he was a standout defensively at his new position. After watching Dozier for the better part of part of two seasons, I have become a big fan. As mentioned, with the position switch, Dozier has become a truly excellent defender, making web gem plays along with always being heads up on the field. He has developed surprising power, hitting 18 homers last year and already stroking 8 long balls this season. He has moved almost full-time to the leadoff spot and has shown far better plate discipline, ranking among the league's leaders in walks and he has scored runs--his 29 rank tops in all of MLB. Brian leads the club with nine stolen bases (3rd in the AL), but more than that he seems to have taken great strides in base running, aggressively taking extra bases, but not often getting caught. Dozier's game is not without flaws--he hit below .250 last year and is below that mark this year, he strikes out a lot. His season so far has some statistical oddities--he only has one extra base hit besides his home runs and all of his long balls are solos. Dozier only has 12 RBI despite the 8 homers. Brian Dozier is one of very few Twins players that is above average as a hitter, fielder and base runner. It seems that he doesn't go a game without doing something good at the plate, making an outstanding defensive play or showing good base running skills. The Twins need more players who can win a game with their legs, their glove, or their bat. And he's got really good hair!

Future Stars: Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. Emerging Rookie: Josmil Pinto Revelation: Chris Colabello. Starter who Finally "gets it": Trevor Plouffe. Only player to establish himself in 2013: Brian Dozier. What do all of these position players have in common? They are all right handed hitters. Since the emergence of MVPs Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau the Twins have definitely leaned left. Perhaps not in sheer numbers, but the most feared and respected hitters were lefties. The story is that the White Sox took Chris Sale early in part because they knew they would have to deal with the M & M Boys (don't know if that is completely true). So far this year, on the offensive side, the good stories have been about right handed hitters. Is this a good thing? In part, I think it is. Target Field seems more suited for right handed power. The high wall in right has turned a lot of blasts into singles and doubles and perhaps the prevailing winds help when left field is the pull field. I also think that most good right handed hitters diminish their platoon splits. So far, Colabello and Pinto have hit better against righties than lefties (SSS) and Plouffe and Dozier have evened up their numbers after being much better vs. lefties last year. Also, Joe Mauer provides a conterbalance and he is signed for five more years. Promising hitter Oswaldo Arcia also hits left handed although he hasn't done much this year due to injury. The irony of this is that the Twins have hit markedly poorer versus left handed pitchers so far this year. Part of that may be attributable to facing Mr. Sale and Mr. Price, who figure to give just about every hitter problems. I can envision a lineup later in this decade with as many as seven right handed regulars. It would depend on some guys to develop and others to show this early season isn't a fluke. I never thought there would be a time that Mauer was on the team where the team would be so right handed.

I have thought since last fall that what is best for Hicks' development is at least six weeks in Rochester to reacquire his swing and gain confidence. I thought Presley would be a good stopgap and then become the fourth outfielder when Hicks was recalled, but he lost a job that he had with a really poor showing in the spring. Hicks is just about where he was last year--a couple more hits and a few more walks--but still well below the Mendoza line and looking overmatched at the plate. Being optioned to Rochester still might be the best move, no matter that Sam Fuld shouldn't be a starting center fielder.

The season is now 18 games old and some trends can be determined. The Twins are hitting .231 vs. left handers with an OPS of .670, while they have hit .261 vs. right handers and put up an OPS of .773. Looking at splits when the season is only 11% complete means that the sample sizes are really small, so there will be outliers. However, I think the numbers tell us something. Some items of note: Three right handed hitting regulars (Dozier, Plouffe, and Pinto) have reverse splits. All are hitting markedly better against right handed pitching than against left handers. Colabello also has a slightly higher OPS vs. RH pitching, but he's hit well against everybody. Going into this season, Dozier and Plouffe were thought to be lefty mashers, but so far they've reversed that trend. Pinto is only 3-20 vs. LH pitching, but two of his hits have been homers. The Twins two left handed regulars (Kubel and Mauer) have been better against right handers. All of the Twins switch hitters haven't hit much. Hicks, in full-time play, has a dreadful .139 BA and .395 OPS with a still-substandard .208 BA and .636 OPS vs. southpaws. Escobar is 4 for 11 vs. right handers (.727 OPS), but 1 for 7 (.393 OPS) against lefties. Florimon has been terrible across the board, but particularly against RH pitching (.115 BA, .409 OPS). The most substantial splits are Dozier (.942 OPS vs. RH, .454 OPS vs. LH), Kubel (1.006 vs. RH, .714 vs LH), Suzuki (.959 vs. LH, .707 vs. RH), Hicks (.636 vs. LH, .395 vs. RH), Pinto (1.057 vs. RH, .820 vs. LH) and Mauer (.755 vs. RH, .575 vs. LH). What conclusions can we draw from this? First of all, it is early and one good game can change bad numbers into acceptable numbers. For now, it looks like Suzuki should be playing against left handed pitching and that Pinto has no problem with right handers. If the numbers continued, that would set up a platoon of Suzuki vs. left handed starters and Pinto vs. the righties. The numbers say that Kubel should be platooned if a decent RH bat is available and that Colabello has mashed against everybody and deserves to be playing every day, at least until he cools off.

Two parts to the backup catcher as DH: 1) The DH replaces the catcher and the team loses the DH. This never happened with the Mauer/Doumit duo. Why? There was no real strategic reason for either guy to be replaced. Mauer being the best hitter on the team and Doumit being a top 5 hitter on the team and being a switch hitter. The only reason to replace either would be to run for the slow-footed Doumit. However, with Suzuki and Pinto as the two catchers, Gardy would pinch hit for both if he has good LH options. This would either tie his hands for pinch hitting or expose the loss of DH situation much more often. 2) Using the emergency catcher. Would only happen if both catchers went out of the game. Obviously again with Doumit/Mauer it didn't happen because they never were hit for, but with Suzuki/Pinto, it could happen, because the Twins should hit for Suzuki close and late and might on occasion hit for Pinto against a tough right hander.

Thanks for an evenhanded view of the 25 man roster. The two Jasons plus Hicks and Colabello didn't have much major league success in their last go-rounds, but as you stated, they took jobs from no one and Hicks and Colabello performed well in the spring.

After a bit of a hiatus, here is the completion of my blog: 6) Josmil Pinto--I was glad that Pinto made the club. Along with Arcia and Hicks, these guys are the start of a new infusion of talent that could and should make the Twins contenders again. It looks to me like Pinto can hit--he's advanced from Class A in the last two years and has shown that he gets it. His defense seems to be lagging, but he has the tools and the work ethic to become a decent receiver. Pinto has some power and has shown good plate coverage and patience. While I doubt he will contend for Rookie of the Year, I think he will get his chance to become a mainstay this year. I don't think the Twins should bother with DHing him much, but rather he needs to get more and more time playing the game. I'll be quite satisfied with 80-90 starts at catcher and a 100 OPS+. 7) Chris Colabello--It appears to me that Colabello has the most tenuous hold on a roster spot since he has options remaining. Yes, he was the AAA MVP and yes, he has been strong during the spring, but he is 30 years old and last year he hit .194 with a 75 OPS+ in 181 plate appearances. IMHO, that is more than a cup of coffee. The Twins played him in right a few games, but he is really only a first baseman. I've said it before, but I will repeat that I can't help but be skeptical of a supposed power hitter who isn't able to pull the ball with authority. Colabello's story is heart-warming and shows that almost anything can happen, but I can't see him as more than a fringe major leaguer. 8) Oswaldo Arcia--One of the key guys this year for the Twins. Despite some monumental strikeout numbers, Arcia showed good power. His minor league stats showed him to be a better percentage hitter. Arcia also has to improve in the field. It looks like he'll be the everyday right fielder so he can concentrate on one position. A more well-rounded all-around game would set him up as a key member of the good Twins teams to come. 9) Pedro Florimon--The Twins got him for nothing a few years ago. He's given them more than nothing in return. How is that for damning with faint praise? Actually, Florimon proved in a year of full-time duty that he is a really good defender at a key defensive position. Offense? Not so much. He intrigues me because he has a little pop in his bat (9 homers) and good wheels. His splits showed a RH bat that was abysmal, although in the minors, he had hit better from that side. He strikes out too much and walks too little. AT 27, it is unlikely that he'll improve much with the lumber. I think he needs to concentrate and making contact and using his legs to get on more. He can be an asset with an 85 or 90 OPS+. 10) Jason Kubel--I'm surprised that Kubel made the team based on his past season and his spring training. In person, Kubel's bat looks slow, but to me, Kubel's bat always looked slow except when he made contact. He's going to get some chances to play outfield and he's going to DH a lot. I am thinking his decline will continue, but perhaps there's something left if he's healthy. IMHO, Kubel is a Band-Aid solution to bad offense, but if he's healthy he will put up won't be an embarrassment.

Unless the Twins make a waiver claim, their roster is set for the start of the 2014 season. Several players have been hot topics here on Twins Daily. I will offer my takes on 10 players and hope that they stimulate some conversation. 1) Joe Mauer--Now the Twins regular first baseman and unquestioned best player. Mauer is the biggest certainty on the team. He will hit and he won't say anything controversial. Joe still needs to learn a little about first base, he has struggled some there this spring. I expect that problem to be temporary, and I expect that Mauer will be an excellent defensive 1B by midseason. It does show that even a premium athlete like Mauer can't necessarily be bounced around the diamond. I am a traditionalist, I guess. I have always believed the team's best hitter should hit third. Tony-O, Kirby, Knoblauch, and Molitor to name just a few examples. Mauer is the best hitter--he should bat third and the other guys should fill in the spots around him. 2) Aaron Hicks--After reading the "Put Me in Coach" blog about Hicks, the phrase "fool me once, shame on you--fool me twice, shame on me" comes to mind. The posters are basing Hicks' future performance on his obvious athletic gifts and (gulp) strong second half of spring training. Aaron Hicks fell somewhere between "failure" and "disappointment" in 2013. To expect him to excel is a huge jump. I'm hoping for extreme improvement where most metrics show him to be average. I have posted quite often on Hicks' future. I believe Byron Buxton is the real deal--a future All-Star fixture with a near unlimited ceiling. If that is true, Hicks would have to move to a corner to have a future as a Twin. I remain unconvinced that he will hit enough to ever justify such a move. I believe he will hit and field well enough eventually to be an above-average center fielder, which makes him a valuable trade chip. I like what Hicks brings to the table. I hope he succeeds, but I don't think he will ever hit enough to be a regular left or right fielder. One more cautionary thought: Hicks has to go some to be better than average defensively. Last year he struggled early and settled in and was pretty good. That doesn't make him elite. With more experience, he has the tools to be an elite defender and I would expect he can get there, but that isn't a done deal yet, either. 3) Trevor Plouffe--He actually had a pretty good spring FWIW. Baseball curmudgeon Patrick Reusse had a nice article on "Plouffsie", which captured the ups and downs of a flawed, but serviceable player. Plouffe is perhaps the Twins best hope to hit for power from the right side, he seemed to show a better approach at the plate late last year and this spring. Let's not kid ourselves, unless Plouffe exceeds 20 long balls, the flaws will exceed the improvements as a hitter. Trevor is neither one of the current wave or an aging veteran. He and Dozier and a couple of pitchers are bridges to the next surge for the Twins. Plouffe doesn't seem to have the instincts to ever be a truly good defender or baserunner, but if he can bash the baseball, we can forgive much of his downside. I've never met him, but I've read his tweets and comments in the papers and I like what I've read. It's a huge season for Trevor--if he disappoints, he could be non-tendered and perhaps become a baseball nomad, like his friend Delmon Young. If he steps forward, he could become part of the Twins future (maybe in left field) and probably garner a very nice contract. I'm cautiously optimistic. 4) Josh Willingham--Speaking of RH power, there is the Hammer. Willingham is a bat-first "corner outfielder". Obviously, he needs to hit to be an asset. Last year, he didn't hit. This spring has offered no encouragement that he will hit, but it's only Spring Training. Willingham is 35, making him the oldest Twin and it is possible that his decline has started and was escalated by injury last year. It is also possible that Willingham has a lot of good swings left. Last year was ruined by injuries but this is a contract year, so Willingham will have every incentive to play and produce as much as possible. I think that the most important (and uncertain) man in the lineup is Hammer. If he resembles his Silver Slugger self of 2012, Mauer will get a lot of good pitches to hit and Willingham will have a lot of runners on base to drive in. If he's more like last year, the lineup really crumbles around him. Defensively, Willingham's best postion is DH. I hope the Twins can find three better outfielders that can hit a little so that Hammer can just hit. I have speculated that it is truly unlikely that Willingham remains a Twin. I hope he hits enough to net something by the trading deadline. 5) Eduardo Escobar--He is this year's second-string quarterback. His hitting flaws are minimized because everyone saw that Florimon is a poor hitter. In my book, Escobar is a very nice three-position utility infielder. Besides this, he might play a few innings in the outfield and (shudder) might even find himself behind the plate. Why is Esco a utility guy? He doesn't hit enough to be a regular and he's not a defensive upgrade at the two middle infield positions. Escobar looks to have a better bat than Florimon, and plays better in the field than Plouffe. He has soft hands and a really good arm, but I don't think his has plus range at short and he doesn't have great footwork at second. Escobar is an injury or implosion away from starting at second or short. As a switch hitter, he might get quite a few PAs at third, as well. I don't see Escobar as a regular, but I think he could be a fine utility guy for a long time. If his hitting tools steps forward, he could be more. Since this post is getting pretty long, I'll continue later with a new blog.

Agree, agree, agree! Unless the Twins somehow catch lightning in a bottle and everybody has a peak year and they contend, they must turn over the roster to younger, higher ceilinged players. Every player over thirty not born in Minnesota really should be on the block. I was thinking that success this year would be measured by the progress of the young players and when I mentally went through them, I realized how many over-30s were on the team. I still stand by that definition of success: It will be a good year if Arcia, Gibson, Pinto, and Hicks establish themselves and I'll add Plouffe to that list. The Twins will open with only one player born in the '90s (Osvaldo Arcia) and two born in the '70s (Bartlett & Willingham)

1) All baseball fans that have the capacity to visit Spring Training should do so. Hope springs eternal, but more than that, fans can watch drills and minor league games and scrimmages. At Fort Myers, we can sit next to minor league prospects, scouts, and knowledgeable fans. In past years, TR was on the premises and talked with fans sharing much more than makes the papers. It is great to watch both the top prospects and the most anonymous players. Autographs are fairly easy to get and the atmosphere is almost as warm as the weather. 2) Joe Mauer is where he should be, batting third and playing first base. After the concussion, Mauer needed to get out from behind the plate. First base is the proper position for him to transition to at this point. Mauer is a three-time batting champ and former MVP--he is a great hitter. He needs to be able to have the best chance to hit and stay strong and being a first baseman fills that bill. Further, I think that by midseason Mauer will be a fine defensive 1B. He still has good reactions, has a long reach and is accustomed to digging balls out of the dirt and he has played more than 50 games at first. Catching has robbed Mauer of most of his speed and he wouldn't cover much ground in the outfield. Perhaps he could have moved to third, but Miguel Sano lurks and he has never played the position. The team's best hitter should hit for a little more power and in my book profiles as the ideal 3-hole hitter. 3)A position player other than Buxton or Sano will develop into an All-Star for the Twins. DH Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker, Danny Santana, and Josmil Pinto are some names in the upper minors. Vargas is drawing comparisons to Big Papi, Santana has shown an improved hit tool at a position of need and Pinto is on the cusp after a very good September audition. Walker is a strong, raw talent. There are many more talented prospects and I think someone will break through in the next couple of years. 4)Pitching will be the strength of the Twins minor league teams. Signing three free agents has the side effect of packing each level with high quality arms. From Cedar Rapids to Rochester, the Twins will have guys who perhaps merit competing at a higher level. In other years, Tonkin, Guerra, Pressly, and the loser(s) in the fifth starter competition would be on the major league roster. Thielbar would be a lock most years, but it is possible he will be optioned to Rochester. 5)Defense and lack of speed will be glaring weaknesses for the Twins in 2014. Florimon, Dozier, and Hicks have good, not great, speed. Most of the rest of the squad lacks speed and several are glacier-like. The gloves at third, left and right are below-average and it is probably more important for a pitch-to-contact staff that the Twins will field. 6)The 25-man roster going north this year will change dramatically over the course of this year. Given the contracts of the players, some obvious replacements making their way up the ladder in the minors, and (finally) pressure from within to start winning, transactions are bound to happen. I foresee Willingham being traded before or at the deadline. Plouffe and Parmelee, among others, could be traded off. Several pitchers should be available out of the bullpen, plus Correia. The Twins also have the payroll space to add a veteran for a prospect to fill a hole (SS or C, perhaps DH or OF). 7)There will be positive surprises. This is a karma thing. So many things have gone so wrong for the last three years, it seems only right and fair that the Twins have positive performances from unexpected sources. Maybe it will be Chris Colabello, maybe one of the Jasons, maybe a call-up like Danny Santana comes up and performs like an All-Star. Perhaps someone acquired in a trade will overperform. 8)Power will be key. With little speed, questionable defense, and many questions about the pitching, the Twins need to slug better. They have guys--Arcia, Willingham, Plouffe--need to hit balls over the fence, hopefully with more than a few runners on. Many guys have OK or better power--Mauer, Pinto, Hicks, Dozier, Kubel, Colabello or Parmelee--so that if they hit homers, the Twins might produce a few more runs than projected and that could mean quite a few more wins. 9)There will be debuts of significant players. I think we'll see Alex Meyer and Byron Buxton. Santana has a good shot to start his ML career and I expect the proceeds of a trade to get their first looks in a Twins uniform. 10)We Twins fans will feel much more optimistic about the team one year from now.

1) All baseball fans that have the capacity to visit Spring Training should do so. Hope springs eternal, but more than that, fans can watch drills and minor league games and scrimmages. At Fort Myers, we can sit next to minor league prospects, scouts, and knowledgeable fans. In past years, TR was on the premises and talked with fans sharing much more than makes the papers. It is great to watch both the top prospects and the most anonymous players. Autographs are fairly easy to get and the atmosphere is almost as warm as the weather. 2) Joe Mauer is where he should be, batting third and playing first base. After the concussion, Mauer needed to get out from behind the plate. First base is the proper position for him to transition to at this point. Mauer is a three-time batting champ and former MVP--he is a great hitter. He needs to be able to have the best chance to hit and stay strong and being a first baseman fills that bill. Further, I think that by midseason Mauer will be a fine defensive 1B. He still has good reactions, has a long reach and is accustomed to digging balls out of the dirt and he has played more than 50 games at first. Catching has robbed Mauer of most of his speed and he wouldn't cover much ground in the outfield. Perhaps he could have moved to third, but Miguel Sano lurks and he has never played the position. The team's best hitter should hit for a little more power and in my book profiles as the ideal 3-hole hitter. 3)A position player other than Buxton or Sano will develop into an All-Star for the Twins. DH Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker, Danny Santana, and Josmil Pinto are some names in the upper minors. Vargas is drawing comparisons to Big Papi, Santana has shown an improved hit tool at a position of need and Pinto is on the cusp after a very good September audition. Walker is a strong, raw talent. There are many more talented prospects and I think someone will break through in the next couple of years. 4)Pitching will be the strength of the Twins minor league teams. Signing three free agents has the side effect of packing each level with high quality arms. From Cedar Rapids to Rochester, the Twins will have guys who perhaps merit competing at a higher level. In other years, Tonkin, Guerra, Pressly, and the loser(s) in the fifth starter competition would be on the major league roster. Thielbar would be a lock most years, but it is possible he will be optioned to Rochester. 5)Defense and lack of speed will be glaring weaknesses for the Twins in 2014. Florimon, Dozier, and Hicks have good, not great, speed. Most of the rest of the squad lacks speed and several are glacier-like. The gloves at third, left and right are below-average and it is probably more important for a pitch-to-contact staff that the Twins will field. 6)The 25-man roster going north this year will change dramatically over the course of this year. Given the contracts of the players, some obvious replacements making their way up the ladder in the minors, and (finally) pressure from within to start winning, transactions are bound to happen. I foresee Willingham being traded before or at the deadline. Plouffe and Parmelee, among others, could be traded off. Several pitchers should be available out of the bullpen, plus Correia. The Twins also have the payroll space to add a veteran for a prospect to fill a hole (SS or C, perhaps DH or OF). 7)There will be positive surprises. This is a karma thing. So many things have gone so wrong for the last three years, it seems only right and fair that the Twins have positive performances from unexpected sources. Maybe it will be Chris Colabello, maybe one of the Jasons, maybe a call-up like Danny Santana comes up and performs like an All-Star. Perhaps someone acquired in a trade will overperform. 8)Power will be key. With little speed, questionable defense, and many questions about the pitching, the Twins need to slug better. They have guys--Arcia, Willingham, Plouffe--need to hit balls over the fence, hopefully with more than a few runners on. Many guys have OK or better power--Mauer, Pinto, Hicks, Dozier, Kubel, Colabello or Parmelee--so that if they hit homers, the Twins might produce a few more runs than projected and that could mean quite a few more wins.

I have been in Fort Myers since last Tuesday. I have seen four Twins games and a large amount of minor league games plus a full allotment of drills and BP. Today was the first day when the weather was subpar, and coming from the frozen north, the sunshine and warmth were much appreciated. The major league talent held few surprises. The Twins will field a team of position players who, as a group, are weak-hitting, lack power and speed, and aren't that good defensively. The pitching staff would be classed as "hittable" and lacking in power arms. Sure there is hope, but in order for the game to contend, they'll have to roll a lot of sevens. On the minor league side, there is a lot of exciting talent in addition to top prospects Buxton and Sano. There is a multitude of hard-throwing pitchers. There are several big strong hitters like D. Hicks, Vargas and Walker and a lot of speed. Watching Danny Santana run out a triple today was exciting. Better days are ahead for the Twins. I met two members of the Twins Daily community. "Madre Dos" is the house mother for many of the Latino E-Town Twins. She provided my brother and I with some perspective of what those young men go through. I think every baseball fan should hear her stories and better understand the challenges these young men face in rookie ball. I also met moderator Chi-Town Twins Fan. Chi-Town and I are from the same area and roughly of the same generation, so it was good to compare notes. My brother and I will check out the minor leaguers tomorrow before we head back. He's the big guy with a scooter. We would enjoy meeting a couple more TD regulars and I know Halsey and Thrylos were near us today. Maybe you guys can convince me you're right about who to keep on the 25-man roster!

Great stuff Thrylos! I saw quite a bit of the action. I will echo the comment about Berrios. He looked too good for the opponents. I didn't realize how hard he was throwing.

There will be improvement from within, I think. Also, I think that there will be a changing of the guard during the season this year. First, I doubt Willingham lasts the season as a Twins, secondly, younger higher-upside players should claim three positions sometime this year: Pinto (who, in my book starts in the minors), Sano, and Hicks. I don't think any of those three is on the Opening Day roster, but they will supplant the season starters and improve the offensive productivity going forward. Arcia will likely move forward and backup options look to be far better than Doug Bernier and Clete Thomas.

I'd certainly like to see Pinto start the season as the Twins regular catcher, but I won't be overly concerned if Suzuki starts the season getting most of the starts. Pinto has a bit of work to do, having played just a month in Rochester. I hope he starts the season with the Twins, but if he doesn't, good play at Rochester will get him back to Minnesota soon enough. It's a long season, first of all, and secondly, everyone will get a chance to play and if Pinto is better, I trust he'll get plenty of work.

All good choices. Perhaps you could add Parmelee and Plouffe, who have tantalized the fan base for a few years but haven't sustained the productivity of their "hot" streaks.

On the first thought here, I agree that there will be a decision between keeping two or three catchers and logic indicates keeping two in this era where we see bloated pitching staffs. However, I doubt there will be any times where one catcher replaces the other when the Twins are in the lead. Pinch hitting the better hitter would probably only happen late and close or in extra innings. I have posted my take that Suzuki is a lock, Pinto has a very good chance to be the primary catcher, but it wouldn't surprise me if he started either on the DL or in Rochester. If they choose to keep three catchers, I think it gives Herrmann a leg up because he is pretty established as an outfielder and might get some reps in the infield this spring. Also, he is a left handed hitter and the other prospective receivers are all right handed. As far the rest of your blog-wow I disagree all over the place! First of all, especially with so many candidates for fifth starter out of options, I foresee 12 hurlers going north and probably another one stashed on the disabled list, that leaves only 13 position players. You didn't list Brian Duensing, but with all the right handed starters, a flexible left handed reliever would be a big asset. Next, with Escobar the ideal three-position utility infielder, I only see the need for only one backup infielder--Escobar. I can't see Bartlett beating out Florimon at short and I would expect him to head for Rochester or be released. For the outfield, you have both Hicks starting the year in Minnesota as a reserve. I don't buy that. I actually see no scenario where Hicks starts the season in Minnesota. Presley starts in center, with Mastroianni as his backup. Arcia moves back and forth between left and right with Kubel starting in the outfield some and DHing and the same for the Hammer. I'd love to see Parmelee step up and earn at-bats, but if he makes the club at all, he's probably a bench player at least to start the season. To balance things out, it would probably be wise to carry a right handed hitter to be a corner OF-1B.

The trade of Ryan Doumit seems to make acquiring a veteran catcher a necessity. It would be best if the veteran hit lefty and was above-average defensively, but there aren't a lot of guys like that available.