Seth Stohs

I think we all would take that!!

Our rankings: Seth (5), Nick (6), Tom (4), Nick (4)

All fair points, no doubt. But each year, or each time a ranking is done, it has to be on its own merit. I would also say this... in my opinion, the prospects from about 4 to about 12 or so are all pretty interchangeable... I think that speaks to the depth of the system as some of them have very high ceilings (like Javier) and others are close to ready (Gonsalves, Gordon, Littell, etc). The conversation is the best part!

If you is optioned at any point this season,, including during spring training, his 2019 option is used (with some contingencies in there about when he is recalled). Whether he's optioned once of 10 times,, his option year will be used. Yes, players on the 40-man roster are immune from the Rule 5.

Last year, we were given quite a big of grief for our #5 prospect too. He was coming off of a missed year. He had been hurt late in 2016 and didn't have a lot of pro experience... But Alex Kirilloff turned out to be pretty good. Now,, I'm not saying that Javier will put together a 2018 Kirilloff season in 2019. I'm only saying that... I think he'll be a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball one year from now. https://twitter.com/SethTweets/status/1094766423002570752

No question. Davis only spent about 6 weeks in Cedar Rapids, so that's' where he''s starting either way. It's just a matter of how much SS he plays.

Our rankings: Seth (4), Nick (4), Tom (7), Cody (6).

It is a conversation with every hard-throwing pitching prospect in baseball. Can he make it to the big leagues as a starter, or does he need to be moved to the bullpen? Fernando Romero has found himself in that situation for a while now, and it is likely that decision will ultimately be made in 2019. Will Romero get another opportunity to start, or will be be moved to the bullpen.Why do the Twins need to make a determination on Fernando Romero so quickly? We’ll get to that, but first, let’s take a look at his background, why he should remain a starter, and why the bullpen could be an option for him as well. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what Derek Falvey, Thad Levine, Rocco Baldelli, Wes Johnson and Jeremy Heffner end up doing with Fernando Romero and the pitching staff in 2010. BACKGROUND Fernando Romero burst on the prospect scene way back in 2013 when he debuted stateside with the GCL Twins. Over 45 innings, Romero posted a 1.60 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and struck out 47 batters while walking just 13. In 2014, he was quickly promoted to Cedar Rapids. However, after just three starts he was shut down and had to undergo Tommy John surgery. He missed the rest of 2014 and all of 2015. His return was slowed by a knee injury in 2015. Early in 2016, Romero returned and went to the Kernels. However, he made just five starts and went 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA. In 28 innings, he walked just five and struck out 25 batters. He moved up to Ft. Myers and continued to pitch well. In 11 starts, he went 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. Over 62 1/3 innings, he walked 10 and struck out 65 batters. With the strong showing and his prospect status, it was an easy decision to add him to the 40-man roster in November of 2016. Twins Daily named him the #1 Twins Prospect heading into the 2017 season. In 2017, Romero spent the season at Double-A Chattanooga. He pitched 125 innings over 24 games (23 starts). He went 11-9 with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He walked 45 and struck out 120. Prior to the 2018 season, he was ranked by Twins Daily as the #2 Twins Prospect. (It took having the #1 overall draft pick to move Romero down to #2.) For the second straight year, Romero began the season by impressing the Twins coaching staff and front office with a strong spring training. He began the season in Rochester. On May 2nd, Romero was called up to make his major league debut. He tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays to earn his first win. His next outing was in St. Louis and he threw six shutout frames to improve to 2-0. After making ten starts, he was optioned to Rochester and made just one start for the Twins the rest of the season (mid-July). Overall with the Twins, he went 3-3 with a 4.69 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP. At Rochester, he went 5-6 with a 3.57 ERA but a 1.29 WHIP. Combined, he worked 146 1/3 innings. STARTER So why should the Twins continue to give him an opportunity to start? There are several reasons. First, he had a pretty good showing early in his big-league career as a starter. In his first five starts, he went 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA. In 28 2/3 innings, he struck out 29 batters. Not only did he put up solid numbers, he showed really good stuff. His fastball sat between 92 and 95 mph and touched 96 and even 97 at times, and he maintained that through the first five innings. He did show a good breaking ball early, something that those who watched his Triple-A didn’t see consistently. He also showed a solid changeup most of the time. He spent the full season at age 23. One thought would be to continue the development as a starter, hoping that he could find more consistency with his breaking pitches and changeup. Despite missing two years, Romero was able to reach 146 1/3 innings in 2018. Ideally, with a 20% increase, he could jump up to 175 innings, a real solid number for a mid-to-late, young starting pitcher. Over Romero’s final six starts with the team, he went 1-2 with a 7.67 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP in 27 innings. BULLPEN 2019 is a crucial season for this decision to be made thanks to the rules of the Rule 5 draft. The Twins had to add Romero to their 40-man roster in November of 2016, so he used up option years in 2017 and 2018. If optioned in 2019, he would be out of options starting in 2020. At Twins Fest, Derek Falvey would not commit to Romero being moved to the bullpen, even after the addition of Martin Perez. “I wouldn’t say that’s a definite at this point, but I would say that he is definitely an option (for the bullpen).” There are several factors that go into this kind of decision, but the eye test tells people that Romero could be a force in the bullpen. And that’s something that Falvey acknowledged as well. “Fernando is someone who you watch the first few innings and you think, ‘that could be pretty special out of the bullpen.’ That’s something we’ve always talked about.” There are varying opinions on what is best for pitchers who have had Tommy John surgery, so that’s another factor according to the Twins Chief Baseball Officer. “It’s a balance. You want to think about what’s best for his health. What’s best for his long-term? He is somebody who has history with Tommy John surgery. Is there some benefit to him working out of the bullpen?” That’s part of it, but Falvey continued with the other part of the balance. “Certainly developing third pitch and getting some more variation to his repertoire is important if he is going to continue being a starter.” Don’t forget, as so many Twins fans recall, the Johan Santana spent a couple of seasons in the Twins bullpen, used in a variety of roles, before joining the starting rotation in 2004 (his first Cy Young season). There is a lot of truth to the old saying that most of the best relief pitchers in baseball were starters early in their career. A look at some of the top relievers in Twins history certainly shows that. Joe Nathan, Rick Aguilera, Eddie Guardado and Glen Perkins were all starting pitchers early in their careers. Even top relievers such as JC Romero, Juan Rincon, LaTroy Hawkins and others made starts early in their big league years. THE FIFTH STARTER SPOT I think most would agree that Jose Berrios, Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda are at least penciled into the Opening Day starting rotation. They may not need a fifth starter for a little while either, but at some point, they will need one. Martin Perez will most likely be on the Opening Day roster and is the favorite for the fifth starter spot as we speak. But there are several candidates for that spot. Some will certainly head to Rochester to start the season, but the bullpen just might be an opportunity for some of the pitchers as well. As the Twins CBO, Falvey needs to think about the big picture to the 2019 season and beyond. He needs to factor in a lot of things such as contracts, options, injuries and more. He notes, “We don’t know exactly what our team will look like on Opening Day. The reality is we’ll have injuries - hopefully less than last year - but we’ll have injuries. We’ll have struggles. We’re going to have to find ways to get those guys to step up. I think about someone like Stephen Gonsalves, or Kohl Stewart, or Fernando Romero, or Zack Littell, or Adalberto Mejia. All those guys will compete to be potential starting options for us, but if we stay healthy, maybe there’s an opportunity for those guys in the ‘pen.” YOUR TURN What will happen? How do you foresee this situation playing out. Consider what might happen as well if there is an injury. Who would you think would be the next in line? Specifically, what would you do with Fernando Romero? Clearly he’s got good fastball velocity and the potential to have three good pitches. We likely all agree that getting 175 innings out of a pitcher is probably more valuable than getting 60 to 70 innings from a reliever. Obviously Adalberto Mejia being out of options factors into decisions on him. Does Romero having just one option remaining force their hand and push a decision more quickly? Should it? What other factors would be instrumental in your decision? Click here to view the article

I ALWAYS mean to do more o them, but then get busy. So if people have any requests, let me know.

Our rankings: Seth (7), Nick (5), Tom (5), Cody (8)

Rooker was a non-roster invite to spring training. Tom Kelly hasn't traveled to spring training in 3-4 years.

1.) I don't look at any other rankings before doing my list. It's my list. I don't want to be swayed by others. 2.) Keith Law ranked Jordan Balazovic as the #3 Twins prospect.

Or the system is stronger. It's also reality that as players move up the ladder, there are a lot more data points to evaluate. I fully admit... I had his ceiling as a number 3 starter who had the potential to have a couple of seasons that might qualify as a #2 type season. His 2018 debut didn't convince me that he can't still be that,though the likelihood is maybe more that he's a #4 with an upside as a #3.

For me, it's the 6-5 and 220. It's the 94-98 mph fastball. Potentially four pitches. Young. Video of his stuff. and more. Also, I saw him on a mid-season Top 10 guy for Arizona from a couple of places I went to. Not that that meant anything in my personal ranking or evaluation, but it was there.

Baseball HQs Minor League Analyst does something like that. They give a Grade for ceiling. something like 10 = Hall of Famer, 9 = regular All Star, 1 = AA... something like that. But then they give an Grade related to likelihood of reaching that potential.

Our rankings: Seth (6), Nick (8), Tom (13), Cody (7).

Prospect rankings, however, typically have very little to do with the stats, though they do obviously factor in. And, I would hope people have not given up on Gonsalves at all. But Duran's upside is top of the rotation starter. That's why I rank him higher. That's'why I have Graterol ranked higher.

As you recall, the Twins front office was awfully busy around the trade deadline in 2018. It was a tough time for some Twins fans who would miss seeing some of their favorite players dealt to contending teams. The one positive to come out of that situation was the acquisition of some quality talent including our choice for the Twins #7 prospect, Jhoan Duran. Jhoan Duran came to the Twins along with outfielders Gabriel Maciel and Ernie de la Trinidad in exchange for Eduardo Escobar. When the trade was made, we knew very little about the three. It’s fair to say that Duran has made a strong impression in his short time with the Cedar Rapids Kernels.Age: 21 (DOB: 1-8-1998) 2018 Stats (Low-A): 100.2 IP, 3.75 ERA, 115/38 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP ETA: 2021 2018 Ranking: NR National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR |MLB: NR | ESPN: NR |BP: NR What’s To Like There is a lot to like. When Jhoan Duran signed with the Diamondbacks in February of 2015 out of the Dominican Republic, he was tall and lanky. That means that he was often touted as “projectable” as he had room to fill out. When the 2018 season ended, Duran stood 6-5 and weighed in at about 220 pounds. With the increased strength, Duran’s fastball has taken off. Duran throws 94-96 and even touched 98 mph. If you watched Tom Froemming’s Prospect Spotlight on Duran, he was hitting 96 in late August despite already being over his previous career high innings. He also gets some sink on his pitches. Duran also throws what appears to be two different breaking balls. He has a slider that can dart out of the zone, but he also has more of a curveball that drops. Both can be swing-and-miss pitches. He also is working to improve his changeup. Potentially, he’s got a big fastball with movement, four pitches and the ability to miss bats. Yes, potentially there is a whole lot to like in Jhoan Duran. What’s Left To Work On For Duran, he needs to work on the things that all young pitchers need to work on. While he has shown good control, he will need to continue to improve his command. While most believe that he can remain a starter, that will likely depend on continuing to improve and be more consistent with his secondary pitches. Especially, his changeup remains a work-in-progress. Development of that third (and maybe fourth) pitch may determine whether he remains a starter or if he becomes a potentially dominant, triple-digit throwing late-inning reliever. Before his six-inning stint to end the 2018 season in Cedar Rapids, his numbers had not yet matched his stuff. He had an ERA of 4.75 a 1.50 WHIP in 64 2/3 innings with Kane County before the trade. He struck out 9.9 batters per nine innings, but he also walked 3.9 per nine innings. After joining the Kernels, he was incredible, posting a 2.00 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP over 36 innings. He increased his K-rate to 11.0 per nine innings, and reduced his walks per nine innings to 2.5. So was it a great, short-sample size six-game stint, which included seven no-hit innings in his Kernels debut, or has Duran actually turned corner in his career? What’s Next After spending last season in Cedar Rapids, Duran will start the 2019 season in Fort Myers. At this point, it’s all about developing those things (third and fourth pitches, consistent command). Working in the Florida State League should allow him an opportunity to put up some big numbers and potentially continue to rise up the Twins prospect charts. If he gets off to a strong start, he will certainly be a candidate for a midseason promotion to the Twins new Double-A affiliate in Pensacola. TD Top Prospects: Honorable Mention TD Top Prospects: 16-20 TD Top Prospects: 11-15 TD Top Prospects: #10 Akil Baddoo TD Top Prospects: #9 Blayne Enlow TD Top Prospects: #8 Lewis Thorpe TD Top Prospects: #7 Jhoan Duran TD Top Prospects: #6 Coming Tomorrow… Get to know more about Duran and many more minor league players in the 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. ORDER NOW: 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (paperback, $17.99) ORDER NOW: 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (eBook, $12.99) The 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook goes in-depth and provides player bios, scouting reports, statistics and much more on almost 160 Twins minor leaguers. Click here to view the article

Not Nick, but Thorpe is 91-94. His other pitches are typical velo differential. Changeup and curveball in the low-80s, curveball can be a little slower at times.

Our rankings: Seth (8), Nick (12), Tom (6), Cody (11)

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