Seth Stohs

In this week's Get to Know 'Em podcast, Seth talked to Twins outfield prospect Matt Wallner about playing in Minnesota, at Southern Mississippi, being drafted by the Twins (twice) and more. Also, we had out Ten Minutes with Tyler (Wells) segment, which actually went about 15 minutes.Matt Wallner was the Twins Competitive Balance pick in 2019, the 39th overall pick in the 2019 draft. In 2016, the Forest Lake, MN, native was the Twins 32nd round pick but instead of signing, he went to Southern Mississippi where he became a three-time All American. We discussed several topics with him including his high school playing days, being Mr. Baseball in 2016, the draft(s) and beginning his professional career. We need a good name for our bi-weekly segment with Twins RHP prospect Tyler Wells. We went with Ten Minutes with Tyler. Well, we went about 15 minutes, but that's OK. We discussed several topics including losing minor league coordinators, what's going on at the Twins academy in the offseason, the 40-man roster, his status and rehab updates and more. 7:00 - Ten Minutes with Tyler 25:40 - Matt Wallner interview Leave questions or comments below on this podcast. Send me names of people you would like to see interviewed in the future. And send your questions for Tyler Wells as well, as he will return to the show in two weeks to answer your questions. You can subscribe to the Get to Know 'Em podcast on iTunes. or follow Libsyn for new episodes here as well. PAST EPISODES Episode 1: Get to know Niko Guardado (Actor and son of Eddie Guardado) Episode 2: Get to know Pat Dean, Brent Rooker Episode 3: Get to know Royce Lewis, AJ Achter Episode 4: Get to know Devin Smeltzer Episode 5: Get to know Jaylin Davis, Tyler Wells Episode 6: Get to know: Travis Blankenhorn, LaMonte Wade Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Not registered? Click here to create an account. To stay up to date, follow Twins Daily on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to view the article

This is a forum to update Twins minor league signings (and can be where we post Twins minor league free agents that signed elsewhere). The Twins have brought back catcher Tomas Telis and RHP Jonathan Cheshire.

I'm not sure I like either of those trades. Gallen is a borderline Top 50 pitching prospect, Balazovic will likely both be top 50-60 this year, Thorpe could be a good #4 starter, plus Rosario. And, not sure Brian Anderson is interesting enough to give up Larnach (top 80ish guy), plus 3 more guys? I like Alex Gordon. I like Diekman, probably at $5-6 million rather than $8. I don't mind Bumgarner at 4/72... 4/88 seems generous.

https://theathletic.com/1343712/?source=twittered In this article from The Athletic, the discussion is about who the next wave of Pitching Coaches might be. Twins assistant pitching coach Jeremy Hefner is featured, but Pensacola pitching coach Justin Willard is also mentioned.

What awards has he won in the system? He's a good player, no doubt... Solid at 1B. Can hit a bit, extra base pop. Solid player.

The trade idea always sounds great... until you trade Nick Anderson away... Ha! But I do agree with that, in theory.

I tend to agree... I think that's why I have him down in the On the Bubble. I think they'll add 6-7 and have him at that level, so it's a coin flip. I just think he's so talented, I'm sure they don't want to lose him... The other part about 'rolling the dice' is that even if the are taken, about half of them end up coming back too.

Another interesting case. While he was the TD Minor League SP of the Year in 2018, I don't know if he ever has reached that kind of prospect status that makes him a guy that would be taken to sit a year. But teams should probably do their due diligence on him.

I am very curious what they do with him... About 4 million reasons to protect him, but 40-man spots are really valuable.

They will... we have to figure they'll add at least four pitchers, maybe an infielder, maybe a catcher. That's six spots there. A trade could be made, including 40-man spots or not. So I don't expect them to add all eight. I just think those are the 8 that should be most strongly considered. I do think they'll add 6-7. They're at 31 right now. If they add seven, that'd put them at 38 before the Rule 5 draft (pending an early signing at the Winter Meetings or before). They could add two without a worry. They still have several players on their 40-man that could be DFAd (Harper, Wisler, etc.). So I think they can add 6-7 without it affecting their offseason plans at all. That said, 4-5 is also possible and you hope that the others don't get taken.

Yup, as I mentioned, I would think that either these guys, or someone already on the 40 man could be traded. For just an example, there's a similarity between Jake Cave and Luke Raley... They could trade either one of them for a low-level prospect and keep the other (or add the other) to the 40-man roster.

Jax is interesting because he's fairly close to the big leagues... but the strikeout numbers have to be concerning. He's a ground ball pitcher in a league that now values high fastballs and velocity more. That said, he's had enough success and solid numbers, that I think he'll get a long look and very much could be added. It's hard to know how an organization values its players that are at various levels. Jax is closer and maybe more of a 'sure thing' than Rijo, but Rijo has so much more upside but he's not a guy for 2020. Same thing in the outfield. Luke Raley can play in the big leagues now, but he's probably not the prospect that Wade is or has been... he fits more into the Cave category, I would think. Meanwhile, Celestino is probably 1 1/2 to 2 years from being ready, but he has much more upside. How to place value on that type of choice can't be easy. Ultimately, having tough decisions is a good thing for an organization.

He hasn't played much due to injury, so yeah, he definitely struggled. The Twins can try to sneak him through, and maybe successfully. But at the lower levels, and with all his time missed, the decision won't (or shouldn't be) about his results... If something is wrong with the process, which we just aren't privy to, that could factor in as well.

I don't think the decision on Celestino has anything to do with Wade or Raley. The decision on Celestino is almost solely going to be based on his talent and potential. Same with Javier. It's similar to when the Twins protected Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler after their 2013 seasons in Cedar Rapids. As for the 'trade' idea.. .I think that's a great point. Lots of options here that may be fairly borderline decisions, and like Nick Anderson last year, the Twins could use them in trades.

Or, because they get protected...

Re-post as the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster is 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20. Between now and March, there are many decisions that this front office will need to make. (See the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook for much more on them.). The Twins made several roster moves on Monday, and more will happen soon. One big decision that is made every November is which players to add to the 40-man roster. Being added to the 40-man roster is a really big deal for players. They make extra money in the minor leagues, but more important, a huge obstacle to being called up to the big leagues is removed. Below you will find a list of Twins minor leaguers who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected on the 40-man roster.With Stephen Gonsalves, Kohl Stewart and Martin Perez removed from the Twins 40-man rosteron Monday, as well as six Twins players being free agents, the Twins 40-man roster is currently at 31 players. Here’s the quick version: Pitchers (16): Jorge Alcala, Jose Berrios, Randy Dobnak, Tyler Duffey, Brusdar Graterol, Ryne Harper, Trevor Hildenberger, Zack Littell, Trevor May, Sean Poppen, Taylor Rogers, Fernando Romero, Devin Smeltzer, Cody Stashak, Lewis Thorpe, Matt Wisler.Catchers (2): Willians Astudillo, Mitch GarverInfielders (7): Ehire Adrianza, Luis Arraez, CJ Cron, Marwin Gonzalez, Nick Gordon, Jorge Polanco, Miguel SanoOutfielders: (5) Byron Buxton, Jake Cave, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, LaMonte WadeDH(1): Nelson CruzRecall that the players who are added to the 40-man roster can’t be DFA'd until spring training, so the team will likely not want to fill up their roster now. But as you can see, there are still players on this list that need to be offered arbitration (or not) and there are several players who could be DFA'd for when the team signs free agents. ---------------------------------- Last year, the Twins added three players to their 40-man roster. The “givens” at that time were Nick Gordon and LaMonte Wade. We included Luis Arraez as the first “on the bubble” name. The third “on the bubble” name mentioned here a year ago was RH RP Nick Anderson who was traded to the Marlins and pitched tremendously for the Marlins and the Rays as a rookie in 2019. ---------------------------------- So, let’s get to the players that the team will consider adding to their 40-man roster. As a reminder, here are some of the criteria for who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected. Here is this year’s criteria: Players who signed when they were 18 or younger in 2015 (during the minor league season).Players who signed when they were 19 or older in 2016.Players who were eligible in previous seasons are also eligible again.Players drafted or signed during the 2013 season became free agents after the World Series was complete. That includes Johan Quezada and Jose Martinez. That is why Kohl Stewart, who went unclaimed on Monday, was able to become a free agent. If the Twins signed them (or other minor league free agents) before the Rule 5 draft, they would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft.But back to the players needing to be added or risk losing to the Rule 5 draft, I’ll break them into a few categories. The Givens are players that I think have to be added or there is a high likelihood that they will be selected by another team. The next group is a group of players that I think will probably be added, though not quite as obviously. The final group includes players that I would consider On The Bubble. It will be interesting to see which of these guys are added later this month. How many spots will be available on the team’s 40-man roster at that time? The Givens Several players that would have been Givens were already added to the 40-man roster and called up late in the season. In fact, there were several guys who may have been borderline who were added already. For instance, Brusdar Graterol and Jorge Alcala were going to be added. No question. Here are a couple more. RHP Jhoan Duran - He came to the Twins in July 2018 from the Diamondbacks in the Eduardo Escobar trade. Duran throws hard. He hit triple-digits with a fastball several times in many of his starts. He went just 2-9 despite a 3.23 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) for the Miracle. He had 95 strikeouts in 78 innings.He moved up to AA Pensacola where he went 3-3 with a 4.86 ERA in seven starts. He struck out 41 batters in 37 innings. The 21-year-old stands 6-5 and has the potential for a starting pitcher’s mix.RHP Dakota Chalmers - Chalmers was a third-round pick of the Oakland A’s in 2015 out of high school in Georgia. He throws hard, but he has often struggled with control. He also fought injury and had Tommy John surgery early in 2018. The Twins acquired him in August in the Fernando Rodney trade. He returned to the mound in the second half of the 2019 season. After rehabbing in the GCL, the 23-year-old finished the regular season in Ft. Myers with the Miracle. He pitched for the Blue Wahoos in the playoffs and then headed to the Arizona Fall League to get more innings. He has a mid-90s fastball and good spin on his curveball. He also throws a changeup that is good when on.The Probables2B/3B Travis Blankenhorn - The 23-year-old struggled in 2018 in Ft. Myers, as many do in the Florida State League, so he began 2019 with the Miracle. After just 15 games, he was promoted to AA Pensacola. He took off from there. In 93 games with the Blue Wahoos, he hit .278 with 18 doubles and 18 home runs. He was the Twins third-round pick in 2015 out of high school in Pennsylvania. He is one of the best athletes in the organization and has power and speed.OF Gilberto Celestino - The same year Javier signed with the Twins, the Astros signed Gilberto Celestino to a $2.25 million signing bonus. He came to the Twins in 2018 in the Ryan Pressly trade (with Jorge Alcala). He began 2019 by really struggling in Cedar Rapids, but he was on fire the final three months of the season and ended the year with the Miracle. And there, in 30 at-bats, he hit .300/.344/.433 (.767)OF Luke Raley - Raley was the Dodgers seventh-round pick in 2016 out of Division 2 Lake Erie College. He played well, and in July 2018, he came to the Twins with Devin Smeltzer in the Brian Dozier trade. He started 2019 in Rochester and was playing well when he hurt his ankle and needed surgery. It ended his season though he did play in the Arizona Fall League. He has power, and can play all three outfield positions, though center field is a stretch.On the Bubble RHP Luis Rijo - He came to the Twins from the Yankees in the July 2018 Lance Lynn trade. In 2018 in Cedar Rapids, he impressed by often hitting 95 and 96 mph with his fastball. He went 5-8 with a 2.86 ERA over 107 innings pitched. If he had spent time in Ft. Myers, he would probably be a Given, but could a team stash him for the full 2019 season?SS Wander Javier - When you sign an amateur to a $4 million signing bonus, you’d like to think that this decision would be easy, and maybe it is. But Javier has unfortunately missed nearly two seasons because of injury (most of 2016 in DSL and all of 2018). His 2019 started late and in 80 games, he hit just .177 with nine doubles and 11 home runs. He also had 17 errors. So, could he play in the big leagues today? Probably not. But he has as much talent as anyone in the organization, so a team might be willing to stash the 20-year-old on their big league roster for his potential.RHP Griffin Jax - The Twins third-round pick in 2016 out of the Air Force Academy. He signed and while he had commitments to the military, he pitched each summer. He has been able to pitch consistently since early in the 2018 season. He spent most of the 2019 season in Double-A Pensacola but made a couple of starts at Triple-A Rochester too. In 23 starts, he went a combined 5-7 with a 2.90 ERA. In 127 1/3 innings, he walked just 27 and struck out 94 (6.6 K/9).The Next This is a group that contains some intriguing names. While they aren’t obvious choices, there could be a team that likes them enough to take a shot with a Rule 5 pick. 1B Zander Wiel - The 26-year-old hit .254 with 40 doubles, five triples and 24 RBI at AAA Rochester in 2019 while performing adequately at first base.IF/OF Trey Cabbage - The 22-year-old was the Twins 4th round pick in 2015 out of high school in Tennessee. He is incredibly strong and hit a combined 15 homers in 2019 between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers.LHP Sam Clay - Fourth round pick in 2014 from Georgia Tech, Clay reached AAA in 2019. In 123 2/3 innings above High A, he has not given up a home run. In 69 1/3 innings in 2019 (2/3 of the innings in AA), he walked 28 and struck out 72 batters.RHP Moises Gomez - The 22-year-old Venezuelan posted a 1-4 record with 10 saves and a 2.91 ERA this season between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He also struck out 15 batters in 11 innings in the Arizona Fall League (we won’t mention the nine walks).RHP Jake Reed - We have brought him up as a Must-Add each of the last few seasons. He hasn’t been added, and he hasn’t been selected. Now 27, he is coming off of a 2019 season in which he posted a 5.76 ERA in Rochester (though he struck out 92 batters in 75 innings).RHP Tom Hackimer - The side-winding 25-year-old was the Twins 4th round pick in 2016 from St. John's. When healthy, he has been very productive. In 56 2/3 innings in 2019, he struck out 75 batters.The Rest Here is a list of other players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Twins organization. LHP Alex RobinsonRHP Miguel De JesusLHP Lachlan WellsRHP Yancarlos BaezRHP Melvi AcostaRHP Adam BrayRHP Andro CuturaLHP Zach FeatherstoneRHP Randy LeBlancRHP Hector LujanRHP Andriu MarinRHP Ryan MasonLHP Jovani MoranRHP Alex SchickRHP Carlos SuniagaLHP Andrew VasquezLHP Tyler WatsonRHP Tyler WellsIF Joe CroninSS Yeltsin EncarnacionC Caleb Hamilton3B Brian SchalesOF Aaron WhitefieldOF Malique ZieglerIn the comments below, discuss my ranking and rank them by how you would protect them. We saw in 2019, and in 2018 too, that the Twins front office will make moves and keep that Rochester Connection quite active, so being on the 40-man roster is a big deal, but we have also seen that it can be altered frequently throughout a season. So, who do you think will be added? Does the fact that the Twins 40-man roster is currently at just 31 and there are others who could be DFAd still make you think they will add as many as eight players in two weeks? Click here to view the article

The Twins have announced that former first-round pick Kohl Stewart has been outrighted. As he was signed in 2013, he becomes a free agent.

I did see it coming... and I don't think he'll be the only "surprise" DFA that we'll see this offseason. It's tough because I'm a big fan and a huge fan of the person. He's a terrific guy, very open, and he is quite talented. Unfortunately, he was hurt in 2019 and I assume the Twins thought this might be a good chance to get him through waivers... Nope.

https://twitter.com/dohyoungpark/status/1191473993963966469

This is a big loss....

Darren Wolfson learned that the Twins will play the $500,000 buyout on Martin Perez's option instead of paying him $7.5 million. https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/1191460065909334022

https://twitter.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1191389960378568704

Twins add a minor league hitting coach: