Seth Stohs

Yeah, that's a big thing, I think. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out over the season, but I do think it's good for scheduling, and for traveling and such. Also, may push players to make quicker adjustments to adjustments. No scheduled minor league games on Monday, allowing for travel (and maybe makeup days?).

It's always nice to follow four extra box scores each day, but it's especially good when the big-league club is struggling.

This has been edited, though a manager named Brain would be fun!

There were a lot of changes to minor league baseball this offseason, and there were changes with all four Twins minor league affiliates. As minor league camp continues, find out the spring training timeline and learn a little about each affiliate and how to follow them.At Twins Daily, we have always taken a lot of pride in our minor league coverage. Frankly, no one covered the Twins minor leagues and prospects the way we did. So, trust us when we say that a lost minor league season in 2020 was hard on us. While the 2021 season will begin late, we are excited about our minor league coverage plans for the upcoming season. We will again have daily minor league reports. In addition, we hope to have a strong presence at CHS Field throughout the season and provide even more coverage. With that in mind, today I just wanted to start getting people thinking about the minor leagues. Today I'll remind you of the 2021 Twins affiliates. Minor League Spring Training Update But first, here are some quick notes on Twins minor league spring training: Players reported to Ft. Myers for spring training on April 1st. They had to go through the intake process, COVID protocols and more.April 5th was the first official practice.There are 134 players in Ft. Myers (73 pitchers, 14 catchers, 28 infielders, 17 outfielders, and two rehabbing)April 16th (Friday), the minor leaguers will play their first spring training games against other teams. Like big league spring games, the Twins affiliates will play only Boston, Atlanta and Tampa Bay affiliates.April 29th - Minor League camp breaks.May 4th - Minor League Opening Day.Affiliates The Elizabethton Twins are no longer an affiliate of the Twins. In fact, that team is now longer the Twins. They are now the River Riders and will play in a summer college wood bat league. The Rochester Red Wings became the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals (managed by former Twins catcher/DH Matthew LeCroy), and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos are now the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. With that, let's take a look at the four full-season Twins affiliates, provide some background on the team and their stadium. We have also included links to the team's websites, team stores, and social media platforms. Find links to how you can watch the Twins players at the alternate site, and a couple of the affiliates have started podcasts. St. Paul Saints After nearly 30 years as a leader in independent baseball, the St. Paul Saints became the Twins Triple-A affiliate. The two sides became close last summer when the Twins were able to use CHS Field as their alternate site, a role they are playing again this month. The Twins new Triple-A affiliate resides just 12 miles from Target Field. CHS Field is where the team will play. In fact, leading up to the start of the minor league season, CHS Field is the site of the Twins alternate site again. You can watch the workouts and simulated games in person for just $5. Find the schedule here, and how you can order tickets. And there are concessions. When the team takes the field, they will be managed by Toby Gardenhire. Matt Borgschulte will be the hitting coach. Cibney Bello and Mike McCarthy will be the pitching coaches. Tyler Smarslok will be the fourth coach. Team Website Team Store Saints on Twitter Saints on Facebook Saints on Instagram Saints on YouTube Wichita Wind Surge The Twins new Double-A affiliate is in Wichita, Kansas, and it might be fair to say There’s No Place Like Home. Riverfront Stadium is new, and it is stunning (See here. It’s incredible!). Last Saturday, the first game ever was played in the stadium and over 7,500 fans watched Wichita State play Houston. While the new stadium is 635 miles from Target Field, the ten-hour drive down I-35 could be part of a longer vacation, or even a long weekend. Ramon Borrego will again be the Twins Double-A manager, maintaining the same role he had in Pensacola. Luis Ramirez and Virgil Vasquez will be the team’s pitching coaches. Ryan Smith will be the hitting coach. Joe Mangiameli will be the fourth coach and work with the catchers. Team Website Team Store Wind Surge on Twitter Wind Surge on Facebook Wind Surge on Instagram Wind Surge on YouTube Surge Cast: Episode 1 Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins moved their Low-A, Midwest League affiliate from Beloit to Cedar Rapids in 2013. With the minor league realignment this offseason, the Kernels got a promotion and are now the Twins High-A affiliate. Veterans Memorial Stadium is just 278 miles from Target Field. It’s a great trip. In addition, the Field of Dreams movie location is in nearby Dyersville. Brian Dinkelman gets his managerial promotion to High-A without having to move! His pitching coaches will be Mark Moriarity and Richard Salazar. Bryce Berg will be the hitting coach. Jairo Rodriguez will be the team’s fourth coach and work with the catchers. Team Website Team Store Kernels on Twitter Kernels on Facebook Kernels on Instagram Kernels on YouTube All Ears podcast Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Ft. Myers has been the home to the Twins High-A, Florida State League affiliate for a long time. Before the 2020 season, it was announced that the team would no longer be the Miracle. Instead, they are now the Mighty Mussels. This past offseason, there was another change. The Mighty Mussels will now be the Low-A affiliate of the Twins. OK, it’s a 1700 mile drive from Target Field to Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers. It’ll be 25 hours worth of driving, so unless you’ve got an epic vacation planned, flying would be the best way to get there. And if you plan it for later in the summer, you can catch a few GCL Twins games on the back fields as well. In recent weeks, Aaron Sutton resigned as the Mighty Mussels manager to return home for personal reasons, leaving the coaching industry. Brian Meyer was going to be the team’s hitting coach, but he will now be the team’s manager. Peter Larson and Carlos Hernandez are the two pitching coaches. The Twins hired Derek Shomon who had been the hitting coach of the Schaumburg Boomers of the independent Frontier League. Rayden Ogando was recently brought in and will be the team’s fourth coach. Team Website Team Store Mighty Mussels on Twitter Mighty Mussels on Facebook Mighty Mussels on Instagram Again, we will have much more content on all four of these affiliates in coming weeks and throughout the season. But feel free to ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins announced this morning that shortstop Andrelton Simmons has been placed on the COVID-IL. JT Riddle has been added to the 40-man roster and called up. Alex Kirilloff is the 27th man for today's doubleheader and making his second MLB debut! More notes from today.With a doubleheader today at Target Field against the Red Sox, the Twins find themselves without their starting shortstop. Andrelton Simmons has shown his defensive prowess already, but he's also been hitting so far this spring. The 31-year-old from Curacao is hitting .355/.474/.452 (.925) with three doubles through the first ten games. Simmons tested positive for COVID earlier today and placed on the COVID-IL. Derek Falvey noted that Simmons was experiencing some minor symptoms. All Twins players were tested this morning and the rest were cleared. That said, as we know, COVID can linger for a few days before showing up on a test. JT Riddle was brought in on a minor league contract in spring training. Like Simmons, Riddle is a defensive whiz, capable of playing all around the infield and in centerfield too. Simmons has been public about his thoughts on COVID and vaccinations. Before the season started, he tweeted his thoughts and reason for not getting vaccinated. The Twins also lost RHP Tyler Wells to the Orioles in the Rule 5 draft. He has pitched to a 4.76 ERA over four games and 5 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. It's Kenta Maeda and Jose Berrios today for the Twins. Click here to view the article

He has been hurt. Not much he can do about that. He's basically missed three seasons the last five years (obviously one due to COVID). Still young. Still very, very talented.

They're all in Ft. Myers now... First practice of the year is on Saturday!

The veterans will be in AAA (or released). I assume like Barnes and Vasquez and Jax and Mason and maybe even Duran. Remember he only had a handful of starts in AA in 2019. I think he could move up quick if he doesn't start in AAA. And no, I think Rortvedt goes to AA, at least to start the season.

Lots have asked about Wiel. So have I... I am very surprised... As for Celestino, he's maybe starting at Wichita this season (possibly Cedar Rapids), so no need for him to be up there.

On Friday morning, the St. Paul Saints announced the Twins alternate site staff and the 33 players who will be working out at CHS Field. In addition, fans will be able to attend workouts.The Twins season has started. Twins minor leaguers have reported to Ft. Myers. The intake/testing process is in progress, and on Saturday, the players will have their first official workout. However, the St. Paul Saints have announced the 33 players who will be part of the team's alternate site at CHS Field. From a coaching perspective, it will be the Saints staff. Toby Gardenhire is the manager. Mike McCarthy and Cibney Bello are the pitching coaches. The hitting coach is Matt Borgschulte while Tyler Smarslok is the development coach. Here are the players scheduled to participate: Left-Handed Pitchers (7): Andrew Albers, Danny Coulombe, Devin Smeltzer, Andrew Vasquez, Brandon Waddell, Charlie Barnes, Lewis Thorpe. Right-Handed Pitchers (13): Ian Gibaut, Griffin Jax, Ryan Mason, Shaun Anderson, Jhoan Duran, Tom Hackimer, Derek Law, Juan Minaya, Glenn Sparkman, Luke Farrell, Ian Hamilton, Robinson Leyer, Chandler Shepherd. Catchers (3), Caleb Hamilton, Ben Rortvedt, Tomas Telis. Infielders (5): Travis Blankenhorn, Nick Gordon, Tzu-Wei Lin, Drew Maggi, JT Riddle. Outfielders (5): Keon Broxton, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Rob Refsnyder, Brent Rooker. Now, as you know, the Twins Taxi Squad for this first road trip includes Luke Farrell, Brandon Waddell, Tomas Telis, JT Riddle and Brent Rooker. However, much of this group will be what comprises the Saints Opening Day roster. The cool thing is that fans will be able to attend the workoutsat the alternate site for just $5. The first workout will be Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. and go until 2:30. It will get you a seat on the right field/first base side of the ballpark. Tickets can be purchased in blocks of two to six, and you will not be allowed to leave an available seat open when purchasing. For example, if you want to purchase three tickets in a pod where four are available, you will need to purchase all four. And yes, concessions will be open. For each 10:30 workout, batting practice will take place at 11:00, and a simulated game will begin at 12:30 unless otherwise specified. For workouts that go from 4:30 to 8:30, batting practice begins at 5:00 and simulated games begin at 6:30 unless otherwise specified on the calendar. Click here to view the article

Happy Opening Day!! Twins fans, it's time to make your official predictions! Today, I am making 21 predictions including award winners, records broken and more. Be sure to make your predictions for the Twins 2021 season as well.Alright, putting out predictions before a season starts is a risk. If I am way off, it's possible that you will come back to this article, and remind me again and again how ridiculous my prediction was. And, that's probably fair, because if I get some of them right, I guarantee that I will bring it up!! OK, I'll probably forget. (But if you want to look back at my 20 Predictions for 2020, you can). Let's get to the predictions, and when you're done reading mine, respond to them in the comments, and make some of your own predictions too. #1 - Max Kepler - April AL Player of the Month Everyone knows that Max Kepler has struggled in March. He is 3-for-42 (.071) with no extra base hits and just one RBI. So in an extreme example of spring training statistics meaning almost nothing for veterans, this first prediction is a bit bold. But hey, why not? We all have seen what Kepler can do, and most likely, will do again. Getting off to a fast start will help. #2 - Luis Arraez won’t hit .400 But he will hit .300 again. It will be interesting to see how much he plays, but if he plays in about 75% of Twins games, he should be hitting leadoff and get enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title. It’ll be a tight race between Arraez and Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu that will come down to the final weekend. #3 - Miguel Sano will have a record-breaking season Sano will top Mark Reynolds’ single-season strikeout record of 223 strikeouts. He will also lead the team with 42 home runs. #4 - Catcher Split I’ve touted it all offseason, but I would love to see the Twins literally have Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers alternate catching each game. Ideally, each of them would make about 75 starts. Both of them will post an OPS over .800. #5 - Bomba Squad… but not quite The Twins will showcase a lot of players with the ability to hit homers. The 2019 Bomba Squad had 11 players reach double figures in home runs. The 2021 team will end up with ten in double digits. Miguel Sano (42), Byron Buxton (32), Max Kepler (28), Josh Donaldson (25), Nelson Cruz (24), Mitch Garver (18), Jorge Polanco (17), Brent Rooker (14), Ryan Jeffers (13), Alex Kirilloff (11). #6 - Rest and Recovery As we have learned, giving players rest is something that Rocco Baldelli really values. With the Twins depth at every position, Baldelli will have the ability to stick to that. I don’t think that the Twins will have a position player who plays more than 145 games. Sure, there will be injuries and there will need to be adjustments made, but days off will be part of the design. #7 - Buxton’s Breakout We’ve been waiting, some more patiently than others, but in 2021, Byron Buxton will have a second breakout season. In 2017, he played in 140 games and hit .253 with 14 doubles, six triples, 16 homers, 29 stolen bases, Gold and Platinum Glove Awards, and MVP votes. He received MVP votes again in 2020. Buxton is entering his Age 27 year, and with the admitted caveat of health (which we know can’t be assumed), Buxton is ready to put it all on display. My prediction is the 32 homers, another Gold Glove, and a Top 3 finish in American League MVP voting. #8 - Ace Maeda It’s hard to imagine that Maeda will be able to sustain his crazy 2020 season in which he posted a 0.75 WHIP and finished second in AL Cy Young voting over the course of a full season. However, Maeda continues to tinker, and his stuff is really good. He’s got pitches that move side to side. He works the zone well. I think that he will again be the team’s top starting pitcher and receive Cy Young votes. #9 - Ace #2 La Makina OK, so there seems to be a sect of Twins fans that are disappointed that Jose Berrios has not become a top-of-the-league, old-school Justin Verlander type of Ace. Then again, he’s not even 27 yet, is a two-time All Star, has a 200-innings pitched season and has generally been quite good. Maybe he’s not a “True Ace”, but there aren’t many of those, and #2s are really, really valuable as we will see when Berrios gets a contract. Berrios works hard and is quite competitive. Last year, he was working on stuff and increased his velocity. He should continue to get a little better. Berrios will lead the Twins in fWAR. #10 - Closer By Committee? We know that Rocco Baldelli won’t name a closer, and I think we now all understand the concept that he attempts to utilize… He and Wes Johnson try to match a pitcher to a situation in an attempt for them to find success. Because of that, I think that the Twins will have at least four pitchers that record saves in 2021. I think that Colome will lead the team in Saves, but I think it will be close. I will predict Colome to get 23 saves and Taylor Rogers to have 18 saves. In addition, I would guess that Hansel Robles and Tyler Duffey will each have five or more saves. #11 - This One’s For the Twins Geek The Twins Geek favorite stat in recent years was WPA (Win Probability Added). This year, it appears that he’s got a new favorite, Leverage Index. So, here is a guess, I mean prediction, for who will be the Twins bullpen leaders in Leverage Index, who will utilized in the game’s biggest moments. I will rank them: 1.) Taylor Rogers, 2.) Alex Colome, 3.) Jorge Alcala, 4.) Tyler Duffey, 5.) Hansel Robles. #12 - Kirilloff Debut Sure, he’s made his Major League debut and has his first Major League hit, but at some point this year, Alex Kirilloff will make his regular-season MLB debut, and record his first regular-season MLB hit. I will put the over-under on the Alex Kirilloff debut at May 15th. As shown above, I predicted 11 homers for AK-19 and he will hit around .270. #13 - Duran Debut The Twins have six starters (including Randy Dobnak), and Lewis Thorpe will likely be the first starter called up as needed. However, I think that Jhoan Duran will be the starter called up when there is a need after the Fourth of July. I think he can make a couple of starts, and then jump into the bullpen where he can have a huge impact for the Twins late in the season. #14 - Minor League Free Agent Signing of the Year As always, the Twins signed a whole bunch of minor league free agents. Derek Law was just named our Sire of Ft. Myers for his great spring. JT Riddle is a defensive whiz. Tzu-Wei Lin hit really well in spring training. Luke Farrell and Glenn Sparkman could come up and contribute. Keon Broxton is a good option should the Twins need a long-term backup outfield option. However, I think that lefty Brandon Waddell will be the player at the end of the season that has the biggest impact on the Twins season. He has always been a starter, but the Twins like what he can do out of the bullpen, and he has a potentially great slider. After a month or two in St. Paul, adjusting to life in the bullpen and continuing to work on that slider, I think he comes up and has a Taylor Rogers-like impact. #15 - Gold Gloves? As earlier predicted, Byron Buxton will win his second Gold Glove Award. If Andrelton Simmons plays enough games, I think he will also get one, but I won’t predict that. I do think that Kenta Maeda will win his first Gold Glove. I do think that Ryan Jeffers will also be a top three, but he’ll have to wait another year or two to win his first one. #16 - All Stars? Who will make the All Star game, the midseason classic? How many All Stars will the Twins have? Well, obviously the more wins they have by early July, the more All Stars they will have. I am going to guess that… Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco, Kenta Maeda and Jose Berrios. I think we can all be happy if the Twins have five All Stars, right? #17 - If the Shoe Fits, What (Happ)ens? I think that the Twins will have six pitchers that win 10 or more games. Obviously we expect it from Maeda, Berrios and Pineda, if they stay healthy. Matt Shoemaker will get off to a fast start, earning a lot of wins early, and he will reach double-figures. Looks like J.A. Happ will be ready to make his first start during the season’s first week. He’s been really good five of the last six seasons, and he’s got a chance to be really good again in 2021. I think that he will lead the team by winning 18 games and post an ERA right around 3.50. I also believe that Randy Dobnak will reach ten wins. I think he’ll make somewhere around ten starts this year, but I also think that he will be brought in as the second half of a piggyback situation at times, meaning that the starter can’t get the win and Dobnak will take it. #18 - Prospects to debut in 2021 It’s hard to know where the needs will be over the course of the season, but here is my best guess for which prospects will make their MLB debut during the 2021 season. Alex Kirilloff (MLB regular season debut), Nick Gordon, Jhoan Duran, Matt Canterino, Trevor Larnach, Ryan Mason. #19 - Twins Diamond Award predictions Calvin R. Griffith Award (MVP): Byron Buxton Bob Allison Award (determination, hustle, competitive spirit, leadership): Josh Donaldson Carl R. Pohlad Award (Community Service): Taylor Rogers Joseph W Haynes Award (Top Pitcher): Kenta Maeda Bill Boni Award (Top Rookie): Ryan Jeffers Jim Kaat Award (Top Defensive): Byron Buxton Charles O. Johnson Award (Most Improved): Cody Stashak Mike Augustin “Media Good Guy” Award: Nelson Cruz Dick Siebert Award (Upper Midwest Player of the Year): AJ Puk Kirby Puckett Award (Alumni Community Service): Tom Johnson Sherry Robertson Award (Minor League Player of the Year): Jose Miranda Jim Rantz Award (Minor League Pitcher of the Year): Chris Vallimont #20 - Twins Three-Peat in AL Central When I started writing this and planning for this, I was seriously considering picking the White Sox. They have a ton of talent. However, losing Eloy Jimenez for most, if not all, of the season hurts a lot. But it also was a reminder that over 162 games, depth is going to be important, and I believe that the Twins have a ton of depth in the lineup and with pitchers. Minnesota 96-66 Chicago 92-60 Kansas City 80-82 Cleveland 79-83 Detroit 63-99 #21 - The Twins WILL WIN A PLAYOFF GAME Listen, I don’t want to get too bold, but I do feel pretty good about the Twins winning at least one playoff game. A series? We’ll see. But as Twins fans, let’s start with one game, then worry about a second game… and then hope for 11 playoff wins! What do you think? In the comments below, tell me how I did, and more important, make your own predictions. Maybe we'll take a look back at them in mid-season and at the end of the year and see how we did. Click here to view the article

On Monday afternoon, the Twins announced their Opening Day roster. But the Twins have depth at each position around the diamond. So, if (when) there are injuries, who will we see?All offseason, we have talked about how deep this Twins roster is. We have an Opening Day 26-Man roster, but we know that many more players will be called up during the season. From 2016 through 2019, the Twins averaged 51.25 players used per season including 33 pitchers. In 60 games in 2020, the Twins used 44 players including 24 pitchers. With the team’s Triple-A affiliate just ten miles away, those numbers could go even higher. So while I may mention too many names below, most of them are realistic options to appear in a game or more for the Twins in 2021 depending on injuries, performance and need. Depth comes from multiple layers, of course. 40-Man Roster: There is a clear benefit to being on the 40-man roster. It eliminates a step to being called up. That often is a big factor. Minor League Veterans: Guys like Derek Law and Keon Broxon were signed to minor league deals and have lots of big-league experience and successes. With strong spring training performances, they could be next in line depending on the situation. Minor League Non-Roster Invite (Prospects): Trevor Larnach is a top prospect. At some point this season, he’ll be ready, and he’s the kind of prospect you try to make room for. Bringing him up, after adding him to the 40-man roster, is a big decision. Minor League Prospects: There will likely be some prospects who weren’t invited to spring training (or were in the depth camp) who will have really strong, productive seasons and surprisingly push their way toward a big-league call-up. I try to list some of those, but it seems there are always some surprises too. Let’s take a look at the players on the Opening Day roster by position and see which players are next in line on the 40-man roster, as well as minor league prospects and veterans who could get an opportunity with the Twins in 2021. Many believe that the Twins and White Sox are both very talented, but the Twins have much more depth, and quality depth. Check out the below, and determine for yourself where the Twins are strongest, and where they may need to use prospects to acquire more talent, if the need arises. Catchers: Mitch Garver, Ryan Jeffers, Willians Astudillo 40-man Roster: Ben Rortvedt. Rortvedt hasn’t played since the 2019 season. It is likely he will start the season at Double-A and potentially get to AAA. He could be called up if the Twins ever needed a catcher for just a few games. Non-Roster (Veteran): Tomas Telis is the catcher who will be on the Taxi Squad early in the season. He’s got big-league time. He was at the alternate site in 2020. In 2019 at Rochester, he hit .330. Non-Roster Prospect to Watch: David Banuelos. Definitely a defense-first catcher, but clearly he has impressed the Twins coaching staff behind the plate and has played a lot. Can he hit at all in the minors? Infielders: Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco, Josh Donaldson, Andrelton Simmons, Luis Arraez 40-man roster: Nick Gordon should start the 2021 season in Triple-A, playing both shortstop and second base. Travis Blankenhorn will likely start the season at Double-A Wichita. If there is a short-term need in the middle infield, just a couple of days, Gordon could get that call. If there is a need at third base, Blankenhorn could be the option. If there is a need at first base, Brent Rooker would likely be the choice early in the season, though Alex Kirilloff could also get a chance there. Non-Roster: JT Riddle will be on the Taxi Squad in Milwaukee, and he’s got significant playing time in the big leagues. Tzu-Wei Lin had a very impressive performance during spring training. He has spent some time with the Red Sox each of the past four seasons. At first base, Zander Wiel was in big-league spring training the past two years, and he had a monster 2019 season in Rochester. Non-Roster Prospect to Watch: Jose Miranda will likely start in Double-A, but potentially he could be ready late in the season, as needed. Outfielders: Byron Buxton, Jake Cave, Kyle Garlick, Max Kepler 40-man roster: Gilberto Celestino is big-league ready defensively, though he needs some time to continue his offensive game. Big-time potential. He could be a call-up if the Twins need a short-term center fielder. As mentioned in the first-base discussion, Rooker is a little ahead of Kirilloff and would likely be the first called up if a corner outfielder missed time. It won’t be long before Kirilloff is ready though, and once he’s called up, he’s going to get the playing time. Non-Roster: Keon Broxton had a nice showing in spring training. He can play well defensively at all three outfield positions and has the ability to produce with the bat and with his speed. Rob Refsnyder has played in the big leagues before, though it’s harder to see a path back to the big leagues with the Twins. Same with Drew Maggi. And don’t forget Aaron Whitefield. The speedster should start in Double-A, but as we’ve seen, if there is a need for speed, maybe Whitefield is considered again. Non-Roster Prospect to Watch: Matt Wallner. The Twins Competitive Balance pick in 2019 is a Minnesotan who became a college slugger at Southern Mississippi. He’s the kind of bat that could move up quickly, especially after a lost 2020 season. Not likely to get to the big leagues in 2021, but could get close. Designated Hitter: Nelson Cruz 40-Man Roster: Brent Rooker would certainly be the favorite to be called up if Cruz got hurt. But again, Alex Kirilloff could get the call too and allow some flexibility at the DH position. Non-Roster: Trevor Larnach was a non-roster invite to spring training for the second straight year. He’ll be at the alternate site in St. Paul, and while Rooker and Kirilloff are on the roster and would get the first shot, Larnach is nearly big-league ready and at some point in 2021, he will become a legitimate option in the corner outfield positions. Non-Roster Prospect to Watch: Aaron Sabato. The Twins top pick in the 2020 draft from North Carolina will hit. He got a lot of time in the latter innings of big-league spring training games. He had just a couple of hits, but the organization obviously really likes him. Again, he may start the season in A-Ball (probably High-A Cedar Rapids), but he has the potential to move up quickly. He could be near-ready by season’s end. Starting Pitchers: Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios, Michael Pineda, J.A. Happ, Matt Shoemaker. 26-Man Roster: Newly-extended Randy Dobnak will start the season in the bullpen, but if the team needs a starter, he will get the first shot. And expect that he will get quite a few starts in 2021, and then for the next four or more years. 40-Man Roster: Lewis Thorpe got a fourth option and will likely spend the year developing as a starter, but he would be next, after Dobnak. Next in line might be Devin Smeltzer. Jhoan Duran, Dakota Chalmers, Bailey Ober and Jordan Balazovic are all on the 40-man roster. They combined to pitch one inning during spring training games. Duran is the closest. He and his triple-digit fastball and “splinker” could potentially be ready by mid-season. Ober and Balazovic might be ready a little bit later in the season. And with Chalmers, he’ll just need some patience. Non-Roster (Veterans): The Twins brought in veteran starters like Andrew Albers, Luke Farrell and Glenn Sparkman, though their role if they are needed in the big leagues, it would likely be a spot-start or long-relief. Non-Roster (Prospects): Charlie Barnes is a softer-throwing lefty with a terrific change up. Griffin Jax doesn’t throw real hard, but he profiles as a start from the right side. Both of them have been non-roster invites to spring training the past two years. Matt Canterino and Josh Winder are really good, hard-throwing prospects. They have increased their fastball velocities since 2019 and have starter’s pitch-mixes. Both could be ready to contribute late in the season, if needed. Non-Roster Prospect to Watch: Other starting pitchers that are intriguing and have an outside shot at being ready late in the season include (but not limited to): Blayne Enlow, Cole Sands, Chris Vallimont, Luis Rijo, Lachlan Wells. Bullpen: Alex Colome, Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffey, Hansel Robles, Jorge Alcala, Caleb Thielbar, Cody Stashak, Randy Dobnak. 40-Man Roster: Shaun Anderson came to the Twins from the Giants for LaMonte Wade. He’s got good stuff and is likely to contribute at some point in the season. Non-Roster (Veterans): Danny Coulombe, Ian Hamilton, Derek Law, Juan Minaya, Brandon Waddell, Ian Gibaut, Andrew Vasquez, Robinson Leyer, Chandler Shepherd. Along with the veteran non-roster starters, these pitchers could contribute in 2021. Clearly, Derek Law and Brandon Waddell are first in line as they were both very impressive in spring training. Waddell has always been a starter. He’s moving to the bullpen and has an already-solid while developing slider. Law’s slider has been very good. Luke Farrell also had a very strong spring. Non-Roster (Prospects): Tom Hackimer, Ryan Mason. The side-winding Hackimer has put up solid numbers since being drafted. Ryan Mason has been really good out of the bullpen, recording saves and getting big outs. Both have missed time with injury, but they performed well as part of the spring training depth camp. Non-Roster Prospects to Watch: Yennier Cano is already 27. The Twins signed him out of Cuba in 2019. Minnesotan Adam Bray was used in a variety of roles at AA and AAA in 2019. Josh Mitchell was a minor league Rule 5 pick in December. Soon after, the southpaw was clocked at 100 mph. There are a lot of names here, but thankfully in 2021, there will be a minor league season and there will be players who surprise. Maybe a couple of players not listed above could also debut. The Twins have depth at most positions. Which positions are the Twins most able to replace players in the big leagues? Which positions do the Twins have less depth? Click here to view the article

On Tuesday night (8:00 central time), Seth will be chatting with Twins right-handed pitcher and infield prospect Jordan Gore on an all-new episode of Twins Spotlight. The discussion was live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages.Jordan Gore grew up in South Carolina. After high school, he went to the University of South Carolina. After two years, he transferred to Coastal Carolina where he was part of a College World Series championship. In 2017, he was the Twins 19th round draft pick as a shortstop. He spent the 2018 season in Cedar Rapids, playing around the infield. In 2019, he jumped up to Double-A Pensacola where he was the team's shortstop through the first half of the season, until Royce Lewis arrived. At that point, he returned to a role of playing around the infield. Blessed with a strong arm, he got into a couple of games on the mound and was hitting 95 mph consistently. Toward the end of that 2019 season, he went back to Ft. Myers and worked to develop as a pitcher. That is his role going forward. Unfortunately, the 2020 season was a missed season, so we'll discuss how that transition is going and much more. We will get to learn more about a talented Twins prospect. Please join us live at 8:00 tonight to watch, and participate by sending your questions. We'll cover a ton of topics and ask any questions you have. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE Tuesday night at 8:00 pm (central time) 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 iTunesor anywhere you download podcasts. Here is the YouTube link where you can watch the show. For more on Jordan Gore : Follow Jordan on Instagram at @jordangore1.Follow Jordan on Twitter at @jordangore3.Previous Episodes Click here to see more previous episodes of Twins Spotlight. Episode 24: Royce Lewis Episode 25: Trey Cabbage Episode 26: Keoni Cavaco Episode 27: Casey Legumina Episode 28: DaShawn Keirsey Episode 29: Twins Wives (Maci Blankenhorn, Lexi Jeffers, Jordan Kirilloff) Episode 31: Bryan Sammons Episode 32: Marco Raya Episode 33: Willie Joe Garry, Jr. Episode 34: Brent Headrick Episode 35: Jordan Gore Click here to view the article

Following Monday afternoon's game in Bradenton, the Twins announced their 26-man Opening Day roster. Find out who will be in Milwaukee on Thursday.The Twins announced that outfielder Brent Rooker has been optioned to the alternate site. In addition, RHP Derek Law and LHP Brandon Waddell have been re-assigned to minor league camp. RHP Edwar Colina has been placed on the 10-Day Injured List. That means that Kyle Garlick makes the Opening Day roster over Rooker. He is likely to platoon with Jake Cave, and maybe Luis Arraez, in left field. Rooker had a strong showing in big league camp, showing he was fully recovered from his forearm surgery last September. However, Garlick, who the Twins claimed from Atlanta in February, led the team in spring training home runs. Derek Law and Brandon Waddell both had tremendous spring trainings for the Twins and are likely the first bullpen arms that could be promoted if needed. Instead, Caleb Thielbar and Cody Stashak are on the Opening Day roster. Yes, being on the 40-man roster is a big deal. Here is the full Twins Opening Day roster: Catchers: Mitch Garver, Ryan Jeffers, Willians Astudillo Infielders: Luis Arraez, Josh Donaldson, Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano, Andrelton Simmons Outfielders: Byron Buxton, Jake Cave, Kyle Garlick, Max Kepler DH: Nelson Cruz Pitchers: Jorge Alcala, Jose Berrios, Alex Colome, Randy Dobnak, Tyler Duffey, J.A. Happ, Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, Hansel Robles, Taylor Rogers, Matt Shoemaker, Cody Stashak and Caleb Thielbar. In addition, the team announced that Rooker, Waddell, Luke Farrell, JT Riddle and Tomas Telis will also head to Milwaukee as part of the taxi squad. Click here to view the article

On Monday night (5:30 central time), Seth will be chatting with Twins left-handed pitching prospect Brent Headrick on an all-new episode of Twins Spotlight. The discussion was live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages.In June 2019, the Minnesota Twins made lefty Brent Headrick their ninth round pick. The 6-6 lefty from Joliet spent three seasons pitching for Illinois State. As a junior, he went 9-3 with a 3.47 ERA over 16 starts. In 96 innings, he walked 31 and struck out 115 batters. With the Redbirds, he was managed by former Twins catcher Steve Holm. After signing, he pitched in three games for the Elizabethton Twins. Of course, then the 2020 season was lost due to COVID. We will get to learn more about a very talented Twins prospect. Please join us live at 5:30 tonight to watch, and participate by sending your questions. We'll cover a ton of topics and ask any questions you have. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE Monday night at 5:30 pm (central time) 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 iTunesor anywhere you download podcasts. Here is the YouTube link where you can watch the show. For more on Brent Headrick: Follow Brent on Instagram at @brentheadrick.Follow Brent on Twitter at @BrentHeadrick.Previous Episodes Click here to see more previous episodes of Twins Spotlight. Episode 24: Royce Lewis Episode 25: Trey Cabbage Episode 26: Keoni Cavaco Episode 27: Casey Legumina Episode 28: DaShawn Keirsey Episode 29: Twins Wives (Maci Blankenhorn, Lexi Jeffers, Jordan Kirilloff) Episode 31: Bryan Sammons Episode 32: Marco Raya Episode 33: Willie Joe Garry, Jr. Episode 34: Brent Headrick Click here to view the article

According to Jeff Passan, the Minnesota Twins and RHP Randy Dobnak have agreed to a five-year contract extension that will buy out his arbitration seasons, and potentially more.According to Jeff Passan, the deal guarantees Dobnak $9.25 million, but with options and escalators, it could potentially be worth another $20 million over three more seasons. Click here to view the article