Nick Nelson

? Wieters underwent TJ surgery in June of 2014 and was back behind the plate on June 5th of this year. That's less than one year of recovery time. After returning, he threw out 31% of base stealers, which is right around league average. I'm not sure I understand the concerns about Wieters needing to move away from catcher anytime soon. I'm also not sure I understand the overall durability concerns. Prior to Tommy John he had started 120+ games at catcher for four straight seasons. The elbow surgery is in the past now.

Good point, I will tweak.

The Offseason Handbook was released on Monday, and is now available for immediate download. The ebook includes dozens of free agent profiles covering players available at every position, but one of the biggest focuses is catcher, which is perhaps Minnesota's most glaring need. The top name on the catcher market this winter is an intriguing one... Maybe the most intriguing we've seen in a long time.Matt Wieters was the fifth overall pick by the Orioles in 2007 draft, and within a couple of years he developed into the No. 1 prospect in baseball. A switch-hitting catcher boasting solid receiving skills to go along with power and plate discipline, Wieters looked like the whole package, and many viewed him as the player who would supplant Joe Mauer (who was enjoying his MVP season when Wieters came into the league in 2009) as the game's best backstop. He didn't quite fulfill that immense promise, but Wieters did hit .255/.319/.420 with 87 home runs while appearing in two All-Star Games over his first five seasons in the majors. Elbow problems in 2014 led to Tommy John surgery, and the recovery process limited him to 101 total games over the past two seasons. Still, he kept hitting when he was on the field, and his arm looked fine after he returned this summer. There are inherently going to be question marks surrounding a guy who has missed as much time as he has recently, but Wieters has done enough on the field to minimize those concerns. His market this winter is going to be interesting. He's hardly a superstar but he's really the only bona fide starting catcher in the free agent field. And it's just not very often that you see players of his pedigree and youth (he doesn't turn 30 until next May) openly available. The competitive bidding among clubs that are looking to improve at catcher could dissuade the Twins from pursuing him very seriously. But there's no doubt that it's something they need to consider. In the Offseason Handbook, we estimated a Wieters contract at four years and $60 million, which is roughly in line with the 4/64 estimate that MLB Trade Rumors laid out last week. In our Twins Daily Offseason Blueprint within the Handbook, we actually suggest signing Wieters, because his appeal is obvious. He's the rare example of a long-term core player that can be added at a somewhat reasonable price through free agency, and with the Twins organization sorely lacking for any kind of legitimate prospects at the position, his addition would shore up the most obvious weakness in the system. But in order to take the plunge on Wieters, Terry Ryan and the Twins would really, really have to be believers in him. He would require a substantial investment. For starters, his theoretical contract would be the largest ever given to a free agent by this franchise, surpassing Ervin Santana's $55 million deal last year. And even our (and MLBTR's) estimate might be on the low side, given that his agent is Scott Boras and Minnesota isn't necessarily viewed as the most desirable of destinations. Adding Wieters would also mean relegating Kurt Suzuki, who is owed $6 million in 2016, to strict backup status, and committing upwards of $20 million to the catcher position next year. That's a tough pill to swallow, but I think most (including Twins brass) would agree that Suzuki shouldn't be assured any kind of role based on his contract. He was a backup-caliber player this year, through and through, and that has largely been true throughout his career. The final impediment with Wieters is that signing him will cost the Twins a draft pick, since the Orioles are expected to make him a qualifying offer. In tandem with Santana last year, that would be two straight offseasons in which Ryan forfeited a high pick to sign a free agent to a long-term contract. This would be extremely uncharacteristic, but if the Twins are truly making an all-out push for contention mode, and are fully committed to addressing their hole at catcher with authority, all options need to be on the table. Fortunately, if the sacrifices necessary to land Wieters are deemed too great, there are plenty of other options out there. Nobody outside of him in free agency really projects as a reliable full-time starter, but there are some players who would be a strong fit in a time-sharing scenario with Suzuki, offering the potential to move into a more regular role. Those players – guys like Alex Avila, A.J. Pierzynski and Dioner Navarro – are probably the ones that Ryan and the Twins will target more aggressively. But there are also some rather compelling trade possibilities. We'll take a look at some of them in the coming days and weeks. If you want to learn more about Wieters, as well as the rest of the free agent crop and numerous trade targets, please consider picking up a copy of the Offseason Handbook today. With 101 pages of dynamite content, it's a must-have for Twins fans as Hot Stove season officially gets underway. Click here to view the article

On Sunday night, the Royals vanquished the Mets to capture the World Series. Sadly, that means the 2016 baseball season has officially reached an end. But on the bright side, it means Hot Stove season is just about to get going. You'll be fully prepared as a Twins fan with the Twins Daily 2016 Offseason Handbook, which is now available for download!If you preordered, you have already received an email notification for your download. If you did not preorder, you can follow this link to purchase your copy of the Handbook and download it immediately. This fully loaded, beautifully designed ebook contains 101 pages of content providing you with a comprehensive preview of the MLB offseason landscape delivered from a distinctly Twins-centric standpoint. It's perfect for reading on a computer or tablet, and can also be printed out. Among the sections that you'll find inside the Offseason Handbook: A lengthy, exclusive interview with Twins general manager Terry RyanBreakdowns of the organization's current depth and needsAn in-depth overview of payroll commitments and arbitration estimatesProfiles of available free agents for every positionsWriteups on trade candidates for the Twins, and players they could targetMuch more!DOWNLOAD THE HANDBOOK NOW http://s22.postimg.org/q13ddj2pd/hbsamp.png The Twins Daily Offseason Handbook puts you in the shoes of Twins GM, allowing you to use all of the information listed above to formulate your own educated opinions and build your offseason blueprint. If you'd like to get a peek at what's inside before buying, you can download this free seven-page sample with snapshots of various sections. By purchasing a copy of the 2016 Offseason Handbook, you are not only getting an awesome product that you'll love at a killer price, you're also supporting the free content that appears here on Twins Daily year-round. Thank you, as always, for your support. And enjoy! Buy and download the Handbook here. Click here to view the article

That doesn't exactly clash with my phrasing. I never said that the loyalty and affinity were a one-way street.

When Torii Hunter made his major-league debut for the Twins in August of 1997, Flip Saunders had recently completed his first full season as head coach of the Timberwolves, in which he led the team to its first ever playoff berth. That period marked the start of two careers in sport that would transform each man into a local legend. They followed their own distinct paths, branching out in different directions, but ultimately converged back where it all started so many years ago. As it turns out, that is also where both roads would come to an end.When Hunter was donning an MLB jersey for the first time and the Wolves were just getting started on a lengthy run of first-round playoff exits, I was an 11-year-old boy in his formative years as a sports fan. I became a Wolves fan while Flip was leading the team to (albeit fruitless) postseason berths year after year. I became a far more hardcore Twins fan while Hunter was entrenched as the one enduring constant on four division-winning clubs from 2002 through 2006. Needless to say, the last couple days have struck me with a lot of emotions. On Monday, Hunter announced that he has decided to end his career as a player, one day after Saunders' career as a coach and executive was tragically cut short. I have always been a huge Flip Saunders fan. He did big things for a Timberwolves franchise that lacked an identity until he (and a kid named Kevin Garnett) gave them one. And now, after returning, he has created the foundation for what could very well be an even better run. But what I truly admired was the fact that Flip was, at his core, a total rube. I'll never forget listening to sports talk radio while riding in the passenger seat of my dad's car and hearing some riled up host ranting on the Wolves, only to be refuted by an animated Saunders who had (of course) been listening, and called in to defend himself. It was amazing, and it was not an infrequent occurrence. That part of Flip never really went away. Up until the last few months, he was still doing weekly spots with Dan Barreiro; the "Friday Funkadelic" was my favorite thing on the radio, by far. Here you had the general manager AND head coach of the local pro basketball team, yukking it up on drivetime radio, sometimes deflecting Barreiro's probes for inside tidbits with a chuckle, and sometimes slyly dropping illuminating insights. Flip's death on Sunday was a profoundly sad event, and one that hit me hard personally as I look ahead to my 30th birthday on Thursday. He was only 60, and that sure doesn't seem as old to me as it once did now that I'm checking in at the halfway point. Hunter's retirement on Monday, conversely, brought out a vastly different set of feelings. It isn't a cause for somber reflection, but rather a cause for celebration. His career was exceptional, and he ended it on his terms. He probably did the Twins a favor, robbing them of the temptation to try and squeeze one more year out of a popular yet declining veteran, at a point where he really isn't a logical fit. Hunter's return this year, and this week's retirement announcement, stir up a strong cocktail of mixed emotions. On the one hand, I have always loved him as a player. He was an incredibly consistent force in center field as Minnesota ushered in a new era of competitive baseball. Every year, Hunter hit around 25 home runs and posted an OPS around .800. Every year he added another Gold Glove to his shelf, establishing himself as an all-time Web Gem king. And while I wasn't exactly enamored with his return this season from a purely baseball standpoint, there's just no denying that his decision to finish his career here is pretty damn cool. I mean, think about it. Through 18 big-league seasons and eight postseason appearances, Hunter has NEVER been to the World Series. He passed up a chance to play for the Royals, who went to the big dance last year and are back there now, opting instead for a blatantly rebuilding team coming off four straight 90-loss seasons, almost solely out of loyalty and deep-rooted affinity. But this is where the internal conflict arises. Because on the other hand, Hunter has said some things off the field that have really rubbed me the wrong way. And while I'm very much accustomed to setting aside the personal dispositions and quirks of professional athletes in order to enjoy them as performers, some of his outspoken remarks regarding gay marriage and homosexuality in general have been off-putting to me on a rather visceral level. But as the passing of Saunders on Sunday reminds, life is short. Too short for grudges, and for harping on negative traits. I may disagree with Hunter vehemently on a matter that I find important, but I don't presume his viewpoints stem from hatred – more likely a rigidly engrained belief system. Last Friday, when he interviewed Terry Ryan for the Offseason Handbook, our Parker Hageman asked the general manager about Hunter's impact, and the response was unsurprisingly filled with praise. As a follow-up, Parker asked whether Ryan would seek to replace Hunter's veteran presence in the event that the outfielder chose to retire. The GM fumbled for words a bit. "Well, we'll see what happens, I don't know," he said tersely. "Let's see what happens before we worry about replacing him." Ryan could not have been surprised by Monday's announcement – by all accounts, Hunter's leaning was no secret – but still it was a difficult reality to come to grips with, and not just for the GM, as this tweet from La Velle E. Neal alludes: The positive sentiment toward Hunter stretches well beyond the Twins' front office, extending to his teammates, his opponents, his coaches and the media members that cover him. He smiles infectiously, embraces a leadership role, and played the game awfully hard for nearly two decades. Hunter styled himself after Kirby Puckett, and he didn't come all that short of matching Puck's transcendent presence on the baseball field. But like Puckett, Hunter is not without flaws. My disagreeing with his views isn't going to change them. I hope that he becomes more enlightened over time in that regard but either way I'm not going to dwell on his opinion. Instead, I'll appreciate the spectacular things he did on the field, and the allegiance he ultimately showed to the Twins organization, while looking forward to seeing his next move in the game. Where one road ends, another begins. Click here to view the article

Last week, Twins general manager Terry Ryan sat down with Twins Daily's Parker Hageman for a lengthy in-depth interview that will appear in the Offseason Handbook, which you can preorder now for $4.99 ahead of its November 2nd release. The Q&A session lasted nearly an hour and covered an expansive range of topics. Among them was Kurt Suzuki and the catcher position.Parker put it out there bluntly: "Your catchers threw out 19 percent of base stealers, and had an OPS of .591, which was only better than the Mariners. Is addressing that a high priority this offseason?" Ryan, for his part, was equally blunt: "Yeah, yeah it is." "We've got to get better in that. Kurt, to his credit, he took the post. You know, durability and taking the field when you're called upon, there's something to be said about that. We got an extreme amount of production out of him two years ago. Nobody was expecting that level going forward because, alright he had an awful good year. But somewhere in between he should settle in. "But we also need to take a look at that position, we've got to do better. To some, the whole "he took the post" thing might sound like a lame cop-out, but in this case it holds weight. As far below average as he might have been, Suzuki was the only thing standing between Chris Herrmann or Eric Fryer being in the starting lineup on a regular basis. Obviously, the entire situation points a major flaw in the roster, and Ryan admits that right up front. There is no question that the Twins will be acquiring at least one catcher in the coming months. Will they seek a supplement for Suzuki, or a replacement starter? Ryan's acknowledgement that the true Suzuki is "somewhere in between" the 2014 and 2015 versions doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence when you consider that his midpoint OPS in those two seasons (.668) would have ranked below all but two qualified MLB catchers this year. At the very least, the Twins need to bring in someone who can split time with Suzuki, and a lefty-swinging short-term caddy would make sense in that event. Last week, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports said that "Minnesota is expected to look to bring back veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski," who would fit the bill for a variety of reasons. Here's the Free Agent blurb on Pierzynski from the Offseason Handbook: A.J. Pierzynski, ATL Age: 39 | Bats/Throws: L/R 2015 Stats: 113 G, .300/.339/.430, 9 HR, 49 RBI 2015 Salary: $2M Pierzynski is remarkable. While we've watched countless younger catchers wear down and get forced away from the position, here he was at age 38, catching more than 100 games and batting .300 in the process. He was pretty beat up at the end of the campaign, so it's unclear if he'll feel up to returning for another year, but he can still play. He and Suzuki could be a decent – if unexciting – combo for 2016. Estimated Contract: 1 year, $5 million Pieryznski is profiled in the Offseason Handbook alongside a number of other free agent catchers, ranging from Matt Wieters (top) to Geovany Soto (bottom). We also examine numerous potential trade targets while diving deep on payroll, arbitration, 40-man roster decisions, positional depth around the organization, and more. All of that is in addition to the exclusive interview with Terry Ryan, which touches on every offseason topic and is presented in its entirety within the ebook. If you're a Twins fan, you don't want to miss out on this. For a limited time, you can preorder your Offseason Handbook for a special price of $4.99, and you'll receive it the moment it releases on November 2nd. Order today, and get the full offseason experience. Click here to view the article

I was trying to find the right card-playing metaphor. I think you nailed it.

I look at Toronto's Marcus Stroman as an example of what a dominating pitcher who lacks height can look like. He's a few inches shorter than Berrios and he's a beast.

I'm not sure what the statistical correlation is, but scouts and analysts tend to feel that shorter pitchers can't get the same downward trajectory on their pitches, making them more susceptible to fly balls and especially home runs. Intuitively it makes sense and we've certainly seen it play out for many diminutive hurlers. We just haven't seen that with Berrios, at all. He's not a ground ball guy necessarily but he keeps the ball in the yard. He's given up only 25 homers in 440 innings, including just 12 last year in 27 starts as a 21-year-old in AA and AAA.

Are you arguing that Cueto was somehow instrumental in getting the Royals to the playoffs? He's been more of a negative than a positive since coming over. The Royals made it to the World Series last year without a real "ace." They'll probably do it this year with Cueto struggling. I don't think bringing them up as an example supports the point you're trying to make.

Last week, on Twitter and in the Twins Daily forum, I posed a hypothetical question: If you were the Twins GM, and you had the chance to trade Jose Berrios and Max Kepler for Oakland's Sonny Gray, would you do it? The responses varied widely – everywhere from "Yes, in a split-second" to "Not in a million years." But the uncomfortable proposition of parting with both the organization's reigning minor-league pitcher and hitter of the year highlights a dreary and relevant reality: Acquiring an "ace" pitcher is really, really difficult.Outlook for the 2016 Rotation The Twins had plenty of solid depth in their starting corps this season, with five different starters making 15-plus starts and posting an ERA that was close to or slightly above average. What was lacking, however, was a true standout No. 1. Kyle Gibson earned that billing by default, as he led the way in innings and ERA, but his ERA ranked 48th among big-league starters and his K-rate ranked 60th. A match-up between Gibson and someone like David Price, Cole Hamels or Dallas Keuchel in a Game 1 postseason tilt would have been tragically lopsided. So as the Twins try to solidify themselves as true contenders this offseason, the search for that top-tier arm to lead the rotation is a primary consideration, and one that we cover extensively in the upcoming Offseason Handbook (now available for preorder!). Before we dig into the topic here, let's ask ourselves a question: Does An Ace Really Matter That Much? It seems inherently obvious. Many teams have ridden their horse to October glory, with last year's Giants and Madison Bumgarner serving as a prime example. But having that premier starter at the front of your rotation doesn't come close to guaranteeing anything. This year, we saw the Royals ship out some great young talent to acquire Johnny Cueto from the Reds at the deadline, only to watch the righty post a 5.27 ERA in 16 starts between the regular season and postseason. Cueto was pretty much the definition of an ace starter when Kansas City acquired him. He'd been Cincinnati's No. 1 for years, had pitched in big postseason games, and had the second-lowest ERA among all MLB starters since 2011, trailing only the inimitable Clayton Kershaw. Yet, as the Royals learned, and as the Twins have learned on a smaller scale with Ervin Santana and Ricky Nolasco, you don't always know what you're getting. Even when a top starter does pitch up to his ability, it's not some magical elixir that assures postseason success. The Twins went to the playoffs four times from 2002 through 2006, and the only time they won a series was when Johan Santana was NOT in the rotation. Paying The Price In any case, clearly, having a high-end starter fronting the rotation makes a team better, both in the regular season and playoffs. So what would it cost for the Twins to reel in an elite pitching talent? The top name on the free agent market is David Price, who could land a record-setting deal coming off a Cy Young caliber season in which he had an enormous impact for the Blue Jays following a deadline trade. It seems safe to assume that the Twins won't go north of $200 million on any contract. Next in line are names like Zack Greinke, Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann, but each is likely to ink a nine-figure contract. That's probably too steep. In fact, almost any lucrative long-term deal for a starter is difficult to fathom when the Twins have committed a total of $170 to Santana, Nolasco and Phil Hughes over the past two offseasons. Those big commitments to middling veterans are really limiting the Twins' flexibility to make a meaningful plunge into the pitching market. It'd be nice if they could take all those deals back and put that combined sum toward one elite arm, but alas. Outside of free agency, the avenue for acquiring a big-name starter would be a trade. As the Berrios/Kepler-for-Gray scenario illustrates, going this route would require a painful exodus of high-caliber young talent. Still, it might be worth it. Gray has established himself at a level Berrios can only hope to reach, and will be controlled at a reasonable price for many years. He's only one example, but he's certainly the type of player that Terry Ryan should be targeting if he's willing to pony up with some of his top prospects. Searching Within The alternative to all this, of course, is to stand pat and hope that someone emerges from within to provide the Twins with a legitimate No. 1 starter. I see three paths to this outcome that aren't completely unrealistic: 1) Ervin Santana pitches like he did in September for most the season. When the Twins signed Santana to a franchise-record free agent deal last winter, they were hoping he could become that No. 1 guy for them. He certainly looked the part at times. In his first four starts and last seven starts, he combined to go 7-1 with a 1.97 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. That's ace type stuff, for sure. Of course, the problem was that in between those stretches he endured a miserable slump. That's always been the story for Santana: flashes of brilliance amidst consistent inconsistency. There's a reason he has only twice posted an ERA+ higher than 111. It's tough to believe he'll pull it together for a full year, especially as he ages into his mid-30s and surpasses 2,000 innings in career workload. 2) Phil Hughes reverts to 2014 form. It gets overlooked a bit since the Twins lost 92 games, but Hughes really was an ace-caliber starter in his first season with Minnesota. He set an MLB record for K/BB ratio, his 2.65 FIP was sixth-best in baseball, and he was "quality" in 20 of his 32 starts. This year, Hughes' HR-rate spiked while his strikeouts plummeted, but decreased fastball velocity (attributable to back problems?) appeared to be the main culprit. He did maintain his elite control, proving that 2014 was no fluke in that regard, so if he can regain the zip on his heater and start missing more bats he has a chance to get back to that level. Hughes doesn't turn 30 until next June. 3) Jose Berrios fulfills his promise. Since he lacks the prototypical frame of a front-end workhorse starter, Berrios' ability to develop into the pitcher that his spectacular minor-league numbers foretell has always been in question. Yet, the kid just continues to dominate older and more experienced competition at every stop. And he's the one pitcher in the mix for the Twins who, in terms of pure stuff, can match up to the top dogs on contending clubs. Personally, I think the chances of at least one of the three possibilities mentioned above coming to fruition are good enough that I'd forego taking the drastic steps necessary to acquire an established No. 1 starter externally. How about you? Click here to view the article

TBD. We're working on it but schedules for team execs are very tricky in the weeks following the end of the season and we work around a tight timeline to get this out as quickly as possible. I promise you'll love this thing with or without the interview though!

The newest edition of Twins Daily's flagship digital product will become available on November 2nd, and it is going to be our best yet. Preorder today and you can get the Offseason Handbook at a great discount!There're no two ways about it: The coming offseason is going to be one of the most important for this Minnesota Twins franchise in many years. Now that a substantial step forward was finally taken in 2015, the focus turns to building a true championship-caliber club. The 2016 Twins Daily Offseason Handbook puts you in the shoes of the general manager and equips you with all of the information necessary to craft your own blueprint for turning the Twins into a World Series contender. In this beautiful, colorful and hefty ebook, you'll find analysis of the team's greatest needs, a breakdown of payroll commitments, an overview of the organization's depth at every position, listings and descriptions for dozens of free agents, plausible trade scenarios, and much more. The Handbook also includes an exclusive, in-depth interview with Twins general manager Terry Ryan that covers every major offseason topic. By preordering your copy today, you can get the Offseason Handbook for $4.99, discounted from the original price of $6.99, and you'll receive the PDF file in your email box as soon as it becomes available on November 2nd. It's perfect for reading on a computer or tablet, or you can print out a physical copy to take with you. This will be your go-to resource for everything related to this pivotal Twins offseason. Buying an Offseason Handbook not only provides you with a tremendous product at a great value, it also supports the free content that appears on Twins Daily each day. This ebook is a must-have for any Twins fan. If you're not completely satisfied with the Offseason Handbook, we will happily refund your purchase. The next few months are going to be absolutely critical for the Twins franchise. Make sure you're fully prepared. Preorder your Twins Daily Offseason Handbook now. As always, thank you for your support, and for making fun projects like this possible. Click here to view the article

As the offseason gets underway and the Hot Stove prepares to heat up, the first step for Terry Ryan and the Minnesota Twins is to evaluate what they have, and what they need. One key figure in their planning process is Aaron Hicks, whose mixed-bag 2015 season leaves the Twins in a state of uncertainty going forward.In some respects, Hicks' season could be viewed as a breakout year. His .256 batting average was a massive step up from the .201 he put up between 2013 and 2014, he cut down substantially on strikeouts, and he notched 25 extra-base hits in 97 games. His .721 OPS was 115 points higher than his mark entering the campaign. After rejoining the club in early July following a stint on the disabled list, Hicks looked like a different player than the one who had constantly struggled against big-league pitching, posting a monstrous .320/.378/.531 slash line with six homers in his first 35 games back. The problem is that it's not clear whether Hicks truly turned the corner this season, or simply enjoyed a nice five-week hot streak. Because outside of the aforementioned stretch, his performance was really not all that different from those disappointing first couple seasons with the Twins. Hicks opened the season in Triple-A and was called up in mid-May. In the month before he landed on the DL with a sore elbow, he hit .247/.293/.301, which was pretty much in line with his past production. And following that 35-game hot streak, he limped to a .198/.291/.336 finish in his final 34 contests. If the 26-year-old outfielder had sustained his success over a prolonged period of time, it would be easier to look at him as a reliable building block heading into 2016. As things stand, I'm not sure that the Twins can. He will surely have a spot on the Opening Day roster – he's earned that much, and he'll be out of options so another start in the minors isn't on the table anyway – but in what capacity should the Twins plan to utilize Hicks? It's becoming increasingly clear that in order to maximize his effectiveness, they'll need to use him as a part-time player. Even with all of his improvements at the plate this season, the switch-hitting Hicks continued to struggle when swinging from the left side, batting just .235/.302/.359 against right-handed pitchers. Since righties comprise the vast majority of the league's pitchers, that is not ideal. At the very least, the Twins need to have a left-handed hitting outfielder on the roster who can fill in occasionally and offset Hicks' weakness in this area. A straight platoon would make a great deal of sense in terms of maximizing run production, although I'm not sure Paul Molitor is ready to go that far since Hicks remains relatively young and is a big asset defensively. Regardless, he should be shielded against righties to some extent. One option, in the event that Hicks is in right field, is to platoon him with Oswaldo Arcia. I know that might not sound appealing in light of his awful 2015 season, but Arcia was consistently an offensive force for many years prior. He needs to work his way back into the mix and he'll be out of options next spring so a return to Triple-A isn't happening. Deploying him strategically against righties, against whom he has been very effective in the majors (.807 OPS), is a good way to accomplish just that. Another possibility? Max Kepler, the lefty-swinging star prospect who debuted briefly in September. But the 22-year-old will probably not be in the running for a roster spot coming out of spring training and I doubt the Twins will want to limit him to part-time duty when he comes up. Eddie Rosario would fit the bill as well but will likely head into 2016 as an entrenched regular. If the Twins elect to use Hicks in center field, with Byron Buxton starting in the minors, they narrow down their options somewhat. There's not a good lefty-swinging center field option at their disposal presently. Among pending free agents, the only name that really stands out is our old friend Denard Span, who probably isn't looking for a part-time gig. Span was absolutely stellar against the righties this year though (.330/.393/.486). What do you think? What's your view of Hicks heading into the offseason, and how would you work him into your 2016 plans? Click here to view the article

Across baseball, 2015 was The Year of the Rookie. A majority of the game's highest rated prospects debuted this season, and in most cases they made that transition with notable success. The Twins were a microcosm of this trend, graduating several of the best young players in their system and receiving numerous highly impactful rookie performances. But while there were a few different names deserving of consideration, the choice here was pretty easy.Voting Results 1. Miguel Sano: 24 points 2. Eddie Rosario: 13.5 points 3. Tyler Duffey: 6 points 4. Trevor May: 4.5 points There were eight voters and points were awarded on a three-point scale, meaning that Sano received first-place votes from every participant (Seth Stohs, Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard, Steve Lein, Eric Pleiss, John Bonnes, Parker Hageman and myself). I mean, what choice did we really have? Sano's season was not only head-and-shoulders above the rest of this year's class, it was also one of the best rookie campaigns in franchise history. Playing in 80 games following his early-July promotion from Double-A, Sano hit .269/.385/.530 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI. He became an intimidating force at the cleanup spot and completely changed the complexion of the Twins lineup during the second half of the season. Among Twins players to make 300 or more plate appearances as a rookie, Sano's .916 OPS ties him with Tony Oliva (1964) for best all-time, beating Bobby Kielty (.890 in 2002) and Justin Morneau (.875 in 2004). He has the most home runs, walks and RBI for any Twin through 80 games. In his first taste of the majors, Sano struck out at an exorbitant rate of 35.5 percent; the leader among qualified MLB hitters was Baltimore's Chris Davis at 31 percent. However, the young Dominican slugger made up for the whiffs by drawing tons of walks and batting .468 with a .925 slugging percentage in at-bats where he didn't strike out. The huge numbers on balls in play were driven by an AL-leading hard-hit percentage of 43.2 percent. Only Miami's Giancarlo Stanton had a higher rate, at 49.7 percent. Sano's ability to absolute smash the baseball every time he made contact was certainly impressive, but what might have been most encouraging was the consistent quality of his at-bats as a 22-year-old getting his initial exposure to the big leagues. He ran the count full in 28 percent of his plate appearances and batted .240/.581/.700 when he did so. That mature and advanced plate approach set Sano apart from the No. 2 finisher on this list, Eddie Rosario, whose advantages over Sano included providing substantial defensive value where Sano provided none, and playing in about three-quarters of the team's games where Sano played only half. Rosario was a solid hitter in his own right, piling up 46 extra-base hits in 474 plate appearances, including a league-leading 15 triples. His plate discipline issues proved problematic, leading to an ugly 118-to-15 K/BB ratio and .289 on-base percentage, and ultimately his .748 OPS was only a shade above the MLB average for a left fielder (.736). That's not exactly a bad thing. Delivering average offensive production while mixing in excellent defense and dynamic speed on the base paths made Rosario a highly valuable asset at age 23. His ability to cover ground in the outfield, contrasted against slow-footed predecessors like Oswaldo Arcia and Josh Willingham, can hardly be overstated and he ranked second in the majors with 16 outfield assists. Opponents ran on Rosario's arm and he made them pay, repeatedly. Rosario placed second on six of eight ballots but was edged on a couple by Tyler Duffey, who made his 10 starts count in a big way. The 24-year-old curveball connoisseur went 5-1 with a 3.10 ERA after joining the team in early August, including 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA following his rocky debut in Toronto. By the end of the season, Duffey had essentially established himself as the rotation's most trustworthy starter, firing quality starts in each of his last five turns, all of which carried significant importance. Trevor May appeared on only a few ballots, probably because most didn't think of him as a rookie since he pitched a fair amount last year. However, May came a few innings short of the rookie cutoff in 2014 and did qualify this season. He looked good as a starter in the first half and great as a reliever in the second half. His performance should not be overlooked in this discussion. Click here to view the article

What a ride. The Twins came up just short in their surprising run at a playoff spot thanks to a disappointingly flat effort at Target Field over the weekend, but nonetheless the 2015 season has to be viewed as a profoundly positive one for the organization.After four straight 90-loss campaigns, the Twins posted a winning record this year while ushering several of their top prospects into the mix – as key contributors, even – and have set themselves up to be a top dog in the AL Central once again. Nothing is guaranteed going forward, but for all intents and purposes, the rebuilding process is over. This team is now in contention mode. That's something that we haven't really experienced during the life of Twins Daily. This site launched in March of 2012, heading into the second of four consecutive non-competitive seasons. This year marked the first time we've been able to cover and discuss meaningful baseball into the late summer and early autumn. With how passionate and knowledgeable the community here had proven to be over the first three years of the site's existence, the Twins Daily crew often speculated about how fun this place would be when the team returned to contending, as they did for most of the decade preceding 2012. You all delivered. More than 80,000 unique visitors stopped by Twins Daily in the month of September – twice as many as the same period last year. It was evident from the activeness and fervor of our commenters and message board contributors that life was being pumped back into a fan base that had understandably gone comatose to some extent. I was struck, in particular, by this tweet that ESPN senior baseball writer Keith Law sent to the @TwinsDaily Twitter account a couple of weeks ago: Law is a guy who has ventured into plenty of comment sections and encountered plenty of trolling, so that compliment means a lot coming from him. And it encapsulates a facet of this site that makes me love it. So often, internet comment sections are cesspools of humanity, where people use the mask of anonymity to insult, degrade and provide little in the way of useful input. That has never been the case here and Law is hardly the first to marvel about it. Even my dad has remarked multiple times about how much more he gets out of reading my articles when he reads the added insights within the comments. My dad! I didn't even know my dad knew what a comment section was! This environment is made possible by a few things. First and foremost, we have a tireless group of moderators who charitably volunteer to keep things in line. Second, we are lucky enough to attract a readership that – for the most part – knows its stuff and engages in smart, entertaining banter rather than flame wars and idiocy. And third, we have a ton of great content that invites thoughtful feedback and ignites lively conversations. Only a fraction of that content comes from Parker, John, Seth and myself. That was always the goal. So, we'd all like to say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who visited, published, assisted and interacted on the site this year. You helped to make a fun season all the more enjoyable and immersive, and you continue to make this little experiment a success. But we're not done yet. Although the Twins are finished playing in 2015, the show will go on here at Twins Daily. This week we'll take some retrospective looks at the season that was, and soon we'll begin our offseason coverage as the front office prepares to navigate a very important winter. Plenty of articles on the site will explore the coming months from every angle, and of course when the postseason comes to a close, you'll be able to grab our annual release of the Offseason Handbook, an ebook that covers the offseason landscape with unparalleled depth. If you haven't yet, we strongly encourage you to register for an account and join in on the awesome conversations that are sure to take place regarding free agency, trades, roster decisions and more. Take the opportunity to write your first blog. And as always, if there's something you think we could be doing better, don't hesitate to let us know. What a ride. And it's only just beginning. Click here to view the article