Seth Stohs

Sano is an average-at-best (or, average, if kind) third baseman defensively. Josh Donaldson is a plus-defensive shortstop. Arraez is average-at-best defensively at second base, much less first base. Sano is actually a pretty solid first baseman. Donaldson also is one of their top 2 or 3 hitters.

Our Rankings: Seth: 2 Nick: 1 Tom: 2 Cody: 1

This was Deron Johnson's last draft as the Director of Scouting. He got promoted after that year and Sean Johnson was promoted to the position. Most of the scouts are the same (plus and minus a few). The scouting leadership is the same. I think the biggest difference, from what I've heard, is the amount of communication and info/video shared between the scouts and the front office, the minor league coaches/coordinators, the big league coaches and others.

yeah, while I like this idea, it's clear that (as with any deal) details would have to be worked out. Maybe there are more age breakdowns. 21-year-old: 9 years. 22-year-old: 8 years. 23-year-old and older 7 years. I'm sure if a study was done looking at MLB players who reach 8+ years in professional baseball and determine an average longevity for those players to reach free agency, probably since the current CBA details have been in effect... a huge percentage of those don't get to 9 or 10 years, or never do become free agents... but for those that do, it'd be interesting to know. I'm sure someone could do some study on that.

I actually really like this idea... I do think the number of years would be an issue. That said, the idea of - as in your Soto example - of a guy having six years of arbitration is intriguing. And also, teams may have tough decisions on whether or not to tender (or non-tender) guys in those years as well. That would allow them to become free agents earlier.

Our Rankings: Seth: #1 Nick: #2 Tom: #1 Cody: #2

Also of note... Buxton is really, really good... if Lewis becomes that good, that will be fantastic... But yes, I get the injury thing.

https://twitter.com/BringerOfRain20/status/1364315547354161152

Early from like the SethSpeaks dot Net days? That would be fun to read once in awhile.

Royce Lewis has been the Twins Daily choice for the Twins #1 prospect each of the past three years. This year, he drops to #2 on the list, but his ceiling remains very high. He's got all the tools and the intangibles including a willingness to learn.Age: 21 (DOB: 6-5-1999) 2020 Stats: Played at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul. ETA: 2022 2020 Ranking: #1 National Top 100 Rankings BA: 29 |MLB: 17 | ATH: 46 |BP: 31 |ESPN: 15|FG: 23 What’s To Like Royce Lewis remains the best athlete in the Twins minor leagues. Even after adding 20 pounds of muscle an offseason ago, he was able to maintain his speed. He also has a ton of power potential. Missing out on 600 plate appearances in 2020 didn’t help, so he will just need to get as many reps and plate appearances as possible in 2021. The same can be said on defense where he has the tools and range and arm, but he needs more reps. Consistency will be important for him. He can make all the plays, but sometimes he misses the routine plays. What’s Next As mentioned, after a missed 2020 season, Lewis just needs to get reps. He needs to get a lot of plate appearances. He needs to get a lot of reps at shortstop. Sure, he got work in St. Paul last summer, but it’s hard to replicate in-game experiences and opportunities. In my opinion, I think it would be wise to have him play a game a week in center field, and maybe a game a week at third base. Lewis could be big-league ready by midseason, and there may be a need at another position at that time. Wouldn’t hurt to get some time and experience at those other spots for just-in-case. The Twins, with their moves this offseason, have shown that they value versatility. It is very possible that we could see Lewis debut in 2021. Their signing of Andrelton Simmons to just a one-year contract indicates that the team would like to see Lewis ready to take the shortstop job in 2022. Lewis says he’s looking forward to learning from Simmons. Lewis at 4:38:30 mark discusses his thoughts on the Twins signing of Simmons. And many years down the line, maybe a career in TV. He was an excellent guest on a Twins Spotlight episode last week, spending about 45 minutes answering questions from listeners. Click here to view the article

Our Rankings: Seth: 3 Nick: 4 Tom: 3 Cody: 3

On Tuesday night (9:00 central time), Seth will be chatting with Twins minor league shortstop prospect Keoni Cavaco on a new episode of Twins Spotlight. The discussion was live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages. Keoni Cavaco was set to go to San Diego State University to play baseball, but instead the Twins made him their first-round draft pick in 2019. He signed with the Twins and spent that summer playing in the GCL. Unfortunately, the 2020 season was lost, but he was invited to Twins Instructional League last fall. We'll talk to him about what has kept him busy, what he's been working on, a little on his youth ball days and much more. Join us live at 9:00 tonight to watch, and participate by sending your questions. We'll cover a ton of topics and take your questions as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE at 9:00 pm (central time) Tuesday night on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages live. Also feel free to ask questions in the comments below or on those platforms during the show and we'll ask them. Subscribe to the Twins Daily podcast on Libsyn, Apple iTunes or anywhere you download podcasts. Here is the YouTube link where you can watch the show. For more on Keoni Cavaco: Follow Keoni on Instagram at @keoooonni. Follow Keoni on Twitter at @keoni__cavaco21. Previous Episodes Click here to see more previous episodes of Twins Spotlight. Episode 13: Edwar Colina Episode 14: Tyler Wells Episode 15: Sawyer Gipson-Long Episode 16: Adam Bray Episode 17: Chris Vallimont Episode 18: Ben Gross Episode 19: Regi Grace Episode 20: Louie Varland Episode 21: Max Smith Episode 22: Zander Wiel Episode 23: Blayne Enlow Episode 24: Royce Lewis Episode 25: Trey Cabbage Episode 26: Keoni Cavaco View full article

Our rankings: Seth: 5 Nick: 3 Tom: 4 Cody: 4

On Monday night (6:00 central time), Seth will be chatting with Twins minor league outfield prospect Trey Cabbage on a new episode of Twins Spotlight. The discussion was live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages. Trey Cabbage was the Twins fourth round draft pick back in 2015 out of high school in Tennessee. He was a three-sport star at Grainger High School and had a scholarship offer to the University of Tennessee but signed with the Twins. The 23-year-old hit a combined 15 home runs and 20 doubles between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers in 99 games in 2019. Cabbage has a ton of power potential that was just showing up before the lost 2020 season. We will catch up with Cabbage on what he was able to do in 2020, what he's been working on this offseason, his amateur years, his development and much more. Join us live at 6:00 tonight to watch, and participate by sending your questions. We'll cover a ton of topics and take your questions as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE at 6:00 pm (central time) Monday night on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages live. Also feel free to ask questions in the comments below or on those platforms during the show and we'll ask them. Subscribe to the Twins Daily podcast on Libsyn, Apple iTunes or anywhere you download podcasts. Here is the YouTube link where you can watch the show. For more on Trey Cabbage: Follow Trey on Instagram at @treycabz. Follow Trey on Twitter at @treycabz. Previous Episodes Click here to see more previous episodes of Twins Spotlight. Episode 13: Edwar Colina Episode 14: Tyler Wells Episode 15: Sawyer Gipson-Long Episode 16: Adam Bray Episode 17: Chris Vallimont Episode 18: Ben Gross Episode 19: Regi Grace Episode 20: Louie Varland Episode 21: Max Smith Episode 22: Zander Wiel Episode 23: Blayne Enlow Episode 24: Royce Lewis Episode 25: Trey Cabbage View full article

Since joining the Twins, Derek Falvey and Rocco Baldelli have frequently discussed the importance of relationships and communication. One of the most important relationships on the baseball field is between the pitchers and catchers. That may prove more difficult in 2021, at least during the early days of spring training.Pitchers and catchers reported to Twins spring training on Thursday and held their first official workout on Friday. Things at CenturyLink Sports Complex are a little different this year due to COVID restrictions and limitations. Normally at this time of year, big league spring training is taking place in the stadium, on Tom Kelly Field and on the adjacent Rick Stelmaszek Field. At the same time, back fields are often occupied by minor leaguers who have arrived at camp early. This year, minor league spring training is not set to start until April 1st. There will be up to 75 players at Twins spring training. While some are yet to arrive for various reasons from travel issues, visa issues or COVID issues, the team is utilizing all of the fields and the bullpens. Things are very spread out. In previous years, all spring training participants crammed into the clubhouse at Hammond Stadium. This year, only the hitters will be in the Hammond Stadium clubhouse while the pitchers are in the minor league clubhouse across the parking lot. Rocco Baldelli noted, “This has been one of the most difficult parts of COVID, being at the ballpark and preparing for games. Just the personal aspect of what we do. Spending time with your fellow players and fellow coaches. We want our guys in the same space, but we can’t have our pitchers and our catchers in the same space right now. It’s a very difficult thing.” It is different, and it has to be. Early days of spring training are not only about getting players ready physically, but about getting to know each other, especially new teammates. It can be especially important for pitchers and catchers. On Saturday, Mitch Garver talked about watching a lot of video this offseason on his swing. But did he watch any video, especially his at bats against some of his new teammates like Hansel Robles, Alex Colome and J.A. Happ? “Yes, I have watched all of my at-bats against all of them already. That was like the first thing I did when we signed them. I was trying to reinforce some of the things I remembered.” That’s part of ‘getting to know’ the new pitchers that he will be working with this year. The other is just building a relationship, a friendship, a trust with each other. A lot of that can happen when they are in the same clubhouse, eating breakfast together or just sitting at their lockers. Garver noted, “This year’s different. The pitchers’ locker room is across on the minor league side so it’s really hard for us to build relationships with them.” The only time that the pitchers and catchers are able to talk to each other is if and when they work bullpens. “I caught Colome’s flatground today, and we just introduced ourselves for a second. But if you’re not catching their bullpen, you don’t see those guys and you won’t see them for I don’t know how long. I haven’t met Happ yet. Robles has been busy every time I’ve walked by so it’s not like I can walk up to their locker and say, ‘Hey, what’s up? How’s it going?’ I have to be around them and interact with them just in order to meet them.” Baldelli acknowledged that it is a topic that was often discussed as spring training plans were being made. “This was something we had specifically talked about. We know that we are going to have to make some adjustments and do some things that we don’t think are ideal. We want our pitchers and catchers to spend as much time with each other as they can.” Over the course of spring training, the team will make adjustments to the arrangements and some of those introductions and conversations will be able to happen. Until then, the players will have to make the best of their opportunities to talk. Garver said, “Maybe it’ll just slow down the process a little bit and you have to be a little bit more cognizant of who you’re around and when you do see them around, just go introduce yourself, kind of talk some things over but yeah, it’s definitely been different for sure.” The manager certainly understands. “The relationship aspect of this is very important. That is not lost upon us. We’re going to do everything we can as we move forward to enhance that, and frankly, just spend more time with each other, if we can.” On Saturday morning, the Twins announced that J.A. Happ tested positive for COVID, and while he is asymptomatic, it will delay his arrival to spring training. Baldelli said, “I think coming into camp we knew the odds were that there would be some positive tests. In some small way at the beginning of camp when he comes in, will he be a little behind initially? Probably so. That being said, I don't foresee this being a long-term issue of any kind. J.A. is one, a guy who needs to know what he needs to do to get ready for a season,” No question there will be more challenges throughout spring training. Adjustments will need to be made. But they’re not all bad… We’ve got carts!! Baldelli noted, “So we’re a little more spread out. We’re using carts significantly more, kind of old school, like we used to see all the time. Carts going in different directions. So that’s helping us transport everything that we need to.” He later added, “A lot of coaches pride themselves on walking. You know, I’m going to walk 400 yards from here to there. I’m going to take the cart most of the time. I think right now You’re going to see them zipping around all over the place.” Click here to view the article

Our rankings: Seth: 4 Nick: 5 Tom: 5 Cody: 5

We can go right to the source... https://twitter.com/morsecode/status/1227622175471001601

I doubt it... in fact, he said he was hoping to just quietly retired without anyone really knowing, but Dustin put this press conference together and I think it's great.

He throws 5 pitches, but the two are plus pitches and the other three are more average and still in progress... how they develop further may be the biggest thing to tell us what his future is.

He’s tall. He’s strong. He throws a triple-digit fastball. He has as many as five pitches, including one with a cool nickname. There are a lot of reasons to like the potential of Twins pitching prospect Jhoan Duran, Twins Daily’s #5 prospect heading into the 2021 season.Age: 23 (DOB: 1-8-1998) 2020 Stats: Pitched at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul. ETA: 2021 2020 Ranking: #6 National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR |MLB: NR | ATH: 83 |BP: NR What’s To Like Before becoming the Twins bench coach before the 2020 season, Mike Bell spent eight years as the Vice President of Player Development for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In July of 2018, the Twins sent infielder Eduardo Escobar to Arizona in exchange for three players including Jhoan Duran. A year ago, I was talking to Bell about Duran. “It was a painful trade, being on that side of it, watching him go. I was definitely in the room. I think it was a good trade for both teams. Escy’s a very good player, and a good teammate. I’ll tell you what, Duran is an incredible talent. I think he’s going to do a lot of good things here in the organization. I’m super-excited to reconnect with him.” Bell noted, “When we saw him, he had a real heavy sinker. We took some baby steps with him. We knew the kind of talent he was, so we were playing it pretty safe with him in rookie ball. We saw a fastball up to 99 with heavy sink, and he is around the strike zone with command.” Duran has continued to develop. A year ago, he was added to the 40-man roster, and he spent the 2020 season at the Twins alternate training site in St. Paul. When he pitched in some intrasquad games ahead of the start of the regular season, he impressed fans and coachesalike. Duran is an intimidating presence on the mound. He stands 6-5 and is a very-strong 230 pounds. He is blessed with a fastball that sits in the upper-90s and frequently hits triple-digits. As he said a year ago in a Twins Fest interview, he likes his fastball but he is very comfortable with his sinker as well, a pitch that is sometimes called a “splinker.” (combination split-finger fastball and sinker) Whatever it is called, it has the potential to be a big pitch for him as it can sink and fade in on a right-handed batter as seen below. What’s Left To Work On At this stage, it is really just about refining his stuff and getting to the big leagues and gaining confidence in it. The third pitch, whether it’s a slow curveball, a slider or a change up will likely determine whether he can remain a starter or will need to be a reliever. That’s a question for every starter, especially guys that throw as hard as Duran. He has generally shown good control in the minor leagues, but he will need to sharpen his command to find success in the big leagues. What’s Next Duran ended the 2019 season with a handful of starts at Double-A Pensacola. He then impressed during his time in St. Paul in 2020. He will again head to big league spring training. While he may technically be competing with Randy Dobnak and others for the Twins fifth starter role, he will likely start the season with the Saints. The Twins could even justify sending him to Double-A Wichita for another partial season if needed since he missed game-innings in 2020. . Assuming he continues to impress and make improvements, it is very likely he will make his MLB debut in 2021. Because of the lack of innings in 2020, he could be on a pitch and innings limit in 2021, so it’s possible he could debut out of the Twins bullpen late in the season too. This kind of arm warrants patience and caution. Yesterday, Cody asked if you think Balazovic should be the Twins top pitching prospect? After reading today's profile, what do you think? Is it Balazovic or Duran? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Twins Daily 2021 Top 20 Prospects Honorable Mentions 20. Bailey Ober, RHP 19. Jose Miranda, INF 18. Alerick Soularie, OF 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. Aaron Sabato, 1B 7. Keoni Cavaco, SS 6. Jordan Balazovic, RHP 5. Jhoan Duran, RHP Stop by on Monday for prospect #4! 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