Seth Stohs

Benson and Ramos are not the only two players this year. They're not the only Twins minor leaguers in recent years. It's just ridiculous!

Yeah, I don't think anything could make me want to go to Venezuela, not even a couple hundred at bats.

That was a fun read, thanks!! I was good to see you again!

I was at Twins Fest on Friday night and all day on Saturday. It was a great opportunity to introduce myself to several players I hadn't met previously. It was also fun to talk to others including many fans. It's always fun at Twins Fest because now Spring Training will start in three weeks. I think it was the first time I was in the Metrodome since Twins Fest two years ago. Listening to interviews on the radio from the bleachers is always fun. Anyway, what are your best memories and stories from Twins Fest 2012? Share your stories.

Weeks before Wilson Ramos was kidnapped in Venezuela, Joe Benson was robbed at gunpoint, and Tyler Mason had a great articles about it. http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/01/29/12/Benson-on-dangers-of-playing-in-Venezuel/landing_twins.html?blockID=655458&feedID=3697

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?167-Twins-Fest-Weekend

Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – Now Available as an e-book for $6.99 by clickinghere. You can, of course, still get the print version for $13.99 by clicking here. The procedure I had done yesterday kind of won last night, so I wasn’t able to finish the next installment of the Organizational Depth Chart, so that will return next week. I was, fortunately, able to watch the Diamond Awards live on FoxSportsNorth.com, and it was incredible. It’s such a nice event for such a great cause, but it also appears to be a fun event to be at. I would say that it is on my bucket list of baseball activities. Here are some of the highlights: Liam Hendriks and Brian Dozier accepted their awards for minor league pitcher and player of the year and did a good job in their comments. Ben Revere stole the show. He was so funny in his speech, and in his responses to questions from Dick Bremer. The best story (among many hilarious ones!) was about the triple during which he tripped and did a complete summersault. He said that his dad and his brother were at the game. They didn’t get to sleep until about 2:30 because, you see, his dad is a football coach, so they had to watch it on video several times and then do some running drills, and his dad brought cones, and… it was hilarious! Revere’s smile was in full effect! Tom Kelly went last and said there were benefits to being last. He kind of roasted most of the earlier presenters, which was hilarious. But when he was done, the surprise was on him. Dick Bremer told him to stay up on the stage and invited Dave St. Peter and Jim Pohlad to come up. St. Peter went on to talk about Kelly and said that September 8th will be Tom Kelly Day at Target Field. At that time, the Twins will retire Kelly’s #10. Kelly was clearly shaken. He didn’t know what to do. In fact, he quickly shook, Bremer’s hand and walked off the stage to a standing ovation. As the ovation dropped to a sitting ovation, the FSN cameras showed Kelly wiping away tears. Clearly, that was an incredible honor for him, and I am so glad that I got to see it. I’m sure it’ll appear on FSN on TV in the near future. It is something you will definitely want to watch. I am about to make my trek to the Twin Cities, to Twins Fest. I’ve been going now for about five years and always enjoy it. I plan to be at the Metrodome Friday night and Saturday throughout the day. Then a reminder, at about 7:30 on Saturday night, the TwinsCentric crew and several other of your favorite Twins writers and bloggers will be at Old Chicago in Roseville. So come on out. If you see me, please come and say hi. It’s fun to meet people there. I will try to have a few Prospect Handbooks with me. Hopefully I’ll see a bunch of them walking around the Dome. As I’ve pointed out, I believe 22 players in the book will be signing at Twins Fest this weekend, including Dozier and Hendriks on the cover. Twins Fest is what you make it. If you like spending money on autographs, it’s great. It’s a baseball card and memorabilia show. It’s a great place to people watch. I know people who could sit in the Dome’s bleachers and listen as the 1500 ESPN personalities interview Twins players, coaches, front office people and more. It really is a fun event. Here is a link to the Twins Fest page that includes a list of who will be signing and where, and much more. And, so that I can get on the road, I’m going to cut this off here and keep it all positive. I won’t even talk about Dan Wheeler signing a minor league deal with Cleveland, or Brad Lidge signing with the Nationals for $1 Million + incentives. Twins Fest weekend is a great way for baseball fans to start getting ready for the 2012 season. Spring Training is just around the corner, and that always brings hope and excitement. At least for me, it does. If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – Now Available as an e-book for $6.99 by clickinghere. You can, of course, still get the print version for $13.99 by clicking here. The procedure I had done yesterday kind of won last night, so I wasn’t able to finish the next installment of the Organizational Depth Chart, so that will return next week. I was, fortunately, able to watch the Diamond Awards live on FoxSportsNorth.com, and it was incredible. It’s such a nice event for such a great cause, but it also appears to be a fun event to be at. I would say that it is on my bucket list of baseball activities. Here are some of the highlights: Liam Hendriks and Brian Dozier accepted their awards for minor league pitcher and player of the year and did a good job in their comments. Ben Revere stole the show. He was so funny in his speech, and in his responses to questions from Dick Bremer. The best story (among many hilarious ones!) was about the triple during which he tripped and did a complete summersault. He said that his dad and his brother were at the game. They didn’t get to sleep until about 2:30 because, you see, his dad is a football coach, so they had to watch it on video several times and then do some running drills, and his dad brought cones, and… it was hilarious! Revere’s smile was in full effect! Tom Kelly went last and said there were benefits to being last. He kind of roasted most of the earlier presenters, which was hilarious. But when he was done, the surprise was on him. Dick Bremer told him to stay up on the stage and invited Dave St. Peter and Jim Pohlad to come up. St. Peter went on to talk about Kelly and said that September 8th will be Tom Kelly Day at Target Field. At that time, the Twins will retire Kelly’s #10. Kelly was clearly shaken. He didn’t know what to do. In fact, he quickly shook, Bremer’s hand and walked off the stage to a standing ovation. As the ovation dropped to a sitting ovation, the FSN cameras showed Kelly wiping away tears. Clearly, that was an incredible honor for him, and I am so glad that I got to see it. I’m sure it’ll appear on FSN on TV in the near future. It is something you will definitely want to watch. I am about to make my trek to the Twin Cities, to Twins Fest. I’ve been going now for about five years and always enjoy it. I plan to be at the Metrodome Friday night and Saturday throughout the day. Then a reminder, at about 7:30 on Saturday night, the TwinsCentric crew and several other of your favorite Twins writers and bloggers will be at Old Chicago in Roseville. So come on out. If you see me, please come and say hi. It’s fun to meet people there. I will try to have a few Prospect Handbooks with me. Hopefully I’ll see a bunch of them walking around the Dome. As I’ve pointed out, I believe 22 players in the book will be signing at Twins Fest this weekend, including Dozier and Hendriks on the cover. Twins Fest is what you make it. If you like spending money on autographs, it’s great. It’s a baseball card and memorabilia show. It’s a great place to people watch. I know people who could sit in the Dome’s bleachers and listen as the 1500 ESPN personalities interview Twins players, coaches, front office people and more. It really is a fun event. Here is a link to the Twins Fest page that includes a list of who will be signing and where, and much more. And, so that I can get on the road, I’m going to cut this off here and keep it all positive. I won’t even talk about Dan Wheeler signing a minor league deal with Cleveland, or Brad Lidge signing with the Nationals for $1 Million + incentives. Twins Fest weekend is a great way for baseball fans to start getting ready for the 2012 season. Spring Training is just around the corner, and that always brings hope and excitement. At least for me, it does. If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

I agree... no one answered my quesiton on Twitter, but how does Joe Nathan get 2 years and $14 million and Brad Lidge gets 1 year and $1 million. I don't know which one is right, but the difference isn't that big. Injury risk for both is similar. Anyone have any thoughts?

It is strange that so many that had ZERO interest in Jeff Francis coming to the Twins are upset that he didn't come to the Twins because of the minor league deal. Now, many Twins fans wanted the team to bring in Dan Wheeler, so when he signed a minor league deal with Cleveland, I would expect that several people were none-to-happy!

When the Twins signed him, I asked Jorge Arangure if Sano would be less of a prospect if he was 18 instead of 16. He said, No, however, there were new rules at that time that meant a 1 year suspension for falsifying documents. That would cost him one year of development to go along with being two years older. It's funny, or unfortunate, I've been told by some players in the system that certain other players are older than they say. The top two examples probably aren't even that surprising because they are physically pretty mature. Sano obviously is pretty mature too physically and continues to grow. Some say that he is still a kid though, and that's a good thing. He should be. He is one of the more interesting Twins prospects to follow in a long time!

I thought that having a forum for questions you're having as you're walking through the site would be good and allow for discussion between all of us... but maybe another good reason for it is to figure things out for yourself as you type in the comments. Ha! Good feedback, Andrew!

I think it hurts them long-term because Cabrera and Fielder won't last the length of their deals, at least not at their current levels. Martinez is already hurt. Verlander is a stud, but he hasn't been hurt yet, so isn't it just a matter of time? Also, if those four comprise $76 million, and they sit at $125-130M, that's still $50-55M for the other 20-21 players. It's the same as the Twins having $23M for Mauer, $14M for Morneau and $11M for Edwin Jackson. That's $48M for 3 players, and if the Twins are at $105M, then they have $50-55M remaining for 21-22 players. So, they're kind of the same... Or not quite.

According to MLB Trade Rumors (And Melissa Seguro), Twins top prospect Migel Sano has switched his representation to SFX. What does it mean? Getting his autograph may soon become much more difficult? Anything more?

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?161-Organizational-Depth-Chart-The-Third-Basemen

Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – Now Available as an e-book for $6.99 by clicking here. You can, of course, still get the print version for $13.99 by clicking here. We have looked at the catchers and the first basemen in the Twins organization the past two days. Today, I’ll be looking at the third basemen. Again, the purpose of this series is two-fold (if not more). First, it’s a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it’s a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be. I need to reiterate that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more. Minnesota Twins Danny Valencia (Luke Hughes, Jamey Carroll) 2011 was a difficult year for Valencia. In the first half, his numbers struggled thanks to a lot of at-‘em balls. His high BABIP in his rookie season was evened up by his low BABIP in his sophomore season. He can hit, and hitting in the bottom third of the lineup, he will succeed. His defense wasn’t as good in 2011 as 2010 either. More disturbing, he was the player blamed most by the manager, which makes no sense. I expect a solid season out of Valencia in 2012, maybe somewhere along the lines of .280/.340/.450 with 30+ doubles and 12-15 home runs. As I’ve pointed out before, I won’t be even a little surprised if Ron Gardenhire says that Sean Burroughs is competition for a starting job. Burroughs will get plenty of at bats in spring training though. And Luke Hughes, who is out of options, should again receive plenty of at bats and time in the field at three infield positions including 3B. Jamey Carroll is really a middle infielder, but some seem to think he might be a 3B option as well. I can’t see that. Rochester Red Wings Sean Burroughs. Ray Chang Burroughs was once one of baseball’s top prospects, then struggled, then got into drugs and alcohol. But he had a nice comeback season last year that saw him reach the big leagues for the first time since 2006. He did a nice job as a pinch hitter for Arizona. He is known as a very good defensive third baseman, which bodes well for him. He has also shown the ability to hit for average. I really believe that although he likely isn’t in direct competition with Valencia for a starting job, he is likely going to be battling Luke Hughes and maybe Tsuyoshi Nishioka for the final bench spots. With Trevor Plouffe also likely on the bench many nights, Gardy may find it important to have a left-handed bench bat. Ray Chang made a very good impression last year in spring training. He went to New Britain and played well. He was promoted to Rochester where he played even better, hitting 3rd many games for them. Unfortunately, he broke his fibula and missed almost two months. He will likely get time at 3B and at SS for the Red Wings. New Britain Rock Cats Deibinson Romero, Michael Hollimon Romero was once considered a very good, high ceiling prospect. Following a injury-riddled season in Beloit, the Twins added him to the 40-man-roster. He struggled and was removed from the 40-man-roster a year later. Many questioned his work ethic, but he responded in 2011 with a solid year in AA. He could have become a free agent after the 2011 season, but he quickly resigned with the Twins. Likewise, the Twins and Hollimon quickly agreed that he would return to the Twins rather than enter free agency. Between New Britain (97 games) and Rochester (29 games), he hit 19 doubles and 18 home runs. He primarily played 2B and LF but also go some time at the hot corner. The Twins drafted him in the 49th round in 2003 but he didn’t sign. In 2008, he got 25 plate appearances with the Tigers. He had six hits, including two doubles, a triple and a home run. Ft. Myers Miracle Anderson Hidalgo, Jairo Perez Hidalgo has been in the organization since 2006. He has moved up one level each year and was with the Miracle last year. His .274 batting average was the lowest of his career. In 2010, he was the only Beloit Snappers player to hit over .300 (.316). He has an unorthodox swing at the plate that many wonder if it will adapt as he moves up the ladder. Defensively, he’s a little below average. Jairo Perez seemingly came out of nowhere last year. He spent the first two months of the year in Extended Spring Training, but after joining the Snappers in mid June, he hit .337/.413/.580 with 20 doubles and 15 home runs. He had missed all of 2010 with Tommy John surgery. He primarily played 3B but also played a few games at 2B. He is a little guy who takes a monstrous swing. He is not fast and his range is limited, so 3B is a better option. Beloit Snappers Miguel Sano, Roy Larson, Adam Bryant I think most Twins fans have heard pretty much everything about Miguel Sano. He is the consensus top prospect in the Twins farm system. He got the big signing bonus. He draws comparisons to Miguel Cabrera and other great power bats in the game. He had a lot of errors last year in Elizabethton at both shortstop and third base, but he can flat-out hit. He hit .292/.352/.627 with 18 doubles, seven triples and 20 home runs in 66 games for the E-Twins. His power potential is off charts. The Twins are typically patient with their young prospects’ development. The same should be true of Sano. As much as his offensive game is advanced, there are more aspects of the game that he needs to work on. He needs to make more contact. He needs to run the bases better. And he needs to play better defense and just mature, in general. I would expect him to spend the whole season at Beloit. Adam Bryant was the team’s 9th round pick just last year, and as a four-year college senior, he signed quickly and was sent to Beloit where he held his own. He played all three infield positions and was solid with the bat. He’s a solid, all-around player who will likely advance as a utility player. The Twins signed Larson out of the University of St. Thomas. He’s 6-6 and struggled in E-Town, but he has very quick hands and bat speed. He can play both corner infield spots. Due to his age (he’s 24), he’ll likely have to advance through the lower levels quickly. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Travis Harrison, Javier Pimentel It will be interesting to see where Harrison and Pimentel will play in 2012. The assumption is that both will go to Extended Spring Training. Harrison was the team’s supplemental first-round pick in 2011 out of high school in California. He has a bunch of power potential and some believe that he could also become an all-around hitter. Pimentel was signed in 2010 out of the Dominican Republic for about a $700,000 signing bonus. He split the 2011 season between the Dominican Summer League and the GCL. I think he would likely head to the GCL again, but he has very good potential as well. Signed as a shortstop, he already spent most of his time at third base in 2011. TOP THREE PROSPECTS Miguel Sano, 2.) Travis Harrison, 3.) Jairo Perez SUMMARY Third base is Danny Valencia’s for the near-term. Sean Burroughs provides some quality depth. This would be a position where the Twins are quite strong at the lower levels (with Sano, Harrison and Pimentel), but there is not much help above Beloit for 2012, at least not anyone that would have any long-term potential. We’ll need to wait until at least 2014 to see Sano (and that’s only if he advances on the Joe Mauer path), and Harrison and Pimentel are likely 2016 arrivals. Will Sano be able to stick at 3B? How will Valencia fare through his pre-arbitration and arbitration years? If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – Now Available as an e-book for $6.99 by clicking here. You can, of course, still get the print version for $13.99 by clicking here. We have looked at the catchers and the first basemen in the Twins organization the past two days. Today, I’ll be looking at the third basemen. Again, the purpose of this series is two-fold (if not more). First, it’s a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it’s a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be. I need to reiterate that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more. Minnesota Twins Danny Valencia (Luke Hughes, Jamey Carroll) 2011 was a difficult year for Valencia. In the first half, his numbers struggled thanks to a lot of at-‘em balls. His high BABIP in his rookie season was evened up by his low BABIP in his sophomore season. He can hit, and hitting in the bottom third of the lineup, he will succeed. His defense wasn’t as good in 2011 as 2010 either. More disturbing, he was the player blamed most by the manager, which makes no sense. I expect a solid season out of Valencia in 2012, maybe somewhere along the lines of .280/.340/.450 with 30+ doubles and 12-15 home runs. As I’ve pointed out before, I won’t be even a little surprised if Ron Gardenhire says that Sean Burroughs is competition for a starting job. Burroughs will get plenty of at bats in spring training though. And Luke Hughes, who is out of options, should again receive plenty of at bats and time in the field at three infield positions including 3B. Jamey Carroll is really a middle infielder, but some seem to think he might be a 3B option as well. I can’t see that. Rochester Red Wings Sean Burroughs. Ray Chang Burroughs was once one of baseball’s top prospects, then struggled, then got into drugs and alcohol. But he had a nice comeback season last year that saw him reach the big leagues for the first time since 2006. He did a nice job as a pinch hitter for Arizona. He is known as a very good defensive third baseman, which bodes well for him. He has also shown the ability to hit for average. I really believe that although he likely isn’t in direct competition with Valencia for a starting job, he is likely going to be battling Luke Hughes and maybe Tsuyoshi Nishioka for the final bench spots. With Trevor Plouffe also likely on the bench many nights, Gardy may find it important to have a left-handed bench bat. Ray Chang made a very good impression last year in spring training. He went to New Britain and played well. He was promoted to Rochester where he played even better, hitting 3rd many games for them. Unfortunately, he broke his fibula and missed almost two months. He will likely get time at 3B and at SS for the Red Wings. New Britain Rock Cats Deibinson Romero, Michael Hollimon Romero was once considered a very good, high ceiling prospect. Following a injury-riddled season in Beloit, the Twins added him to the 40-man-roster. He struggled and was removed from the 40-man-roster a year later. Many questioned his work ethic, but he responded in 2011 with a solid year in AA. He could have become a free agent after the 2011 season, but he quickly resigned with the Twins. Likewise, the Twins and Hollimon quickly agreed that he would return to the Twins rather than enter free agency. Between New Britain (97 games) and Rochester (29 games), he hit 19 doubles and 18 home runs. He primarily played 2B and LF but also go some time at the hot corner. The Twins drafted him in the 49th round in 2003 but he didn’t sign. In 2008, he got 25 plate appearances with the Tigers. He had six hits, including two doubles, a triple and a home run. Ft. Myers Miracle Anderson Hidalgo, Jairo Perez Hidalgo has been in the organization since 2006. He has moved up one level each year and was with the Miracle last year. His .274 batting average was the lowest of his career. In 2010, he was the only Beloit Snappers player to hit over .300 (.316). He has an unorthodox swing at the plate that many wonder if it will adapt as he moves up the ladder. Defensively, he’s a little below average. Jairo Perez seemingly came out of nowhere last year. He spent the first two months of the year in Extended Spring Training, but after joining the Snappers in mid June, he hit .337/.413/.580 with 20 doubles and 15 home runs. He had missed all of 2010 with Tommy John surgery. He primarily played 3B but also played a few games at 2B. He is a little guy who takes a monstrous swing. He is not fast and his range is limited, so 3B is a better option. Beloit Snappers Miguel Sano, Roy Larson, Adam Bryant I think most Twins fans have heard pretty much everything about Miguel Sano. He is the consensus top prospect in the Twins farm system. He got the big signing bonus. He draws comparisons to Miguel Cabrera and other great power bats in the game. He had a lot of errors last year in Elizabethton at both shortstop and third base, but he can flat-out hit. He hit .292/.352/.627 with 18 doubles, seven triples and 20 home runs in 66 games for the E-Twins. His power potential is off charts. The Twins are typically patient with their young prospects’ development. The same should be true of Sano. As much as his offensive game is advanced, there are more aspects of the game that he needs to work on. He needs to make more contact. He needs to run the bases better. And he needs to play better defense and just mature, in general. I would expect him to spend the whole season at Beloit. Adam Bryant was the team’s 9th round pick just last year, and as a four-year college senior, he signed quickly and was sent to Beloit where he held his own. He played all three infield positions and was solid with the bat. He’s a solid, all-around player who will likely advance as a utility player. The Twins signed Larson out of the University of St. Thomas. He’s 6-6 and struggled in E-Town, but he has very quick hands and bat speed. He can play both corner infield spots. Due to his age (he’s 24), he’ll likely have to advance through the lower levels quickly. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Travis Harrison, Javier Pimentel It will be interesting to see where Harrison and Pimentel will play in 2012. The assumption is that both will go to Extended Spring Training. Harrison was the team’s supplemental first-round pick in 2011 out of high school in California. He has a bunch of power potential and some believe that he could also become an all-around hitter. Pimentel was signed in 2010 out of the Dominican Republic for about a $700,000 signing bonus. He split the 2011 season between the Dominican Summer League and the GCL. I think he would likely head to the GCL again, but he has very good potential as well. Signed as a shortstop, he already spent most of his time at third base in 2011. TOP THREE PROSPECTS Miguel Sano, 2.) Travis Harrison, 3.) Jairo Perez SUMMARY Third base is Danny Valencia’s for the near-term. Sean Burroughs provides some quality depth. This would be a position where the Twins are quite strong at the lower levels (with Sano, Harrison and Pimentel), but there is not much help above Beloit for 2012, at least not anyone that would have any long-term potential. We’ll need to wait until at least 2014 to see Sano (and that’s only if he advances on the Joe Mauer path), and Harrison and Pimentel are likely 2016 arrivals. Will Sano be able to stick at 3B? How will Valencia fare through his pre-arbitration and arbitration years? If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

As part of his Minor League Appreciation Week, NoDak Twins Fan posted his Top 10 Twins prospects list. Check out his Top 10 here and then discuss: http://www.nodaktwinsfan.com/2012/01/2012-twins-top-20-prospects-1-10.html

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?156-Organizational-Depth-Chart-The-First-Basemen

After looking at the catchers throughout the Twins system yesterday, I’ll be looking at the first basemen today before continuing around the diamond throughout the coming weeks. Again, the purpose is two-fold. First, it’s a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it’s a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be. As I did yesterday, I need to point out that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more. Minnesota Twins Justin Morneau, Ryan Doumit (Joe Mauer, Luke Hughes) As much as I have no worries about Joe Mauer as he comes back in 2012, I am equally concerned about Justin Morneau’s ability to come back and play. Obviously I really hope that I am wrong. I hope he comes back and performs to the MVP-like caliber that we saw from 2006 through 2010. Defensively, he was tremendous and that is a great example of his work ethic. Hopefully by now, fans understand the seriousness of head injuries and concussions. As much as they’re saying that Morneau won’t be just a DH, that has to be considered an option. We talked quite a bit yesterday about Doumit as a backup catcher, and his ability to hit. He’s not good defensively behind the plate, and frankly, he’s not too great in front of it either. He could play some at 1B, but it may not be pretty. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Joe Mauer play first base a couple of times a week to keep his bat in the lineup. He played rather well there with the glove a year ago. Luke Hughes showed last year that he could adapt to first base. He had a positive UZR at both 1B and 2B. He also provides a solid right-handed bat off the bench. He’s the only right-handed bat in these four options. Rochester Red Wings Chris Parmelee, Aaron Bates, Steve Pearce Parmelee showed in September what he could be capable of in the big leagues. He has been very solid the past two seasons in New Britain, but no one could have anticipated his strong September performance with the Twins. It’s the beauty of small sample size. That said, Parmelee seems to have figured a couple of things out the last two years. He puts together solid at bats, uses the whole field and hits for power. He needs a half-season at Triple-A to continue to progress, but the Twins’ 1st round pick in 2006 can be a solid contributor to the Twins lineup for years to come. If the Twins need a 1B option early in the year, or just want a good left-handed bat off the bench, Bates should be considered. The Red Sox third round pick in 2006 debuted with the Sox in 2009. Last year, he joined the Red Wings in early May and was their best, most consistent hitter. He hit .316/.408/.439 with 30 extra base hits. He was invited to big league camp. So was Steve Pearce who burst on the prospect scene in 2007 when he dominated at four levels. Since then, he has not put up big numbers, but he has had over 100 plate appearances in four of the past five years in the big leagues. The Twins drafted him in the 45th round in 2003 out of high school. He didn’t sign. He is kind of a right-handed Aaron Bates. New Britain Rock Cats Nate Hanson, Steve Liddle Hanson is a Minnesota native who played for the Gophers before being drafted by the Twins as a third baseman. During the 2010 season, he played more and more first base, and now he is well respected for his glove and athleticism at first base. He joined the Rock Cats at about the halfway point of last season and held his own. Liddle was hurt much of the 2011 season. He has surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in the offseason. Although he has played more outfield, he played quite a bit of first base as well. After a frustrating 2011 season, it will be interesting to see if he jumps to New Britain. Ft. Myers Miracle Michael Gonzales, Lance Ray, Danny Rams Gonzales returned to Beloit in 2011 about 25 pounds lighter. He came through with a healthier, more productive season. He showed better range at first base. More important, his hands and his bat were much quicker. He increased all of his numbers from 2012 and is certainly ready for the Florida State League. Lance Ray has primarily played in the outfield, but he does a nice job when he plays at 1B as well. Rams will catch at times, but he will play some other positions including outfield and DH. He played quite a bit of 1B in Beloit in 2010. Beloit Snappers Rory Rhodes, Kennys Vargas Rhodes is 6-7, so the natural comparison for him will likely be Richie Sexson, and I think that’s a fair comp. He has a ton of power at such a young age. The Australian needs patience, but he also will need to compete in a full-season league in 2012. Putting the ball in play more often will be a big thing. Defensively, he was a solid defensive third baseman, but with Miguel Sano in the picture, Rhodes primarily played first base at E-Town last year. Vargas is a big guy, a switch-hitter with a powerful swing from both sides of the plate. He was putting together some solid numbers, hitting in the middle of the E-Town lineup when he was suspended for 50 games for using a banned weight-loss supplement. It cost him the end of the 2011 season and will cost him the first 32 games of the 2012 season. But he has some real potential, so I expect the Twins to stick with him after the suspension is up. Elizabethton Twins Josh Hendricks Another Australian, Hendricks was signed as a catcher but was quickly moved to first base. He was very streaky and inconsistent with the bat in 2011, but he does have good size and power potential. He could have a big year in 2012 at E-Town. TOP THREE PROSPECTS 1.) Chris Parmelee, 2.) Michael Gonzales, 3.) Rory Rhodes SUMMARY For 2012, Justin Morneau is the question mark. He hasn’t finished a full season in several years. He has the concussion injury, but the wrist surgery is also concerning for a power hitter. If the Twins didn’t have so many other needs and concerns, maybe it would make sense to add a 1B to the mix. However, Chris Parmelee is close and could take over the position for the next half-dozen years. Bates and Pearce are guys that could pinch hit or fill in very temporarily. If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

After looking at the catchers throughout the Twins system yesterday, I’ll be looking at the first basemen today before continuing around the diamond throughout the coming weeks. Again, the purpose is two-fold. First, it’s a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it’s a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be. As I did yesterday, I need to point out that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more. Minnesota Twins Justin Morneau, Ryan Doumit (Joe Mauer, Luke Hughes) As much as I have no worries about Joe Mauer as he comes back in 2012, I am equally concerned about Justin Morneau’s ability to come back and play. Obviously I really hope that I am wrong. I hope he comes back and performs to the MVP-like caliber that we saw from 2006 through 2010. Defensively, he was tremendous and that is a great example of his work ethic. Hopefully by now, fans understand the seriousness of head injuries and concussions. As much as they’re saying that Morneau won’t be just a DH, that has to be considered an option. We talked quite a bit yesterday about Doumit as a backup catcher, and his ability to hit. He’s not good defensively behind the plate, and frankly, he’s not too great in front of it either. He could play some at 1B, but it may not be pretty. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Joe Mauer play first base a couple of times a week to keep his bat in the lineup. He played rather well there with the glove a year ago. Luke Hughes showed last year that he could adapt to first base. He had a positive UZR at both 1B and 2B. He also provides a solid right-handed bat off the bench. He’s the only right-handed bat in these four options. Rochester Red Wings Chris Parmelee, Aaron Bates, Steve Pearce Parmelee showed in September what he could be capable of in the big leagues. He has been very solid the past two seasons in New Britain, but no one could have anticipated his strong September performance with the Twins. It’s the beauty of small sample size. That said, Parmelee seems to have figured a couple of things out the last two years. He puts together solid at bats, uses the whole field and hits for power. He needs a half-season at Triple-A to continue to progress, but the Twins’ 1st round pick in 2006 can be a solid contributor to the Twins lineup for years to come. If the Twins need a 1B option early in the year, or just want a good left-handed bat off the bench, Bates should be considered. The Red Sox third round pick in 2006 debuted with the Sox in 2009. Last year, he joined the Red Wings in early May and was their best, most consistent hitter. He hit .316/.408/.439 with 30 extra base hits. He was invited to big league camp. So was Steve Pearce who burst on the prospect scene in 2007 when he dominated at four levels. Since then, he has not put up big numbers, but he has had over 100 plate appearances in four of the past five years in the big leagues. The Twins drafted him in the 45th round in 2003 out of high school. He didn’t sign. He is kind of a right-handed Aaron Bates. New Britain Rock Cats Nate Hanson, Steve Liddle Hanson is a Minnesota native who played for the Gophers before being drafted by the Twins as a third baseman. During the 2010 season, he played more and more first base, and now he is well respected for his glove and athleticism at first base. He joined the Rock Cats at about the halfway point of last season and held his own. Liddle was hurt much of the 2011 season. He has surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in the offseason. Although he has played more outfield, he played quite a bit of first base as well. After a frustrating 2011 season, it will be interesting to see if he jumps to New Britain. Ft. Myers Miracle Michael Gonzales, Lance Ray, Danny Rams Gonzales returned to Beloit in 2011 about 25 pounds lighter. He came through with a healthier, more productive season. He showed better range at first base. More important, his hands and his bat were much quicker. He increased all of his numbers from 2012 and is certainly ready for the Florida State League. Lance Ray has primarily played in the outfield, but he does a nice job when he plays at 1B as well. Rams will catch at times, but he will play some other positions including outfield and DH. He played quite a bit of 1B in Beloit in 2010. Beloit Snappers Rory Rhodes, Kennys Vargas Rhodes is 6-7, so the natural comparison for him will likely be Richie Sexson, and I think that’s a fair comp. He has a ton of power at such a young age. The Australian needs patience, but he also will need to compete in a full-season league in 2012. Putting the ball in play more often will be a big thing. Defensively, he was a solid defensive third baseman, but with Miguel Sano in the picture, Rhodes primarily played first base at E-Town last year. Vargas is a big guy, a switch-hitter with a powerful swing from both sides of the plate. He was putting together some solid numbers, hitting in the middle of the E-Town lineup when he was suspended for 50 games for using a banned weight-loss supplement. It cost him the end of the 2011 season and will cost him the first 32 games of the 2012 season. But he has some real potential, so I expect the Twins to stick with him after the suspension is up. Elizabethton Twins Josh Hendricks Another Australian, Hendricks was signed as a catcher but was quickly moved to first base. He was very streaky and inconsistent with the bat in 2011, but he does have good size and power potential. He could have a big year in 2012 at E-Town. TOP THREE PROSPECTS 1.) Chris Parmelee, 2.) Michael Gonzales, 3.) Rory Rhodes SUMMARY For 2012, Justin Morneau is the question mark. He hasn’t finished a full season in several years. He has the concussion injury, but the wrist surgery is also concerning for a power hitter. If the Twins didn’t have so many other needs and concerns, maybe it would make sense to add a 1B to the mix. However, Chris Parmelee is close and could take over the position for the next half-dozen years. Bates and Pearce are guys that could pinch hit or fill in very temporarily. If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

true, but remember that the Rockies wanted money at that time so they could spend it on Cuddyer, and the Twins likely didn't want to contribute to that.