Seth Stohs

Definitely a lot more variety in where Enlow ranks for the four voters: Seth (11), Nick (7), Tom (15), Cody (5)

Who is pitching on a given day isn't necessarily posted anywhere. We can try to find out.

The Twins (and all other organizations) have had more than their fair share of Tommy John surgeries. In recent years, pitchers like Lewis Thorpe, Fernando Romero and Brusdar Graterol have missed two seasons due to the elbow surgery. With less fanfare, Andro Cutura also missed nearly two full years due to the UCL surgery. Today, the former seventh-round draft pick from Southeastern Louisiana University tells us more about the injury, the rehab and the impressive return to the mound in 2018.Drafted in 2014, Andro Cutura did a Get To Know ‘Em Q&A for Twins Daily after the 2015 season. He began the 2016 season in Cedar Rapids where he went 3-1 in six starts, but in mid-May, his season came to an end. Rest-and-Rehab was attempted, but it didn’t work, so he had Tommy John surgery. In late April of 2018, Cutura returned to the mound with the Ft. Myers Miracle, and he pitched well, helping the team to the Florida State League championship. Let’s get to the Q&A. After reading it, be sure to ask questions and leave comments and congratulations in the Comments for Andro. Seth Stohs (SS): Let’s go back a couple of years. Early 2016, you’re in Cedar Rapids, pitch in a few games. Can you describe what happened to your elbow? Did you feel something abruptly, or did it just get worse over time? Andro Cutura (AC): I believe I had 5 starts in 2016 and the second to last one was when I started to feel my forearm/elbow bother me. I did not feel a “pop” on a single pitch, it was kind of a build up between two starts. SS: What was the process and who was involved in your eventual decision to have Tommy John surgery? AC: It was a very mentally straining process because it ultimately took me 5 months of rehab before I actually got TJ. First it was a little strain and I stayed in Cedar Rapids and rehabbed for about a month with the team. I then get sent down to Fort Myers and after not having progress I was advised to get PRP injections and take a few months off before even starting a throwing program. That was probably the most frustrating part of the whole thing, waiting all this time and going through a lengthy throwing program just to have my elbow blow up again when I got to 90 feet. At that moment I knew it was time for TJ and it was almost like a relief to be honest. I just wish I hadn’t wasted a season of my career. However, hindsight is always 20/20. SS: What was the worst part about the rehab process? How hard was it to be patient with the entire rehab time frame? AC: I think the worst part about the rehab process was the feeling of “falling behind”. You see all the guys you get drafted with moving up the ladder and you just feel stagnant in the rehab world. The key that I learned was to never get comfortable and even if there wasn’t something you could do physically, you could always learn more about the game by watching from a different point of view. It was hard to be patient because you want to be out there competing with a team. But you have to realize that everyone has a different path and you have to make the most out of it. SS: You were able to rehab with others who were going through the rehab with you. There are also several others in the organization who have been through Tommy John surgery too. Was it helpful to go through it with other teammates, and were there other Twins players who you were able to talk to when you had questions? What was some of the advice you got from them? AC: I was blessed to have such a hardworking group of guys to rehab with. Guys like JT Chargois, Zack Jones, Logan Darnell, Nick Burdi were a few of the guys I was surrounded by and if you know those guys, you know how hard of workers they are. Whether it be conditioning or in the gym, we were always pushing each other to the limit and I am very thankful for that. Every single one of us had a mindset of getting healthy and getting to the big leagues. The goals were so high and I think that showed me what it takes to be the best. Towards the end of my rehab stint, I was fortunate to spend some time with Glen Perkins and Phil Hughes in the training room and was able to pick their brains a little. SS: I think going through something like that, knowing it would take a long time to recover, what was your support system like and how important was that to you? AC: I couldn’t have done any of this if it weren’t for my wife, Nina. She was there for me every step of the way. My frustrating days and my best days, she was there helping me through it no matter what the circumstance. Any time I would lose hope, she would remind me how much I loved this game and how hard I’ve worked to get to this point. My family was also there for me and always believed in me. I couldn’t have gotten through it without all the thoughts and prayers. I would also say my Faith was a big support system for me. I kept faith that God had a plan for me and that this was all just part of a grander plan. SS: April 20th, you get back on the mound for the Miracle, your first game in nearly two years. What do you recall about the emotions going into that game, and then coming to the mound? AC: I was so excited. It was a looooong awaited time and I just wanted to get out there. I came out of the bullpen for my first outing so I had to sit around all game, which I’m not very used to. Haha. I remember stepping on the mound and the view of a backdrop and stadium really threw me off. I had been throwing in the bullpens and back fields in FM with chain linked fences. It was a different view for me, just needed my eyes to adjust a little I guess. My adrenaline was pumping pretty good, so I just remember pumping in fastballs and overthrowing sliders and changeups. Haha. SS: Was there a point in the season where you felt like you were back to 100%, comfortable with the elbow to air it out as needed? AC: Luckily, I never had any setbacks in my throwing program and never had any issues with my elbow as the season went on. I was never scared to let it loose. SS: What pitches do you throw, and how did each respond to the rehab and then throughout the season? AC: I throw a 4-seam Fastball, Sinker, Changeup, and Slider. Currently working on a cutter. They all responded quite well, however, some took a little longer than others. The command took some time with all my pitches but I was working every bullpen with Henry Bonilla to work on mechanical things until I found that groove. It took me a little while to get the feel of my slider back. That was the most challenging pitch for me to get back. As the end of the season rolled around I started to settle in and kinda found a good groove with all my pitches and sequencing. SS: You’ve had a couple of months since the season ended. Have you had the chance (or taken the time) to reflect on your season and really the whole three seasons. AC: Yeah, occasionally I will look back and review my season; the highs and the lows. I learned so much this season about myself and mastering my craft. Sounds crazy but after being out of pitching in games for almost two years, you almost forget what it feels like to give up hits or strike guys out or just having that in game experience. It took some time to adjust just because it had been so long. I look back at the whole three seasons and obviously wish I was on the field more and in the training room less, but I am really thankful for all the lessons I learned in the training room and how to take care of myself and learn about the game from a different point of view and on different levels. SS: How has it been to have a ‘regular’ offseason? When do you start working out and preparing yourself for the 2019 season? AC: It feels great to have a regular offseason! Just got married in September and got to spend time with my wife. We didn’t get to see each other much during the season so it’s nice to be able to make up for lost time with her. I took about a month off after the season to rest my body and then started ramping up workouts in October. I started tossing a little earlier this year, around Thanksgiving time. Right now I am working on finding my release points with my pitches and finding that consistency. SS: What do you enjoy doing to get away from the game of baseball in the offseason? AC: I enjoy golfing, game nights, hunting and fishing when I can, and just spending time with my family. SS: Have you given any thought yet to goals for 2019? Where would you like to start or end the season, and what are the numbers that you tend to look at to measure yourself? AC: I honestly feel so different going into this season than I did going into the 2018 season. Last season I went in not really knowing where I was going and how I would translate to games, just because it had been so long. I knew it was going to be a season of adjustments and figuring out who I am again. I want to start this season in Pensacola. I feel like I’m going into this season with a much bigger goal and a much bigger confidence. I was really happy with the way I ended my 2018 season and I’m itching to continue it into the 2019 season. People may call my crazy, but my goal this year is to contribute at the big league level. I am hungrier than ever, I know what I can do, and I know I can compete at the highest level. I want to stress to myself this season to get ahead of hitters and get into pitchers counts. I want my first pitch strike % up, strikeouts up, and walks down. I also want to be the best pitcher in the league with runners in scoring position. I realized how vital that is in the game of baseball. Bottom line, I want to get outs. A big Thank You to Andro Cutura for taking time to answer these questions so diligently and thoughtfully. We certainly wish him the best of luck in 2019 and beyond. Leave your questions and well wishes below. Click here to view the article

Miranda got about 2-3 weeks of High-A ball, so the distinction between the two is negligible. They were even drafted one pick apart. I really like Miranda as well. Huge power potential. Baddoo is probably a big more well-rounded, in terms of potential.

Bah-Doo

Uh-Kill.

I've been told that the one question mark on him as a prospect at the draft was his arm, but he has really worked and improved that. Great range, pretty good instincts. He grew up playing a lot of baseball.

The rankings: Seth (9), Nick (11), Tom (10), Cody (10).

If I' reading this correctly... spending a ton in the offseason may have one of three results: 1.) Win more 2.) Win less 3.) Win about the same amount. Sounds about right...

Probably not at Opening Day. But at some point.

I don't think people realized how injured Granite was last year. If affected everything. His hitting. His defense. Everything. Dude is a player! He obviously doens't have the power o Cave, but he plays far superior defense. Granite is also one of the most professional hitters in the organization, a true leadoff hitter. I'm personally glad he is still on the 40-man roster, especially since he still has options remaining. Great depth option. Reed, I believe, is out of options. His value is that he rakes against lefties, so he makes a lot of sense for a lineup with a couple of lefty outfielders. They should just have a 28-man roster... ha!

Love this!! And most important... did you get resolution to your autograph situation?

I thought the same thing... I also enjoyed adding Jose Canseco's tweet... he's ... interesting!

The fact that they are non-roster guys likely mean that they could stick around longer. Nick Gordon lasted quite a while the last two years. I would guess that he will move down sooner this year because he is on the 40-man roster. Multiple reasons for that, but one of them is that if 40-man roster guys get hurt while in big-league camp, they go on tnhe MLB DL.

I'll be completely shocked if Kirilloff doesn't start in Pensacola. Lewis will start in Ft. Myers and could move up to the Blue Wahoos by June.

So much goes into the non-roster invites beyond play. For a guy like Wells, a starting pitching who would not make the Opening Day roster and is well down the depth chart, they're going to let him come in a few weeks later and watch his innings. They can start working on getting him ready for the season rather than eating a couple of innings here and there. Also, he could still go over there some. Generally, they're making sure they have enough players. Need extra catchers to catch all the bullpens. Need extra infielders. Could be any number of reasons.

I had to follow up with Nick to find out who his cousin is. It has now been updated above.

Jeffers is fairly close defensively and has a ton more upside offensively.

The Super Bowl is upon us. The game is actually sometime on Sunday in the mid-to-late afternoon. There is a connection between the sports. Many baseball fans and many of the players participate in fantasy football. And, of course, everyone has an opinion. If you scroll down, you will find the predictions of many players, front office types and others for this year’s Rams/Patriots Super Bowl. I encourage you to post your Super Bowl predictions in the comments below. But first, here’s my prediction. Maybe the Patriots just spend the regular season taking it easy and then turn it on in the postseason. But I think that the Rams will keep it competitive, especially if Todd Gurley is at 100% At the end of the day, the Patriots will win 34-30. Tom Brady will be the MVP, even though it should be James White.Let’s get right to it. Here are the Super Bowl predictions, in the order they were received. I will continue to update this document right up until Game Time as I will receive more predictions to that point. TC Bear (Twins mascot) - Tough call here...... here’s my thinking. So both the Pats and Rams have mascots, but if you transfer that to baseball, you have Wally for the Red Sox but the L.A. area does not have a mascot for baseball. Which makes me lean towards the New England area. So I am going Patriots. Ryan O'Rourke (former Twins LHP, currently with Mets) - You know who I have haha. Pats-W. Travis Blankenhorn (Twins 3B/2B prospect, played in Ft. Myers in 2018) - Patriots 34-21. Alex Perez (Twins infield prospect, played at Chattanooga and Rochester in 2018) - Unfortunately gotta go with Tom Brady and the Pats 35-21. Landon Leach (Twins RHP prospect, pitched in the GCL in 2018) - Even though I only watched maybe one regular season game this year, I have been following the playoffs. I definitely think the Pats will win today due to their clutch factor, They’ve built up confidence throughout the playoffs knowing that they can win even though their odds at the beginning of the playoffs weren’t in their favor. Ben Rodriguez (Twins C/1B prospect, played at Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers in 2018) - Patriots. Never pick against Brady. Randy Dobnak (Twins RHP prospect, spent 2018 in Cedar Rapids) - 34-31 Pats. Gostkowski nails a 55 yarder to win it as times expires. Ryan Jeffers (Twins catching prospect and 2018 draft pick) - Rams! Boof Bonser (former Twins pitcher) - Pats. Danny Valencia (Former Twins infielder) - Patriots!!! 27-24. Chase DeJong (former Twins RHP, acquired in the Zack Duke trade): Rams Nick Gordon (Twins SS/2B prospect, played in Chattanooga and Rochester in 2018) - Rams. Gotta go with my cousin (Cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman). Zander Wiel (Twins 1B/LF prospect, played in Chattanooga and Rochester in 2018) - Patriots 31-30. Lewis Thorpe (Twins LHP and 2018 Minor League Pitcher of the Year) - Rams 30-27 Jacob Pearson (Twins OF prospect, played in Cedar Rapids in 2018) - Pats 31-21 Jeff Johnson (Cedar Rapids Kernels beat writer) - Patriots 31, Rams 17. (I hope I am WAY wrong). Zack Jones (former Twins RH RP prospect, spent time with the Saints in 2018) - Patriots 34-26 Danny Banuelos (Twins catcher prospect, spent 2018 in Cedar Rapids) - I'm going for the Rams! Have to root for the Cali team! Go Rams! Josh Whetzel (Rochester Red Wings play-by-play voice) - It will be just a guess but I will pick Patriots 34-31. Chris Mazza (former Twins RHP prospect, signed this offseason with Mariners, but Mets took him in the minor league Rule 5 draft) - Rams 34 Patriots 27 down goes the Goat Todd Van Steensel (former Twins RHP prospect signed with the Padres this offseason) - Patriots 31, Rams 17. I don’t think I’ve ever gone against the Patriots.) Tom Hackimer (Twins RH RP prospect) - I predict the score will be precisely what I need it to be to win my box pool. Ryley Widell (Twins LHP prospect) - I got the Rams winning 27-21! Brian Rapp (Twins 2018 draft pick and RHP prospect) - Patriots 28-24 baby! (I’m even actually going down there so my prediction better be right!) Christian Cavaness (former Twins OF prospect) - Patriots by 10 unless Todd Gurley is back to the Gurley of the regular season. if Gurley is back then Rams by 3 Taylor Grzelakowski (Twins C/OF/1B/DH prospect) - Patriots 27-21. Brady MVP Tyler Wells (Twins RHP prospect and Twins Daily 2019 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year) - I have Patriots winning 31-28 Tyler Watson (Twins LHP prospect) - I'm in on the Patriots this year again. I'm gonna predict Edelman makes a diving catch in the back left corner for a touchdown in the fourth. Jonathan Rodriguez (Former Twins minor league 1B) - 31-17 Patriots winning Patrick McGuff (former Twins minor league RHP prospect, now in Reds system) - Patriots by a touchdown, the Belichick/Brady era lives on, strong as ever. Trey Cabbage (Twins 1B/OF prospect) - Honestly man, I’d like to see Tom Terrific win another and possibly set a record, Marshall Kelner (Miracle play-by-play guy) - Pats 27, Rams 20 Trevor May (Twins RHP) - Go Rams Pat Light (former Twins RHP) - I never go against Brady though! Patriots 38-35 Casey Scoggins (former Twins OF prospect) - Rams:34 Pats:24.... Rams start slow but win the 4th quarter! Stephen Gonsalves (Twins LHP) - Rams 28-24 Taylor Rogers (Twins LH RP) - Going with the Rams just because they have the former Bronco CJ Anderson. Tyler Webb (Twins OF prospect and 2018 draft pick) - I hate to say it, but I’ve got the Patriots. You can’t go against Tom Brady in the playoffs. AJ Achter (Former Twins RH RP, current pitching coach at Eastern Michigan University) - Pats 33, Rams 27. Nick Anderson (Minnesotan and former Twins prospect, now with the Miami Marlins) - As cool as it would be to see the Rams win it, I have to go with the Patriots. It’s really hard for me to root against Brady. I hope it’s a crazy exciting game, but you have to respect Brady and his career and the fact that he’s still killing it at 41. So I’m going with a score of 41-35. And both QB’s are going to throw 3 interceptions Zach Bove (first-year pitching coach in the GCL) - Pats Tyler Benninghoff (Twins RHP prospect) - I got the Rams winning 31-27! Shane Carrier (Twins OF prospect) - I’ve got Patriots 24-17 Michael Quesada (former Twins C prospect, current Twins scout) - I got the Patriots. Tough to go against an experienced hot hand. Josh Rabe (former Twins OF, current head coach at his alma mater Quincy University in Illinois) - Patriots 31 Rams 30, James White MVP. Hector Lujan (Twins RH RP prospect) - I got the Patriots winning 30-24. Daniel Adler (Twins Director of Baseball Operation) - Patriots 27, Rams 23 Daniel Palka (former Twins OF prospect, current OF/DH of the White Sox) - 19-3 Browns win Alex Hassan (former Red Sox OF, current Twins Assistant Director of Player Development) - Patriots by one million points Jared Finkel (Twins RH RP prospect, spent 2018 in Cedar Rapids) - I got the Rams! Ryan Costello (Twins 1B prospect, acquired in the Zack Duke trade) - I got Patriots, 27 to 24 Corey Koskie (former Twins 3B, owner of Linklete) - I am not a football guy at all. Put me down for Patriots though. Willie Joe Garry (Twins OF prospect and 2018 draft pick) - I hate to say it, but you can never bet against the GOAT so sadly I have to say the Patriots Robbie Rinn (Twins 1B prospects, played in Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers in 2018) - See his run of tweets… all pro-Patriots. Billy Boyer (Twins first-year minor league base running and infield coordinator) - As much as it pains me to say it, being a Seahawks fan and all, ,I will go Rams 35 Pats 27. Cory Provus (Twins radio voice) - Pats 38. Rams 24 Trevor Plouffe (former Twins 3B) - Rams 34-31. LaTroy Hawkins (former Twins RHP, current Special Assistant to Baseball Operations) - 30-27 Patriots. Austin Malinowski (Minnesotan and former Twins LHP) - At some point. Tom Brady is going to have to pass the torch and move on, but this won’t be the year. Patriots 34, Rams 31. MVP goes to Sony Michel. Adam Brett Walker (former Twins OF prospect) - I’m going to say 24-17. Patriots are going to sneak out a win. I can't bet against Tom Brady as much as I want to! #GoJags Mike Trombley (former Twins RHP) - Patriots 30-14 Frank Jagoda (Miracle pitching coach) - I’m going with the Patriots. I’m not a typical Buffalo Bills fan who wants NE to lose. I think Brady is the absolute best! And if they win I can say the Bills play the best team in the league twice a year! Ryan Smith (Kernels hitting coach) - I’ve got the Pats. Hard to bet against Brady and Belichick! Travis Harrison (former Twins 3B/OF prospect) - I’m going Patriots 31-26. Tom Brady is the man. I’m also predicting next year’s super bowl will be my COWBOYS winning over the Colts! Jeremy Zoll (Twins Director of Player Development) - As a Pats fan, you’re going to get a biased reply here. Pats 31-23. Brady throws for 3 TD, with Gronk catching at least 1. Austin Schulfer (Twins RHP prospect and 2018 draft pick) - I think the Rams win 23-20. The Pats have a chance to make a field goal to sent it to OT and they miss. Only bold prediction I have Denny Hocking (former Twins infielder) - Tom Brady for 6. Seth Pinkerton (Twins RHP prospect and 2018 draft pick) - As much as I don’t want to say it, but Pats will win. Then I’ll have to hear it from my college roommates about how good TB12 is. 31-20. TB12 MVP with 2 pass TD and a Rush! hope I’m wrong. Jordan Gore (Twins infield prospect, played in Cedar Rapids and Chattanooga in 2018) - Can’t bet against Brady. Going with the Pats Tony Thomas (former Twins minor leaguer and a Saints player) - I think the Rams will win even though being from New Orleans and a huge Saints fan. Trey Vavra (former Twins 1B/OF prospect) - Patriots 41, Rams 31 Jacob Blank (Twins RHP prospect and 2018 draft pick) - I have the Patriots winning 31-28 this year on a last second FG Caleb Abney (first-year GCL Twins pitching coach) - I’ll say Rams 34-31. Trevor Hildenberger (Twins RHP) - Rams Goff and CJ Anderson went to Cal. Go Bears! Dallas Gallant (former Twins RH RP prospect) - I’m going to go with the same team and score as last year! 31-21 Pats Dave St. Peter (Twins president) - Pats 34, Rams 33 Aaron Whitefield (Twins OF prospect, played in Ft. Myers in 2018): 24-14. Derek Molina (Twins RH RP prospect) - Patriots got it I think. Can’t see Brady losing. Dereck Rodriguez (former Twins RHP prospect, debuted in 2018 with the Giants) - I hate to say it, but I really think Brady is going to pull it off again. Even though I’d rather see the Rams win. And finally... since he's been tweeting about aliens and time travel a lot, here is Jose Canseco's prediction... or ,telling us what the score will be? Now it’s your turn. Leave your predictions below. Click here to view the article

It's simply the difference between being drafted out of high school and being drafted out of college. Turner, Swim, Garver were all college guys. Rortvedt and Brian Navarreto, who is going to big league camp for the 2nd time, were high school picks.

I really like Ben, and I think he took strong sides forward in 2018.

Agreed... I think giving up on Gordon would be silly. He's' not big, but he can hit. We all know he needs to keep getting stronger, but with his swing and approach and knowledge and skill, worrying too much about his struggles in the 2nd half in AAA at 22 might be a bit much. But I do think it would be nice for him to get off to a fast start there in 2019, if only for his own confidence. I do know that the Twins really like Jeffers behind the plate, like his pitch framing.

Our individual rankings, if anyone is interested: Gonsalves - Seth (10), Nick (10), Tom (9), Cody (12) Gordon - Seth (12), Nick (9), Tom (8), Cody (13) Jeffers - Seth (14), Nick (14), Tom (18), Cody (9) Rortvedt - Seth (24), Nick (13), Tom (12), Cody (15) Severino - Seth (15), Nick (19), Tom (14), Cody (17)