Seth Stohs

Now available for Name Your Own Price (including free, if you like)... The 2020 season marked the 60th season of the Twins in Minnesota. Now available is a new e-book of The Top 60 Twins Players in 60 Seasons in Minnesota. Order now for immediate download.How would you rank… these four Twins players? (1.) Dean Chance, 2.) Nelson Cruz, 3.) Greg Gagne, 4.) Eddie Guardado) We all like lists and rankings, right? On this site, our prospect rankings often are the most heavily-discussed articles that we put together. Everyone can have their varying opinions and none are completely wrong, well, some are just more debatable. But this new e-book, The Top 60 Twins in 60 Seasons in Minnesota, should hopefully create a lot of discussion for our readers, but also for fathers and sons, husbands and wives, grandparents and grandkids. And for just $7.99. Before last month, I had never talked to “Nate Tubbs Rules.” However, for the past decade, I have eagerly awaited his updated Top 300 Twins Player rankings. Shortly after each season, it was fun to see which current players jumped furthest up the rankings. Which players fell out of the Top 300. For his rankings, “NTR” considers several factors, and they are things that we all think about probably as we think about how we might rank the players. (No, most of us wouldn’t think to actually rank them to 60, much less 300!) As he explains, these are some of the factors that go into these rankings (and by the way, you should see all the Excel spreadsheets that go into this!). “Longevity” includes how many years the player was with the Twins as well as how many plate appearances or innings pitched that player had during those years.For “Peak Value”, I looked at their stats, honors, and awards in their best seasons, as well as how they compared to their teammates.Did they lead their team in OPS or home runs or ERA for starters or WPA? If so, that got some bonus points.Postseason Heroics,Awards (Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, MVPs, Cy Youngs),Statistical achievements (batting titles, home run leaders, ERA champs, etc),Honors (All Star appearances), andTeam Success. If you were the #1 starter on a division-winning champ, that gave you more “points” than the #1 starter on a cellar dweller.For each of us, we probably weigh each of those factors a little bit differently.In the handbook, you will find profiles for each of the Top 60 on his list, but you will also find the Top 300 rankings. At the very back of the book, I tried it myself. You can find my Top 60 Twins rankings there. So, let’s go back to that original question: How would you rank… these four Twins players? (1.) Dean Chance, 2.) Nelson Cruz, 3.) Greg Gagne, 4.) Eddie Guardado) Dean Chance was really good for about three seasons as a starter for the Twins. He was an All Star, threw a no-hitter, posted a 2.67 ERA over three years. Nelson Cruz has two Silver Sluggers at DH for the Twins in his two seasons, and the team won the division both years. Greg Gagne is a Twins Hall of Famer with two World Series rings. His offense wasn’t great, though most shortstops not named Ripken or Trammell did, but he was great defensively. And, he hit for some power at times. Eddie Guardado struggled as a starter and then became a solid, and frequently-used reliever before becoming an All Star closer. Leave your comments below for how you might rank those players, but as you can see, this is a fun exercise for Twins fans. And, it brings in all of the factors. Varying longevity in a Twins uniform. Varying levels of team success. Some won awards or were All Stars. Others were just really solid for several years. How do you compare starting pitchers to relievers, to power hitters and defensively-strong players? Those are the types of questions you will find yourself asking yourself and your friends over and over while reading through this book. For each of the Top 60, you will find a profile. I wrote the profiles, but “Nate Tubbs Rules” added his comments on why he ranked each player where he did. There are lists. There are rankings. And it’s just a lot of fun. We think that if you are a passionate Twins fan, you will really enjoy this book. We made it and it is only available as an e-book. We are asking for $7.99 per book. We were told we could charge more, and if you want to give more, you can, but we just want it to get in the hands of as many Twins fans as possible. The history of the organization is a lot of fun to read about and discuss. Oh, and then you can discuss who you would rank higher… Mudcat Grant or Jack Morris? Or which DH would you rank highest? Randy Bush, Nelson Cruz, Chili Davis, Jason Kubel or Paul Molitor? And why… We certainly hope that you will enjoy the book as much as Nate Tubbs Rules and I enjoyed researching and writing it! Tuesday night at 7 pm, "Nate Tubbs Rules" and I will be discussing the book and talking about the controversial rankings and answering any questions you would like to ask. Click here to view the article

Quick Update: There will be a 2021 Twins Prospect Handbook. With no Twins Fest, I don't necessarily need to have it done weeks before then. So, I am looking for that to be complete by the end of January, hopefully weeks before spring training. I have another project I have been working on the last month that will hopefully be ready this week to release... More information coming... soon... I hope.

I've watched too many, probably... I'm re-watching Breaking Bad for probably the 3rd time. I just got Peacock so I could watch Saved by the Bell. Now I'm almost all the way through Yellowstone. (5 days free trial. Gotta try to get in as much as I can) I recently re-watched the Leah Remini: Scientology and Aftermath, again.

Here was my idea for an offer... what do you think? How does this look? 2021 - $1.25 million 2022 - $2.25 million 2023 - $3.5 million 2024 - $5.5 million 2025 - $8.5 million 2026 - $10.0 million 2027 - $12.0 million option with $1M buyout 2028 - $15.0 million option with $2M buyout 6 years, $32 million, up to 8 years, $58M

I tweeted this earlier... Here is what I'd offer...What do you think? How about 4 years, $54 million with one option year. 2021 (27) - $8.0 million 2022 (28) - $11.0 million 2023 (29) - $15.0 million 2024 (30) - $18.0 million 2025 (31) - $20.0 million option with $2.0 million buyout.

His teammates just rave about how talented Celestino is. First they talk about his defense in center, but then about his incredible athleticism and strength. So yeah, I don't think they'd have any intention of him being a fourth outfielder, at least night right away.

I tweeted this out earlier today. I think it's semi-realistic. What does everyone think? I think I'd offer 3 years, $27 million... 2021 - $7.0 million 2022 - $8.0 million 2023 - $10.0 million 2024 - $15.0 million option with $2 million buyout 2025 - $18.0 million option with $2 million buyout

Yes, his wife's family is from the Denver area. I didn't ask because it's none of my business, but it's possible that he and his wife chose to stay home with the pregnancy/birth/pandemic. Wouldn't blame him. But it could be anything. Also, you are too kind, Roger. Thank you!

At 8:00 pm central time on Monday night, join us for a special Twins Spotlight. We are going to talk about former Twins outfielder Torii Hunter with three people with a great relationships with the Twins Hall of Famer. The discussion will be live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages.Recently, Torii Hunter fellow former Twins greats LaTroy Hawkins and Michael Cuddyer found their names on the new Hall of Fame ballot. All three had fantastic, long careers and deserve the honor. On this show, we will be talking about Torii Hunter. Whether you believe that he had a Cooperstown-worthy careeror not, Hunter has been a popular player, teammate and mentor to many in and around the game. Our panel includes three people that have great relationships with Torii Hunter to discuss his career and his role as a mentor. JACQUE JONES Jones found himself on the Hall of Fame ballot about seven years ago, and he got a vote. Jones and Hunter came up through the Twins farm system together after Jones was the team's second-round pick out of USC. Jones debuted and was Hunter's teammate through the 2005 season. The two remain good friends. NIKO GUARDADO Guardado has found himself in a number of memorable roles in TV and movies over the past eight years or so including a recurring role on The Goldbergs and a leading role in the remake of Party of Five. As you know, he is the son of Twins Hall of Famer and remains a fan of the team. He got to view those early '00s Twins team from a pretty special, unique perspective. Torii and Jacque remain active in many charities including the Eddie Guardado Autism Foundation Stars & Strikes event. Get to know more about Niko here. ROYCE LEWIS The Twins top prospect hails from southern California where he grew up watching Hunter with the Angels. The two met before the Twins even drafted Lewis and have built a very strong relationship. Lewis says that Hunter has been a tremendous mentor to him, giving him knowledge about topics on the baseball diamond as well as in the real world. Last offseason, Lewis moved to Texas and lives in the same city and the Hunter family. In this show, it will be fun to hear stories from all three about their relationships with Torii Hunter over the years. ------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE at 8:00 central time tonight on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages live. Also feel free to ask questions in the comments below or on those social media platforms during the show and we'll ask them. Subscribe to the Twins Daily podcast on Libsyn, Apple iTunesor anywhere you download podcasts. Here is the YouTube link where you can watch the show. Click here to view the article

Tonight at 7:00 (central time), Seth will be chatting with one of the newest members of the Twins 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Bailey Ober on an episode of Twins Spotlight. The discussion will be live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages. It may appear like any other transaction, but getting added to the 40-man roster is a big deal for any player. On Friday, Bailey Ober along with Jordan Balazovic and Ben Rortvedt, were added to the Twins 40-man roster. It's not a minor move for a number of reasons. First, it means that the player will make more money than if he is not on the 40-man roster. Second, it means getting to go to big league spring training without needing to wait for an invitation from the front office in December or January. Third, and probably most important, it means one less obstacle needed to be called up to the big leagues. Tonight we will talk with Bailey Ober about getting that call and what it means to him. We will also talk about his 2020 season which was quite quiet. It will be a good opportunity for Twins fans to get to know more about Ober. Join us live and we will take your questions for the 6-9 righty. Leave some questions below if you would like as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE at 7:00 tonight 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. More on Bailey Ober: Get to Know: RHP Bailey Ober (Jan 2018) Bailey Ober on his 2019 Success (Sept 2019) Follow Bailey on Twitter at @BaileyOB_17. Follow Bailey on Instagram at @oberbailey. Previous episodes Episode 1: Tom Hackimer Episode 2: Matt Canterino Episode 3: Aaron Whitefield Episode 4: Spencer Steer Episode 5: Travis Blankenhorn Episode 6: Cody Laweryson Episode 7: Matt Wallner Episode 8: Brent Rooker Episode 9: Bailey Ober View full article

I always think these are a bit weird... I mean, if they did a re-draft in 2010, Mookie Betts isn't close to available at #30. He might go one or two... and the player that would rank #30 by WAR or whatever, probably is a 2-3 WAR player, so there's that.

If they're not taken, they're not free agents for 2-4 more years... and that's exciting to have that type of talent not on the 40-man roster. Depth is a great thing.

It really does, so I had to think. Who are the 6? Sano. Arraez. Donaldson. Polanco. Blankenhorn. Gordon. In theory, they could go into the season with that... but they'll certainly replace Adrianza (maybe with Adrianza or someone else), and maybe add another utility guy in the Marwin Gonzalez likeness that can play around the diamond. So, I don't see them going above eight.

I think Gordon and Romero need to be added back yet... But yeah, these three players can't be removed from the 40-man roster until spring training. But they have several others that still could be DFAd if/when spots are needed. And, arbitration choices still coming next week.

On Friday, the Minnesota Twins announced that they have added catcher Ben Rortvedt and right-handed pitchers Jordan Balazovic and Bailey Ober to their 40-man roster.Alex Kirilloff, Brent Rooker and Edwar Colina would have been obvious additions to the 40-man roster on Friday, but the Twins added them during the season. That left Jordan Balazovic as the one easy choice for them to add to their 40-man roster, and on Friday they did. In addition, they added catcher Ben Rortvedt and right-hander Bailey Ober as well. That said, there are a lot of good prospects that were left off of the roster still. The Rule 5 draft will take place December 10th, and players such as Akil Baddoo, Jose Miranda, Yunior Severino, Wander Javier, Luis Rijo, Gabriel Maciel, Griffin Jax, Tyler Wells, and Charlie Barnes were left unprotected. For a more complete list, click here. BACK TO BALAZOVIC The 22-year-old right-hander was the Twins fifth-round draft pick in 2016 out of St. Martin Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario (a suburb of Toronto). His area scout that signed him was Walt Burrows. After an impressive debut in the GCL that summer, he really struggled at the same level in 2017. However, he was a new pitcher in 2018. In late May, he moved up to Ceadr Rapids and was quite impressive. He went 7-3 with a 3.94 ERA. In 61 2/3 innings, he had 78 strikeouts with just 18 walks. The season pushed his prospect status very high, reaching into the top ten among Twins prospects and even into some national Top 100 lists. In 2019, he spent the first month with the Kernels. He went 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in four starts before moving up to the Miracle. In his first Miracle start, he tossed seven no-hit innings and struck out ten batters. He went 6-4 with a 2.84 ERA in 15 more games. Combined, he had 129 strikeouts and just 25 walks over 93 2/3 innings. His season ended with a playoff start for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. When Deron Johnson drafted Balazovic, he saw a lanky pitcher with raw ability and a strong understanding of pitching. Johnson later told me that when he saw him again in 2018, he was now touching 95 and his breaking pitches were much sharper. Balazovic was added to the Twins alternate site roster for the final month of the season. Also, it's pronounced (buh-law-zuh-vic)... More on Jordan Balazovic: Seth's Preliminary Top 50 Prospects: Part 2 (31-40) (Sept 2020)Get to Know: Jordan Balazovic (Dec 2016)Why Jordan Balazovic has the Makings of an Ace (Nov 2019)Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: #5 Jordan Balazovic (Feb 2020)Three Twins Players Hurt Most Without a Minor League Season (June 2020)Who Should the Twins Protect from the Rule 5 Draft? (Nov 2020)BACKING BAILEY When it comes to putting up numbers, Bailey Ober has done just that. He was the Twins 12th round pick in 2017 out of the College of Charleston where he was the country's Freshman of the Year. Unfortunately, the 6-9 righty had Tommy John surgery which cost him a season and his recovery pushed him down in the draft. He has missed time since joining the Twins organization too. However, when he has pitched, he has been really good. In 2018, he went 4-0 with a 1.58 ERA in Ft. Myers before moving up to AA Pensacola where he went 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA. Combined, he struck out 100 and walked just nine batters in 78 2/3 innings. More On Ober Get to Know: RHP Bailey Ober (Jan 2018)Bailey Ober on his 2019 Success (Sept 2019) BACKSTOP BEN Ben Rortvedt has also been added to the Twins 40-man roster. The Verona, Wisconsin, native was the first of two straight second round picks in 2016, one pick ahead of Jose Miranda. He has been invited to big-league spring training the past two seasons. In 2019, he started in Ft. Myers. After 24 games, he moved up to Double-A Pensacola where he played in 55 games. Combined, he hit .239/.332/.355 (.687) with 16 doubles and seven homers before an late-season knee injury ended his regular season. He attempted to play in the Arizona Fall League but was unable to and had knee surgery. Rortvedt is strong and athletic behind the plate. He's got good agility and a strong arm. He's really improved on his pitch framing in recent seasons as well. He's smart, works well with pitchers and is able to call a strong game. More On Rortvedt Twins Select Ben Rortvedt with the 56th Overall Pick(June 2016)Kernels Catcher Ben Rortvedt is Catching On (May 2017)Looking Back: Twins Take Four Prep Bats Atop 2016 Draft (Aug 2018) What are your thoughts on the Twins additions to the 40-man roster? The roster currently has 37 players on it: 19 pitchers, four catchers, six infielders and eight outfielders. Click here to view the article

Thanks Mike!

Yes, the Twins (Falvey/Levine) have done what they set out to do, develop waves of talent, and they have that. We're just starting to see some of that, both pitching and hitting. And he isn't one to throw out anything without meaning it. His comments/compliments on those other guys, he means. I think they'll want to cut some payroll, not knowing the fan situation in 2021. As for Rooker... I'm not expecting him to hit for a lot of average. I would think he could be a .260/.340/.500 (.840) type of hitter, plus of minus a bit. Will depend on role, and all that. He's going to strike out. We know that, but I was SO impressed with his at-bats in his short time with the Twins. And that power is real.

I appreciate that... As you all know, I'm not a professional interviewer, but I try. I want to make it conversational, and I tend to ramble. I appreciate you saying that.

Not at this point. That could become a fallback plan way down the line. But he didn't even pitch his junior season at Southern Mississippi either.

People should listen to this just because of what he said about the likes of Lewis, Kirilloff, Larnach, Duran, Chalmers, Celestino and others that he got to know in St. Paul. Also, you can see his scar from his surgery and get updated on how he's doing now. Hear his thoughts on getting the call up, playing a double header that day, homering in St. Louis, and more. Also, he's got a great story on working with Josh Donaldson... two years ago... and find out if Donaldson remembers that encounter.

last night, Seth chatted with Minnesota Twins outfielder Brent Rooker about making his big-league debut, a strange 2020 season, an update on his late-season injury and rehab (and he showed us his scar!), what was going on at the alternate site and some words about some of the other Twins prospects that were there, and his multi-sport success in high school. And, much more. You'll enjoy this episode a lot! The discussion was live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages. The Twins drafted Brent Rooker in 2016, and they liked him so much, they drafted him again in 2017. The Twins drafted Rooker in the 38th round in 2016 from Mississippi State. He bet on himself and went back to school for his redshirt junior season and responded by winning the SEC's Triple Crown. In 2017, the Twins used the 35th overall pick in 2017. Since then, Rooker has been a top Twins prospect, one of the most powerful bats in the organization. After signing, he hit 18 home runs between Elizabethton and Ft. Myers in just 65 games. In 2018, he played at AA Chattanooga and hit 22 homers in 130 games. In 2019, he hit 14 home runs in just 65 games before an injury ended his season. That's 54 home runs in essentially two seasons. Rooker was invited to his second consecutive big-league spring training in 2020 and was playing well when the season was put on hold, When Summer Camp began, he was on the 60-play pool. He spent August in St. Paul at the Twins alternate site, and on September 4th, he got The Call, and that day he was in the team's lineup. Later that week, Rooker went with the team to St. Louis to play the Cardinals, his favorite team growing up. It was there that he hit first first big-league home run. Unfortunately, his season came to an abrupt end by an up-and-in fastball off the wrist/forearm. However, in his seven game debut, he hit .316/.381/.579 (.960) with two doubles, a homer and five RBI. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE at 7:00 tonight 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. More on Brent Rooker : Interview with Twins Second Pick Brent Rooker (June 2017) Rooker Promotion: Aggressive, or No? (July 2017) Rooker Chasing Russo (Get to know Paul Russo) (August 2017) Episode 2: Seth’s Twins Talk (with Brent Rooker, Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff (Jan 2018) Twins Daily 2018 Top Prospects: #7 Brent Rooker (February 2018) Rooker Getting into the Swing of Spring (March 2018) Twins Daily 2019 Top Prospects: #6 Brent Rooker (February 2019) Episode 2: Get to Know Pat Dean and Brent Rooker (March 2019) Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: #9 Brent Rooker (February 2020) 5 Questions with Twins Prospect Brent Rooker (March 2020) Brent Rooker is ‘Ready to Go’ for a “Big” Year (May 2020) Should Brent Rooker Get First Crack at First Base? (July 2020) Follow Brent on Twitter at @Brent_Rooker19. Follow Brent on Instagram at @Brent_Rooker19. . Previous episodes Episode 1: Tom Hackimer Episode 2: Matt Canterino Episode 3: Aaron Whitefield Episode 4: Spencer Steer Episode 5: Travis Blankenhorn Episode 6: Cody Laweryson Episode 7: Matt Wallner Episode 8: Brent Rooker View full article