Seth Stohs

Derek Falvey talked to media members on a Zoom call on Tuesday afternoon about a variety of topics including the upcoming trade deadline and how the prospects in St. Paul could develop and contribute as soon as needed. He also reiterated that the Twins goal for the 2020 season remains the same as it was when they arrived in Ft. Myers in February. ““They’re going out there to compete every night to win this World Series. That’s the goal. That hasn’t changed from the day we showed up in Ft. Myers to the day we restarted here in Summer Camp.” The trade deadline is obviously different in this 2020 season in which so many things are different. There was no July 31st trade deadline as the season wasn’t even a week old at that time. There is, however, a trade deadline on August 31st. At Twins Daily and elsewhere, you will find articles on who the Twins should consider adding or not, which positions do the Twins need help and more. While many believe that the trade deadline will be quieter than normal, in large part due to more teams being in some sort of contention still, there will be players that could be dealt in the right deal. Falvey noted, “If there are ways to help our club and opportunities that present, certainly, but we are going to do it on the backs of a lot of the people that are already in the organization.” Now, as you know, the only players who can be traded are players on the 60-player pools. Of course, the Player To Be Named Later could very possibly be a popular name heard over the next week. Teams are not going to want to trade their top prospects for an impending free agent. One of those things that teams, front office members, media types say or write each year is that getting Player X or Pitcher Y back is as good as making a trade. A lot of fans hate that, but this year in particular, it is true for the Twins. Consider this group of players could also return within the next couple of weeks: Michael Pineda’s suspension is complete and he should be inserted into the Twins rotation. He’s been progressing nicely in St. Paul, working in simulated or intrasquad games the past month. We may easily forget that when his suspension kicked in late last year, he was clearly the Twins top starting pitcher. If he can come back near that form, that is going to be impactful. Falvey said that he was hitting 94 this past weekend. Josh Donaldson should be returning, potentially as early as the next homestand sometime. He has now been getting at bats in intrasquad games in St. Paul and still getting his ground ball work in at Target Field too. Falvey acknowledged that they have been “slightly conservative” but for good reason. “He has had a history with calf issues in the past. He has had a history at one point in time maybe rushing it back a bit to try to get back on the field as quickly as possible.” Byron Buxton is feeling “much improved” according to Falvey. “He’s on a good track. He’s on a good course.” Mitch Garver - He’s been getting treatment and improving, but his return will not be in ten days. “He’s focused more on the recovery part right now than he is on the rehab exercises.” Cody Stashak - According to Falvey, he was feeling good through rehab, but did experience some not-unexpected soreness. Jake Odorizzi - He is with the team. He is feeling better, but there is still bruising and soreness. Reports to Falvey indicate that he is getting better day-by-day, but he’s not able to let loose at 100% yet. Zack Littell - He’s had his forearm and elbow checked out. Falvey noted that if not for a need in the bullpen at the time, he may have just been able to miss three or four games. That said, there are several teams that are going to be looking to trade, and they will be asking for the Twins top prospects, so what are they up to? MINOR LEAGUERS KEEP WORKING, PROGRESSING Let’s start with some good news. Derek Falvey announced yesterday that Nick Gordon has cleared COVID testing protocol and the Orlando native will soon head to Ft. Myers to begin the rehab process. “We’ll anticipate seeing him progress from a strength and conditioning standpoint first, and then we’ll go into baseball activities. That could take a few weeks.” At that point, he can head to St. Paul and be added into the 60-player pool. The players in St. Paul have been there for about six weeks. Aside from those who have been called up to the Twins or took a road trip with the team on the taxi squad, things can get a big monotonous. Derek Falvey said he spoke this week with the coaching staff and some of the players and it isn’t necessarily easy. “It feels quite a bit like Groundhog Day. There’s no way around that. They don’t play another team. They face each other every day. We’re trying to come up with some fun ideas to have some interesting competitions which our guys have really adapted to.” In talking with some of the players, they have worked to avoid boredom away from the ballpark with going on some hikes, playing video games and streaming television and movies. But the important stuff is that they are working and able to improve under a structured system. They are really able to focus on areas of their game. “We spend some days focused on individual skill development, in a way that we normally wouldn't over the course of the regular season.” Falvey continued, “I’ve always wanted that to some degree. Our minor league seasons, they play a game every night. Sometimes you can’t focus as much on the individual skill development.” But they are playing games. Yes, intra-squad games or simulated games for pitchers. And, although to this point we can’t watch those games anywhere on TV or online, we do know there are some very talented prospects there. Let’s start with the hitters. Falvey said they are all doing well. “In terms of the games, really a lot of our guys have looked good. Ryan Jeffers, before he came over, was swinging the bat well. I think Trevor Larnach has continued to progress. Alex Kirilloff. Royce Lewis. All of these guys on the offensive side, some of our premium prospects, have really swung the bat well.“ In addition, Travis Blankenhorn provides some versatility and power. With such a left-handed heavy lineup, Brent Rooker and maybe Zander Wiel and their power potential could be options as well. Speaking of Royce Lewis, since Byron Buxton’s injury, I have heard many people ask if Royce Lewis is getting any time in center field in St. Paul. Since he went to the Arizona Fall League last year (where he was named league MVP) and played centerfield and third base and second base, Twins fans are curious about his future position. A source in the state’s capital city tells me that Lewis has only practiced and played shortstop at CHS Field and has been told there is no plan to alter that any time soon. There are several really exciting arms in St. Paul too. Falvey went into some detail on two pitchers who are on the 40-man roster and made a strong impression at Summer Camp. “Jhoan Duran has thrown the ball well for a good portion of camp. We’ve been really careful with him just to make sure, for all the pitchers, and for a lot of reasons as we look at challenges for pitchers with the second restart across the game, making sure that we’re being particularly careful. Dakota Chalmers’ stuff has looked really good. Command still remains an area of focus for him.” In addition, when discussing players that may be able to contribute to a September run, he mentioned a name the Twins fans are starting to hear more and more often. “Edwar Colina came back and he’s throwing the ball well, as well.” Of course, aside from rehab players and some hardship cases such as international players unable to travel, the Twins minor league facilities in Ft. Myers are not yet open. That’s true across MLB organizations. At this point, there still aren’t any official plans for fall or winter leagues or the option for teams to bring in players for camps. There is no timeline. There are, however, discussions on if, when and how something can happen for all those minor league players who are currently at their homes working out, trying to remain ready when needed. Falvey said, ““I hope we’ll be doing something for them toward the end of this year. To this point, we’ve had some conversations with Major League Baseball about the potential for what the Fall can look like. There have been rumors about the Arizona Fall League and the Instructional League and different things that we can do for those players.” Right now, the only players that teams are allowed to work with (except rehab players) are guys in the 60-player pools. They can’t bring in players to do anything, or even allow players who want to just be there to work out in Ft. Myers. For those players, at this time, they are doing some work remotely. Falvey said that they have and are “building some developmental plans and training plans throughout our system for players who aren’t here.” Until they are allowed to do more, their hands are tied. Lewis Thorpe has joined RHP Juan Minaya and UT Willians Astudillo on the Twins taxi squad in Cleveland in case there is a need. The rest of the players, those in St. Paul, will get up and go to work at CHS Field again tomorrow, and the next day, trying to avoid boredom, and more importantly, trying to improve and be ready when called upon. So to summarize, the Twins will take and make phone calls with other MLB teams over the next week. They will listen. If there are deals that make sense for the Twins in 2020 and beyond, a deal could be consummated. If not, the Twins have some talented veteran hitters and pitchers who could return from injury or suspension in the very near future and contribute mightily. They also have some great hitting and pitching prospects who are ready, or nearly ready, if an opportunity presents itself. It should be an exciting week, but more important, it should be an exciting next month, or hopefully two, for the Twins and their fans!

When the Twins drafted catcher Ryan Jeffers from UNCW in the 2nd round of the 2018 MLB draft, it surprised a lot of draft experts and Twins fans. He wasn’t known as a top draft prospect. He was known as a hit-first catcher who might not be able to play that position in the big leagues.This spring, Baseball America ranked him as the top defensive player in the Twins minor leagues. Over the remainder of the 2018 season as well as the 2019 season, he climbed Twins prospects rankings. In fact, before the 2020 season, Twins Daily ranked him as the #7 Twins prospect. This spring, he was invited to big league spring training in Ft. Myers for the first time. While he didn’t get a lot of at bats, he worked with the pitching staff and the big-league coaches. He also got to work with Mitch Garver and the veteran Alex Avila. He was named to the Twins 60-player pool and has been working out and trying to stay ready in St. Paul. Ready for that call. "Yeah, last night, our farm director, Alex Hassan, called me at like 11:30 and told me (that he was being called up). I was kind of following the game and saw that Garver did something to this side or whatever it was, so I was staying by my phone just in case. I got the call, and I was caught off guard, choked up a little bit, couldn't really find the words, but it was such an amazing feeling getting that call." If it was after 11:00 central time, it was really late back home of North Carolina, but he still had to make a couple of important phone calls to make. “(I) Talked to my parents and my wife’s parents last night, it was midnight back home in North Carolina, but I talked to both of them today, making sure they remembered our conversation from the night before.” With Willians Astudillo now cleared, optioned, and working in St. Paul, it was a bit of a surprise that the Twins purchased the contract of Jeffers. But Rocco Baldelli made it clear how they feel about Jeffers and how he can help this Twins team. The Twins manager said, “Ryan’s a guy that hasn't played a ton at the big league level. One night. But when you watch him go about his work behind the plate, in the clubhouse, at the plate with the bat in his hands, he is very confident and comfortable. He has a very good way about him, he works well with others. He’s a very intelligent guy, he’s very prepared for the game.” https://twitter.com/SethTweets/status/1296553401745051648 After his masterful performance on Thursday night, pitcher Jose Berrios said that he was happy to have Jeffers catch him. Berrios said that earlier in the day Twins interpreter Elvis Martinez informed him that Jeffers was going to make his Major League debut. Berrios responded excitedly, “That’s great!” Baldelli said that Jeffers came to the ballpark early on Thursday, which is a good thing. “We wanted to get him here in plenty of time today to let him settle in and prepare for today's game.” Berrios said that he met with Jeffers and (pitching coach) Wes Johnson, “We were on the same page.” And that was proven throughout the game. Berrios said that he may have shook off Jeffers three times in the game. And, obviously, Berrios put together his best performance of the season, by far. The Twins starter gave up just one hit and one walk over six shutout innings. He struck out nine batters and earned his second win of the season while dropping his season ERA by over a run. Jeffers gave most of the credit to the All-Star right-hander. “His stuff was really crisp tonight. It’s easy to call a game when a guy is throwing what you want and where you want it. And all of his stuff was working, you could tell by the ABs the Brewers were taking that he was really keeping them off balance, really knew what his stuff was doing tonight, which was good. That Jose Berrios is a really, really, really good arm so we get him to do that every day.” Jeffers also said that others helped him prepare to catch in his debut. “They do a really good job getting us ready with all the information we need, and I had a good conversation with Alex (Avila), a good conversation with (Mitch) Garver, really talking about what he’s been doing well, what he hasn’t. Look at the Brewers lineup, going up and down that, just weighing everything and taking all the information as it comes, and just going out there and rolling with the game, seeing what’s working for Jose, and just going with the flow.” Just going with the flow. In his big league debut. That’s a great mentality, but not easy. However, Jeffers noted that he’s been working and preparing for this night. He’s also been given opportunities from Twins Fest to Spring Training to Summer Camp, to get to know his teammates and coaches and get comfortable. “There was a moment in the conversation between me and my wife where it started to become real, but for the most part, I just felt comfortable. Being over here for summer camp really helped me with my nerves today, I felt comfortable here, in the locker room, in the clubhouse, on the field with the guys. For me it was just another day of baseball. Everyone says, just go out there, it’s the same game, and it really is. That’s how you have to treat it every day.” When Jeffers was drafted, scouts around the game knew he could hit. However, each Twins scout that saw him also thought he was good or even better-than-good defensively. But that was one big question for many in the scouting industry. Could he catch? The Twins believed he could when they drafted him, but after his pro debut in 2018, it was clear that they were right. His pitch framing numbers were fantastic, but he kept working. He worked with then minor league catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, and worked a ton this spring with Michael Thomas who took over that role when Swanson left for the Yankees. Jeffers is much more than just a strong defensive catcher. In the bottom of the third inning, Jeffers came to the plate to face hard-throwing Brandon Woodruff with one out and Ildemaro Vargas on third base. Not an easy situation for his first big-league plate appearance. Jeffers said, "I knew he had a good fastball and he was probably going to come at me with it, and just seeing that early and seeing that come out. They've done a really good job preparing us on the St. Paul side to get over here and feel comfortable in the batter's box. I just got in there and just did me. I felt good. I was seeing the pitches well. I was just doing my best to put the ball in play and drive that run in." And that’s just what he did, driving a single past Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. https://twitter.com/SethTweets/status/1296599862042079238 His manager was excited about and impressed with that first at bat as well. “He went up there, and he’s also facing one of the better pitchers in all of baseball, too. It’s not like he was going up there against a guy who’s an easier at-bat. This is a very difficult at-bat in a big spot and game. But again, his ability to kind of avoid distraction and just focus on what he can handle and stay relaxed. He has a lot of characteristics of what we’d just call ... he’s a baseball player.” Baldelli continued, “But watching him go up there and get his first knock in a big spot, we all think it’s cool. It’s just a wonderful feeling for all of us, him mostly. But every time you see a guy go up there and achieve that feat, it’s pretty awesome.” In the bottom of the fifth inning, he came up with one out and no one on. Again, a five-pitch at bat ended with a line drive single out of the reach of Arcia. https://twitter.com/dohyoungpark/status/1296609643188367362 Jeffers fouled out to end the bottom of the sixth inning. Then in the bottom of the eighth inning, he was hit by a pitch. In doing so, he became the first Twins player to reach base three times in his debut since Brian Dinkelman (now the Cedar Rapids Kernels manager) did in 2011. A Twins Daily writer asked Jeffers if he got the baseball from his first hit and if he had any plans for it yet. Jeffers reached into his back pocket and pulled out two baseballs. “I got both of them in my pocket right now. They've got these little silver stickers on them. I'll probably put them on a shelf somewhere and hold onto them pretty tight.” His manager was pretty impressed with the 23-year-old’s debut. Baldelli said, “He brought it out there on the field. He did a great job behind the plate. He’s a guy that knows what’s going on in the game; his awareness level is very high. We got to see all of that come together. Seeing him work with Jose Berrios that well on day one is a tremendous sign for things to come.” Asked to try to reflect on where he’s come over the last few years, Jeffers noted. “It's been awesome. It's been a wild ride from walking on at UNCW, spending three years there, really establishing myself there, and then getting drafted and going through the Minors the first year and then last year. Then, coming in this year and not being really sure of the plan and how COVID was going to affect the season and affect everything. I found myself in St. Paul, and finally getting the call to come over here and do what I can to help this team. So it's been a wild ride. It's been an awesome ride. I'm excited to keep it going.” Twins fans should be excited too. Picking a favorite memory for today and this game would be difficult. “There's so much I could say. Walking up to the plate for the first time and hearing your name called. Going out there and having José throw the way he did. Getting that first RBI. There's so many memories from tonight. I'm going to cherish all of them.” ------------------------------------ Less than two years after being a surprise second round pick, he has arrived in the big leagues. Interestingly, the second overall pick in that 2018 draft was catcher Joey Bart from Georgia Tech. Bart made his MLB debut on this same night for the San Francisco Giants. Bart had a double in four at bats in his debut. Find out more about Ryan Jeffers in the links below: Twins Select Ryan Jeffers in the Second Round of the 2018 Draft (June 2018) Get to Know Twins New Catcher Ryan Jeffers (June 2018) Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - July 2018 (July 2018) Catching Up with Ryan Jeffers (Feb 2019) Twins Daily 2019 Top Prospects: #13 Ryan Jeffers (Feb 2019) The Twins 2018 Draft Class is Loaded with Talent Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: #7 Ryan Jeffers (Feb 2020) Twins Announce Non-Roster Spring Training Invites (Feb 2020) Twins Announce 60-Man Player Pool for Summer Camp (June 2020) Episode 18: Get to Know Ryan Jeffers (June 2020)

Last week, Baseball America’s JJ Cooper wrote the following: “There was no 2020 MiLB season, so a legal argument could have been constructed that there was no championship season, which would mean that all players who came into the season with six years of minor league service time compiled would have to wait until after the 2021 season to reach free agency.” So, what does this mean for Minnesota Twins and their players? Well, mostly it means that it will affect them as if there was a season played. If they would have said that it isn’t a ‘championship season’, all players would be one year further from free agency. The team would have had one more year of control. Six-Year Minor League Free Agents Players that the Twins signed in the past offseason on minor league deal will be free agents at season’s end, unless they are on the 40-man roster. So, a player like Calten Daal or Mitch Horacek who are on minor league deals with the Twins will become free agents at the end of the year. Guys like Drew Maggi and Jack Reinheimer and Wilfredo Tovar who are on the current Twins 60-player pool will become free agents at the end of the season, unless they are added to the 40-man roster before then. Caleb Thielbar signed a minor league free agent deal with the Twins. He was practicing in St. Paul. He got added to the 40-man roster to be added to the team’s 28-man roster. If the Twins keep him on their 40-man roster all season, he isn’t a free agent. But if the Twins do take him off of the 40-man roster, he can become a free agent. First-Time Free Agents Players drafted in the 2014 MLB draft are eligible to be free agents at the end of the season. So are the guys who signed as international free agents after the 2013 season and through the 2014 season. Sam Clay - LHP - 27 Clay was the Twins fourth round pick in 2014 out of Georgia Tech. The Twins gave him an opportunity to start and he was an All Star starting pitcher in the Midwest League, but he moved to the bullpen where he has had some ups and downs. However, he is left-handed, and he has allowed just one home run since the 2017 season. He is at the Twins alternate training site. During the Twins recent road trip, he was on the taxi squad. Jake Reed - RHP - 27 Reed was the team’s fifth round pick in 2014 out of the University of Oregon. Reed signed quickly and immediately made a strong impression. After a dominant debut, he went to the Arizona Fall League. In 2015, he was quickly promoted to Double-A. The past four seasons have been split between Double-A and Triple-A. At times, particularly the second half of 2018, he was dominant. However, he has not been given a big-league opportunity. He has not been added to the Twins player pool, though one would hope if that group expands (as has been discussed), he would be in that group. Andro Cutura - RHP - 26 Cutura was the Twins’ seventh round pick in 2014 from Southeastern Louisiana University. After just six starts in 2016, he needed Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2017. He returned in 2018. He spent most of 2020 at Double-A Pensacola and pitched four innings for the Red Wings. Jose Martinez - RHP - 23 Martinez signed from Venezuela with the Twins on August 3rd, 2013. His progression through the organization has been slow. He spent a season each in the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League. He then spent two years with the Elizabethton Twins. He spent 2018 and 2019 with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Moises Gomez - RHP - 23 The Twins signed Gomez out of Venezuela in April of 2014. They were patient with him early. He spent a year in the DSL before spending two seasons in the Gulf Coast League. He split 2017 between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. He missed time with injury in 2018 but pitched his nine games in E-Town. In 2019, he was one of the top relief pitchers in the minor league system. Between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers, he posted a 2.91 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League. One More To Watch Nick Gordon was added to the Twins 40-man roster after the 2018 season. 2020 is his second option year, so obviously he would have another option after this year. However, if the Twins top pick from that 2014 draft were to be removed from the 40-man roster and unclaimed, the 24-year-old could become a free agent as well. Any thoughts on any of these players and their upcoming free agencies? Which, if any, do you think the organization should prioritize attempting to bring back? Should any be put on the 40-man roster before they become free agents?

Vargas was with the Diamondbacks on four occasions in 2019. The 29-year-old hit .269 with nine doubles, a triple and six home runs in 92 games. He was off to a slow start this season and after hitting just .150 over 20 at bats, the Diamondbacks Designated him for Assignment. Vargas has spent parts of the past four seasons with the Diamondbacks and in 126 games, he has hit .257/. 287/.387 (.674) with 10 doubles and seven homers. In his career, Vargas has played all four infield positions as well as left field, though the majority of time has been spent at second base and third base. Rocco Baldelli said before Tuesday's game "He's a guy we really like in a lot of different ways organizationally. A guy that we think can do a lot of different things. Versatility. Plays around the infield. Can help you pretty much anywhere. Good contact bat, probably a line drive type bat regardless of who he is facing. Can probably get the barrel on the all. All reports, some of them coming from Escy (Eduardo Escobar) over there, say he's a really good guy too, a guy who will fit in very well in the clubhouse. You add all that up, looks like an interesting guy that can complement our group and compete in a lot of different ways." Vargas grew up in Venezuela. He originally signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, but after six seasons, he became a free agent. He played briefly for Bridgeport in the Atlantic League to start the 2015 season, but the Diamondbacks signed him by May. He debuted in late June of 2017. Baldelli didn't yet know Vargas's travel plans but likely he will meet the team in Minneapolis. Nothing has been finalized yet. It will also be interesting to see how the COVID protocols play out. Things have certainly changed. "A lot of our discussions go beyond the baseball part of it. Most of what we used to talk about, you acquire a player, you are just talking about the player, what he can do, how he is as a guy, all kinds of different things. Now we're talking about testing protocols, when the last time that he went through it, how we're going to approach it, where we're going to fly him in to, how that flight's going to work, talking with Vargas about how to approach that commercial flight. That's what we end up spending our time on." Baldelli said that the Twins are likely to go beyond the MLB protocol which may mean some rapid testing, maybe some daily testing, for a little while. In addition, the Twins announced that Willians Astudillo has been removed from the Injured List and optioned to the team's alternate site in St. Paul. Baldelli noted, "He's doing very well physically. It's been 18-plus days since he's been off (the COVID list) and moving around. He's in great shape." He added, "Not much is going to change as far as what he's doing, he's doing very well. Knowing that he's an option for us always, at any given point, is a very good feeling. You never know when those moves are going to be needed. They could come at any time."