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Jim Callis did his weekly chat and here are the questions where he mentioned the Twins. Is Frazier or Meadows more likely to end up with the Twins at #4? Jim Callis: Sorry, another phone call, but I'm back ... Really don't think either is in the mix for the Twins. If Minnesota takes a HS bat, it will be Reese McGuire. Twins have to go BPA at #4 (I don't see the Reese McGuire as smart, or likely) if that's true, is Kohl Stewart likely to sign if taken that high? Recent tweets from him suggest he's excited for Texas A &M, but is that just agent-inspired? Also, is his stuff that much better than Trey Ball, or Braden Shipley as the "best pitcher available" or should the Twins grab Clint Frazier? Jim Callis: Agree on best player available. Stewart will sign, the football talk is leverage, he's not going to turn down millions to go to Texas A&M to sit behind Johnny Manziel. Once scouting director told me Stewart's stuff is as good as Gray and Appel's, and he's more athletic. Clear No. 3 pitcher in draft for me, and more upside than any of them. Kiley McDaniel tweets that there is real momentum to Colin Moran going #1 to Houston. How would this affect the picks following it? Jim Callis: I can't really see Moran going 1-1. But if he did, it might mean that one of Gray or Appel would get to the Twins at 4, Stewart would get to the Red Sox at 7 and both Frazier and Meadows could fall out of the top 10. Not Draft related: Do you think Byron Buxton could be the # 1 prospect in baseball by the end of the year ? Jim Callis: Yes ... I appear to have shifted into lightning-round mode. Still have 125+ unread questions in the queue, will try to plow through some more.

I still don't buy it but if, big if, they actually take Moran at 1 that still doesn't mean the Rockies won't take a pitcher. They need pitching more than us.

This was a great break down of the value of going under slot early. Like most I feel BPA is always the best bet but it is hard to complain about using this strategy with out knowing the names linked. I'm not a fan of McGuire but maybe if they tried this with Shipley/Ball it wouldn't look so bad.

Christopher Crawford heard the Twins higher ups are "infatuated" with Stewart.

Great point. These were both interesting reads and clear indicators why you don't "punt" picks.

With pitch counts there is zero chance that a pitcher last year would be pitching in the bigs. While Gausman will pitch this year would he really have turned the Twins into a winner? Gausman is on a pitch count this year, would be on one if he was a Twin too, so how much value is a rookie pitcher going to give you? I'm a big fan of Gausman and would have been fine with the Twins drafting him last year but the jump from AAA to the bigs is massive, especially for pitchers. Under this type of thinking process college guys will always be better than HS players because they give immediate value. Problem with that is if for some reason they don't make it to the bigs as quick as you hope, ohh I don't know Wimmers/Gibson/Levi, value is lost. Once again, if you just prefer Gausman to Buxton on pure value I understand. If not, than give me the more talented one any day.

There have been a ton of Moran to Indians on mocks so maybe. What he lacks in pure power and defense he makes up for in hit tool and stupid crazy Bb/k ratios. Problem is, 3B needs power and at least passable defense.

Haha, legitimately insane is a good description.

Put me in the Frazier camp as well. Meadows has some great tools but no one, this year or maybe any year, has the bat speed like Frazier. One thing to note; Meadows is about six months younger than both Frazier and Stewart.

Christopher Crawford released his 5th mock today and has the Twins taking Stewart. To see the full mock click below: The Mock 2013: Volume V |

They lose the bonus pool from that pick.

Sano is on fire!

Haha, not just HS kids. Gausman did this at 4 last year and ended up getting over slot. Threatening to go to college works for more than HS guys!

This is a pretty good break down. The other question I would want to know, doubt he 100% knows yet, but does he really want to play baseball? I know when I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. He clearly has several options at this point. The other thing I wanted to mention was let's not forget the pressure that is put on these high draft picks. I always look back at the story of Ken Griffey Jr as a precautionary tale of how much pressure these kids are under. If you don't know about what I'm talking about John Sickels did a great job talking about it in his prospect retrospect. From Near-Suicide to Superstar: Ken Griffey, Jr - Minor League Ball

With Manaea's injury AND if, big if, Stewart tells teams not to take him the Twins will be put in a rough spot. That leaves Frazier (who they have been heavily linked to), Moran (gross), and Meadows. Just a bad year for the Twins to have the #4 pick.

You are right they took several relievers but not in the supplement round, there they took JO and Bard (who is going to be a starter). They melotakis (trying him as a starter) and chargois (pure reliever) in the second round. Duffey was a reliever but they are trying to convert him while keeping Jones as a relief pitcher. So with Bard, Melo, Char, Duffey, and Jones they took 5 relief pitchers with three of them as planned starters. Bard, to my knowledge, was the only one before the draft that profiled as a true starter seeing he had multiple good starts before getting injured.

That's a pretty harsh way to look at it. All I can say is it is his choice and his choice alone. I was never talented enough so I have never had to make a choice like this. Where is it my place to judge? It is easy now to say what you would do in your late 20s, early 30s, or later but not when you are 18. Especially if you have multiple options. People only look at the money and forget about everything else that goes into this choice.

Just doing their homework. Cubs, Rockies, Twins, and Indians are doing the same thing.

A college pitcher with injury concerns to go with the last two college pitchers we drafted in the first round that missed significant time is exactly what we need.

Yeah, Josh Bell did this 2 years ago until the pirates backed up the money truck. While, I personally can't talk for Stewart most of the experts have noted that they doubt he goes to school if he goes in the top 5-10.

During Bards junior year he was converted to a starter and was killing it. There was talk that he had solidified himself as a first rounder till he got injured and missed a lot of time. The fact he is still injured is definitely worrisome but he does have the talent to be a starter.

Couldn't agree more. If, like Mr.Nelson said, there is something the coaches see as fixable which would lead him to being the BPA then take Manaea. If not, pass and grab pitching in the later rounds like last year. A pitcher with at best a 65 slider, a 60 fastball, and a 55 change up really doesn't excite me too much. His saving grace is he is LH and hides the ball well which makes his stuff play up.

I'm right there with you. Stewart already has two 65+ grade pitches. How many HS kids can say that? While I'm leading the anti-Manaea bandwagon I don't know how I feel if the Twins took him. I don't think I would be disappointed but I would want to know what the Twins saw. More I look at his stuff, even the Cape cod level stuff, the less I like him.

That's a lot of ifs!

From what I have read they have been linked to Stewart and Frazier more than anyone not named Gray/Appel/Bryant. Things can change between now and then but you have a very small list!