Nick Nelson

I think we all approached that question in different ways. For John and Seth it was more of a "This guy is a sleeper to make the roster," for me it was more "This guy is gonna generate some buzz and get people talking." Certainly Sabato won't be on the Opening Day team but I think we'll see how advanced his bat is and realize he's not too far off.

Pretty sure he's out of options so I'd say he's close to a lock, so long as he's not a total mess. I tend to agree with this. Which underscores why they probably won't sign anyone else of note for the bullpen.

With position players reporting to camp on Monday, spring training is about to be in full swing for the Minnesota Twins. Here are some key competitions, decisions, and storylines to track in the four-plus weeks leading up to Opening Day.On Friday, I was joined by John Bonnes and Seth Stohs on the , in which we previewed spring training by discussing and debating a variety of topics. You can watch our conversation below, or listen via audio on our podcast. But if you don't have 100 minutes handy, read on for a quick rundown of focal points and takeaways in our discussion, plus a chance to share your takes and predictions in the comments. The Roster Outlook Entering Camp The Twins are building toward a 26-man Opening Day roster. Barring injuries, a vast majority of the jobs are essentially spoken for, leaving only a few true battles to be decided in camp. Here's how the roster shapes up at this time, with three notable openings: Download attachment: springtrainingroster.png The projection above begs a few questions: Who's starting in left field, and who's rounding out the bench and bullpen? We sorted through these topics in the show. Who Starts in Left Field on Opening Day? Candidates: Alex Kirilloff, Jake Cave, Luis Arráez, Brent Rooker, Kyle Garlick It's widely assumed that Kirilloff will ultimately hold down left field, but probably not out of the gates. The Twins stand to gain an extra year of service time by starting him in the minors, and there's certainly a case to be made the 23-year-old could use a bit more seasoning. We landed on Arráez as the clear choice here. He's got nowhere else to play in the Opening Day lineup at this point, and the thought of him being on the bench for that momentous occasion is almost outrageous. (Especially against a tough right-handed pitcher.) Arráez played quite a bit of left field as a rookie and has stated his intent to sharpen up there this spring. It seems likely Arráez will be the semi-regular left fielder early on, at least until Kirilloff arrives. Of course, that outlook can quickly change if someone gets hurt, requiring Arráez to fill in elsewhere. Then, Cave becomes the top candidate, or maybe even Kirilloff, should the Twins set aside service-time concerns or lock him up with an extension. Who Gets the Last Spot on the Bench? Candidates: Brent Rooker, Willians Astudillo, Kyle Garlick, Travis Blankenhorn, Nick Gordon Here's how we see a four-man bench taking form currently: Download attachment: twinsbench.png Something to keep in mind is that, under the assumption Kirilloff starts in the minors, Arráez or Cave is starting in left field. So that theoretically opens up an additional bench spot, but there still might only be one for the taking. MLB removed the roster stipulation of a 13-pitcher limit this year, so it's possible the Twins will carry 14 arms. In fact it's quite likely, I'd argue. So, let's stick with the idea that one final role on the bench is available. That role could take several different shapes. One might argue in favor of Rooker or Garlick, who offer right-handed bats to rotate with Arráez and Cave in left. There's also Blankenhorn and Gordon, who would provide necessary infield depth if Arráez is starting regularly in the outfield. Personally, I'm in favor of Astudillo, who brings a versatile right-handed bat as well as useful depth at catcher and third base. (Critically, unlike most others mentioned, there's no need to worry about Astudillo's development being impeded if he rarely plays.) Who Gets the Last Bullpen Spot? Candidates: Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer, Lewis Thorpe, Shaun Anderson, Edwar Colina As noted in the previous section, the Twins could very well go with a 14-man pitching staff, extending the bullpen to nine spots and adding another opening to the projection below: Download attachment: twinsbullpen.png One way or another, the team is all but certain to have at least one long-relief, starter-hybrid type arm in the bullpen mix, whether that's Dobnak, Smeltzer, Thorpe, or otherwise. The prohibitive favorite in such a race would be Dobnak, given his experience and track record. If the Twins go with nine relievers, our panel liked Anderson to win the job, but there are plenty of other contenders, including non-roster invites and – perhaps – lingering free agents yet to be signed. Which Player in Camp Will Surprise? There are always at least a few players each spring who go from off-the-radar, or out-of-mind, to center spotlight. Maybe it's the transformed physical shape they arrive in. Maybe it's eye-opening displays in batting practice. Maybe it's huge performances in exhibition games. On Offseason Live we each put forth a name we expect to generate some buzz in Fort Myers. John's Pick: Nick Gordon. An incredibly challenging 2020, which saw him hospitalized for COVID and far away from the baseball field, leaves the former first-round draft pick on a path of redemption as he likely faces his last chance to emerge in the Twins organization.Seth's Pick: J.T. Riddle. Keep an eye on this stellar defensive infielder, who could sneak his way onto the Opening Day bench if the Twins go all-in on their commitment to fielding the ball, and value his ability to play anywhere – including short and center.Nick's Pick: Aaron Sabato. He's not exactly unknown, as last year's first-rounder and Twins Daily's eighth-ranked prospect, but fans have had no opportunity to get a handle on Sabato yet. He hasn't played in a minor-league game or participated in a spring camp, until now. He was one of the best and most advanced hitters in the 2020 class. I can't wait to see his heralded power first-hand.Projecting the Twins Starting Lineup We wrapped up the show by attempting to collectively predict the batting lineup Rocco Baldelli will write up for April 1st, against the Brewers and right-hander Brandon Woodruff. We went round-robin, taking turns at each successive spot in the order. This led to some interesting realizations. (Note: it's since come to my attention that since the Twins are playing in Milwaukee and the designated hitter has been removed from the NL this year, Nelson Cruz will probably not be able to start in their opening series. Lame. Anyway, this analysis still applies with regards to predicting Baldelli's A-lineup.) Seth chose first, and understandably went with the default at leadoff in Kepler. After all, Kepler has led off nearly two-thirds of Minnesota's games over the past two seasons (63%). But as we continued – Donaldson second, Cruz third – we quickly hit a wall. The cleanup spot that once so reliably belonged to Eddie Rosario is now open, and the best apparent fit to replace him had already been written in at leadoff. In this our first pass, we went with Sanó at cleanup, Polanco fifth, and then followed with Garver, Arráez, Buxton and Simmons, arriving at this lineup: Download attachment: twinslineup1.png But, it didn't feel quite right. So we took another stab, moving Kepler into the cleanup spot and sliding Arráez up to leadoff. This one felt more plausible: Download attachment: twinslineup2.png Whether that's how the go-to batting order will look, I don't know. But after working through it in our discussion, I do feel comfortable saying this: Kepler's days as the regular leadoff man are finished. His left-handed power will be needed elsewhere in this lineup, at least until Kirilloff is here. How do you expect the Opening Day lineup to materialize? Who do you see winning the roster competitions laid out above? Who else might the Twins add before the season starts? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Twins Daily's on-site coverage of spring training will officially commence later this week. John is on the scene and ready to report from the Fort. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

I didn't say Colome "fixed the pen," I said he was an upgrade over the guy he replaced, who struggled in the postseason. The pen didn't need fixing, it was one of the best in the league. I also never said Maeda is second to Cole, I posed the question: which other contenders have a better #1 starter? I haven't heard any particularly convincing answers. (Cleveland, yes, if we're calling them a contender.) Anyway, I didn't even bring that comparison up til pretty deep into this comment thread, and long after you claimed the article was "homerish," so I'm calling BS on that one. You're basically arguing against positions that no one has stated. Maybe that's why you find them irrational. Because baseball is a game of sample sizes my friend, and 137-85 weighs a lot more heavily than 0-5. They aren't remotely equivalent so they're not treated as such. Regardless of what people want to believe, there is NOT some magical formula for winning in the playoffs that's different from the regular season. The bats coming up short against Houston was not a failure of planning, that was an extremely well-built offense marred by injuries and bad performances.

It was a long offseason, made to feel even longer by its glacial pace, but finally baseball's winter has ended. With workouts commencing in camp on Friday, it's time for the final episode of Offseason Live, as we welcome the arrival of spring training.Through 19 episodes of Offseason Live, we've previewed, dissected, debated, analyzed, and reacted to Hot Stove action in real-time. We've commiserated over the slow early trudge, and celebrated the late flourish. It's been a ton of fun, especially because of the engagement and interaction from viewers in each episode. And it all leads up to this: the arrival of a new (hopefully much more normal) baseball season. During the Offseason Live finale, I was joined by John Bonnes and Seth Stohs as we shared final thoughts on the Twins' winter and looked ahead to the next five weeks. We debate key position battles, predict camp surprises, and project the Opening Day roster while setting the stage for John's on-site coverage in Fort Myers. Watch it below. You can also always catch these episodes via audio by subscribing to our podcast. Check out previous episodes of Offseason Live: Ep 1: (Thurs, 10/8)Ep 2: (Tues, 10/13)Ep 3: (Thurs, 10/15)Ep 4: (Tues, 10/20)Ep 5: (Thurs, 10/22)Ep 6: (Tues, 10/27)Ep 7: (Thurs, 10/29)Ep 8: (Thurs, 11/5)Ep 9: (Thurs, 11/12)Ep 10: (Tues, 11/17)Ep 11: (Weds, 12/2)Ep 12: (Weds, 12/16)Ep 13: (Weds, 12/30)Ep 14: (Weds, 1/6)Ep 15: (Tues, 1/12)Ep 16: (Mon, 1/25)Ep 17: (Tues, 1/26)Ep 18: (Weds, 2/3)Ep 19: (Thurs, 2/11)Ep 20: (Fri, 2/19) Click here to view the article

Your point was that the Twins play (and I quote) "boring baseball." The Twins who have won two straight division titles; who set an all-time HR record two years ago; who have dynamic talent at every position on the field; who will spend more on payroll this year than ever before in franchise history ... are boring. Just not doing enough to get you excited. If you feel that way, fine. But acknowledging and celebrating these things doesn't make us homers, it makes us fans.

It's amusing to me how selectively some people choose to apply the 2020 small sample argument. "It was a 60-game season, we can't put any stock into Maeda pitching at an elite level from start to finish. But the Twins offense definitely sucks and should've been completely overhauled!"

That's one article ranking AL rotations, not #1 starters. Do you actually think Hyun-Jun Ryu is better than Maeda? Who in Oakland's rotation is better than Maeda? Chris Bassitt??

He costs more than the reliever he replaced (Romo). He has a far better track record than the reliever the replaced. In what way is that a "cost saving signing"? It's hard to take your criticisms seriously when they're presented so inaccurately. Yes, how "homerish" of me to suggest that the Cy Young runner-up was the second-best pitcher in the AL. Look, I understand (and agree with) the notion that Maeda is due for some level of regression, but it's not like he just had a Scott Diamond 2012 season. They traded their #1 pitching prospect for him. He's always been a very good pitcher, and made specific adjustments that fueled his improvement last year. He came through in literally every big spot for the Twins. He's extremely dominant by any measure (higher whiff rate than Bieber). There is no real reason to doubt him other than the typical ebbs and flows of baseball, which apply to every player.

How many other AL contenders have a better #1 starter than Kenta Maeda? New York... anyone else?

I'm just trying to imagine myself from 2016 reading all these comments from people who are bored with winning baseball

Reality check: This is not a "make or break year for the FO." They completely turned around a mess of a franchise and have produced the best W% for a Twins team in the past 50 years in 2019/20. I know a lot of fans are cranky about postseason losses but the front office is not being held primarily responsible for that. Nor should they be. They have given themselves plenty of leash. This is just an amazingly cynical and pessimistic attitude in the days ahead of spring training. You're entitled to your negativity but don't accuse those who don't share it of being "homery." This is objectively an elite baseball team. Sorry that's not good enough for you.

With pitchers and catchers reporting to camp on Thursday, a new baseball season is upon us. The arrival of 2021 brings a mix of emotions for Twins fans, who are generally heartened by back-to-back division titles and an intriguing offseason, but impatient in the midst of an 0-for-18 postseason slump.An AL Central title is almost table stakes for the Twins this year. It says much about this team that the shortened 2020 season felt somewhat disappointing even though Minnesota took the division with a .600 winning percentage. That's where we were at. Personally, I'm pretty pleased that the front office has built a club that looks well positioned to fend off a credible threat from the White Sox and defend its budding division dynasty, but I get it – for many fans, the proof is in the postseason pudding. While I'm sure Derek Falvey and Thad Levine would agree it's important not to wildly overcompensate for what occurs in the small sample of a few October games, their offseason strategy does suggest that past playoff shortcomings were top-of-mind in their efforts to retool. We've seen this play out in a few areas. Infield Defense There were many contributors to Minnesota's all-too-familiar futility in the 2019 and 2020 postseasons, but defensive lapses in the infield loom large in memory. CJ Cron's failure to secure an off-target DP relay from Luis Arráez in New York was rough ... The irony of it all is that Romo brought with him to Minnesota the mythos of a postseason legend. He's got three rings, and was a renowned late-inning force during San Francisco's amazing run of championships in the early 2010s. It was a surely a big factor in the playoff-bound Twins acquiring him in 2019 (and bringing him back in 2020). When push came to shove, Romo couldn't deliver. Now, the Twins turn to Alex Colomé, who similarly centers his approach on a single spinning pitch, and doesn't dominate hitters in a conventional sense. Last year, Colomé's K-rate dropped to a new low, but his performance was as consistent as ever. The market at large seems to be betting against Colomé, given his contract. The Twins meanwhile are betting he can be what Romo wasn't: a reliever who lives up to the legend. It's a short squeeze, I guess? I need to stop reading about GameStop and the stock market. Based on all available evidence, the Twins are taking a good gamble. For what it's worth: Colomé has thrown two scoreless innings in the postseason, both with Chicago last year. Contingency Plans The unavailability of Donaldson in last year's playoffs forced the Twins to start Marwin González and his miserable .606 OPS at third base in both games. Meanwhile, the perpetual unavailability of Byron Buxton forced them to start Jake Cave twice in the 2019 ALDS, and to call up Alex Kirilloff with zero MLB experience to start Game 2 against Houston in 2020. Donaldson and Buxton will continue to be question marks, and the Twins can hardly count on them being on the field in October. But the team's fallback options have dramatically improved. Part of this is just time and development playing out within the system. Kirilloff should be a seasoned big-leaguer by the time this year's playoffs roll around. Brent Rooker, Trevor Larnach and others could factor as legit corner outfield depth, giving the Twins an array of quality options should Max Kepler be needed in center. Moving Arráez into a floating utility role provides a huge upgrade over the greatly diminished González. While he's lesser defensively than Marwin, Arráez is actually an asset in the lineup and arguably an essential fixture. In general, having a definitively starting-caliber player in that 10th-man role sets the Twins up for a variety of contingencies. In the event that everyone's healthy when the playoffs come around ... that'd present an interesting dilemma. But it's a bridge the Twins will be happy to cross when they get there. First, they need to get there. A full 162-game season lies ahead and the Twins will face even stiffer competition in the Central, after the much-improved White Sox very nearly clawed the division away in 2020. This Twins team is built for success in the postseason, but more importantly, it's built to endure the long haul of a six-month season and come out on top. The improvements above will serve them well on both fronts. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

I think this is probably the case, yes, but I have him listed first on the depth chart because for all intents and purposes, he is. Guessing we'll see a fair amount of Arraez in left early in the season.

Following their flurry of early-February activity, the Twins made a few minor moves on the fringes of the bullpen and bench before wrapping up the rotation with an addition this week. Now, it looks as though their roster is mostly finalized, with just days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training.Here's a look at how the 2021 Minnesota Twins roster and payroll are shaping up, as spring training bears down upon us. Download attachment: twinsroster21521.png The $124 million payroll estimate above is merely a baseline – with reachable performance incentives added in (mainly Kenta Maeda's), the Twins will probably be well north of $130 million. It'd be the highest payroll in franchise history, although they were on track to spend more than $140 million last year before the season was shortened. Are they done? That's not entirely clear. But the 40-man roster is full, and the team is looking pretty complete. Here are some updates and things to watch as we wait for the Lee County Sports Complex to soon spring to life. IF THE SHOEMAKER FITS... The Twins have dropped plenty of hints that they were monitoring the starting pitcher market, seeking a reasonably-priced veteran to come in and compete with Randy Dobnak for the fifth rotation job. On Monday, they got their guy, agreeing to terms with 34-year-old right-hander Matt Shoemaker on a one-year deal worth $2 million. Shoemaker has much to prove on the health front, having thrown just 166 innings combined over the past four years due to various injuries. But as Andrew Thares pointed out ahead of the signing, Shoemaker saw a big spike in velocity last year and there are some signs his pitch mix can be further optimized by the Twins. Plus, the righty ended last year in good shape physically, and even got the nod in Game 1 of the postseason for Toronto last year, firing three shutout innings against the Rays. The presence of a perfectly dependable fallback option in Dobnak gave Minnesota the chance to gamble a bit in their final rotation spot. While some might have liked to see a higher-upside play such as James Paxton (who signed with Seattle last week for $8.5 million), Shoemaker can be a very strong fifth starter if healthy. ROUNDING OUT THE RELIEF CORPS In the days following their big free agency additions of Nelson Cruz and Alex Colomé, the Twins brought in a few more bullpen candidates, acquiring Shaun Anderson via trade and Ian Hamilton via waivers. The latter might already be on his way out, as the Twins designated him for assignment just days after claiming him, making room for Colomé. If another organization snags him, it'll be Hamilton's fourth time switching places since last September. If not, the Twins can keep him around as quality non-roster bullpen depth, alongside fellow waiver pickup Brandon Waddell. As for Anderson, it seems he is here to stay after the Twins acquired him from San Francisco in exchange for outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. Anderson boasts big stuff – an upper-80s slider and spin-heavy mid-90s fastball – but the challenge for Minnesota lies in helping him command it. I wrote here about a mid-August incident in 2020 where Anderson buzzed Mike Trout's tower three times in one week, leading to some on-field tension and infuriating Angels manager Joe Maddon. If the Twins can help him reign in his intriguing stuff, Anderson could be a big addition to this bullpen. Will he make the Opening Day roster? PROJECTING THE OPENING DAY BULLPEN Last week I was joined by John Bonnes and David Youngs on Offseason Live to break down the bullpen picture and project the Opening Day setup. Together we tried to determine which relievers will be in the mix when the season starts, and what the pecking order might be. Here's where we landed: Taylor RogersTyler DuffeyAlex ColoméHansel RoblesJorge AlcalaCaleb ThielbarCody StashakLewis ThorpeAt that time, we were under then impression that Thorpe was out of minor-league options, giving him an inside track for the long relief role. Dobnak was also still penciled in as the fifth starter. With the revelation coming to light this week – via Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic – that Thorpe will get a rare fourth option year, the Twins are no longer obligated to carry him coming off a bad year. Meanwhile, Dobnak being supplanted from the rotation makes him the ideal fit for a long man/piggy-backing role, with which he's fairly familiar. Thus, we now have Dobnak as the eighth reliever in our roster projection, with Thorpe likely headed to St. Paul. SPICING UP THE OUTFIELD The Twins used another waiver claim last week to add outfielder Kyle Garlick, who effectively replaced the previous week's waiver claim, Hamilton. Garlick infuses helpful corner outfield depth, with Minnesota losing both Eddie Rosario and Marwin González, and his right-handedness adds some nice balance alongside Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff, Jake Cave, and Trevor Larnach. Garlick hasn't had a ton of success in the majors (.691 OPS in 76 plate appearances), but he has slugged .553 against left-handed pitching, and he slashed .292/.364/.708 versus southpaws at Triple-A in 2019. Given how mightily the Twins struggled in this department last year, the decision to swap out a lefty swinger in Wade for a lefty masher in Garlick makes plenty of sense. Since Garlick has an option, he seems likely to open in Triple-A barring injuries. TWINS DONE MAKING BIG MOVES? The Twins could arguably use further additions in the bullpen, but it sounds unlikely they've got any big bullets left to fire. As Phil Miller reported in the Star Tribune, Derek Falvey indicated the the "heavy lifting is done" after the team committed nearly $40 million to Cruz, Colomé, Andrelton Simmons and J.A. Happ in the span of a few weeks. "We'll have some other conversations about other potential guys as well as nonroster fits and others that will compete. But I feel really good about our pitching right now," Falvey said. Miller understandably inferred this to mean that Jake Odorizzi is basically out of the picture, which seems all the more certain after Shoemaker's signing. The 40-man roster is full and the payroll seems to be essentially maxed out. I'd be surprised if they sign anyone else to a big-league deal. That said, I still fully expect the Twins to bring in a few non-roster relievers. Among the noteworthy names still unsigned: David Robertson, RHPPedro Strop, RHPIan Kennedy, RHPTyler Clippard, RHP,Oliver Drake, RHPBrad Peacock, RHPChaz Roe, RHPBrandon Workman, RHPJeremy Jeffress, RHPA.J. Ramos, RHPCam Bedrosian, RHPNobody on that list has particularly high stock at the moment, obviously, but there are plenty of legitimate names. I'd be thrilled to bring in a few of those guys on non-guaranteed contracts and get a good look at then. I'm sure the Twins would too. But for now, with the preliminary list of non-roster invites announced and the first player player group reporting to camp on Friday, it's time to start getting familiar with the group we have. For the most part, this is probably it, and from my view it's a dang good roster. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

This former second-round draft pick dazzled during his brief debut as a pro, and has generated buzz lately for reportedly touching 99 on the radar gun during offseason workouts.Position: RHP Age: 23 (DOB: 12/14/1997) 2019 Stats (Rookie/A): 25 IP, 1.44 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 11.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 ETA: 2022 2020 Ranking: 15 National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BP: NR What's To Like Well, let's not bury the lede. KSTP's Darren Wolfson recently tweeted a video of Canterino in an offseason throwing session, reporting that the right-hander was touching 99 MPH. That's an awfully good sign from the 54th overall draft pick in 2019, referred to by Baseball America at the time as "one of the better high-floor options among the college arms." He backed up that assessment with a strong performance in his 25-inning pro debut, and now, it's getting tough not to dream on his ceiling. In retrospect, it only makes sense the Twins liked the Rice University product enough to use a second-rounder on him. Canterino is very much their type of pitcher: a righty who pairs high heat with good breaking stuff, and – most importantly – upside that they feel they can analytically unlock. Last June, David Laurila of FanGraphs posted a Q&A with Canterino, in which the righty shared details of his experiences joining the Twins organization, and having his eyes opened to a new world of optimization. I found these tidbits particularly interesting: “Up to that point I’d never been familiarized with the type of technology the Twins use, the analytics type of stuff. It was basically to help me get to know myself better as a pitcher. For instance, there are things I do well and we were able to put a number to [them]; we could kind of reinforce those things, and also see if there were things I could get more out of. ... In college, I always knew that my fastball played well up in the zone. To see [data] showing that I’m getting a lot of carry on my fastball kind of clicked for me. Also, I’d shifted away from my curveball a little bit in my junior year. I was throwing my slider more, but [the data] put to paper that my curveball paired better with my fastball than my slider did. It’s not as though I’m scrapping my slider — I’m not — but I maybe want to use the curveball more than I did in college." Helping pitchers tweak their pitch mixes to greater effect is something the Twins have specialized in, and Canterino wasn't exactly a reclamation project to begin with. He starred at Rice, with double-digit K/9 rates in each of his three seasons. The Twins were perhaps lucky get him at No. 54 overall, given he was ranked 34th on BA's board. If Canterino is actually pumping high-90s that could be a game-changer, given that he was already viewed as a pretty great prospect coming out of college as a low-to-mid-90s guy. What's Left to Work On Performance-wise, there's not much to quibble with, and all evidence suggests Canterino is keeping up on the necessary work to grow and improve. One thing to keep an eye on, though, is his delivery mechanics. You'll notice from watching his highlights that Canterino has a very distinct, herky-jerky leg lift sequence, giving his delivery a bit of a frenetic feel. When profiling Canterino as a prospect after he was drafted, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs noted that the righty carried some "relief risk" due to "some effort and violence to the delivery" (perhaps helping explain why he slid to the Twins). When Laurila interviewed Canterino a few months later, he asked the pitcher about it directly. “I’m always trying to throw hard, obviously, but I’ve never thought of myself as being out of control," Canterino said. "I am a little herky-jerky, but that kind of just evolved to help give me cues for where I need in each part of my delivery. They’re kind of like checkpoints to keep myself on time between my arm and my body, and feel like I’m in sync. At that point I’m just trying to line everything up and throw hard. So I don’t feel like I’m super high-effort. I understand why it might look like that, but I feel I’m always in control and know where the ball is going. I haven’t had any issues up to this point.” Hard to argue with him on that last point, and as you watch the highlight clip above, one thing you'll notice is that Canterino's quirky mechanics don't seem to be negatively affecting his command. Certainly not his results thus far. With that said, it's also tough to argue with Longenhagen's assessment in his more recent Twins prospect rankings: "Canterino sure looks like a reliever. He doesn’t have the usual trim starter’s build, nor the statuesque posture, nor the mechanical ease and grace of a typical starter’s delivery." None of these characteristics preclude Canterino from sticking as a starter, but they are question marks for him to overcome if he wants to fulfill his highest potential as a rotation-fronter. More importantly, he'll need to get his workload on track; Canterino is now 23 and has yet to throw more than 125 innings in a season. What's Next Canterino will presumably start his season at Cedar Rapids – where he left off in 2019, except back then it was Minnesota's Low-A affiliate. With the minor-league realignment, the Kernels are now High-A, which seems a suitable level for him to reacclimate against pro competition. Given the quality of his stuff, Canterino will be poised to move quickly, but his progression will greatly depend on the Twins' plans for him. If they want to bring him along as a reliever he could rise in a hurry and theoretically gain consideration for a late-season call-up. If they're committed to seeing him through as a starter, they'll need to focus on building his stamina and endurance, which will mean slowing down the timeline a bit. One way or another, we'll probably know a lot more about Canterino and his future this time next year. Twins 2021 Top 20 Prospects Honorable Mentions 20. Bailey Ober, RHP 19. José Miranda, 3B/2B 18. Alerick Soularie, UTIL 17. Ben Rortvedt, C 16. Edwar Colina, RHP 15. Cole Sands, RHP 14. Misael Urbina, OF 13. Matt Wallner, OF 12. Brent Rooker, OF/1B 11. Gilberto Celestino, OF 10. Blayne Enlow, RHP 9. Matt Canterino, RHP 8. Coming tomorrow! Click here to view the article

This is just a strange portrayal of the Maeda trade. He didn't "fall into their lap," they traded their best pitching prospect and one of the most hyped young arms in the game for him. Graterol was a massive haul, and the Twins wouldn't have given him up if they didn't expect Maeda to be a frontline starter. He's exactly what fans have been clamoring for, and now he's insufficient because the Twins didn't overpay for him? Seems like they're being punished for making a good move. They did not get Kenta Maeda from the "bargain bin" ... frankly that's ludicrous. I appreciate the kind words Mike! I share the historical frustration but I just don't see how it's valid anymore. They've set new franchise payroll records in 3 straight seasons. They went and signed Josh Donaldson for $100M a year ago despite him not filling an obvious need, solely for the purpose of putting them over the top. They have elevated a good team to a championship contender. The Twins are absolutely a championship contender as currently comprised. This front office is kicking ass. Let's give them some credit instead of rehashing grudges from the TR era!

They traded for the Cy Young runner-up last year

Are the Twins done shopping for relievers? How does their current bullpen makeup compare to other contenders? Which arms are likely to make the cut for Opening Day? Thursday night on Offseason Live, we tried and sort it all out.Since we last convened on , the Twins acquired two more right-handed relief pitchers: Ian Hamilton via waivers from Philadelphia, and Shaun Anderson via trade from San Francisco in exchange for LaMonte Wade Jr. With those two added to the bullpen mix, and 40-man roster, it's suddenly a rather crowded picture. Anderson and Hamilton join Taylor Rogers, Alex Colomé, Tyler Duffey, Caleb Thielbar, Hansel Robles, Jorge Alcala, Cody Stashak, Ian Gibaut, Edwar Colina, Dakota Chalmers, and others vying for the eight available bullpen jobs. On a new episode of Offseason Live on Thursday night, I was joined by John Bonnes and David Youngs as we analyzed the bullpen outlook, ranked the current options, and predicted who will make the Opening Day roster. Watch below! Tune into future live broadcast on Twins Daily's Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube page. It's an interactive show where viewers help steer the conversation via comments and questions. You can also catch each new episode via audio by subscribing to our podcast. In the meantime, check out previous episodes of Offseason Live and see what's upcoming: Ep 1: (Thurs, 10/8)Ep 2: (Tues, 10/13)Ep 3: (Thurs, 10/15)Ep 4: (Tues, 10/20)Ep 5: (Thurs, 10/22)Ep 6: (Tues, 10/27)Ep 7: (Thurs, 10/29)Ep 8: (Thurs, 11/5)Ep 9: (Thurs, 11/12)Ep 10: (Tues, 11/17)Ep 11: (Weds, 12/2)Ep 12: (Weds, 12/16)Ep 13: (Weds, 12/30)Ep 14: (Weds, 1/6)Ep 15: (Tues, 1/12)Ep 16: (Mon, 1/25)Ep 17: (Tues, 1/26)Ep 18: (Weds, 2/3)Ep 19: (Thurs, 2/11) Click here to view the article