Seth Stohs

Lewis? There aren't any Lewis's in the Honorable Mentions. Royce Lewis didn't have surgery. Lewis Thorpe has been back from surgery 2-3 years.

Over the next couple of weeks, Twins Daily will be counting down our Top 20 Minnesota Twins Prospects. We start today by discussing several Honorable Mentions, guys who received votes but finished outside the Top 20. Today’s players illustrates the depth that is developing in the organization.Before we look at the 2020 Honorable Mentions, a quick look at last year’s Honorable Mentions shows that 2019 Twins Top Rookie Luis Arraez was mentioned, referred to as a “Hit Machine.” Also, Jordan Balazovic went from Honorable Mention to, well, you’ll see him profiled soon. So which players who received votes this year will climb the prospect ladder in 2020? ALREADY DEBUTED Four players who made their MLB debuts in 2019. These players may not have super-stardom in their futures, but as we saw last year, they absolutely can be contributors to winning teams. Randy Dobnak went from non-drafted free agent who spent all of 2018 in Cedar Rapids to a guy who pitched well at four levels in the Twins system in 2019, including at the big league level, on his way to the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Likewise, Devin Smeltzer pitched in some big games and performed wellat various times throughout the year. LaMonte Wade debutedmid-summer, and after an injury, he played most every day in September. Hard-throwing Jorge Alcala moved from a starting role to the bullpen late in the season and received a mid-September promotion to the big leagues. OTHERS ON 40-MAN ROSTER Along with those four players, a few other Honorable Mention players are on the Twins 40-man roster. Nick Gordon was added after the 2018 season. This past November, the Twins added Luke Raley and Dakota Chalmers to their 40-man roster, putting them one call away from the big leagues. In addition, Luis Rijo and Griffin Jax were two guys that Twins fans (and probably the Twins too) were worried about potentially losing in the Rule 5 draft. They were not selected, but as we know, both have the potential to move up this list. RETURNING FROM INJURIES Injuries are a part of the game, any game, and several Twins prospects fought injuries in 2019. Injuries can mean missed time and fewer development opportunities. They can sometimes be played through and affect performance. Ben Rortvedt suffered a knee injury late in the season, but he had surgery and should return at 100% in 2020. Akil Baddoo’s season ended in mid-May. He had Tommy John surgery and is excited to return to the field. Nick Gordon’s season started late due to a stomach ailment. His season ended early because of a knee injury. In between, he played well in Rochester. Luke Raley got off to a fast start for the Red Wings in April but at the end of the month he hurt his ankle and had surgery. He returned for the Arizona Fall League. Bailey Ober fought elbow injuries at times during the season, but when he took the mound, he was great. Yunior Severino fractured his thumb early in the season for Cedar Rapids. He was able to return in August. And Dakota Chalmers returned in the second half from his Tommy John surgery. You see the names, and you know several of them were previously Top 20 prospects, some even Top 10 guys. If healthy, their talent could push them quickly back up the rankings. WE HARDLY KNOW YE Spencer Steer had a strong first impression in pro ball. The Twins third-round pick from Oregon played for Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids in his debut. Chris Vallimont came to the Twins organization along with Sergio Romo (and cash) from the Miami Marlins for Lewin Diaz at the trade deadline. He’s got a big fastball and a solid pitch mix. Willie Joe Garry was a Twins draft pick in 2018 out of high school from Mississippi. He is a tremendous athlete with great speed and improving power. He’s got all the tools and is one to watch in 2020. DEADLINE TRADES 2018 The Twins were not good in 2018, and at the deadline, the front office traded several expiring contracts (and 1 1/4 seasons of Ryan Pressly) for a plethora of prospects. A couple of those prospects will be profiled later in this series, but a lot of them received votes and would appear in the 21 through 35 range of Twins prospect. Clearly that flurry of trade activity has much helped the Twins' prospect depth. From the Dodgers for Brian Dozier, the Twins received both Devin Smeltzer and Luke Raley. From the Diamondbacks for Eduardo Escobar, the Twins received Gabriel Maciel. From the Yankees for Lance Lynn, the Twins received Luis Rijo. From the Astros for Ryan Pressly, the Twins acquired Jorge Alcala. From the A’s for Fernando Rodney, the Twins acquired Dakota Chalmers. Tomorrow, we will begin our look into the Top 20 Twins prospects with prospects 16-20. Be sure to check every day to see where your favorite Twins prospects rank. And feel free to ask questions and leave your comments below. 2020 MINNESOTA TWINS PROSPECT HANDBOOK For more information on these Honorable Mentions, pick up a copy of the 2020 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. It is available in paperback or PDF(for immediate download). Order your copies today! 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

Throwing numbers out doesn't make much sense without throwing some context to it... 2020 - Arb 1 - $4M 2021 - Arb 2 - $8M 2022 - Arb 3 - $10M 2023 - FA1 - $15M So, I think those are realistic numbers if he stays about the same as he's been, which is an All Star. So that's 4 years, $37 million. Obviously there is a hope that he would keep getting better, and if so, he could earn a little more than that going year-to-year and becoming a free agent after 2022. The Twins take the risk of this deal. So the Twins should be in that range. Then the question is when Berrios wants to be a free agent. If he signed the above 4-year deal, he'd be a free agent at 30. Would he want to be a free agent pitcher later than that? A 5th year option would probably need to be in that $18-20 million range with a $3-5 million buyout. So now we're looking at 4 years, $40 million with an option... in this case, if the option is picked up, it would be 5 years, $55 million. Once they reach an agreement on that, they can get creative and front-end load it or whatever.

So great, wasn't it? Loved that story!!

Reports from Jon Heyman and Robert Murray indicate that the Twins have signed veteran right-handed pitcher to a minor league contract.While Chacin is signed to a non-guaranteed, minor league contract, it is very likely that he will be in the Twins Opening Day rotation. When Nick put together his list of still-available starting pitcher options recently, he ranked Chacin at #2 behind only RHP Taijuan Walker. The addition of Chacin, who is coming off of a tough 2019 season, provides the Twins rotation with some short-term stability as the team waits for Michael Pineda to return from his suspension and Rich Hill to return from his elbow injury. Chacin doesn't bring upside, but his sturdiness is valuable. The 32-year-old has made 22+ starts and thrown 100+ innings in each of the past four seasons. He struggled mightily for Milwaukee and Boston in 2019 (6.01 ERA), but previously put up a 3.69 ERA over 373 innings between 2017 and 2018, holding opponents to a .227/.309/.365 slash line. If he fails to turn things around from last year, Chacin can still eat up innings until Michael Pineda is available in mid-May, But if he finds his prior form, Chacin can become another mid-rotation asset. One needn't look too hard to see similarities here with Anibal Sanchez a couple years back. This move on its own still doesn't necessarily mean that the Twins will stop shopping for starting pitching. Mostly likely, any further signings would also be on minor league deals. Click here to view the article

You may or may not have heard, but there is a football game on Sunday late-afternoon in Miami. It will pit the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs against the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. As we have for several years now, we have accumulated the Super Bowl predictions of many Minnesota Twins players from the past, the present and the future, coaches, front office members, and more.As you will see below, some predicted scores. Some predicted the MVP. Some did both. I encourage you to post your Super Bowl predictions in the comments below. Rocco Baldelli (Following seven MLB seasons (2003-10), he had a number of roles in the Rays organization including coaching. Became Twins manager late in 2018 and won the AL Manager of the Year Award in 2019.) I have no prediction on the score, but Patrick Mahomes will be the MVP. Randy Dobnak (RHP signed with the Twins from the independent USPBL late in 2017. In 2019, he pitched for the Miracle, Blue Wahoos, Red Wings and the Twins.) KC 24 SF 21 Akil Baddoo (Twins Compensation Round pick in 2016 out of high school. He began 2019 with the Miracle before season-ending Tommy John surgery. Go chiefs! 24-17 Trevor Plouffe (Twins 1st round pick in 2004. He played in 723 games over parts of seven seasons with the Twins from 2010-2016. 33-27 Chiefs Adam Brett Walker (Twins 3rd round pick in 2012 from Jacksonville. He hit 124 homers in five minor league seasons. Spent 2019 with his hometown Milwaukee Milkmen.) I got KC winning 28- 21. Chiefs come out hot early and hold em off for the W! Brian Meyer (will be starting his first season in the organization as one of the hitting coaches for the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels. He had previously coached at Butler.) Chiefs - 35 49ers - 38 Casey Fien (RHP spent 8 seasons in the big leagues between 2009 and 2017 including 2012-2016 with the Twins. He went 17-15 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 237 1/3 innings.) KC Chiefs 31 SF 49ers 27 MVP: Tyreek Hill Jay Rainville (One of the Twins first round pick in 2004 draft, he played through the 2009 season. He is now in law enforcement) 31-28 San Francisco Michael McCarthy (After pitching in the Red Sox organization from 2011-16, he became a coach for the Rochester Red Wings.) 31-24 49ers. Garappolo as MVP. Regi Grace (Twins 9th round pick in 2018. Pitched for the GCL in 2019.) I got the Chiefs winning it Audra Martin (Sideline Reporter for Twins games, and pre and post game host for the Twins and Wild. I’m going Chiefs 27 Niners 21... Niners with a defensive TD, and someone with lose a shoe Blaine Hardy (LHP spent the past six seasons with the Tigers. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins early this offseason and will compete for a spot on the Twins roster.) 49ers will win. 35-28. Kyle Gibson (RHP spent 11 seasons in the Twins organization. Signed three-year deal with Rangers this offseason) I will take the Chiefs at 35-24 Matt Walbeck‘(Catcher spent 11 seasons in the big leagues including 1994-1996 with the Twins) I have a prediction but I do have a quick story. Pat Mahomes and I were teammates with the Twins when Patrick was born in ‘95. I’ll never forget how excited Pat was in the clubhouse after he returned from Texas after the birth of his son, Patrick. He was adamant, telling us that he had a boy and his boy was going to be an athlete that was going to set the world on fire some day. Was he right or what? 49ers 28-24. Jason Kanzler (OF was the Twins 20th round pick in 2013 from the U of Buffalo. Spent 2013-2015. Now coaching in the minor leagues. 27-13 Chiefs Mahomes throws for 300+ yards Denny Bentley (LHP was the Twins 33rd round pick in 2018. He spent 2019 in Elizabethton and ended the season with two scoreless innings for Rochester) I think it’ll be 28-21 San Fran Shawn Schlecter (Enters his first year in the organization as GCL Twins hitting coach. Previously at North Iowa Area CC) KC- 34 San Fran-13 Pat Mahomes MVP Matt Hodson (Works in Twins media relations) As a native of Northern California who grew up in the ‘80s as a big Niners fan (still have a Montana retro jersey!), I’m calling SF in a 27-24 thriller. Ryan Jeffers (Twins 2nd round pick in 2018 split the 2019 season between Ft. Myers and Pensacola) I’m going Chiefs. Andy Reed’s finally gonna get a ring Trevor Hildenberger (Twins 22nd round pick in 2014, he pitched for the Twins in 2017-2019. He will pitch for the Red Sox in 2020.) Niners by 3. 34-31 Todd Van Steensel (Australian spent 2011 and then 2014 through 2018 in the Twins minor leagues. He won a American Association championship with the St. Paul Saints.) 41- 27 Chiefs win Basing that on the only knowledge I have on these two teams is that Mahomes is a stud. Luke Bard (Twins third first-round pick in 2012, Bard has pitched for the Angels in 2018-2019.) 28-27 chiefs Ernie de la Trinidad (OF came to Twins from Arizona in the Eduardo Escobar trade in July 2018. He split 2019 between Ft. Myers and Pensacola) I got the chiefs winning by a touchdown. I think Mahomes running ability is going to give the niners defense some trouble Shane Carrier (former Twins minor league OF from 2016-2018, played in the Frontier League in 2019) I’ve got it as 28-13 Niners, Jimmy G MVP. Chris Mazza (RHP was Twins 27th round pick in 2011, pitched in minors from 2011-15. Bounced around including independent ball. Debuted with Mets in 2019. Claimed by Red Sox for 2020) 49ers 35-28 Tyler Webb (Twins 40th round pick in 2018 from Memphis, he split 2019 between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids) Gonna be a good game but I got the 49ers 42-35 Taylor Rogers (Twins 11th round pick in 2012 from Kentucky, he debuted in 2016. Became one of the top closers in baseball in 2019.) Taking the 49ers 35-27 Landon Leach (Twins 2nd round pick in 2017 from Canada, returning from injury in 2020) I think Mahomes will come out clutch like he usually does with a Chiefs victory 33-27 victory! Tanner Swanson (Twins minor league catching coordinator in 2018-2019. He joined the Yankees MLB coaching staff this offseason) Chiefs 37, Niners 24 Go HAWKS! Nat Ballenberg (joined Twins organization as coach in 2019. Will be a pitching coach at Pensacola in 2020) Chiefs Wesley Wright (After 8 MLB seasons as an LHP, Wright enters his third season as Twins pro scout.) I’m going 38-31 Chiefs. Tyler Benninghoff (Twins 11th round pick in 2016, he spent 2019 season in Elizabethton) Chiefs 52 49ers 44 Brian Rapp (Twins 26th round pick in 2018 from Boston College, he pitched in Cedar Rapids in 2019 and was their Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service recipient) 27-24 Niners. The game is either going to be a close win for the 49ers like that or an absolute blowout by Mahomes. Hunter McMahon (RHP was acquired this week from the Nationals for Ryne Harper. Was Washington’s 9th round pick in 2019 from Texas State.) CHIEFS! 31-28. Taylor Grzelakowski (Signed with Twins as non-drafted free agent in 2017. Played for Ft. Myers and Pensacola in 2019.) Chiefs win 34-21!! Logan Darnell (Twins 6th round pick in 2010 from Kentucky. He pitched in seven games for the 2014 Twins. He is currently in Puerto Rico playing for Team Venezuela in the Caribbean Series.) Kittles-21. Kelces- 31 Gabe Snyder (1B was the Twins 21st round in 2018 out of Wright State. Hit 19 homers for Cedar Rapids in 2019. 35-31 chiefs! Malique Ziegler (OF from Des Moines came to the Twins in April 2019 from the Giants in the Tyler Austin trade) I predict the score will be 24-30 Chiefs! Roy Smalley (SS played 13 MLB seasons including 1976-1982 and then 1985-1987 with the Twins. Hit .262 with 110 HR for the Twins and ended his career a World Series champion. Now is an analyst for the Twins on FSN) I think it will be a great game—SF dominant lines vs Mahomes talent and Andy Reed schemes. KC defense concerns me a little, but in the end I think Mahomes will be the difference. KC 28-24 Dave St. Peter (Twins President) KC 39, SF 35 Tommy Watkins (infielder was drafted by the Twins in 38th round in 1998. Spent 12 seasons as a player, including 9 games with the 2007 Twins. Coached and managed in Twins minors from 2008-2018. Became Twins OF and 1B coach in 2019.Also, cousin of Chiefs Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins) I’m rooting for the Chiefs. 38-24 Tyler Smarslok (Joins the Twins organization as a coach of the GCL Twins) My prediction: 31-27 49ers win. 49ers just play clean football consistently. I think the Chiefs will drive the ball down the field but won’t convert TD’s in the red zone as often. 49ers defense will make the big stops when they need to. Bradley Hanner (Twins 21st round pick in 2019 from Patrick Henry Community College. Pitched in the GCL last season.) I think the 49ers take it home my family is 49ers fans and I’m pulling for them 24-14 49ers Dick Bremer (FSN play-by-play man enters his 37th season of calling Twins games on television. Has a book coming out soon that all Twins fans will definitely want.) I'm pulling for the Chiefs but the Niners running game will keep Mahomes off the field. San Francisco 27, Kansas City 21 Benjamin Dum (side-winding RHP signed with Twins last summer out of independent ball after four seasons at Virginia Commonwealth.) I’ve got the chiefs 27-24, I love Mahomes and I am an Eagles fan so I am rooting for Andy Reid to get a Super Bowl. Andro Cutura (RHP was the Twins 7th round pick in 2014 from Southeastern Louisiana University. Spent 2019 in Pensacola and made one start in Rochester.) New Orleans Saints 2021 Super Bowl Champs Aaron Sutton (joins organization as manager of the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels after four years as head coach at Montana State in Billings). Tough to go against that defense the Niners got rolling but pulling for Andy Reid to get his ring. Chiefs 31 Niners 24 Cory Provus (2020 will be his ninth season as the Twins radio voice.) Sure. 31-17 Chiefs. Mahomes MVP Kevin Gorg (He is an analyst and sideline reporter for hockey and baseball on Fox Sports North.) I'm going San Fran 27, KC 24 Kittle will be a difference maker in the red zone and Jimmy G plays mistake-free football. Matt Wallner (He was Mr. Minnesota Baseball in 2016, and a Twins draft pick, from Forest Lake. He went to Southern Mississippi, was a three-time All American and was the 39th overall pick in the 2019 draft by the Twins.) 49ers 38-35 in close affair Travis Harrison (50th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Harrison played in the Twins organization through the 2017 season. 31 -28 Chiefs! Jimmy G is pretty but Mahomes just can't be stopped! Michael Quesada (Catcher was the Twins 24th round pick in 2010, he played through the 2015 season. He has become an amateur scout for the Twins in recent years.) I’m taking the 49ers 24-21 with a field goal to win it Tyler Wells (RHP was the Twins 15th round pick in 2016 from Cal State San Bernadino. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2018. Missed 2019 with Tommy John surgery. Began throwing in the past week.) I’m gonna predict that the Niners win, even tho I would like to see Mahomes get a ring. I think the score is gonna be 24-34 Niners Travis Blankenhorn (Twins third round pick in 2015 from high school in Pennsylvania. After a month in Ft. Myers, he hit 18 homers for Pensacola. Added to 40-man roster after the season.) 31-27 Chiefs Spencer Steer (Twins 3rd round pick in 2019 out of Oregon. Split summer between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids.) KC wins, 35-31 Steve Singleton (Twins 11th round pick in 2006 out of the U of San Diego. He played in the system for six seasons. He was also a coach in the organization for three seasons. Currently the assistant coach and hitting coach for the University of Texas’s women’s softball team.) 49ers!!! 38-35 The defense tightens up late, long 49ers drive to setup a go ahead FG and a big TO ends it. Trevor May (Twins late inning reliever. He joined the organization from the Phillies after the 2012 season. He has pitched in 292 ⅔ innings for the Twins since his debut in 2014.) Chiefs 28 - 24 Tyler Watson (Came to Twins from Nationals organization in July 2017 for Brandon Kintzler. Spent the 2019 season pitching for the Ft. Myers Miracle.) I think the Chiefs are gonna win it this year, 24-17 Bonus: no passing touchdowns for the 49ers Josh Rabe (Twins 11th round pick in 2000 from Quincy University. Played 8 season in Twins system. Played 38 games in the big leagues between 2006 and 2007. Hit .250 with three homers in 82 plate appearances. Now the head coach at his alma mater.) 38 - 24 Chiefs Mahomes lights it up in the second half. Chiefs Kingdom runs the KC streets Donegal Fergus (begins first season as Twins minor league hitting coordinator after spending 2019 with UC-Santa Barbara.) I’ve got Bud Heavy making a comeback, like its 1999, and winning the commercial war. Fingers crossed for horses. Gregg Olson (The 1989 AL Rookie of the Year played 14 games in the big leagues including an 11-game stint with the Twins in 1997.) Chiefs 31-21. Mahomes wins MVP. Casey Scoggins (Twins 40th round pick in 2016 fro m Tampa. He played two seasons in the organization, peaking at Ft. Myers. He spent a season in independent ball before going into coaching. Good halftime show, great Super Bowl! 49ers win 48-45 Seth Pinkerton (RHP was the Twins 20th round pick in 2018 from Hartford. Missed 2019 season with a knee injury.) 46-38 Kansas City. Mahomes is MVP. Hope it’s a shootout and crazy offensive game. Tucker Frawley (After 12 years of coaching at Yale, he is now the assistant field coordinator and coordinator of skill development.) Putting a lot of faith in Mahomes and those versatile arm angles... 34-23 Chiefs Chase De Jong (RHP came to the Twins in July 2018 trade from Seattle. He made five appearances for the Twins over 2018 and 2019). I’ll just say the Niners are going to win. Ryley Widell (Twins 7th round pick in 2017 from Central Arizona College, he spent the 2019 season with the Elizabethton Twins.) 49ers on top 21-10! Derek Molina (The RHP was the Twins 14th round pick in 2017 from Merced College. He struck out 61 batters in 41 innings in 2019 between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers.) I’m going with the 49ers Nick Brown (RHP was the Twins 32nd round pick in 2017 from the College of William & Mary. Spent 2018 with the Cedar Rapids Kernels.) Chiefs by 14. Tyreek hill makes a mockery of the San Fran secondary. He unlocks the ability to teleport halfway through the second quarter and goes 2 TD and 147 rec yards. Onside kick in the 4th gets recovered by the niners but taken away by an offsides. Niall Windeler (LHP was the Twins 19th round pick in 2019 from the University of British Columbia. He pitched in the GCL last year.) I’m going with the niners! Adam Bray (RHP is an Eden Prairie native who was traded to the Twins from the Dodgers in spring 2018. He split 2019 between Pensacola and Rochester.) I’m taking the chiefs. Their offense is too explosive! Jacob Pearson (OF was traded to the Twins from the Angels in December 2017. He split 2019 between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers.) I’m going to have to root for the 49ers because they gave the saints the best game of the year. I got 49ers 34-27 Brent Headrick (LHP was the Twins 9th round pick in 2019 from Illinois State. He made three appearances in Elizabethton.) I’m going to have to go with the Chiefs 34-24. I don’t think the 49ers can stop Mahomes. Andrew Cabezas (RHP was the Twins 18th round pick in 2018 from Miami. He made 22 starts for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2019.) Chiefs 35 - 31 Annie Sabo (joined FSN last September. She is a studio host for “Wolves Live.”) I’m taking the Chiefs 41-30. One word, Patrick Mahomes. Chiefs have had quite the playoff run, their momentum/confidence carries into the Super Bowl. Evan Gillespie (LHP signed with the Twins from Faulkner University after the 2019 draft and pitched in 12 games for the GCL Twins) I think the score will be 27-24. Both good offensive teams but with the event being the Super Bowl I don’t think it will be a scoring fest, but still a close game. Jared Gaynor (pitching coach in the GCL in 2020. He also owns Gaynor Strength & PItching.) 49ers over the Chiefs 31-24 Alex Phillips (RHP signed with the Twins late in the 2018 season and helped the Miracle to an FSL title. Split 2019 between Ft. Myers and Pensacola.) Give me the team with the best D Line. 49ers - 24, Chiefs - 22 Steven Theetge (RHP signed with the Twins after the 2019 draft from Bryant University and spent the summer in the GCL.) I got Chiefs 27 49ers 24 with Mahomes winning MVP Parker Phillips (1B was the Twins 27th round pick in 2019 from Austin Peay. Split the summer between the GCL and Elizabethton.) I truly believe that the 49ers are going to get a little taste of what it feels like to be the Dolphins playing at Hard Rock.. Which is not a good feeling at all. Chiefs 37 49ers 17 Alec Craig (infielder signed with the Twins after the 2019 draft from the USPBL. He is an on-base machine who played in the GCL.) I like the 49ers winning 35-31 Twins Daily Owners, Writers Seth Stohs Chiefs 40, 49ers 16 After giving up a first-drive touchdown to the 49ers, the Chiefs will completely dominate. Tyreek Hill will get consideration, but Patrick Mahomes will be the MVP. Ted Schwerzler Chiefs 35 49ers 17 Hard to go against Patrick Mahomes, no matter the defense. Andy Reid is the king of bye weeks. Jimmy G finally is asked to do too much. Steve Lein 49ers 27, Chiefs 24 Gotta go with the healthy SF defense to be the difference maker, but should be a close one! Nate Palmer Chiefs 30-27 It feels like it could be close but I think Mahomes, Hill, and Kelce’s athleticism will simply be able to win out. Cooper Carlson I have two predictions. First, the Chiefs will win the game by a score of 27-24. Second, we will see Andy Reid eating a celebratory cheeseburger during his press conference after the game. Rena Banena The spirit of Tom Brady will manifest in Mahomes, rather than Garoppolo, with a final score of 34-28 Chiefs. The MVP is Shakira. Nash Walker I'll take the Chiefs 31-28! Matt Lenz Chiefs 24, 49ers 14 Steve Buhr 49ers to win 28-24. Hawkeye alum George Kittle is the MVP, obviously! Throw in your predictions in the Comments below. This page will be updated with more predictions right up until game time on Sunday. Click here to view the article

I agree with all of this.

I'm comfortable with that. He's only got 6-7 AA starts so far. He's worked on things this offseason and let him keep working in AA. Now, he could be a spot start or spot bullpen type, but he's a guy you protect knowing he probably won't factor into the 2020 season... at least not until late.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jhoan Duran added another key achievement in his life. He was one of eight Twins minor leaguers to graduate and receive their high school diploma through the club’s Dominican Baseball Academy in Boca Chica. Get to know a little more about one of the Twins top pitching prospects.Duran signed with the Diamondbacks in February of 2015, shortly after his 17th birthday. That summer in the Dominican Summer League, he went 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA in 12 starts. The next year, he came to the States and pitched at two rookie-league levels. The Diamondbacks kept moving him slowly. In 2017, he played for Hillsboro in the advanced short-season Northwest League. He went 6-3 with a 4.24 ERA in 11 starts. The Diamondbacks didn’t move him up real quickly, and for good reason. Last month, the Twins announced that they had hired Mike Bell to be their new Bench Coach, replacing Derek Shelton who had been named the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bell has spent the past 27 years in professional baseball. He was a player who got a brief cup of coffee in the big leagues. He became a coach and a manager in the minor leagues upon his retirement as a player. However, he has spent the last eight seasons as the Vice President of Player Development for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In other words, he was their Minor League Director. Mike Bell was ultimately in charge of the development of each of the Diamondbacks minor leaguers, including Jhoan Duran. Bell said, “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.” He began 2018 with Kane County in the Midwest League. He was 5-4 with a 4.73 ERA in 15 starts. Then came July 27th, 2018. He found out that afternoon that he had been traded, along with outfielders Gabriel Maciel and Ernie de la Trinidad, in exchange for infielder Eduardo Escobar. Regarding the trade, Bell noted, “It was a painful trade, being on that side of it, watching him go.” He continued, “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.” From Duran’s perspective, it was something new. He had obviously never been traded before then. He said he knew no one in the Twins organization at the time of the trade. But he took it as a positive. He said (through Twins translator Elvis Martinez), “It was actually a good experience. I got to meet new people, new staff.” And he made a nice first impression in the new organization. In his first Kernels start, he threw seven no-hit, one-walk innings and struck out seven batters. He faced the minimum, 21 batters. In his fourth Kernels start, he struck out nine batters and gave up just one run over seven innings. The next start, he faced his old teammates from the Kane County Cougars. He gave up just one hit and struck out ten batters over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. In his six Kernels starts, he went 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA and had 44 strikeouts in 36 innings. Duran spoke of it being nice to get off to a good start in his new organization, “It was a learning process. I think it was more mental than physical. I was just trying to get better every outing.” Duran began the 2019 season in Ft. Myers. With the Miracle, he went just 2-9 despite an impressive 3.23 ERA. He also had 95 strikeouts (and 31 walks) over his 78 innings in the Florida State League. He never gave up more than three earned runs in any of his 16 outings. He moved up to Double-A Pensacola and made seven more starts. He went 3-3 with a 4.86 ERA. He struck out 41 batters, and walked just nine, over his 37 innings there. In his penultimate start of the season, he struck out 11 batters (and walked just one) over eight innings of two-hit, shutout baseball against the Jackson Generals. The soft-spoken Duran said of his 2019 season, “I felt really good overall, however, I feel I can do better.” The Twins obviously believe there is much more in there as well. In November, he was an easy choice to add to the team’s 40-man roster. Of course, it wasn’t as obvious to him. “Actually, it was something that took me by surprise, but I was really happy. I was not expecting it, but it was one of my goals.” Duran stands 6-5 and while he is lean, he is strong, weighing in at about 230 pounds. He has always been projectable. That 99 mph he was showing in rookie ball and now crept into the triple-digits often. His fastball averaged 97 mph in 2019. Duran briefly spoke about his best pitch and the pitches that he feels most comfortable with right now. “Obviously I feel most comfortable with my fastball, but I also have another pitch that I really like to use and feel really comfortable with, and that’s my sinker.” He also has a pretty good breaking ball or two that he continues to work on and hopes to make more consistent. Jhoan Duran is on the 40-man roster. He’s been to Twins Fest. He now has his Dominican high school diploma. And to top things off, he is on the cover of the 2020 Twins Prospect Handbook. As he looks toward 2020, Duran has a couple of goals in mind. “My main goal is to go out there and keep working, to get better and to try to make the team.” And being on the roster means he is just one phone call away from reaching a lifelong dream, the big leagues. He notes, “It will mean a lot. It will be a dream come true.” His former farm director Mike Bell could become his bench coach with that big-league promotion, and I think his final comments on Duran echo those of Twins fans. “I’m excited to see what he can do here.” No, I won't be giving away the whole book, but here is the Jhoan Duran profile page to show you what you will find in the pages of the 2020 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. It is available in paperback or PDF(for immediate download). Order your copies today! Click here to view the article

People have one good year all the time and use it to get paid. Gonzalez had a breakout year in 2017. He had a regular Marwin Gonzalez year in 2018 (when we know that the Astros were still doing stuff)... The Twins knew what they were getting in Gonzalez... Solid hitter who provides a ton of versatility. I don't think that any of this alters that thinking or what they thought they were getting. There's a reason he didn't get anywhere near what most thought he would get a year ago.

I don't think this will have any effect on Gonzalez's relationship with his teammates. There are guys in that clubhouse who have been suspended for PEDs. They got to know Gonzalez all of last year. I may be wrong and it may cause issues, I will just be shocked.

Only if he's removed from the 40-man roster.

I think I can agree with most of this. Development was an issue. Some players thrived under those methods... many are better under the current methods with a ton of data, coordinators, etc. I mean, a lot of players developed in those years and became terrific players. Maybe they would have regardless, No way to know... But what they're doing now is tremendous, much different, based on what is available now.

We'll see. That's his profile in the Twins Prospect Handbook (now available... :-) )

I watched the final season of The Ranch last night... anyone else seen it? Any thoughts?

Thank you... he was quite thoughtful in his responses.

We all hope so! Pitching is hard. Pitching in the big leagues is really hard. Hopefully they just keep accumulating strong arm after strong arm and have a lot of tough decisions! I think that's their goal.

In November, the Minnesota Twins added five players to their 40-man roster. One of those players was right-handed pitcher Dakota Chalmers. This past weekend at Target Field, we caught up with the hard-throwing 23-year-old about the whirlwind of his career since joining the Twins in August 2018.Dakota Chalmers was drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft by the Oakland A’s. A highly-touted prep pitcher from Georgia, he signed a seven-figure signing bonus, more than twice the slot number for the 97th overall pick. Immensely talented and strong-armed, Chalmers recorded a lot of strikeouts and a lot of walks. He missed time due to injury. When he returned to Beloit in 2018, he made two appearances and walked eight and struck out ten batters in five innings. He was pitching hurt. Soon after, he had Tommy John surgery. Back home in Georgia, what happened next was completely unexpected. In late August, he was traded to the Twins in exchange for veteran reliever Fernando Rodney. “It wasn’t remotely on my mind at all. I was out sweeping leaves off my back porch when they called me.” Chalmers continued, “It didn’t really settle in until I had all that handled and I was in Ft. Myers rehabbing. And then it was such a smooth transition. Fortunately I was so busy, I didn't have time to think about anything.” There were some difficult logistical changes following the trade. He didn’t know anyone in the Twins organization. He got to Fort Myers to continue his rehabilitation from surgery. Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you chose to look at it), there were several Twins minor leaguers there rehabbing from elbow surgery. “It helps to have guys who have had it already. It’s nice to know you can help and encourage your teammates. It’s such an up and down process. I think it’s good to have players around each other. For me, it’s nice to have guys go through things with you, as much as it sucks. It’s something that’s part of our game, you deal with it and get back as soon as possible.” But for the most part, everything went well throughout his rehab process. He said that there weren’t any physical setbacks in his rehab. Sure, the schedule would have had him throwing for the first time during the holidays, but it was just pushed back as there was no rush. Just before the Florida State League All-Star break, he was added to the Miracle roster and began his rehab with the GCL Twins. On July 2nd, he went 1 1/3 innings. He faced ten batters and gave up six runs (five earned) on two hits, a walk and two hit batters. All four outs were strikeouts. The results didn’t matter at all. He was back on the mound. He made three more starts in the GCL and gave up just one run on six hits over 12 innings. On July 30th, he was added back to Miracle roster and made his first official start in about 15 months. Of course, even that couldn’t be easy. “My first real game, there was lightning everywhere. Everywhere. Every lightning bolt, we thought it would get cancelled. It was a little distracting. Obviously I was a little nervous just getting back into the swing of things. It was a mess. It got cancelled after one inning. It was crazy, but I settled in and had a strong finish to the year.” He went four innings in his next start and then threw at least five innings in his final three starts of the year. In those starts, he gave up three runs (two earned) on nine hits in 16 1/3 innings. He walked seven, but he also struck out 23 batters. And with his stuff and those final starts, he earned a promotion to Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and he made one playoff start. He threw three no-hit innings. “It was certainly fun pitching in that environment.” He had worked a total of 34 2/3 innings, so the Twins sent him to the Arizona Fall League. Along with just accumulating innings, Chalmers had some goals in mind, including finding more consistency. “Historically in my career, I’ve had ups and downs in starts. I would have a good start, bad start. I had about three or four good, not great,but quality starts to end the year with the Miracle. So I was really just trying to not focus on making any adjustments, just trying to ride out my first season, stay healthy and see how many good ones I could stack on top of each other.” He continued, “Then we ran into some troubles late in the Fall League and those were mechanical problems that we knew that we had to fix. The Fall League was about pitching more innings, and the offseason was for fixing those issues.” Chalmers started the championship game for the Salt River Rafters, helping the team to the Arizona Fall League title. At the end of November, Chalmers received the call that he had been added to the Twins 40-man roster. It hadn’t been something that he had thought about throughout the season and in the rehab process. “I wouldn’t say that I really even thought of it. I was more focused on getting back on the field healthy. I knew it was going to be a short year coming off of Tommy John. I had an inclination that I might go to the Fall League at the beginning of the year. My goal was to finish the Fall League healthy and get a good start on spring training. The 40-man was more of a timing thing. It was out of my control. I pitched as well as I could, had some ups and downs, and that’s what they chose to do.” Chalmers has big-time stuff. He is certainly one to watch especially as his first-full season is set to begin with big-league spring training in a couple of weeks. Chalmers has a big arm. His fastball gets good movement and he throws it anywhere from 92 to 97 mph. He has a curveball that can be sharp.Some days, his best pitch is a changeup with good fade and drop. He spent his offseason back home in Georgia. He worked on adding a cutter. He also worked on throwing strikes.He spent time in the weight room too. “Trying to strengthen my core and lower half so I could stabilize my delivery. Keep my head online and throw my strikes.” He was invited to Twins Fest and enjoyed the opportunity.”It’s cool seeing some faces that you only have seen on the TV, and that’s always cool. Any time you can expand your baseball community, and the baseball world is such a small world. Any time you can add another name to that list it’s good, to have somebody on your side. ” After all the ups and downs, in about two weeks, he will head to Ft. Myers and report to his first big-league spring training. ------------------------------------------------ Get to know more about Dakota Chalmers and about 170 other Twins prospects in the 2020 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. It is available in paperback or PDF(for immediate download). Order your copies today! 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It was just a matter of when, not if. On Friday afternoon, Twins President Dave St. Peter announced that Justin Morneau is now a member of the Twins Hall of Fame.Make your plans now. On Saturday, May 23rd, the Twins will be hosting the White Sox at Target Field. On that day, Justin Morneau will be inducted as the 34th member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony. It was just a matter of time, really, as Morneau had an impressive career with the Twins. In 1999, the Twins made the New Westminster, Vancouver, native their third-round draft pick. At the time, he was a catcher, but he quickly moved to first base after an arm injury. He made his much-anticipated major-league debut for the Twins in 2003. If you can recall, he received a standing ovation before that plate appearance. In 1,278 games, Morneau hit .278 with 289 doubles, 221 home runs and 860 RBI. His 221 home runs currently rank third on the Twins all-time list. In 2006, he was the American League Most Valuable Player. In 157 games that season ,he hit .321/.375/.559 (.934) with 37 doubles, 34 homers and 130 RBI. He was an All-Star in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. 2010 was shaping up to be his best season yet. Through 81 games, he was hitting a robust .345/.437/.618 (1.055) with 25 doubles and 18 home runs when he slid into second base and took a John MacDonald knee to the head and suffered a concussion that altered the trajectory of the Twins season and his career. He remained with the Twins through August 31, 2013, when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates to end the season. He spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Rockies. He owns the 2014 National League batting title when he hit .319 in 2014. He played in 58 games for the White Sox in 2016 before retiring. He joined the Twins as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations the last two seasons. He has now spent time the last couple of seasons in the broadcast booth with Dick Bremer and will do about 60 games in 2020. On Friday, May 22, the first 5,000 fans in attendance at Target Field will receive a Justin Morneau Hall of Fame pin. The first 10,000 fans to enter on Sunday, May 24, will receive a Morneau Hall of Fame bobblehead. There is a 71-member committee that votes on the Twins Hall of Fame. It includes local and national media, club officials, fan vote and past elected members. Morneau joins the following in the Twins Hall of Fame: 2000: Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett, Calvin Griffith 2001: Jim Kaat, Herb Carneal 2002: Bert Blyleven, Tom Kelly 2003: Bob Casey, Bob Allison 2004: Earl Battey 2005: Frank Viola 2006: Carl Pohlad, Zoilo Versalles 2007: Jim Rantz 2008: Rick Aguilera 2009: Brad Radke, George Brophy 2010: Greg Gagne 2011: Jim Perry 2012: Camilo Pascual 2013: Eddie Guardado, Tom Mee 2014: Chuck Knoblauch (elected, but not inducted) 2015: none 2016: Torii Hunter, John Gordon 2017: Michael Cuddyer, Andy MacPhail 2018: Johan Santana 2019: Joe Nathan, Jerry Bell 2020: Justin Morneau Click here to view the article