Thrylos

ok. There are 250 lbs and there are 250 lbs. Here is what Sano looks like these days (from Twinsfest) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Tt8EOGNHFI/UugHpWd7XnI/AAAAAAAAFKI/3IZs1EgygKA/s1600/Miguel+Sano+Byron+Buxton+TwinsFest.jpg And here is what Pablo Sandoval (a third baseman) used to look like at allegedly 240 lbs last season: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qxqpQmIkwv8/UIlAbwftWII/AAAAAAAAFLo/S7x6HGRbokk/s640/2010+Mar+08+062.jpg (he is 5'11" - with 3 inch heels on) Here is what Miguel Cabrera (allegedly listed at 240 who is also 6'4") looked like last season: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Anz8xrp0Ll8/TnFAJy0dMmI/AAAAAAAAC3E/rPjYj4QtQR0/s1600/Miguel+Cabrera+2.jpg So. Are you really still wondering about Sano's weight?

I think that the 2 negatives mentioned are very overblown: In his age 20 season Sano had a 27.4% K% overall. In his age 20 season Harmon Killebrew had a 35.5% K%. I think that Killebrew turned out alright. About the HR incident: a. There was bad blood between Sano and the pitcher; from here, referring to a Reusse writeup:

That would be hard. Nieto was fired a couple off-seasons ago (after the 2011 season). He is no longer with the organization. As a matter of fact he is the manager of the GCL Yankees...

Originally posted at The Tenth Inning Stretch ------- Multiple reports today, including a formal announcement by the Twins' twitter, indicate that the Twins selected LHP Brooks Raley off waivers from the Cubs' organization. Who is Brooks Raley? Brooks Raley was drafted by the Cubs in the 6th Round of the 2009 draft from Texas A&M, 8 picks after the Twins selected C Chris Herrmann from Miami, and there is a good possibility that the pair will form part of the Rochester Redwings battery in 2014. Raley has had September call ups to the majors both of the last seasons, starting 5 games with the Cubs in 2012 (1-2, 24.3 IP, 8.14 ERA, 6.88 FIP, 11 BB, 16 K, 1.81 WHIP) and relieving in 9 games in 2013 (14 IP, 5.14 ERA, 5.05 FIP, 8 BB, 14 K, 1.46 WHIP). His career minor league numbers are 107 G, 102 GS, 555.3 IP, 3.92 ERA, 1.401 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 2.13 K/BB; which are not stellar. Raley has four pitches: A high 80s fastball, a high 70s slider, a high 70s change up (his best pitch) and a low 70s curveball. He is not a control artist but he flashes good command. At first place, the presence of lefties Kris Johnson, Sean Gilmartin, Pat Dean & Logan Darnell in the organization and potentially slated for a spot in the Rochester rotation, makes this acquisition somewhat of a head scratcher. A quick look at his MLB career splits shows that LHB hit a collective .194/.293/.306 off Raley, which indicates that there might be a future as a LHRP, for someone who makes every MLB lefty he faces look like Drew Butera at the plate. This makes this acquisition look like it might make sense in the big schema of things... After the Gilmartin acquisition, I indicated that Gilmartin would have probably been in the high 20s on my off-season top 40 prospect list, if he was a Twin when I made it. Raley would have not made the cut. As a 40-man roster member he will be in the big club Spring Training starting this weekend. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7294/12489136195_dccec28b5c_z.jpg

Yes. He got healthy, got a workout regiment and showed up minus 25 lbs at Fort Myers.

Even if they have to send Alex Meyer and a couple of pitchers younger and better than him to New Britain?

I assume that you mean "Major League" Training camp. Yes. A non-roster invitee.

As far as Bartlett goes, a day ago, I'd say no way, but based on what LEN3 is reporting out of Fort Myers today and the fact that Gardy likes him, I think that there is a possibility. I don't think that Guerrier will be healthy enough to be ready by opening day.

Thank you. Forgot about him. That makes it 4 LHSP in the system with higher potential than Raley already. And 3 of the aforementioned would need to go to NB, which will push a whole bunch of others to the Fort Myers' rotation and others to Beloit's etc...

I think that farewell tours are ridiculous. They put individual players above the game. And no individual player is better than the game. Any game, including the Twins-Yankees games at Target Field that would be overshadowed by Jeter than they were by Rivera and the "present" last season. Play ball. Ruth had a classy Farewall. Gehrig too. All this farewell tour stuff is nonsense. But it is not unexpected in the day of mascot races and hot dog shooting cannons...

Here is why I don't like this move: Assume that Worley, Diamond and Deduno (all without options) make the team out of ST, which means that one of them will be the 5th starter and the other 2 in the pen which will send 2 out of the relievers with options (Fien?, Thielbar?, Tonkin?) to Rochester. Kyle Gibson, Alex Meyer, Kris Johnson, Logar Darnell, Pat Deat (the last 3 LHSP btw, just like Raley), Vasquez will be competing for 5 rotation spots in Rochester with one being sent to New Britain or in the pen. Add Raley, that is 2 in New Britain or in the pen. Gibson will not be one of them, but if this sends one of Alex Meyer (mostly), Pat Dean or Logan Darnell (all guys with higher upside and better performance than Raley,) to New Britain, it would be a shame...

Check this out for hotels and bargain ways of getting there. As JC said (or insinuated ) , the nearest hotels are about 3 miles or so to the west of there right by the Daniels Parkway exit of I-75. And they are not bargains. Not sure whether there are any ma and pa motels east or north of there, but I doubt it...

I'd rather take this one: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6A8j2EQmANk/TK6n3LyAwEI/AAAAAAAAWak/zqGN8k8U7_M/s1600/Carl+Pavano+photo+and+wiki+3.jpg At least he did not leave the Twins for more money and then signed with a hated division rival...

Hicks is due for a rebound. His career OPS even and odd year seasons: 2008 .900 2009 .735 2010 .829 2011 .722 2012 .844 2013 .650/.597 (AAA/MLB) If this trend continues, he should be right at Span's career high (.819) OPS (age 24 as well) season and I think that worse case scenario would be Span's average career season (.738) OPS. Presley is a 4th OF type and this team should not really bench Hicks or send him to AAA for him. For the Twins to be competitive, they need Hicks to be the starter and perform well and not at AAA.

^^^^ This. If Stewart is not up until 2018-9, he should not be ranked as the 4th best prospect in this system. I think that 2016 is more realistic.

I just read this more carefully and also what he said about the " lump". This does not sound like the squamous cell carcinoma skin cancer ( treatment usually an outpatient procedure and you are done ) but throat cancer (also squamous cells) which can have a good prognosis if it is early enough and the lymph nodes are clean (and they seem to be). But treatment is more involved. Thus the time off. Darn. Hope it is all gone soon and he is cancer free...

Wishing him the best. Squamous cell carcinoma ( the mildest non evasive form of skin cancer) is very treatable in early stages and just takes surgery.

David Dorsey just confirmed that the minor leaguers will stay at the Lee County Sports Complex. Good news.

So you would rather have what the Twins had from 1992-2013 compared to what the Yankees had? You'd rather have cycles of awfulness and mediocrity vs championship caliber teams every season? I just don't get it. And what exactly is "shallow success" on the Yankees WS run during the early Torre years? I hope that every Twins' fan would rather see the Twins have such a "shallow success"... or like the one the Cardinals recently have. Or is St. Louis a bigger market than the Twin Cities?

an 87 loss season (after 3 96+ loss seasons) should cost Ryan and Gardenhire & Co their jobs; it will not cause smiles...

Ramos has a career 109 OPS+ and this will be his age 26 season in the majors. Other than Buxton, Sano and maybe Rosario nobody on the list (as far as position players go) is a sure thing to equal this performance. If Revere was a prospect, he would probably be fifth or sixth in this list. Plouffe, Duensing and Swarzak are proven major leaguers. Other than the first 3 in this list, I think that if the rest on the 2014 list have the career that those three had so far, would they be busts? I don't think so...

success = making the postseason and getting deep into the post season. Nothing else. And if that does not happen, the Pohlads should make wholesale changes, starting with the GM. (Some) Twins' fans & press called the mediocrity of the 00s (after the awfulness of the late 90s) "success". Better does not mean great. And if you are ok with mediocrity, you will never see real greatness. No incentive.

OK then I still think that he is a better SS than a P

'tis the ads being served. Some of them are not nice...

Nick Gordon (not to be confused with Whitney Houston's daughter's husband) is an intriguing kid. Probably the best defensive SS in the draft and he has a 94 mph fastball as a pitcher. SS and LHSP are very big organizational needs right now, so I would not mind them going after Gordon (as a SS; he bats L and throws R) or a LHSP.