Seth Stohs

On Monday afternoon, Ron Gardenhire rode his motorcycle down from Lakeland and then led his Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 win against his old team, the Twins. Notes on Tim Collins, Nick Gordon, Luis Arraez, the missed foul ball and much, much more.In a nice moment, Toby Gardenhire, the Ft. Myers Miracle manager, walked out to exchange the lineup card with Twins Hall of Famer Rod Carew. There to meet them, along with the umpires, was his father, Ron Gardenhire. Toby Gardenhire spent some time with the Twins as an extra coach in September and the Twins did the same thing then. Kyle Gibson looked good on Monday. He worked three scoreless innings, and he had to work himself out of a little trouble in that third inning. Three straight singles loaded the bases, but after a Wes Johnson mound visit, Gibson really bore down. Gibson said, “You want to work on stuff and you want to use all your pitches, but today was a day that I probably should have just thrown more fastballs. All three of those hits in the third inning were on offspeed pitches and not that they were necessarily bad pitches all the time but I mean just probably could have just challenged them a little bit more and used the fastball a little bit more but that’s why it’s spring training.” He got Jeimer Candelario to ground into a three-two-three double play (first base to catcher and back to first base). But the danger was far from over. Miguel Cabrera stepped to the plate. Gibson struck out the future Hall of Famer in the first inning, but this time Gibson fell behind 3-0. He came back and struck out Cabrera again to end the inning. While often pitchers have certain goals in mind and things to work on in spring training, there was value in being able to work out of a tough situation too. Following the game, Rocco Baldelli noted, “It all matters. When we’re out there and it doesn’t matter what kind of games we’re talking about, he’s very competitive and was not going to just give in and let the at-bat go. Instead of just throwing a breaking ball in the dirt and be done with it, he refused to let that at-bat end.He kept battling and competing, and that’s nice to see. It doesn’t matter that it’s a spring training game for me.” Always humble, Gibson noted that it was just about working a game-situation in March so that he is ready for it when it presents itself in the season. “Once you get to this point, the hitters are treating it like they’re trying to get at-bats and for me I’m still looking at sequences and trying to see what the hitters’ approach is and I try to read what they’re trying to do. Spring training’s a little bit harder. Miggy’s probably not quite in midseason form trying to do this or trying to do that in certain at-bats. He’s really just seeing pitches but you try to attack it like it’s a game and focus on the sequences that you’re doing so when it comes end of March, beginning of April, you’re in that kind of mode where you don’t have to flip a switch and get into game mode.” Gibson said that the plan was to throw 60 pitches and he finished at 53. As Gibson’s post-outing press conference came to a conclusion, the Twins game was on the TVs in the clubhouse. Taylor Rogers gave up three runs in the fourth inning. Gibson joked, “Those are probably the first runs he’s given up since May.” And, at the end, those were the only runs of the game. The Tigers won 3-0. GAME NOTES AND QUOTES Lefty Tim Collins came on to pitch the seventh inning for the Twins. The non-roster invite struck out all three batters he faced. He has been impressive to his manager. Baldelli said, “he looks healthy to me. He's thrown the ball well. He's missed a lot of bats. That's one thing that is impressive and it's something that you do want to see. You bring a guy in from the bullpen with his good breaking ball and good riding fastball, and that's what you want to see. You want to see bats missed, and that's exactly what he's done,” In the bottom of the third innings, infielder Ehire Adrianza lined a solid single to center. As he reached first base, he and Miguel Cabrera embraced. They are both from Venezuela and are friends. Soon after, Tyson Ross threw over to first base to try to pick off Adrianza. There wasn’t really a play. Cabrera faked throwing back to the mound as Adrianza stood up. Cabrera, still holding the ball in his glove, tagged Adrianza for the out. The ol’ Hidden Ball Trick. Rocco Baldelli was asked about it after the game and chuckled. “ It happens. It happens. Miggy has been working on that play for about 15 years and he’s getting pretty good at it so it happens.” And MLB’s official twitter feed had the video up quickly... Feel free to discuss and ask questions as you like. On Tuesday, the Twins are sending a team up to Bradenton to play the Pirates. I will be staying in Ft. Myers and watching a lot of minor league baseball. Click here to view the article

On Sunday morning, Royce Lewis was walking around the Twins clubhouse. He was called into manager Rocco Baldelli’s office and was told that he had been re-assigned to minor league camp. He got right to work and reported to the minor league side on Monday. The Twins now have 51 players in big-league spring training.Lewis handled the news very well, very professionally and chatted with assembled media shortly after learning the news. While he didn’t get to play in games during spring training because of an oblique injury, he said that he learned a ton about the game from players in the locker room as well as some of the legends that are also in spring training. Lewis noted, “Everyone really appreciated me asking questions, and I had guys over here like Nelson (Cruz) and Rod Carew, just everyone helping me out. Schoopy (Jonathan Schoop), CJ (Cron),, they all just talked to me and I was very appreciative of it.” Rod Carew was in his ear frequently, and Lewis took in every bit of information. For instance, when asked what he learned from talking with Tony Oliva and Rod Carew, Lewis said, “That if I bunt, I’ll raise my batting average about 40 points so I might bunt a little bit more this year.” Yes, they talked about more than just bunting. He continued, “But just a lot about hitting and little things about the game. I sat next to him for three straight games, and basically every game, but basically three straight games of him in my ear about every pitch. I wasn’t even looking at the game like that. I was looking at it like just a normal fun game. There’s a lot more to it.” It sounds as if Lewis is very near a return to the field. An oblique injury cost him most of spring training, in terms of games. Before he had learned about being re-assigned, I had asked him if he was disappointed about not being able to play in the games. Obviously he wanted to play and be healthy, but he said he wasn’t disappointed at all. He knew his job was to get himself ready for the 140 game season and even though he couldn't play, he loved the opportunity and took advantage of everything that big league camp has to offer. His manager was also impressed with Lewis during spring training. “Royce could not have made his camp any better than it was. Obviously we all wish and especially Royce wishes that he was out there playing and running around and showing us all what he could do but we know the injury happened and he did not pout, he did not waste a day here. He got all of his work done. He got a chance to spend time with a lot of very important and helpful people. He used this camp to learn and grow and I think he accomplished that and then some.” Lewis will be at minor league camp on Monday. On Monday and Tuesday, the minor leaguers will have their morning workouts. In the afternoon, the “Rochester” roster will scrimmage the “Pensacola” roster. Also the “Ft. Myers” roster will scrimmage the “Cedar Rapids” roster. On Wednesday, the teams will start playing their schedule against other organizations. That is when they are targeting Lewis getting into a game. He is feeling “good. I think we just wanted to take care of it just because it was spring training. It was something mild. We just wanted to make sure it was not going to linger on throughout the whole season and create a disaster for me.” Along with staying healthy, Lewis doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. When asked about his goals for the upcoming season, he said, “I think every player thinks about where they’re going to play and stuff, but honestly it’s not in my hands. All I can control is my controllables and my main goal this year is to create a routine off the field that makes me prepare well for on the field each and every day so I can be healthy and not deal with an oblique or a hamstring or anything crazy, so I can play at my highest level.” NOTES FROM ACROSS THE PARKING LOT I was able to spend about two hours observing at minor league spring training camp before the Twins-Blue Jays game on Monday afternoon. Here are a few notes. The Twins signed former MLB catcher Willin Rosario to a minor league contract. He hasn’t played in affiliated ball since 2015. He has played in both Korea and Japan. However, he has played very little behind the plate. On Sunday at spring training, he spent the day in catcher’s gear and catching bullpens when he wasn’t hitting.Michael Davis was the Twins 24th round draft pick in 2018 out of Texas Tech where he had played on two College World Series competing teams. He hit ten home runs after the draft last year (9 in Cedar Rapids) while playing shortstop most games. This spring, he is also catching. In a brief conversation with him on Sunday afternoon, he noted that he’s going to work as a super-utility player this spring and into this season. He will catch, but he will presumably continue to play around the infield as well.The weather in Ft. Myers on Sunday was brutal. Not Minnesota brutal. Trust me, I am happy to be away from the snow and seeing green grass. But it was 84 degrees and very humid. Many of the minor leaguers pointed out how humid it was. However, in a brief conversation with outfielder Aaron Whitefield, he pointed out that when he left Australia last month, it was 120 degrees there. Yikes!On Monday, Brusdar Graterol threw a bullpen. He tells me that he will be pitching in a minor league. While the Twins played the Tigers on Monday afternoon, the minor leaguers were participating in their first scrimmage of the year. After four days of workouts, the “Rochester” roster played the “Pensacola” roster, and the “Miracle” roster took on the “Kernels” roster. I will be in attendance on Tuesday when they scrimmage again. On Wednesday, the Rochester and Pensacola rosters will travel to Port Charlotte to take on the AAA and AA affiliates of the Rays.Please feel free to ask any questions you might have. Click here to view the article

This stuff isn't about immediate results. It's about process and player development. This is all positive. The players seem to really like it and appreciate it. There's no doubt that the goal is to make players better.

This is awesome, Parker! And just from my one day here, these practices are different. The whole session is different, looks different, technology all over, coaches/coordinators/data entry folks all over

FT. MYERS - Blue Jays prospects pummeled Twins pitching on Sunday in a 10-1 decision. Shortstop prospect Bo Bichette led off the game with a home run onto the berm beyond the left field fence, and Twins starter Jake Odorizzi did not complete the first inning. He talked about his outing, and several other notes from Sunday in Ft. Myers.Spring Training stats don’t matter at all. We know that. And whenever a player or pitcher struggles in spring training, we repeat that sentence over and over. That is the key point when looking at veteran Jake Odorizzi’s pitching line from Sunday. He gave up five runs on four hits and two walks in 2/3 of an inning. Odorizzi noted after his outing, “Hopefully it (today’s outing) means good things because I think I gave up one run last year and it didn’t go very well. So I hope so. It’s spring training; I was trying to work on offspeed a lot today.” Veteran starting pitchers come to spring training knowing their sole job in the spring is to be ready by Opening Day. Sometimes that means working on fastball command, or offspeed pitches. For Odorizzi on Sunday, it was the secondary stuff. “I mixed all my pitches. I didn’t throw too many fastballs, but that was by design. It probably played a bit of a role getting behind in counts, but I’m not going to my good stuff that I know well while spring training when I want to work on getting the other stuff that’s not as good up to that. I could have very easily started throwing my pitches how I would have in the game, but that’s not going to make you any better.” Rocco Baldelli came out of the dugout and removed Odorizzi from the game with two outs in the first inning. Pat Dean needed just one pitch to end the inning. Baldelli said, “Odo has a very mature approach to everything he does. He’s got a very good head on his shoulders. He went out there today and he was using this as one, a way to prepare and get himself in shape and also work on some things.” He continued, “He was able to go finish his work and complete his preparation on the side. These sort of things do happen, and in the regular season the leash is probably also a little bit longer than it would be in a fairly early spring start.” Odorizzi’s work was not complete. Because he didn’t reach a total pitch count goal for the day, he went down to the bullpen where he continued to work. He wanted to throw 36 more pitches. While he didn’t get more game-situation work, he tried to replicate it as much as possible in the bullpen. “I had (assistant pitching coach) Jeremy Hefner stand in and bounce back and forth from righty and lefty. And I would do up-downs. So I would throw 12 pitches, sit down, watch whoever was hitting at that point, and just treat it as a game situation. Obviously it’s not the same max effort as a game, but I treated it just like a normal game with batters in the box. So it was good. Got the same sweat I got going on in the bullpen as in the game. It was a little warm out there. For us, it’s really about the up-downs, and building your pitch counts in the spring.” In years past, Odorizzi threw both a slider and a cutter, but he decided in the offseason to just focus on one of the two and put all his efforts into the cutter. He said, “I decided this offseason I wanted to focus on one pitch and give all my effort to that instead of spreading it out where you have two average pitches and maybe one's even below-average. You take that away, and just focus on one and make it as best as you can. It's worked out really well for me so far.” “And like a good teammate, he has been sharing information on his pitches. “I actually taught it to Martín (Perez) the other day, and it's been working well for him in spring training so far from everything I've been told. So I'm helping guys with it while helping myself at the same time. If we can make each other better in here.” He continued, “It's good for me to sometimes talk it out with people. It helps me talk about my mindset, if I'm trying to teach it to somebody, it kind of gives you that teaching point as well. ” GAME NOTES/QUOTES Blue Jays Prospects The Blue Jays announced before the game that top prospect Vlad Guerrero, Jr. will miss about three weeks due to a mild oblique strain. If I were to venture a guess, it will likely cause him to start the season in Triple-A before being called up to the major leagues about three weeks into the season. Other top Blue Jays prospects made the trek down from Dunedin and were very impressive. Shortstop Bo Bichette led off the game with a home run. In his next at bat, he lined a double down the left field line. Later in the game, he hit an opposite field homer off of Michael Pineda. Seth Stohs Slugging first baseman Rowdy Tellez had three hits including a first-inning homer off of Odorizzi and a sixth-inning homer off Pineda. Cavan Biggio was in a car accident a couple of days ago. On Sunday, he went 2-for-5 with a home run off of Matt Magill. Pineda Throwing Ball “Pretty Well” Pineda gave up three runs over his three innings of work, including the two home runs. However, Baldelli believes he is healthy and throwing the ball well. “He's healthy and ready to go. He's actually throwing the ball pretty well. His arm strength is good. He's spinning the ball well, and for him, that's what it comes down to in a lot of ways. He's a guy that, when he's been very good in the past, a big part of his game is spinning the ball and cutting the ball and doing things like that. He is back to that now. You could look at a couple of different pitches here and there, but overall, I thought it was a very successful outing for him. Just getting out here and making some good pitches and doing it in this sweatbox that we do it in every day -- it's good for all the players, especially the pitchers, to get out there and do the work in that environment. I think it's helpful in preparing them for the year. I think Michael looks great." Return of Marwin A look at Monday’s lineup shows that Marwin Gonzalez will be leading off and playing third base. He has been out of the lineup in recent days due to a shoulder injury. Following Sunday’s game, Rocco Baldelli said that Gonzalez is ready to return. “Marwin declared himself beyond ready to go today but we wanted to give it one more day and we had it scheduled and we ended up rolling with it. Yeah, we expect him out there and all systems go.” That has long been a Twins thing. When a player says that he’s ready to play, and the training staff agree, give him one more day to be more certain. Especially in spring training, it’s the right thing to do. Tyler Austin Making His Case On Friday, Tyler Austin went 3-for-3 to raise his spring batting average to .318. On Sunday afternoon, he went 3-for-3 again and now has a .400 batting average. Seth Stohs CJ Cron is most likely going to be the Twins primary first baseman. However, Austin is out of options and it’s hard to imagine that the team is going to want to lose him for nothing. Could he compete with Willians Astudillo for the final roster spot? Could a trade be possible? Torreyes Impresses Ronald Torreyes, playing third base on Sunday, made a couple of really nice defensive plays. He is not a big man, but he also can hit. He has impressed his new manager both on and off the field. Seth Stohs “He does everything right. He does everything right from the moment he walks on the field every morning. He's got a great energy. He's a clubhouse favorite. The guys love him. The staff loves him. He couldn't handle himself any better in the clubhouse or on the field. He's a good player. Move him anywhere. He makes all the plays. He's a headsy player. He's a baseball player. He has all good at bats. I enjoy being around him. I know I'm not alone in that thought.” Click here to view the article

Vasquez had a month in AA and a week in AAA before the call up. He was amazing last year, but depth is good. Mejia being out of options probably a factor.

Late on Friday afternoon, the Twins announced that seven players have been sent across the parking lot to minor league camp including some of the organization's top prospects.The Twins optioned three players. Right-handed pitcher Kohl Stewart and left-handed pitchers Lewis Thorpe and Andrew Vasquez were optioned to Rochester. Catcher Ben Rortvedt and outfielders Alex Kirilloff, Brent Rooker and Luke Raley were all assigned to minor league camp. There are rumors that there could be more transactions over the weekend. The Twins spring training roster currently stands at 52 players including six catchers (3 non-roster), 14 infielders (4 non-roster), seven outfielders (no non-roster) and 25 pitchers (8 non-roster). With the starting rotation relatively set, Stewart and Thorpe are able to go to minor league spring training camp and start getting prepared to make starts when the minor league season starts on April 4th. Vasquez is a bit of a surprise though Taylor Rogers and Adalberto Mejia are likely givens to make the Opening Day roster and Gabriel Moya is also a contender. Lefties Tim Collins and Justin Nicolino also remain in big league camp. The four non-roster players all were given opportunity to play while they were in camp. Rooker hit two long homers and had a triple in spring training. Raley had two doubles and a triple among his five hits. Alex Kirilloff had five hits. Rortvedt went 2-for-8 with a double. Click here to view the article

Hey y'all... just got notification that the Get To Know 'Em podcast is now available on iTunes. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-to-know-em-podcast/id1455379592

After Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Craig Kimbrel, Dallas Keuchel was arguably the top free agent on the market after the 2018 season. The 31-year-old left-hander certainly assumed that he would be signed and making spring starts by now. He likely assumed he would have a four or five year contract for $80-100 million. Instead, he remains on the sidelines, waiting for a team to meet his likely much-reduced contract expectations.Should the Twins be interested in signing free agent lefty Dallas Keuchel? What factors should go into that decision? What Should The Front Office Like When healthy, innings pitched: Three times in the last five years, Keuchel has made at least 29 starts and threw at least 200 innings. Control/Command: Keuchel has pitched in seven major-league seasons. He has typically not hurt himself by issuing walks. In his past six seasons, he has walked no more than 3.0 batters per nine innings and averaged just 2.5 walks per nine innings. 2015 Cy Young In 2015, Keuchel went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA. He received 22 of the 30 first-place votes for AL Cy Young Award. He also pitched in a career-high 232 innings. Four Gold Gloves Keuchel also fields his position well. He has been awarded the American League Gold Glove in four of the last five seasons. Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson are both very good athletes who field their position well. What Should Scare The Front Office Already 31 Keuchel turned 31 years old on January 1st. On its own, that is not a big deal. However, it would certainly be a deterrent to a four or five year deal. Lack of Velocity Keuchel rarely touches 90 mph with his fastball. But as you can see from the chart below, it’s not like his velocity has diminished. He has never thrown hard. Health I have already and will again write the all-important phrase “if healthy.” That’s obviously an unknown and can’t be predicted with exact science (yet?). But Keuchel has had a variety of issues physically. He acknowledged after the 2016 season that he fought shoulder pain the whole year. He had a minor foot injury that cost him some time. He also had a neck injury. Draft Pick Compensation The Astros made a Qualifying Offer to Keuchel, so the team that signs him will have to give up a draft pick. What Signing Him Would Do For the Twins There is little question that, assuming Keuchel is healthy, he would improve the Twins rotation. Essentially Keuchel would take a spot in the Twins rotation and either Martin Perez or Michael Pineda would be moved to the bullpen. That’s not to say that Keuchel would fit in as the Twins fifth starter. But I also think it’s important to realize that he is not an ace, by any means. He would be a 2/3 in the Twins rotation. His 2018 numbers were very similar to those of Kyle Gibson. Again, assuming health, that would give the Twins a pretty solid 1-2-3 in their rotation for a potential playoff rotation with Odorizzi, Pineda and Perez (and all that minor league depth) getting their opportunities. Length of Ideal Contract To be honest, I would prefer a one-year deal between the Twins and Keuchel. Frankly, the (lack of) velocity scares me. If he loses another tick or two in velocity or if he loses even a little bit of command, his productivity could drop dramatically, and quickly. However, if he’s going to sign just a one-year deal, why wouldn’t he return to the Astros? Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are their top two starters. They added Wade Miley this offseason via free agency. Top prospect Forrest Whitley is likely close. Lance McCullers will miss the full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Collin McHugh and Brad Peacock could return to their rotation as well. Would you be willing to give Keuchel a second year? I probably would, especially because the Twins don’t have a lot of funds tied up on 2020 yet. But a third year? No, thank you. And a fourth year? Just no. Why Might Keuchel Have Interest in the Twins Keuchel has won and experienced a lot of success. He will want to be part of a team that has a chance to compete for a playoff spot. The Twins certainly fit that category. Keuchel certainly has seen the moves that the Twins have made this offseason. They added Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop, CJ Cron and Keuchel’s long-time teammate Marwin Gonzalez. The lineup also includes several mid-20s players who he knows have the potential to add even more offense. Keuchel’s best years came with Jason Castro as his catcher in Houston. He also has to look at the Twins outfield and know that hits turn into outs, especially when Byron Buxton is out there. Like Marwin Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel is represented by Scott Boras. Boras and the Twins front office seem to have a solid working relationship, and top prospects Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff are also Boras clients. What Would be a Reasonable Offer at this Point So, with all of that in mind, I think the following offers would be fair: Ideally, I would prefer a one-year, make-good contract. One year, $16 million. I would guess that Boras and Keuchel would like to get a second guaranteed season (and probably a third and fourth too), again, similar to the Gonzalez contract. So how about Two Years, $30 million deal? Summary As you read earlier in the week, LaVelle Neal wrote that the Twins will not sign Keuchel (or Kimbrel) unless something drastic changes. There are enough red flags around Keuchel that the Twins (and clearly most MLB teams) have shied away. Personally, I agree with that assessment. For a guy who rarely touches 90 mph with his fastball, Dallas Keuchel has put together a really strong free agent resume with his work in Houston the past six seasons. However, some of his peripheral numbers, understandably, could give teams reason for pause. Clearly they have. The Twins are currently about $12 million below where they started the 2018 season, so the proposed deals above would put them just over those numbers. The front office has to ask themselves which they prefer: A 31 year old lefty with no velocity but a great track record of success.A 27 year old lefty who is hitting 95-97 mph this spring but whose numbers have never matched his stuff.Note that if the Twins signed Keuchel, Perez wouldn’t be lost, just moved to the bullpen. What makes sense to you? Click here to view the article

Episode 2 of the Get to Know 'Em Podcast is now available. In this episode, we get to know left-handed pitcher Pat Dean all over again. We also learn a bit more about slugging Twins prospect Brent Rooker.Two very different stories in this week's Get To Know 'Em podcast. Listen to the podcast! Pat Dean is a 29-year-old pitcher. He was the Twins 3rd round draft pick in 2010 out of Boston College. He pitched for the Twins during the 2016 season, even beating Felix Hernandez for his first big league win. After the season, he went to Korea where he has pitched the past two seasons. Just last month it was announced that he was returning to the Twins on a minor league contract. We ask him about a variety of topics including his big league call up, the decision to play in Korea and the differences in cultures and on the baseball field there. And we also talked about his decision to return to the Twins. (Here is a Twins Daily story on Pat Dean from September 2015, before his MLB debut) Brent Rooker hit 32 doubles and 22 homers in Double-A Chattanooga in his first full season of professional baseball in 2018. He earned a big league spring training invitation. We talked to him about what Twins spring training has been like for him and what he has learned already. We talked about his 2018 season of ups and downs and what he wanted to work on going into the offseason. He was married in November as well. (Rooker was previously on this podcastwith Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff) Click below to listen to the full podcast. LISTEN Any and all feedback is welcomed. Who would you like to see me interview? I may be able to do more like this while in Ft. Myers next week. Click here to view the article

In case you missed the article update: https://twitter.com/ParkerHageman/status/1102297598071840775

This one might require some time and digging to make sure I don't miss a trade or a signing.

Hey y'all, I will answer a few more of these at home tonight. Thanks for the quesitons. Please also let me know about this format. Is it something to do more often? Once in awhile? Maybe on a weekend? Maybe during a game? Maybe never, ever, EVER again? Let me know what you think.

I don't see a question in here, ,but I want to respond still, down here in the comments. First... what Kirilloff did in one plate appearance, particularly his first plate appearance of spring is meaningless. He got a hit yesterday. So, that just kind of is what it is. To your bigger point, they aren't going to rush them. They want them up as quick as possible, but they also want them to be ready when they get there. Ideally they wouldnt' have to go up and down. They have an outfield in which Rosario, Buxton, ,Kepler and Cave will get the first opportunities and they've earned a lot of rope. So they don't have to rush Kirilloff. As for Lewis ,he could be ready in July. He might not be ready until early 2021. They have Polanco and Gordon ahead of him ,and that's' a positive thing. They dont' need to feel rushed into rushing him.

Today I want to try something different. This is sort of a mailbag, but also just a way to try to gauge what topics that you are interested in. So, feel free to ask me questions in the comments below. As I have time throughout the day, I will answer as many as I can in the body of the article.So as I like to say when I take questions on Twitter, #Ask Away. Questions can range from the big leagues, spring training, roster or lineup, minor leagues, prospects, the Twins Prospect Handbook, or pretty much anything (within reason). Fill up the Comments with Questions. I'll answer them, and then you can discuss my responses. Here we go: TarheelTwinsFan: "Would you trade straight up any of the current Twins' starting OF for Aaron Hicks? According to Nick, Hicks was the 15th best rated OF in the majors last year." Any of them? Probably all of them. Aaron Hicks was incredible last year. The only concern with him over the years has been staying on the field. But, he's immensely athletic. He's very good in centerfield. He has worked very hard. He has built his body and is very strong. He has a very good approach at the plate. He's got power, and playing in Yankees Stadium 81 times a year helps his HR numbers. I like all three of the Twins starting outfielders, but Aaron Hicks earned that contract, and you could argue that he took a low-ish deal to stay with the Yankees. nasu1970: "Are the Twins done with extensions this spring? I was hoping for a Berrios deal, especially with framework available from the Nola and Severino deals.Everything has been quiet though.Is Berrios just going to wait and attempt to put up more of a Nola or Severino-esque season before inking?" I don't think that the Twins are done talking to players this spring about contract extensions. But there may not be any more signings. Understandably, Berrios and Rosario would be looking for contracts larger than what Kepler or Polanco got. I think, and wrote, that that Severino and Nola deals may have given a good framework for a possible Berrios deal. But those guys took the security over the maximum earning potential. To this point, Berrios hasn't done that. Of course, we don't know what the Twins' offer, if there was one, was. Generally speaking, those talks end on Opening Day,, though we occasionally see an in-season extension. From Glanzer: "What Twins-related insight do you feel you are best equipped to provide compared to the many other bloggers, writers, insiders, and publications that provide Twins mailbags? I suspect you know a lot more about the minor leagues than the typical writer. What do you think?" I am best equipped to provide my opinions or thoughts on topics better than the others you mentioned are at providing my opinions or thoughts. I'm' just a guy. Nothing special. Just enjoy following the Twins. I do think that I can provide some differing perspective and/or opinions on the Twins minor leagues and minor leaguers. As most know, I've got some relationships with people in and around the Twins system and talk to a bunch of people. Still all just presented as my opinions, but I like to think that it is based on some different things (conversations with a variety of people and different levels, in-person evaluation of most of the players, some video review, etc.) From Mike Frasier Law: "If the Twins are in contention this summer, do you see them making a big acquisition to bolster their starting rotation?" I think so. Obviously it will depend on which pitchers are available and how many other teams are searching for the top available pitchers, but I have little doubt that Derek Falvey and Thad Levine would be open to moving prospects for elite pitching talent. And, as we know, the Twins have bolstered their minor league system in several ways (draft, international, minor league signings, trades, Rule 5, etc.) If "Falvine" has shown anything, it's that they won't be afraid to make moves. From the Mask of Zoilo: "Let's say Kirilloff lives up to his "best hitting prospect not named Vlad" status and destroys AA this season. Will the Twins bring him up this year or hold off til 2 weeks into the 2020 season for service manipulation reasons? Will it make a difference if the Twins are contending for a playoff spot?" Again, it's dependent upon several things, including if the Twins are in contention. If they aren't, there is no reason to not play the game, play the system. If they are in contention, and Kirilloff is dominating, then I believe they will be willing to bring him up in July. But even then, that's dependent upon how Rosario, Buxton and Kepler are doing, as well as the first base situation. They wouldn't (and shouldn't) call him up to sit on the bench. From Sconnie: "Huge coaching shakeup in the off season. What is the impact in spring training so far? How are the players accepting and adapting to the new techniques and points of view? How is this perceived as rippling through the minor leagues?" I haven't spent time in Ft. Myers yet this spring, so the Twins Geek might be better equipped to answer that one. However, everything we've read, and the few conversations I've had with some players, it seems like they enjoy it. Shorter, but more efficient practices and workouts. Not as much standing around. Get their work in. And, everything I've heard on the coaches has been positive so far too. Of course, at this early stage, it's not like there is a lot of controversy. From the minor league side of it, again, not being there, it's' hard for me to know for sure. But, there are a lot of minor leaguers down there. They are being coached to some degree by coaches who have been working in lock step with the big league staff. Also, I think it's neat that every game, several of the minor leaguers who arrived early get to go and play in the big league games. That's motivating too. From IMissJoeMauer: "How much do you miss Joe Mauer?" While I think that the Twins will miss Mauer defensively at first base and the quality of at bats he puts together, I will miss Joe Mauer a bit, but I'm nearly certain it won't be as much as you miss Joe Mauer. From Rather Be Golfing: "Why does our front office feel the need to bang our heads against the wall with Miguel at 3B and not just move him to 1B/DH now when that's what he's obviously going to be in 2-3 years?" When healthy and when in decent shape, Sano can play an adequate third base. Not great, but he can make most of the plays. We've seen his athleticism at times. He has an incredible arm. And, frankly, he's much, much more valuable to the team if he can play third base. By Sano being able to play third base, the Twins could go out and add a great bat like Nelson Cruz to DH. They could pick up another 30 homer guy like CJ Cron, and having Marwin Gonzalez around for depth makes a lot more sense. From Carlos Figueroa: "Thoughts on the 2020 starting rotation? Worrisome to me that they only have one starter inked for next season and no spots in the rotation this season for any of the young arms to audition." Starting with Jose Berrios is pretty good. Don't be surprised if the Twins bring back Gibson (or even Odorizzi or Pineda). Fernando Romero and Adalberto Mejia can factor into that again. And those young arms will continue to make their adjustments in Rochester. Also, the reality is that the Twins will likely need 8-12 starting pitchers in 2019, so there will be more audition opportunities. From Tyler Roepke: "Do you think Buxton has any right to be upset about how he was managed towards the end of last season? I know if I performed terribly at my job I would be fired or at least disciplined, and I don't make boatloads of money like he does. I like that he responded by worked out like crazy and working on his skills in the offseason, but I don't think that being a top pick should guarantee anything. I get that he was heating up in Rochester toward the end of the year, but come on baseball is a business. Maybe he needed this wake up call to get him motivated to work out like an animal this offseason." I absolutely think that Byron Buxton had every right to be upset about not getting a September call up. Buxton established himself as a big leaguer in 2017. After a slow start that year, he earned those MVP votes with enough bat and great defense. 2018 was an injury-filled season, so if he was truly healthy, there was no baseball reason to not call him up. Likewise, it was clearly within the Twins front office's rights to do what they did and hold him back for service time issues. Well, they couldn't say that too loudly, but it was clear that was the reason. We chuckle at it when it happens to Kris Bryant and Vlad Guerrero and Ronald Acuna at the very beginning of their career and we say it makes sense. It isn't normal with guys once they establish themselves. Most important, Buxton handled it incredibly well. I have no problem with him voicing his anger and disappointment. I can only imagine how much he wanted to be there for the Mauer stuff at the end of the season. Good for him for voicing it. But better for him for putting in the work, for using that anger as a motivation to get bigger, stronger. We'll see how it pans out, but the key with Byron is health. If he's healthy, he can be incredible. In 2018, he was just not healthy. From Mike Sixel: "When do you think we'll see Lewis playing in Minnesota, thanks!When do you think we'll see Lewis playing in Minnesota, thanks!" My assumption is he will start the season in Ft. Myers and spend half of the season in Chattanooga. That timeline would be identical to what Joe Mauer did in his second full minor league season. Mauer began that next season (2004) on the Twins Opening Day roster. So, I think that is the aggressive route, and well, 15 years later, service time is a much bigger deal to teams and Lewis would likely spend the first 3 weeks of the season in Rochester next year. I think that, like Terry Ryan, Falvey and Levine won't be afraid to rush an elite hitter prospect to the big leagues if they deem him ready. But, if you asked me for the most likely range of time when Lewis will debut, I would say July 1, 2020. And if things go incredibly for Lewis, and there is a need in the big leagues, I won't be completely shocked (though quite surprised) if he is in the big leagues by July 15th, 2019. From goulik: "Kiriloff and Lewis seemed to really connect last year. Their relationship reminded me a lot of Joe M. and Justin M coming up together but with more chemistry that affected their teams. Any chance they are both together in AA to start the season or are they going to be separated this year due to the bigger role defense plays at short? How far behind Kiriloff will Lewis be in making his debut?" There are some similarities between the Lewis/Kirilloff combo and the Mauer/Morneau combo, but there are plenty of differences too. Lewis is the most charismatic of that group of four. Kirilloff and Morneau are pretty similar. My assumption is that Lewis will start at Ft. Myers because he got there about 4-5 weeks later than Kirilloff. Also, the Twins can and should be very cautious with Lewis's oblique situation so that it doesn't linger. I think Kirilloff starts in AA. But I do expect them to spend time in Pensacola together this year. Using my previous answers on their timelines, I think that the Twins could have them debut together, if all goes well for them. I could see them both getting called up together three weeks into the 2020 season. I think that's aggressive and realistic for both. Who knows? Maybe Rooker gets called up that same day? And maybe Graterol too? From rdehring: "First, how have you been?Still juggling two jobs, TD and that window company?Also, still living up on the border?" Hey Roger... we need to go out to eat again sometime if/when I get back down there! Things are OK. Just had an appointment and have a bit of TMJ, so that isn't fun! Ha! Yup, still two jobs. Window Company and Twins Daily. And parent... Still up on the border. Good times! From DannySD: "Who is an under-the-radar guy in the system you think will make their big league debut this year?" Good question because a lot of the starting pitchers we will see in 2019 made their MLB debuts in 2018. Lewis Thorpe isn't under the radar. Jake Reed has been on the radar for so long but could he be under the radar? So, going more under the radar... How about... Cody Stashak as a long-ish relief pitcher. He had a real strong 2018 season. We've talked a ton about Tyler Wells at Twins Daily in 2018 and if he continues to take strides, we could see him. As for a hitter, we might see Zander Wiel at some point in 2019. From The Billy Goat: "Looking at the top of the national prospect lists, Lewis and Kiriloff are among a small amount of top prospects who are not expected to graduate in the first half of this year. Do you think that there is a chance that the Twins could have 2 of the top 3 or 4 prospects in all of baseball by the end of the year? Also, who do you see following Kiriloff's last year by making a big jump in prospect rankings?" Assuming things progress nicely across the board, there is a decent chant that both Lewis and Kirilloff are Top 5 prospects in baseball one year from now. As a Brusdar believer, I think if he can have success in the upper levels, stay healthy and improve those secondary pitches just a little (I know, that's a lot of IFs), he could be a Top 10 type. Guys who could jump like Kirilloff nationally? I'm a big believer in Wander Javier, and I think that if he can stay healthy, he could fit into a Top 50 or two nationally. He was 90-something in Baseball America a year ago, as was Kirilloff before 2017, so it would be a very similar story. From bobs: "Your best bets to have big/bounce back year among...bullpen, rotation, lineup?" Bullpen: I expect Hildenberger will have a strong year, but I don't think that would surprise anyone. I do believe in Matt Magill's stuff, and if he gets the opportunity, I think he'll take advantage. Rotation: I think Odorizzi will have a solid year. I think Pineda gives them a nice power arm. I actually think that Perez has the kind of stuff that could make him good. I feel like the likelihood of a bounce back is probably in that order (Odo most likely). Lineup: I think Jonathan Schoop will have a really big year again offensively. I think that Sano and Buxton will both make strides as well. If those two are healthy, I have no doubt they'll be valuable players. I don't 'think Kepler needs a bounce back as much as just to take the next step. From iowaguychris: "Tell us more about Michael Pineda - I know we signed and let him sit an entire year - is he a potential difference maker that will get us 20 wins in 2019?" Pineda was an All-Star back in 2010 with the Mariners. Then he was traded to the Yankees for Jesus Montero. He's now had two Tommy John surgeries, but in between, he had three solid, mid-rotation type seasons for the Yankees (ERAs mid-4s). He throws hard (95-97). Big guy. Strikeouts. Has a chance to be good if healthy. From iowaguychris: "Haven't heard much from Spring Training about us trying the "opener" pitching role.With the manager's first hand experience with it - do you think we'll try it at all from the beginning of the season - or just wait until the standard rotation potentially doesn't work out so well for us?" I don't think anyone WANTS to use an opener. Ideally, a rotation has five guys who can get through 6-7 innings most times out and don't have a huge slide in the third time through the rotation. I don't think they've gone into spring training hoping to use it, but obviously they wouldn't be against it. Tampa Bay used it, let's not forget, in large part becuase 2-3 of the young starters they anticipated in their rotation had Tommy John surgery (I'm remembering DeLeon and Honeywell?) so they had to be creative. The Twins used it to give more guys a look in September. But by the end of spring training, if Pineda isn't fully ready, they could do that with him. From bluechipper: "Stephen Gonsalves was sitting in the low 90's in his first spring start compared to mid 80's at this time last year. What type of impact do you think he can have with that regained velocity?" If Gonsalves is at 87-89, he has to be very fine. And in doing so, the walks can go up because of just-missing spots. If he can be 91-94, he can be a little more aggressive. Also, it will make his plus-changeup an even better pitch, as well as his other secondary pitches. It will certainly help. But he can be successful around 90 as well. From Tuba: "Whats your Twins bench look like right now? Gonzalez/Garver/?/?" For me, assuming a four-man bench, I would say Garver, Cave, and Gonzalez (though Gonzalez would start likely 135-145 games at a number of positions). The fourth spot is tough. If it was me, I think I'd keep Adrianza, but I think that Astudillo is currently the favorite for that final bench spot. From Dantes929: "Don't see much on here or the mlb site about daily game summaries for Spring Training. Is therea site to go to for that? I see Kepler's name as a possibility for 1st base in the near future.I assume that is with the idea that Kiriloff would be playing right field. Who is faster?Kepler plays a pretty good right field.Do you think it would make more sense for Kiriloff to be slated as 2020 1st base or Kepler?" Tom's Game Reports will start with the regular season. If anyone would like to start writing up Game Threads in the forum, I'm sure that would be just fine! Personally, I would have Kirilloff spend a couple of days a week playing first base and also move from RF over to LF once in awhile. Kepler is a great athlete. He's faster. He can play 1B, but he's a great defensive OF. Kirilloff can be a good outfielder. Not quite as fast. Similar arms. From EGFTShaw: "Warroad? Former EGF-er myself. Who will they draft this year?If not a player, a position and H.S versus College. I remember Keith Law being down on their selection of Berrios, I think he was a supplemental pick, but that has turned out awesome." Yes, from Warroad. Big Warroad/EGF game tonight. It's hard to know what direction the team will go in the draft, especially when they have a draft pick in the teens. They will subscribe to the Best Player Available thinking since the player won't be (likely) ready for a couple of years (more if it's a high school kid). Michael Busch from North Carolina (via Simley High School) and Matt Wallner (via Forest Lake HS) are two legit possibilities. Thank you for all of the questions. Now feel free to use the Comments to discuss. Click here to view the article

If you listen to the interview/podcast, I actually mention that, that I figured I would refer to him as Niko Goodrum at least once during the interview. I didn't. And as I wrote this, I thought about it every time.

To listen to the full interview with Niko Guardado, click here. In 1996, “Everyday” Eddie Guardado pitched in an American League-leading 83 games. Following that season, Guardado and his wife, Lisa, welcomed their first child, a son named Niko. While Eddie Guardado had struggles early in his career, he became a two-time All Star and a member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. Niko, now 22, recently learned that he will have one of the lead roles in the upcoming reboot of Party of Five. Recently, I caught up with the talented young actor to discuss his memories from his dad’s career, and his transition into acting. Oh, and he frequents Twins Daily because he remains a huge Twins fan. (Full audio podcast available at the end.)Many of Niko Guardado’s earliest memories were following his dad throughout his baseball career. While many Twins fans are thrilled that the Twins have moved from Metrodome to Target Field, Guardado can’t help but maintain a soft spot in his heart for the Homer Dome. He recalls, “I miss the Dome. The Dome was amazing in my opinion. I loved it. It was my second home. I was constantly there, almost 24/7.” The Guardado family lived in northern California, and that’s where Niko was born on Christmas Eve in 1996. But Minneapolis, the Metrodome and the Twins were such an important part of his childhood. “I have really early memories. I can remember back to when I was about three or four. Me and my siblings were very blessed to go to the ballpark with my dad almost every day.” But it wasn’t all glamorous for the Guardado kids. Eddie made sure they earned the right to go into the clubhouse and on the field. “My dad taught me at a very young age that if you are going to want to come into the clubhouse, you’re going to have to work for it. We had to polish shoes. We had to do the laundry, vacuum the floor. We had to clean up the kitchen, wash the dishes. And then after the work we would play and go shag BP and play catch on the field in the Dome.” When Niko was about six, the family moved to southern California. That’s where he went to school, but his summers were spent in Minnesota. “As soon as school got out, the day after, we would fly to Minneapolis and spend the whole summer there until a week before school started.” Twins fans loved (and still love) those Twins teams from the late '90s and through the early aughts. You likely remember the ESPN Magazine cover featuring several Twins players with the title “The Team That Saved Baseball.” Those were the teams that endured a lot of losses in the late '90s, endured the threat of contraction, and brought winning back to Minnesota. Eddie Guardado was a big part of that turnaround, and he was a leader and a prankster on the roster. Niko Guardado got to know the stars from those teams. He says he has a good friendship with Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones and keeps in touch with David Ortiz at times. He has great memories of playing with Hunter’s sons, as well as Casey Radke and “Little” Joey Mays. LaTroy Hawkins has always been a fixture in the life of Niko Guardado. “I talk to LaTroy almost every day. I call LaTroy my Uncle Hawk. He’s the one guy, besides my dad, that we really became close. He’s really become a mentor to me in all aspects of life.” Eddie Guardado pitched in the 2002 and 2003 All Star games. Niko remembers attending the 2002 All Star game in Milwaukee. He was excited to meet Barry Zito (“That was the one guy I wanted to meet. I met him and my life was made.”). But as a five year old at the time, it was the mascots that really stood out to him. Following the 2003 season, Guardado signed with the Seattle Mariners. He spent time with the Reds and the Mariners, but in August of 2009, he was traded back to the Twins from the Rangers. Niko says he vividly remembers hearing the news. His mom was driving him and his siblings to dinner when she told them, “Dad’s going back to the Twins.” Niko, then 11, recalls, “We were super excited! Obviously going back to a place that was dear in our hearts, but I think the people too. The friendships that we made there and we were going back to. The kids room where all the babysitters that practically raised us, we would get to see again. The workers around the field. The fans. I think Minnesota is just really special when it comes to the fan base.” Now that he is older, Niko admits he has a bigger appreciation for the opportunities he had. “Going to the field every day, I am more and more grateful to have experienced it.” While Niko loved baseball and played sports throughout his youth, it wasn’t his passion. He chose his own path. While he found his true calling in the acting world, baseball remains a big part of his life.”I was about 10 or 11 when I stopped playing baseball and started getting into acting, but I still enjoyed it. I still loved going to the field and hanging out with the equipment managers, the clubbies and helping out. It’s still one of my favorite things to do to this day.” Click here to download the podcast/interview or set up alerts for future podcasts. ------------------------------ Niko Guardado will appear on an episode of Schooled on ABC at 7:30 Central Time on Wednesday, February 27. ------------------------------ At a very young age, Niko said he was always standing in front of the TV, rewinding the VCR. He was studying actors and characters, and his love of performing only grew from there. However, it wasn’t easy for Niko to tell his dad that he wanted to be done with baseball and focus his attention on baseball. No kid wants to disappoint their dad. “I sat down with my dad and I was just bawling when I told him I didn’t want to play baseball anymore. I was so afraid of what he might say. But he was very, very supportive and said to do what you want to do. I’m just very glad I have parents that support me in all my decisions.” Niko Guardado entered the entertainment industry at an early age. His mom got him a print agent when he was about two years old and he was in several Target ads in Minnesota. In southern California, he did some commercials. However, when his younger sister was diagnosed with autism, Niko stepped away from acting for a little bit. But when his dad retired from baseball, Niko was able to get back into it. What we have learned is that there are are a lot of similarities between Eddie Guardado and Niko Guardado. It is a good reminder that there are some similarities between the world of athletics and the entertainment industry. He had guest roles on several Nickelodeon shows. He was on an episode of Sam & Cat (the Ariana Grande vehicle). “I grew up watching Zoey 101, Drake & Josh, Victorious. When I booked it, I think my initial reaction was I get to work with Dan Schneider, which is the guy who built my childhood. He made all the Nickelodeon shows back to All That. He was in my favorite movie growing up, which was Good Burger, if you remember that one.” I do remember that one. But I also remember Dan Schneider in the excellent, late '80s sitcom Head of the Class. Getting to work with Schneider was exciting and nerve-racking, but again, he was able to lean on his dad’s playing career. “Being able to work with him was so amazing. I was definitely so nervous walking into the set that day. But I think once the cameras roll, it’s like when my dad pitches. When he warms up he gets anxious, nervous. But when he gets on the mound, as soon as the camera starts rolling, it’s automatic, I know what I’m doing, it’s like I’ve been here before. It’s almost instinct and those concerns go away. ” However, for every role that Niko got, he lost out on several roles. That can be tough, but he was able to lean on his dad and his baseball career again. “I’ve been doing this for nine, ten years now. The amount of jobs I haven’t got is ridiculous. But it all comes back to… my dad. (He’d say) ‘Failure is failure. It’s going to get you sometimes. Just wave at it. Say goodbye. Go on to the next one until success comes your way and be grateful for the ones you get.’” Niko was able to learn so much from his dad and his playing career. “From my dad, it’s just never give up. I know it’s cliche, and I wish I could give you a better answer. It’s huge. Focusing on what you want, your dreams, and sticking with it no matter what. Especially because the entertainment industry and sports kind of coincide with how competitive it is. Being able to hold your head up high when you fail and just get back up and go get them the next time. That’s probably the #1 thing I’ve been able to learn, and I’m glad I learned at a young age, to treat failure as a best friend, and be OK with it, and not let it affect you as much because your time will come if you keep at it. ” While he learned from his dad, it’s important for him to point out how important his mom was in his growth and development as well. “(She is) 100% the backbone. Growing up, with my dad in-season, my mom raised us. We didn’t have the same circumstances, of course, but it was almost like being a single mom eight months out of the year. We had to go to school. My sister was diagnosed with autism during my dad’s career, so a lot of stuff was put onto my mom. She had the courage. She was being a mom. I could not have been blessed with a better mom. The sacrifices she made, not only for us but for my dad. She truly is the backbone of the family.” Over time, Niko began getting more guest roles, but in 2016, he was cast as one of the leads in the Nickelodeon mini-series Lost in the West. In 2018, he played the role of Scroggins in the feature film A-X-L. Starting in 2016, he was case in the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs. His recurring role as Ruben Amaro, Jr. has appeared in 17 episodes. In the role, he has been fortunate to play a jock, something he is very comfortable with. Niko Guardado said, "“I’m blessed to play a jock on The Goldbergs. I mean, I know it so well. You’d be surprised how many actors can’t throw a ball. It’s fun. I’ve always wanted to do my own stunts. I want to do this, and I want to do that. Whenever stunt work comes into play, I enjoy it so much.” He also had the opportunity to meet former big league outfielder, former Phillies GM and Red Sox coach Ruben Amaro at a Red Sox game a couple of years ago. Amaro even talked about how much fun it would be to get to play Niko’s father on the show. That opportunity came in an episode last year. *ASIDE: A search of Baseball-Reference tells us that Ruben Amaro, Jr. faced Eddie Guardado one time in the big leagues. Amaro singled.* On The Goldbergs, Niko got to work with Minnesota native and the star of classics such as the Back to the Future Trilogy and Howard the Duck, Lea Thompson. She is one of the show’s directors. “Lea Thompson is amazing. She’s an actor, so she really knows how to step into the actor’s show and describe what the director and producers want from an Actor’s point of view. That helps speed things up and helps us perform at our best.” Thompson has also been involved in the sitcom Schooled. In fact, on Wednesday night (February 27 at 7:30 CT on ABC), Guardado will be on an episode of Schooled opposite the talented Tim Meadows. “They’re doing such a good job with it. It’s a spin-off of The Goldbergs. They have the same writers, same producers. It’s funny. The episode I’m in is basically a 10-year reunion episode.” Just recently, Freeform announced that they had placed an order for episodes of a reboot of Party of Five and that Niko would be one of the lead characters. As you recall, the late-90s drama was about five kids whose parents passed away unexpectedly and they were left to fend for themselves. In the upcoming Party of Five, Niko plays one of five children whose parents get deported to Mexico. Like the original, the kids are left to struggle to make it without them. “Super excited to be a part of it. It’s very timely.” Guardado continued, “Since getting the job, I started watching (the original show). While the shows are different and the characters are not identical, Niko said his character likely compares most similarly to Scott Wolf’s Bailey character. The cast filmed the show’s pilot in November and December. The show was picked up by Freeform in January. Now Guardado awaits word of when filming for the first season will begin. In the meantime, he is continuing to go to auditions. He is also working on more episodes of The Goldbergs and excited to get started on Party of Five. He also gets to several Angels games, though he does so with a grudge. “I go to a lot of Angels games whenever my friends want to go. But I never cheer for the Angels. Not even when Torii was on the team. I still have that ‘02 grudge. I’ll never get over it. It sucks. That was the year that we moved here. (The Twins) lost, and my dad came to his new house and all he saw was Rally Monkeys and Angels fans.” He also enjoys going to his younger brother’s baseball games. He is a junior on his high school team. “My little brother is the athlete. He wants to be like dad. His dream is to be a pro.” Niko also tries to bring awareness to autism whenever he gets the chance in honor of his sister who was diagnosed at age 2. “She’s just a little genius. She loves learning. She’s just a bookworm, super smart, super intelligent. She’s such a hard worker. She’s taught me work ethic more than anybody. ” Niko Guardado is happy. Clearly the decision to go into acting has worked out well for him. “The best thing is getting to go and do something I love. I’ve found something that I really enjoy. I really haven’t worked a day in my life, doing this. It’s a passion that I have being able to finally... Getting a TV show has always been a dream of mine. It’s just all so surreal. In terms of days on the set. It can vary. They can go long. They can be 13-14 hour days sometimes. You’re not complaining. You just kind of look at the clock and see we’ve been here for 12 hours.” Niko Guardado has a ton of talent. Despite his relative youth, he has already had a lot of success in his career, particularly over the last five or six years. It’s clear that his career is on an upward trajectory. It will be fun for Twins fans to follow Niko and see where his career will take him. Be sure to follow Niko on social media: @Niko_Guardado (Twitter) @nikoguardado (Instagram) Be sure to listen to the full interview with Niko Guardado on the audio player below. In it, we discuss many more topics. He tells several more stories about his dad's time in the big leagues and their relationship. We also got into much more detail on the process of auditioning for guest roles and for lead roles. We talk more about The Goldbergs and Party of Five, but also about an upcoming short field called Gigi Boy that he stars in. We talk about his favorite actors to watch and emulate. And, much more. Thank you very much to Niko Guardado for taking the time to chat with me in this 48 minute interview. Thanks to John Bonnes for his help editing the podcast, and to Riggs Bonnes for the music in it. Click here to download the podcast/interview or set up alerts for future podcasts. Thank you for your feedback and questions. Click here to view the article