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Seth Stohs

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Blog Entries posted by Seth Stohs

  1. Seth Stohs
    At this point, we have reviewed the infielders and catchers throughout the Twins organization. Today, we will jump to the outfield. This information, of course, could be completely altered by an unexpected free agent signing or a trade. This exercise is not so much an attempt to perfectly predict where all of these players will wind up. In reality, there will be changes. Several players will be released. Some will be placed a level higher (or lower) than I would guess. This is just giving readers a reminder of who remains in the Twins system from last year, and who are the new players brought in this year. That said, I try to think about where these guys will
     
    I need to reiterate that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more.
     
    Minnesota Twins
     
    Ben Revere (LF), Denard Span (CF), Josh Willingham (RF), Trevor Plouffe, Ryan Doumit
     
    A lot of people seem to wonder why Willingham would be the right fielder. To me, that’s an easy choice. At Target Field, left field, centerfield and the gaps are pretty huge. I want Span and Revere covering the ground. Willingham isn’t a good left fielder. As far as playing the strange bounces off of the right field wall, anyone can have difficulties and will have to adjust to hit. Willingham will walk a lot and hit a bunch of home runs. I was chatting with Jamie Ogden at Twins Fest, and the comment that we agreed upon was the he will have the ability to take advantage of a pitcher’s mistakes and hit them a long way. It’s nice to have a guy like that in the middle of the lineup. As for Revere, I think it’s much better for him to play 3B. Simply, the throw from LF to 3B is much shorter than it is from CF. Also, the throw to home from CF is longer. Span doesn’t have a rocket for an arm, but he can throw. Span, when healthy, is a good on-base guy with speed and some extra base pop. Revere should be much improved, at least in terms of OBP, in 2012. He said that his goal is to steal 100 bases on 2012. He dropped that number to 80, but he plans on going whenever he gets a chance. Even though he didn’t play great in 2011, he made the Twins fun to watch and he made things happen. Imagine what he can make happen when he actually gets on base at a good clip! Trevor Plouffe should get plenty of time in left field, but he could also DH. He can hit lefties, and it will be interesting to see how he does in left field now that he doesn’t have the infielder’s glove. Ryan Doumit could get some time in right field as well.
     
    Rochester Red Wings
     
    Wilkin Ramirez (LF), Joe Benson (CF), Matt Carson (RF), Rene Tosoni, Mark Dolenc
     
    Ramirez and Carson were minor league free agents brought in by the Twins. Carson is a power hitter. Ramirez is an all-around player who was a top prospect with the Tigers just a couple of years ago. Joe Benson has spent the past two years at New Britain, so he is ready for the challenges of AAA. He could move up to the Twins as necessary throughout the year, at least after the June Super 2 timeline. The same can be said of Rene Tosoni who will likely play nearly every day between the three outfield spots as well as DHing. Benson could be a star if everything comes together. He could be a 30/30 guy with plus-defense in time. Tosoni is a guy who I think could fill a role as a platoon player and bench bat and occasional DH. He showed at times the power the he possesses. Dolenc has spent the past two years in New Britain and will likely need to advance to Rochester in 2012. He has averaged 439 plate appearances over the past four years and had a career-high 467 plate appearances in 2011. He has terrific tools, can play all three positions, gets on base, has very good speed, and plays really good defense with a strong arm.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats
     
    Angel Morales (LF), Aaron Hicks (CF), Evan Bigley (RF), Steve Liddle, Michael Hollimon
     
    Aaron Hicks had a frustrating and inconsistent season in 2011 in Ft. Myers. He was tremendous in June and then struggled for a couple of months. He definitely represented himself well in the Arizona Fall League. His defense and arm are certainly ready for advancement. It is a big year for Hicks. He will be added to the 40 man roster following the season, but he will have to continue to show improvement on the field, in his approach at the plate and show consistency. What he does in 2012 may determine whether he remains a switch-hitter as well. Evan Bigley spent all of 2011 in New Britain and showed that he could be a candidate for a midseason promotion. Angel Morales is younger than Hicks (something many seem to forget). 2011 was a lost year for him. He missed three months with his elbow injury. He had arthroscopic surgery and came back at the end of the season. He has good speed and a vastly improved approach at the plate. Although he hasn’t hit as many home runs the last couple of seasons, no one seems to be worried about his power. Liddle really struggled last season in Ft. Myers, and he had shoulder surgery following the year. The Vanderbilt product is the nephew of Twins 3B coach Steve Liddle. Hollimon can play all around the infield and can also play around the outfield. He could be the guy to go back and forth between New Britain and Rochester regardless of where the need is.
     
    Ft. Myers Miracle
     
    Lance Ray (LF), Nate Roberts (CF), Oswaldo Arcia (RF), Wang-Wei Lin, Danny Rams, Dan Rohlfing
     
    I was surprised when the Twins sent Arcia to Ft. Myers following rehab of his elbow. I would be surprised if he jumps up to New Britain to start the season, but not completely. If he has one thing to work on, it is cutting down on the strikeouts. I think he can end the year with the Rock Cats. Lance Ray can hit, even if his 2011 Beloit numbers didn’t strongly indicate that. He has a very fluid swing and good power. Nate Roberts was the 5th round pick a couple of years ago. He missed a lot of time on the DL with a knee injury. He is an on-base machine, taking walks and always willing to get hit. Wang-Wei Lin has steadily improved over his time, and after two years in Beloit, he will need to play in Ft. Myers. He has a good, line drive swing but the Taiwan native still has plenty to improve. Dan Rohlfing impressed behind the plate and will go to big league spring training in that role, but he can also play the outfield. At Instructs, Rams was moved to the outfield, although he will continue to catch some. The goal is to let him really focus on his swing and his bat.
     
    Beloit Snappers
     
    Danny Ortiz (LF), JD Williams (CF), Tyler Koelling (RF), Drew Leachman, Matej Hejma, Jhonatan Goncalves
     
    Ortiz was my choice for player of the month last April in Beloit, but it was a struggle through most of his season. He could start with the Snappers and spend a couple of months there (he already played in the Midwest League All-Star game last year). Tyler Koelling and Drew Leachman are two college outfielders who should advance to Beloit. JD Williams had an incredible season in Elizabethton in 2011, yet it went almost unnoticed thanks to Rosario and Sano. Baseball America just called him the fastest player in the Twins farm system, and he has the ability to bunt for hits from both sides of the plate. He played RF usually for the E-Twins because Eddie Rosario was in center. Matej Hejma is from the Czech Republic. Although he didn’t play a lot, or that well, in Elizabethton, he has to move up to Beloit because he has already played three seasons in the short season leagues. Goncalves is an interesting case. He has played most of the past two seasons in Ft. Myers, but he ended last year in Beloit which is probably where he should have been all along.
     
    Extended Spring Training/Short-Season
     
    Max Kepler (CF), Candido Pimentel, Romy Jimenez, Kelvin Mention, Kelvin Ortiz, Dereck Rodriguez
     
    Like Niko Goodrum, I suspect that Kepler will begin the season at Extended Spring Training. Like Goodrum, I suspect that Kepler will not return to Elizabethton but will instead advance to Beloit before the short season begins. He has so much talent but is still very raw. Pimentel is similar to Otis Nixon, very thin and very fast. Romy Jimenez (formerly known as Romy Trinidad) missed most of last year with an injury in his first year in the States. Kelvin Mention did miss all of 2011 with injury. Kelvin Ortiz came to the States and really struggled. He should go back to the GCL. And Dereck Rodriguez (the son of Ivan Rodriguez) will certainly spend another season in the GCL.
     
    TOP THREE (OR SO…) PROSPECTS
     

    Oswaldo Arcia, 2.) Aaron Hicks, 3.) Joe Benson, 4.) Angel Morales, 5.) Max Kepler, 6.) JD Williams, 7.) Lance Ray, 8.) Danny Ortiz

    SUMMARY
     
    Barring injury, the Twins starting outfield should be solid despite the losses of Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel (And to a lesser extent, Jason Repko). Benson and Tosoni are fairly close to being ready to contribute on a regular basis. Beyond that, there is a lot of talent but a lot of question marks. Can Aaron Hicks take that next step? Will Angel Morales return in 2012 with some added power? How quickly will the Twins advance Oswaldo Arcia? The ceilings of JD Williams and Max Kepler are very high, and there are so college draft picks (Roberts, Ray, etc.) who could advance fairly quickly. Of course, Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano also remain in the future outfield situation as well which provide even more depth over time. Outfield is a position of strength for the Twins system. 2012 will be a big year for many of them!
     
    If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!
  2. Seth Stohs
    Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – Now Available as an e-book for $6.99 by clickinghere. You can, of course, still get the print version for $13.99 by clicking here.
     
    Last week, I started looking at the depth throughout the Twins system. I reviewed the catchers, first basemen and third basemen. After a weekend at Twins Fest (which I’ll write about very soon), I thought it would be good to get back into the Organizational Depth Chart series. Today, I am going to write about the Middle Infielders. I decided to put the shortstops and second basemen together because so many of these players can and will play both positions. As I’ve said before, the purpose of this series is two-fold (if not more). First, it’s a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it’s a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be.
     
    I need to reiterate that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended
    Minnesota Twins
    Jamey Carroll (SS), Alexi Casilla (2B), Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Luke Hughes
     
    About the time spring training starts, Carroll will turn 38 years old. Most consider him a utility player, and he probably is because he plays multiple positions. He has accumulated more than 350 plate appearances five of the last six years. The last two years, he has combined for 924 plate appearances. He played 129 games at second base, and another 135 and shortstop. The Twins are bringing him in for the next two seasons to be their starting shortstop. He’s an on-base machine, perfect for the #2 spot in the lineup. Alexi Casilla has proven himself to be a solid utility infielder but has often shown that he can’t handle an every day job. I thought last year was his last chance to prove that, but he’s getting another opportunity in 2012. I’m not going to say Luke Hughes is the answer, but Casilla has received so many opportunities, I’d rather Hughes get a shot at the regular, daily second base job with Casilla as a role player. We don’t know if Hughes will hit, but he does have some pop in his bat. We know that Casilla won’t do much. I’m understanding that Nishioka needs and deserves to start 2012 with an empty slate. 2011 was an awful year for him. He was adjusting to so many things on and off the field, and then he was hurt within the first week and never fully recovered. The best thing would have been for him to get a lot of time in the minors last year. Maybe that can happen in 2012.
    Rochester Red Wings
    Brian Dozier (SS), Pedro Florimon (2B), Ray Chang, Brian Dinkelman
     
    Brian Dozier was the minor league player of the year in 2011 and hopes to build upon that starting in spring training in 2012. There is little chance he’ll open with the Twins. In fact, there’s a better chance he returns to New Britain and based on the past, I would not be shocked if he did start the season with the Rock Cats. But he’s ready for AAA, and nearly ready for the big leagues. Part of why I would like to see Hughes get the starting gig with the Twins, is because by June, he could move to the bench with Carroll shifting to second base and Dozier jumping to the Twins. But, let’s see how he starts the 2012 season before counting any eggs, or something like that. The Twins claimed Florimon from the Orioles in December, but nearly immediately placed him on waivers. He cleared and was outrighted to Rochester. He jumped from AA to the big leagues with a September call-up. He will certainly get plenty of time at shortstop with Dozier moving to second. Chang will play all around the infield. He was the Red Wings starting shortstop while he was with the team last year, before his broken leg. Dinkelman finally got his chance with the Twins last year and hit .301. He struggled in Rochester. He can play second base but can also play the corner outfield positions.
    New Britain Rock Cats
    James Beresford (SS), Estarlin de Los Santos (2B), Chris Cates
     
    James Beresford is tremendous with the glove. He is a smooth fielder with soft hands and a strong arm. He can play both middle infield positions well and is a leader on the infield. His play in international competition has really been impressive. He has hit for average in his minor league career. He takes really good, quality at bats. But because he is almost exclusively a singles hitter, he will not be walked often. He also doesn’t strike out much. He works very hard to gain weight, and hopefully that will happen soon to give the opponents a little concern for extra base hits. De Los Santos was once considered a quality prospect in the Twins system. He was added to the 40 man roster, but that lasted just a year. 2011 was a lost year for him. He spent most of the season on the Disabled List, rehabbed quite a bit in the GCL. He got a little time at Ft. Myers, played second base before he finally ended his season with elbow surgery. Although he could have become a free agent at the end of the season, he signed quickly to remain with the Twins. Cates is a strong defender at both middle infield positions. He also has a very strong arm.
    Ft. Myers Miracle
    Tyler Grimes (SS), Danny Santana (2B), Reggie Williams, Adam Bryant
     
    Grimes was the Twins 5th round pick just last year out of college baseball power house Wichita State. He missed a little bit of time after signing with the Twins and reporting to Beloit. He can hit. He’s another on-base percentage guy with some pop in his bat. He has good speed and plays solid defense. Santana primarily played shortstop in Beloit, but he will likely get time at second base and in centerfield as well in 2011. He has great range, soft hands and a very strong arm. He does have pop in his bat although his 2011 numbers don’t necessarily show it. He has a immense talent and all the tools, but he will need to start putting it together. Reggie Williams was a fourth round pick in 2007 out of high school. He is a terrific athlete, and he will play all around the diamond in 2012. He can play four infield positions and probably all three outfield positions. He primarily plays 2B, 3B and LF, but who knows, we may even see him behind the plate this year.
    Beloit Snappers
    Levi Michael (SS), Eddie Rosario (2B), AJ Pettersen, Stephen Wickens
     
    One question we’ve been hearing all offseason is Where will Levi Michael start his 2012 season? The Twins have had top college pitchers jump straight to Ft. Myers. All indications are the Michael will begin the season with the Beloit Snappers. Making me want to get to Beloit early in the season is an infield that should include Michael, Rosario and Miguel Sano. I would also expect that Michael would get no more than a half-season in Beloit before being promoted. Rosario was the Appy League co-MVP last year when he hit .337 with 38 extra base hits, including 21 home runs in 67 games. He also is a tremendous center fielder. During Instructional League, he was moved to second base. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. I would assume he will continue to get some time in the outfield as well. Sano will likely see some time at shortstop. Minnetonka native and former Gopher and last year’s 25th round pick AJ Pettersen said he is willing to play anywhere, but he is a natural shortstop who started there for the Gophers four years. Wickens is a Canadian who is a four year college shortstop as well with very good on-base skills. I would expect that Michael will be promoted in mid-June with Niko Goodrum moving up to take his spot.
    Extended Spring Training/Short-Season
    Niko Goodrum (SS), Jorge Polanco (SS), Wander Guillen (2B)
     
    Goodrum had a very strong season with the Elizabethton Twins, even if it was lost behind the big seasons of Sano and Rosario. He is a tremendous athlete who will take a while to develop. That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts the season at Extended Spring Training. I would, however, be surprised if he spends any more time with Elizabethton. I would expect him to be promoted to Beloit whenever there is a need, or whenever Michael is promoted. Polanco signed with the Twins for over $750,000 two years ago. He and Miguel Sano split 2010 between the DSL and GCL. Polanco returned to the GCL in 2011 and didn’t do much with the bat. Touted for his terrific defense at shortstop, he played 19 games there in 2011, 14 at third base and 11 at second base. He also played all three outfield positions. He will spend 2012 in Elizabethton. Wander Guillen is a third baseman, but with Travis Harrison around, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Guillen play more at second base, where he has played a little the past two seasons. He also should advance to E-Town in 2012 after splitting 2011 between the DSL and GCL.
    TOP THREE PROSPECTS
     
    1.) Eddie Rosario, 2.) Brian Dozier, 3.) Levi Michael, 4.) Niko Goodrum, 5.) Danny Santana, 6.) James Beresford, 7.) Tyler Grimes, 8.) Jorge Polanco
    SUMMARY
     
    After what Twins fans saw at the shortstop position in 2011, it was pretty clear that the Twins needed a change in 2012! Alexi Casilla started the season as the shortstop and through five weeks was hitting about .150. Trevor Plouffe got a couple of games. Tsuyoshi Nishioka was given an opportunity. It wasn’t pretty all season. Jamey Carroll should bring consistency to the position. He may not have a ton of range, but he will make most of the routine plays and it winds up that trait is pretty important. Cailla and Hughes may be a solid platoon and the Twins should see again what they have in Nishioka, if anything. Brian Dozier is on the cusp and we should (or at least could) see him by July. The lower levels of the system actually provide a bunch of solid prospects to at least be excited about. Rosario is intriguing as a second baseman. Scouts love Levi Michael and he could move fairly quickly. He was one of five college shortstops the Twins drafted in 2011 (Michael-1, Grimes-5, Bryant-9, Pettersen-25, Wickens-33), each of which should get a lot of playing time in 2012. Accumulating a lot of talent in the lower levels is great, and hopefully a couple of them will continue to progress through the system.
  3. Seth Stohs

    Twins Fest Weekend

    By Seth Stohs,

    Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – Now Available as an e-book for $6.99 by clickinghere. You can, of course, still get the print version for $13.99 by clicking here.
     
    The procedure I had done yesterday kind of won last night, so I wasn’t able to finish the next installment of the Organizational Depth Chart, so that will return next week. I was, fortunately, able to watch the Diamond Awards live on FoxSportsNorth.com, and it was incredible. It’s such a nice event for such a great cause, but it also appears to be a fun event to be at. I would say that it is on my bucket list of baseball activities. Here are some of the highlights:

    Liam Hendriks and Brian Dozier accepted their awards for minor league pitcher and player of the year and did a good job in their comments.
    Ben Revere stole the show. He was so funny in his speech, and in his responses to questions from Dick Bremer. The best story (among many hilarious ones!) was about the triple during which he tripped and did a complete summersault. He said that his dad and his brother were at the game. They didn’t get to sleep until about 2:30 because, you see, his dad is a football coach, so they had to watch it on video several times and then do some running drills, and his dad brought cones, and… it was hilarious! Revere’s smile was in full effect!
    Tom Kelly went last and said there were benefits to being last. He kind of roasted most of the earlier presenters, which was hilarious. But when he was done, the surprise was on him. Dick Bremer told him to stay up on the stage and invited Dave St. Peter and Jim Pohlad to come up. St. Peter went on to talk about Kelly and said that September 8th will be Tom Kelly Day at Target Field. At that time, the Twins will retire Kelly’s #10. Kelly was clearly shaken. He didn’t know what to do. In fact, he quickly shook, Bremer’s hand and walked off the stage to a standing ovation. As the ovation dropped to a sitting ovation, the FSN cameras showed Kelly wiping away tears. Clearly, that was an incredible honor for him, and I am so glad that I got to see it.
    I’m sure it’ll appear on FSN on TV in the near future. It is something you will definitely want to watch.
     
    I am about to make my trek to the Twin Cities, to Twins Fest. I’ve been going now for about five years and always enjoy it. I plan to be at the Metrodome Friday night and Saturday throughout the day. Then a reminder, at about 7:30 on Saturday night, the TwinsCentric crew and several other of your favorite Twins writers and bloggers will be at Old Chicago in Roseville. So come on out. If you see me, please come and say hi. It’s fun to meet people there. I will try to have a few Prospect Handbooks with me. Hopefully I’ll see a bunch of them walking around the Dome. As I’ve pointed out, I believe 22 players in the book will be signing at Twins Fest this weekend, including Dozier and Hendriks on the cover. Twins Fest is what you make it. If you like spending money on autographs, it’s great. It’s a baseball card and memorabilia show. It’s a great place to people watch. I know people who could sit in the Dome’s bleachers and listen as the 1500 ESPN personalities interview Twins players, coaches, front office people and more. It really is a fun event.
     
    Here is a link to the Twins Fest page that includes a list of who will be signing and where, and much more.
     
    And, so that I can get on the road, I’m going to cut this off here and keep it all positive. I won’t even talk about Dan Wheeler signing a minor league deal with Cleveland, or Brad Lidge signing with the Nationals for $1 Million + incentives. Twins Fest weekend is a great way for baseball fans to start getting ready for the 2012 season. Spring Training is just around the corner, and that always brings hope and excitement. At least for me, it does.
     
    If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!
  4. Seth Stohs
    Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – Now Available as an e-book for $6.99 by clicking here. You can, of course, still get the print version for $13.99 by clicking here.
     
    We have looked at the catchers and the first basemen in the Twins organization the past two days. Today, I’ll be looking at the third basemen. Again, the purpose of this series is two-fold (if not more). First, it’s a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it’s a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be.
     
    I need to reiterate that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more.
     
    Minnesota Twins
     
    Danny Valencia (Luke Hughes, Jamey Carroll)
     
    2011 was a difficult year for Valencia. In the first half, his numbers struggled thanks to a lot of at-‘em balls. His high BABIP in his rookie season was evened up by his low BABIP in his sophomore season. He can hit, and hitting in the bottom third of the lineup, he will succeed. His defense wasn’t as good in 2011 as 2010 either. More disturbing, he was the player blamed most by the manager, which makes no sense. I expect a solid season out of Valencia in 2012, maybe somewhere along the lines of .280/.340/.450 with 30+ doubles and 12-15 home runs. As I’ve pointed out before, I won’t be even a little surprised if Ron Gardenhire says that Sean Burroughs is competition for a starting job. Burroughs will get plenty of at bats in spring training though. And Luke Hughes, who is out of options, should again receive plenty of at bats and time in the field at three infield positions including 3B. Jamey Carroll is really a middle infielder, but some seem to think he might be a 3B option as well. I can’t see that.
     
    Rochester Red Wings
     
    Sean Burroughs. Ray Chang
     
    Burroughs was once one of baseball’s top prospects, then struggled, then got into drugs and alcohol. But he had a nice comeback season last year that saw him reach the big leagues for the first time since 2006. He did a nice job as a pinch hitter for Arizona. He is known as a very good defensive third baseman, which bodes well for him. He has also shown the ability to hit for average. I really believe that although he likely isn’t in direct competition with Valencia for a starting job, he is likely going to be battling Luke Hughes and maybe Tsuyoshi Nishioka for the final bench spots. With Trevor Plouffe also likely on the bench many nights, Gardy may find it important to have a left-handed bench bat.
     
    Ray Chang made a very good impression last year in spring training. He went to New Britain and played well. He was promoted to Rochester where he played even better, hitting 3rd many games for them. Unfortunately, he broke his fibula and missed almost two months. He will likely get time at 3B and at SS for the Red Wings.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats
     
    Deibinson Romero, Michael Hollimon
     
    Romero was once considered a very good, high ceiling prospect. Following a injury-riddled season in Beloit, the Twins added him to the 40-man-roster. He struggled and was removed from the 40-man-roster a year later. Many questioned his work ethic, but he responded in 2011 with a solid year in AA. He could have become a free agent after the 2011 season, but he quickly resigned with the Twins.
     
    Likewise, the Twins and Hollimon quickly agreed that he would return to the Twins rather than enter free agency. Between New Britain (97 games) and Rochester (29 games), he hit 19 doubles and 18 home runs. He primarily played 2B and LF but also go some time at the hot corner. The Twins drafted him in the 49th round in 2003 but he didn’t sign. In 2008, he got 25 plate appearances with the Tigers. He had six hits, including two doubles, a triple and a home run.
     
    Ft. Myers Miracle
     
    Anderson Hidalgo, Jairo Perez
     
    Hidalgo has been in the organization since 2006. He has moved up one level each year and was with the Miracle last year. His .274 batting average was the lowest of his career. In 2010, he was the only Beloit Snappers player to hit over .300 (.316). He has an unorthodox swing at the plate that many wonder if it will adapt as he moves up the ladder. Defensively, he’s a little below average.
     
    Jairo Perez seemingly came out of nowhere last year. He spent the first two months of the year in Extended Spring Training, but after joining the Snappers in mid June, he hit .337/.413/.580 with 20 doubles and 15 home runs. He had missed all of 2010 with Tommy John surgery. He primarily played 3B but also played a few games at 2B. He is a little guy who takes a monstrous swing. He is not fast and his range is limited, so 3B is a better option.
     
    Beloit Snappers
     
    Miguel Sano, Roy Larson, Adam Bryant
     
    I think most Twins fans have heard pretty much everything about Miguel Sano. He is the consensus top prospect in the Twins farm system. He got the big signing bonus. He draws comparisons to Miguel Cabrera and other great power bats in the game. He had a lot of errors last year in Elizabethton at both shortstop and third base, but he can flat-out hit. He hit .292/.352/.627 with 18 doubles, seven triples and 20 home runs in 66 games for the E-Twins. His power potential is off charts. The Twins are typically patient with their young prospects’ development. The same should be true of Sano. As much as his offensive game is advanced, there are more aspects of the game that he needs to work on. He needs to make more contact. He needs to run the bases better. And he needs to play better defense and just mature, in general. I would expect him to spend the whole season at Beloit.
     
    Adam Bryant was the team’s 9th round pick just last year, and as a four-year college senior, he signed quickly and was sent to Beloit where he held his own. He played all three infield positions and was solid with the bat. He’s a solid, all-around player who will likely advance as a utility player. The Twins signed Larson out of the University of St. Thomas. He’s 6-6 and struggled in E-Town, but he has very quick hands and bat speed. He can play both corner infield spots. Due to his age (he’s 24), he’ll likely have to advance through the lower levels quickly.
     
    Extended Spring Training/Short-Season
     
    Travis Harrison, Javier Pimentel
     
    It will be interesting to see where Harrison and Pimentel will play in 2012. The assumption is that both will go to Extended Spring Training. Harrison was the team’s supplemental first-round pick in 2011 out of high school in California. He has a bunch of power potential and some believe that he could also become an all-around hitter. Pimentel was signed in 2010 out of the Dominican Republic for about a $700,000 signing bonus. He split the 2011 season between the Dominican Summer League and the GCL. I think he would likely head to the GCL again, but he has very good potential as well. Signed as a shortstop, he already spent most of his time at third base in 2011.
     
    TOP THREE PROSPECTS

    Miguel Sano, 2.) Travis Harrison, 3.) Jairo Perez

    SUMMARY
     
    Third base is Danny Valencia’s for the near-term. Sean Burroughs provides some quality depth. This would be a position where the Twins are quite strong at the lower levels (with Sano, Harrison and Pimentel), but there is not much help above Beloit for 2012, at least not anyone that would have any long-term potential. We’ll need to wait until at least 2014 to see Sano (and that’s only if he advances on the Joe Mauer path), and Harrison and Pimentel are likely 2016 arrivals. Will Sano be able to stick at 3B? How will Valencia fare through his pre-arbitration and arbitration years?
     
    If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!
  5. Seth Stohs
    After looking at the catchers throughout the Twins system yesterday, I’ll be looking at the first basemen today before continuing around the diamond throughout the coming weeks. Again, the purpose is two-fold. First, it’s a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it’s a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be.
     
    As I did yesterday, I need to point out that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more.
    Minnesota Twins
    Justin Morneau, Ryan Doumit (Joe Mauer, Luke Hughes)
     
    As much as I have no worries about Joe Mauer as he comes back in 2012, I am equally concerned about Justin Morneau’s ability to come back and play. Obviously I really hope that I am wrong. I hope he comes back and performs to the MVP-like caliber that we saw from 2006 through 2010. Defensively, he was tremendous and that is a great example of his work ethic. Hopefully by now, fans understand the seriousness of head injuries and concussions. As much as they’re saying that Morneau won’t be just a DH, that has to be considered an option.
    We talked quite a bit yesterday about Doumit as a backup catcher, and his ability to hit. He’s not good defensively behind the plate, and frankly, he’s not too great in front of it either. He could play some at 1B, but it may not be pretty.
     
    I wouldn’t be surprised to see Joe Mauer play first base a couple of times a week to keep his bat in the lineup. He played rather well there with the glove a year ago. Luke Hughes showed last year that he could adapt to first base. He had a positive UZR at both 1B and 2B. He also provides a solid right-handed bat off the bench. He’s the only right-handed bat in these four options.
    Rochester Red Wings
    Chris Parmelee, Aaron Bates, Steve Pearce
     
    Parmelee showed in September what he could be capable of in the big leagues. He has been very solid the past two seasons in New Britain, but no one could have anticipated his strong September performance with the Twins. It’s the beauty of small sample size. That said, Parmelee seems to have figured a couple of things out the last two years. He puts together solid at bats, uses the whole field and hits for power. He needs a half-season at Triple-A to continue to progress, but the Twins’ 1st round pick in 2006 can be a solid contributor to the Twins lineup for years to come.
     
    If the Twins need a 1B option early in the year, or just want a good left-handed bat off the bench, Bates should be considered. The Red Sox third round pick in 2006 debuted with the Sox in 2009. Last year, he joined the Red Wings in early May and was their best, most consistent hitter. He hit .316/.408/.439 with 30 extra base hits. He was invited to big league camp. So was Steve Pearce who burst on the prospect scene in 2007 when he dominated at four levels. Since then, he has not put up big numbers, but he has had over 100 plate appearances in four of the past five years in the big leagues. The Twins drafted him in the 45th round in 2003 out of high school. He didn’t sign. He is kind of a right-handed Aaron Bates.
    New Britain Rock Cats
    Nate Hanson, Steve Liddle
     
    Hanson is a Minnesota native who played for the Gophers before being drafted by the Twins as a third baseman. During the 2010 season, he played more and more first base, and now he is well respected for his glove and athleticism at first base. He joined the Rock Cats at about the halfway point of last season and held his own. Liddle was hurt much of the 2011 season. He has surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in the offseason. Although he has played more outfield, he played quite a bit of first base as well. After a frustrating 2011 season, it will be interesting to see if he jumps to New Britain.
    Ft. Myers Miracle
    Michael Gonzales, Lance Ray, Danny Rams
     
    Gonzales returned to Beloit in 2011 about 25 pounds lighter. He came through with a healthier, more productive season. He showed better range at first base. More important, his hands and his bat were much quicker. He increased all of his numbers from 2012 and is certainly ready for the Florida State League. Lance Ray has primarily played in the outfield, but he does a nice job when he plays at 1B as well. Rams will catch at times, but he will play some other positions including outfield and DH. He played quite a bit of 1B in Beloit in 2010.
    Beloit Snappers
    Rory Rhodes, Kennys Vargas
     
    Rhodes is 6-7, so the natural comparison for him will likely be Richie Sexson, and I think that’s a fair comp. He has a ton of power at such a young age. The Australian needs patience, but he also will need to compete in a full-season league in 2012. Putting the ball in play more often will be a big thing. Defensively, he was a solid defensive third baseman, but with Miguel Sano in the picture, Rhodes primarily played first base at E-Town last year.
    Vargas is a big guy, a switch-hitter with a powerful swing from both sides of the plate. He was putting together some solid numbers, hitting in the middle of the E-Town lineup when he was suspended for 50 games for using a banned weight-loss supplement. It cost him the end of the 2011 season and will cost him the first 32 games of the 2012 season. But he has some real potential, so I expect the Twins to stick with him after the suspension is up.
    Elizabethton Twins
    Josh Hendricks
     
    Another Australian, Hendricks was signed as a catcher but was quickly moved to first base. He was very streaky and inconsistent with the bat in 2011, but he does have good size and power potential. He could have a big year in 2012 at E-Town.
    TOP THREE PROSPECTS
     
    1.) Chris Parmelee, 2.) Michael Gonzales, 3.) Rory Rhodes
    SUMMARY
     
    For 2012, Justin Morneau is the question mark. He hasn’t finished a full season in several years. He has the concussion injury, but the wrist surgery is also concerning for a power hitter. If the Twins didn’t have so many other needs and concerns, maybe it would make sense to add a 1B to the mix. However, Chris Parmelee is close and could take over the position for the next half-dozen years. Bates and Pearce are guys that could pinch hit or fill in very temporarily.
     
    If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!
  6. Seth Stohs
    For the most part, the Twins spring training rosters are pretty well set. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is another reliever brought in, and there could be some more minor league signings. I thought it would be late enough in the offseason to start taking a look at the Twins organizational depth. So, over the next two weeks, I’ll go position by position and name the players throughout the farm system with a few thoughts. In doing so, I’ll be trying to figure out what the Twins minor league rosters will look like.
     
    I’m going to start with the catcher position and work through all of the positions. First and foremost, I need to point out that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let go. There will be Disabled List players, extended spring training and more.
     
    Minnesota Twins
     
    Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit, Drew Butera
     
    Maybe it’s hopeful optimism, but I’m not worried about Joe Mauer in 2012. 2011 started out with injury, a bad diagnosis made public, and a not-so-subtle hint of confusion surrounding his health, his toughness and how even his teammates and managers didn’t always understand what the situation was either. If Mauer is healthy, he’s one of the best catchers in baseball, offensively and defensively. Ideally, he could again catch 110-120 games and if he does so, we know that he will likely hit .320/.390/.490 or so with 35 or more doubles and potentially a dozen home runs.
     
    Doumit was a tremendous signing early in the offseason. His career numbers in the NL show that he has posted an OPS very similar to Jason Kubel’s. Offensively, I expect the same type of hitter as Kubel. That’s probably a little optimistic. I think Doumit (along with Trevor Plouffe and Luke Hughes) will be the primary DHs, unless Justin Morneau can’t play 1B and they have him DH. Doumit can also catch 30-40 games a season to give Mauer a day off from behind the plate. He’s not too good back there.
     
    Butera is the opposite. He has no chance offensively, particularly when overexposed as he was last year. Butera is the actual backup catcher, in my mind, since Doumit should be starting every day. As a true backup catcher, he’s fine, plays good defense, does a good job against the running game, and works well with pitchers. When he has to play most days and gets 400 plate appearances, that isn’t the design. In reality, the Twins have a bunch of versatility on their major league roster, so I might prefer to have Butera in Rochester. If Mauer or Doumit is hurt one game, the other could catch the rest of that game, and Butera could be up the next day. Of course, that would assume the Twins utilized the DL well, something they did very poorly the last couple of years.
     
    Rochester Red Wings
     
    Rene Rivera, JR Towles
     
    We saw in 2011 what Rivera could do, and it was pretty much just as bad offensively as Butera. He just swung more crazy and more often. Defensively, he is obviously quite solid.
     
    JR Towles comes over from the Astros where he was once a top prospect in baseball. He never really hit with the Astros, although he never really got much consistent playing time. There may be some hope here for some optimism.
     
    New Britain Rock Cats
     
    Danny Lehmann, Chris Herrmann
     
    Butera, Rivera and Towles are pretty much the same. I may be wrong, but everything I’ve seen, read and heard from players throughout the system, Lehmann is the best of that group. He won’t hit a lot, but no worse than Rivera and Butera did, and his defense is just as good, if not better. I’ve talked to a lot of pitchers in the Twins system the last couple of years and all agree that they love throwing to Lehmann.
     
    Chris Herrmann is the Twins top catching prospect, and it isn’t terribly close. He made a very strong impression in 2011 at Ft. Myers and in New Britain. He didn’t hit for average, but he gets on base a lot. He also hits a lot of doubles with a smooth left-handed swing. He runs very well for a catcher. Part of his value is his versatility. In college, he played mostly in the infield. Early in his Twins career, he played mainly in the outfield and played well there. Pitchers say that his defense behind the plate has improved, and he now throws out a solid percentage of would-be base stealers. He could be a versatile backup player with the Twins by September, and he is also good enough to be the primary backstop for the team as well should they move the $184-million-dollar man to another position at some point.
     
    Ft. Myers Miracle
     
    Danny Rams, Dan Rohlfing, Josmil Pinto
    Rams made a good impression last year at big league spring training and was very good in April. At that point, he got hurt and played through it, but his numbers were not what he and organization would have wanted. Defensively, he has a strong arm, but isn’t touted as a great defender. It’s just a gut feeling, but Rams is very talented, and I think once he gets to New Britain, we’ll start seeing some of his power potential turn into some power numbers.
     
    Rohlfing played infield in high school and the Twins moved him to catcher. After awhile, he was moved to the outfield. Last year, he was pushed to New Britain where he held his own as a backup catcher. When he was sent back to Ft. Myers, he was in the lineup most every day, either behind the plate or in the outfield and he played well. He was invited to spring training this year because he has made an impression on the right people.
     
    Josmil Pinto put up huge numbers in E-town a couple of seasons ago, but he really struggled in 2010 in Beloit. He returned to Beloit and did alright before being moved up to Ft. Myers. He has a strong arm, but it’s likely he’s a DH because he does struggle behind the plate.
     
    Beloit Snappers
     
    Andy Leer, Philip Chapman, Matt Koch, Matt Parker, Jairo Rodriguez, Kyle Knudson
     
    This is where you start realizing that not all of these players will remain in the organization beyond spring training. There will likely be some injuries and others also added to the Disabled List for depth.
     
    Andy Leer is from North Dakota and went to college at the University of Mary. He was an infielder with the Snappers in 2011, and at Instructional League, he was moved behind the plate. Philip Chapman and Matt Koch were both drafted in 2011. Chapman hit well, but he was a college guy playing in the GCL. Koch signed late and played in a dozen or so games in Elizabethton. Both are old enough that they should move up to Beloit, but based on numbers, one could stay in Extended Spring Training. Matt Parker was a non-drafted free agent singing a couple of years ago. He’s a defensive guy. Knudson played with Beloit in 2011, but he missed most of the second half of the season with a groin injury. He’s one that they will need to keep because he is solid defensively and has some offensive potential. Jairo Rodriguez is a strong-armed backstop without much offensive upside.
     
    Elizabethton Twins
     
    Kelly Cross, Michael Quesada
     
    Cross was drafted out of high school in 2010 and signed late. He got into just a couple of games. He really struggled last year with the GCL Twins, but he’s a guy that they’re going to have to push quickly because he’s only got one more season that he can play in the short seasons.
     
    Quesada was one of the better hitters with the GCL Twins last year and showed good power. Some scouts really like his potential.
     
    The Twins typically draft a couple of college catchers in the first ten rounds or so, and they go to Elizabethton as well. So, it’s really impossible to predict who will play any position in Elizabethton or the GCL.
     
    TOP THREE PROSPECTS

    Chris Herrmann, 2.) Danny Rams, 3.) Dan Rohlfing

    SUMMARY
     
    Joe Mauer is an All Star, an MVP, a Gold Glove winner, a Silver Slugger winner, and he’s paid like it. A couple more big seasons and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But, he has to stay healthy. Chris Herrmann is likely a year away from being ready for the big leagues. He is likely the one player in the minor leagues that has the chance to be a starting catcher. There are several terrific defensive catchers whose ceiling is backup catcher, not that that is a bad thing!
     
    If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail Seth Stohs at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!
  8. Seth Stohs
    Major League players with less than six years of service time and more than three years of service time are eligible for salary arbitration. As we all know, there are a bunch of Super-2 arbitration-eligible players as well each year. On Tuesday, arbitration numbers will be exchanged. The teams will say how much they are offering to the player, and the player and his agent will submit the value that they think they should receive. Of course, in most cases, the team and the player come up with a value somewhere in the middle and numbers never get exchanged.
     
    When the offseason began, and TwinsCentric was working on its Offseason GM Handbook, the Twins had eight arbitration-eligible players on their roster. Since the end of the season, there have been a few changes:

    Phil Dumatrait – Was Designated for Assignment and removed from the 40 man roster. He became a free agent but returned to the Twins on a minor league contract. That means, he is no longer eligible for arbitration.
    Jason Repko – Was Designated for Assignment and removed from the 40 man roster. He became a free agent but has not yet signed with another organization.
    Matt Tolbert – Was Designated for Assignment and removed from the 40 man roster. He became a free agent but has not yet signed with another organization.
    Jose Mijares – Was non-tended last month by the Twins. Less than a week later, he signed with the Kansas City Royals.
    Kevin Slowey – Was traded to the Colorado Rockies in December.

    That leaves the Twins with three arbitration-eligible players. The Twins will likely attempt to sign all three before Tuesday’s deadline. It is also possible they are working on multi-year deals with one or more of them.
     
    Here they are:
     
    1.) Alexi Casilla – In 2011, the 2B/SS made $700,000 in his first year of arbitration. In the Offseason GM Handbook, TwinsCentric predicted that he would get $2.5 million in arbitration. If I were to place my bet, I think it will be closer to $1.5 million.
     
    2.) Glen Perkins – In 2011, the lefty reliever made $865,000 in his first year of arbitration. TwinsCentric projected him to make $1.8 million, and I think that is about right. I also believe that the Twins may look to lock up Perkins for three years (to buy out one year of free agency). Perkins may be hesitant to sign a long-term deal knowing that there is a chance he will get some time as Twins’ closer this year, and closers make a bunch more money. However, if he wants to stay with the Twins, it’s possible that he could be signed in the neighborhood of three years and $8 million.
     
    3.) Francisco Liriano – In 2011, Liriano made $4.3 million. Despite a frustrating season, he will likely get a raise. TwinsCentric predicted that he would be awarded $6 million, but I think it will be closer to $5 million. A year ago, I said that the Twins should sign him to a 4 year, $40 million deal. At this point, I’d be very hesitant to give Liriano a multi-year deal. However, if they are at all interested, now is the time to do it. This would be a buy low scenario. Could the Twins now have the talented (but enigmatic) Liriano to a three year, $18 million now? If so, would you consider it?
     
    We will learn quite a bit before Tuesday’s deadline. Many years the Twins get all their arbitration situations figured out before numbers are even exchanged. This year, the Twins have three very interesting situations.
     
    What do you think will happen?
  9. Seth Stohs
    According to a tweet by Jason Beck of MLB.com, the Twins have reached an agreement with RHP Joel Zumaya on a minor league contract that will reportedly pay him between $800,000 and 1.7 million.
     
    Obviously, especially in this case, the Twins are wise to not report it themselves until Zumaya passes a physical.
     
    A caution to Twins fans expecting to see the Zumaya of 2006 that threw 100-101 mph with a sharp slider and little control. Reports of his tryout several weeks ago were that he is touching 92 mph with his fastball.
     
    However, there is little risk in a minor league contract, and Zumaya is still just 27 years old. The last time he pitched was at Target Field in 2010 when he bounced off the mound after throwing out his elbow.
     
    As a 21 year old rookie in 2006, he posted a 1.94 ERA in 62 games. From 2007 through 2010, he averaged 27 appearances and 31+ innings. He did not pitch in 2011.
     
    I must admit that Zumaya is a name that intrigued me coming into the offseason, but based on there being 50 scouts at his tryout, I assumed that the Twins would not be in the mix. Now, I’m just very curious how this will go.
     
    What do you think?
  10. Seth Stohs

    Tweets of the Week

    By Seth Stohs,

    I’m known on Twitter for doing a lot of tweeting and retweeting. For those who are not on Twitter, it simply means that I tweet something that someone else already tweeted. I retweet Twins related articles and blogs or general comments that I tend to agree with. If you’re interested in following me on Twitter, you can click the “Follow” button here, or you can simply bookmark my twitter page and check it from time to time. Today, I wanted to go back to Saturday and blog many of my retweets from the week. Hopefully you enjoy the variety of topics!
     
    MONDAY

    NoDak Twins Fan blogged his first of a three part series on Justin Morneau.
    Todd Van Steensel wrote about his release by the Twins. More unfortunate, arguably, was the manner in which he found out. Sadly, I’ve heard a few other similar stories from former Twins minor leaguers.
    The Puckett’s Pond Non-Roster invite of this day was Ray Chang, who is from Kansas City. He was terrific last year until a broken fibula cost him two months of his season.
    Travis Aune and I co-hosted a special offseason Twins Minor League Weekly. We weren’t sure how much there would be to be said, but we went 90 minutes and filled the time fairly efficiently.
    Check out the new DiamondCentric t-shirt showing Timberwolves rookie sensation, Ricky Rubio!
    ManCenter.com posted its Top 10 Twins prospect list.
    TUESDAY

    Are you following the log entries of former Twin R.A. Dickey as he and Kevin Slowey are currently climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro?
    Check out this photo that the North Dakota Twins Fan is calling “Pot of Gold.”
    NoDak Twins fan posted Part 2 of his Morneau Chronicles series.
    Paul Boye (Phrontiersman) tweeted: “Greg Maddux should be the first unanimous Hall of Famer and I won’t hear otherwise.” I concur!
    John Manuel was in charge of putting together Baseball America’s Top 10 Twins Prospect list. 1500espn got their copy in the mail and posted the list.
    WEDNESDAY

    Here is the newest episode of Gleeman & The Geek.
    Puckett’s Pond Non-Roster invite of the day was Brian Dinkelman.
    NoDak Twins Fan posted Part 3 of his Morneau Chronicles.
    Some Twins fans are down on our favorite team and its minor league system, but hey, at least we aren’t White Sox fans!
    Knuckleballs’ Jim Crikket posted his Top 10 Twins Prospects list.
    Hudson Boyd, Dakota Watts, Kyle Gibson and David Bromberg joined former Twins 3B (and lifetime .357 big league hitter) Tommy Watkins for the Ft. Myers portion of the Twins Winter Caravan.
    Here’s a pretty cool Sports Illustrated picture of Kevin Garnett’s shoe tribute to Kirby Puckett after his death.
    Starting next week, the Twins Winter Caravan will begin throughout the Upper Midwest. Here is the list of locations, times and dates for the caravan. It’s a great time, so if you get a chance to go to one, be sure to do so.
    Twins International scout Howie Norsetter posted a tremendous response to an angry blog commenter regarding the Twins and their Australian signings. Well worth the read!! Upon reading this blog, Todd Van Steensel, who the Twins just released last week, tweeted to me, “I loved the Twins and had a great time there, had great coaches and made great friends, just wish it ended a little better.”
    Thrylos98 informed us that former Twins catcher Mike Redmond was promoted to Dunedin to manage the Blue Jays Hi-A affiliate in the Florida State League.
    THURSDAY

    North Dakota Twins fan wrote about the pursuit of a little white spherical object (sometimes referred to as a baseball.
    Brian Dozier was the subject of the Puckett’s Pond Non-Roster invite of the day.
    Baseball America’s Ben Badler informed us that the Twins signed Mauricio Silva, a 16-year-old right-handed pitcher from Venezuela, for $370,000. It makes me happy every time that I see the Twins sign one of the top 20 or 30 prospects from Latin America.
    Puckett’s Pond also posted several Thursday links.
    According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, it was 30 years ago (on Thursday) that the Twins drafted Kirby Puckett with the 3rd overall pick in the now-defunct January draft.
    Had a good Twitter discussion with FSN’s Robby Incmikoski. He posted a couple of pictures from the arena in Chicago and commented on Jordan’s 6 NBA titles and called him the best athlete ever. I said I thought that Bo Jackson was the best athlete. Others chimed in with discussion on how winning NBA titles has to do with being an athlete, and I think the word “athlete” refers to strength, speed, power, and everything that Bo Jackson was. I just wish the guy wouldn’t have had the hip injury because he was incredible. Few remember he had a 32 home run, 105 RBI season with the Royals. The man was amazing. As I tweeted, “Bo Jackson was 6-1 and 230+ pounds and ran a 4.2/40. He hit a bunch of HR before “the era”, had a big arm, knocked down LB and out-ran DBs.”
    Bob Nightengale tweeted that the Twins and Target Field will host the 2014 All-Star game. Later, Twins President Dave St. Peter tweeted that nothing was official yet.
    Phil Dumatrait, who spent much of 2011 with the Twins, is the non-roster invite of the day at Puckett’s Pond.
    FRIDAY

    Parker’s TwinsCentric blog of the day is titled Coffey is for (setting up for) closers.
    Nick’s Twins Blog discusses payroll.
    NoDak Twins Fan posted his Friday Links-n-Thinks.
    Aaron Gleeman posted, at Hardball Talk, that Johan Santana still isn’t sure when he’ll be able to pitch again despite having surgery 16 months ago.
    Joe Christensen wrote a very nice article on Dan Johnson, from Blaine, and his career which has been up and down but full of some big moments.
    Phil Mackey wrote about the Twins’ Pitch-to-Contact philosophy.
    If you’re heading down to Ft. Myers for spring training, tickets go on sale tomorrow morning.
    You can now vote for Prospect #29 in the Twinkie Town Community Top 50 Prospect voting!
    FINALLY – I’ll be editing the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 all weekend, so look for much more order information on Monday!
     
    If you’re interested, you can follow me at www.Twitter.com/SethTweets. If you have any questions, please let me know!
  11. Seth Stohs

    Friday Notebook

    By Seth Stohs,

    Good morning! I just wanted to post a few quick notes on an early Friday morning. I fell asleep early last night (not a bad thing!) and got up early this morning, so here are a few notes.
     
    ◦First of all, congratulations to Brian Duensing and his wife on the birth of their first child yesterday, a daughter.
    [*]◦I was quite surprised last night to read that the Twins decided to release minor leaguers RHP Cesar Ciurcina, RHP Todd Van Steensel, and RHP Pedro Guerra.
    [*]•Ciurcina

    was a guy who was terrific in the DSL and GCL and pretty bad last year in Elizabethton.
    [*]•I’m a little surprised by the Van Steensel decision. He didn’t have a great 2011 at Elizabethton, but at times, he pitched well. The strange thing, according to Jeremy Nygaard, is that Baseball America posted the releases at 6 p.m. last night central time. At 8 p.m. central time, Van Steensel, who is in Australia, tweeted that he just learned that the Twins released him. Strange timing. (Be sure to continue following Van Steensel’s Clubhouse Chronicles blog)
    [*]•I am very [/indent]surprised by the decision to release Pedro Guerra. He began each of the past two seasons at Elizabethton and advanced to Beloit where he pitched well.
    ◦Read also that the Orioles signed former Twins minor league catcher, Australian Allan de San Miguel.
    ◦Happy Birthday to Anthony Slama today! Also, congratulations to Slama and his girlfriend on their recent engagement. Slama’s soon-to-be brother-in-law, Collin Balester was traded earlier this offseason to the Detroit Tigers. (This is Page 6 kind of stuff, huh?)
    ◦MLB is conducting its Rookie Career Development Program this week. According to Jonathan Mayo, the Twins sent Joe Benson, Chris Parmelee and Rene Tosoni to the conference.
    ◦Phil Mackey wrote an article on the Twins payroll that I find myself completely agreeing with. Most Twins fans probably don’t.
    ◦Former Twins Kevin Slowey and R.A. Dickey began their trek to reach the peak of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. The two are doing it for a charity that rescues girls from enslavement in the sex trade and fights human trafficking.
    ◦Those in the Beloit area will want to consider attending the 8th Annual Snappers Hot Stove Banquet on January 19th. Guests will include Twins GM Terry Ryan, Senior Director of Minor League Operations Jim Rantz, and Twins outfielder Ben Revere. MLB Umpire Marty Foster will also be speaking at the event. For more details on the event and to see how to secure your tickets, click here.
    ◦The Twinkie Town 2012 Top 50 vote is up to Round 24. Be sure to get your votes in. The voting is somewhat different than mine, and that’s a good thing because no prospect lists that go as deep as 50 should be exactly the same! Great discussion in the comments too!
    ◦I always have to encourage people to follow me on Twitter, or at least bookmark my Twitter Feed page. Why? Because I tweet quite a bit, and often I don’t wind up blogging all of the information that gets tweeted. I retweet a lot of other people’s blog entries and articles for people to read. One such article was Roger’s Minor League Report from last Saturday. He had a sit-down with Minnesotan, former Gophers and Twins 2011 draft pick AJ Pettersen. AJ is one of the really good people, and Roger wrote about their discussion.
    ◦ By the way, my plan is to be at Twins Fest on January 27 and 28. I’ve enjoyed attending the event for several year and now enjoy meeting up with other bloggers and fans. It’s also fun to chat with the players and the minor leaguers. If you’re heading down to the Metrodome (and it is great that the Twins are back there for Twins Fest this year after the roof collapse a year ago), let me know!
    ◦One thing that I would love to eventually attend, and won’t be able to this year, is the 2012 Diamond Awards. This year, it is on Thursday, January 26th, at Target Field. It’s a great even that provides dollars for the University of Minnesota’s innovative research and patient care in ataxia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS.
    ◦Check out Parker’s blog on A team building exercise.
    ◦Quick Update on the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – I also wanted to let people know that I hope to have the book available in the next three weeks. My goal is always to have it available so that people can bring it to Twins Fest and get it signed by players. It is definitely coming together, and I’m nearly to the point of doing the final editing and production. I hope to have more information for you next week, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
    ◦There are a ton of great Twins blogs, and instead of me doing a Link blog today, I’ll encourage you to check out the NoDak Twins Fan’s Friday Links-N-Thinks and Aaron Gleeman’s Link-O-Rama.
     
    That’s it for today! Feel free to leave comments or more links/topics in the Comments section.
  12. Seth Stohs

    Friday Notebook

    By Seth Stohs,

    Good morning! I just wanted to post a few quick notes on an early Friday morning. I fell asleep early last night (not a bad thing!) and got up early this morning, so here are a few notes.
     
    ◦First of all, co
    ngratulations to Brian Duensing and his wife on the birth of their first child yesterday, a daughter.
    ◦I was quite surprised last night to read that the Twins decided to release minor leaguers RHP Cesar Ciurcina, RHP Todd Van Steensel, and RHP Pedro Guerra.
    •Ciurcina
    was a guy who was terrific in the DSL and GCL and pretty bad last year in Elizabethton.
    •I’m a little surprised by the Van Steensel decision. He didn’t have a great 2011 at Elizabethton, but at times, he pitched well. The strange thing, according to Jeremy Nygaard, is that Baseball America posted the releases at 6 p.m. last night central time. At 8 p.m. central time, Van Steensel, who is in Australia, tweeted that he just learned that the Twins released him. Strange timing. (Be sure to continue following Van Steensel’s Clubhouse Chronicles blog)

    •I am very [/indent]surprised by the decision to release Pedro Guerra. He began each of the past two seasons at Elizabethton and advanced to Beloit where he pitched well.
    ◦Read also that the Orioles signed former Twins minor league catcher, Australian Allan de San Miguel.
    ◦Happy Birthday to Anthony Slama today! Also, congratulations to Slama and his girlfriend on their recent engagement. Slama’s soon-to-be brother-in-law, Collin Balester was traded earlier this offseason to the Detroit Tigers. (This is Page 6 kind of stuff, huh?)
    ◦MLB is conducting its Rookie Career Development Program this week. According to Jonathan Mayo, the Twins sent Joe Benson, Chris Parmelee and Rene Tosoni to the conference.
    ◦Phil Mackey wrote an article on the Twins payroll that I find myself completely agreeing with. Most Twins fans probably don’t.
    ◦Former Twins Kevin Slowey and R.A. Dickey began their trek to reach the peak of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. The two are doing it for a charity that rescues girls from enslavement in the sex trade and fights human trafficking.
    ◦Those in the Beloit area will want to consider attending the 8th Annual Snappers Hot Stove Banquet on January 19th. Guests will include Twins GM Terry Ryan, Senior Director of Minor League Operations Jim Rantz, and Twins outfielder Ben Revere. MLB Umpire Marty Foster will also be speaking at the event. For more details on the event and to see how to secure your tickets, click here.
    ◦The Twinkie Town 2012 Top 50 vote is up to Round 24. Be sure to get your votes in. The voting is somewhat different than mine, and that’s a good thing because no prospect lists that go as deep as 50 should be exactly the same! Great discussion in the comments too!
    ◦I always have to encourage people to follow me on Twitter, or at least bookmark my Twitter Feed page. Why? Because I tweet quite a bit, and often I don’t wind up blogging all of the information that gets tweeted. I retweet a lot of other people’s blog entries and articles for people to read. One such article was Roger’s Minor League Report from last Saturday. He had a sit-down with Minnesotan, former Gophers and Twins 2011 draft pick AJ Pettersen. AJ is one of the really good people, and Roger wrote about their discussion.
    ◦ By the way, my plan is to be at Twins Fest on January 27 and 28. I’ve enjoyed attending the event for several year and now enjoy meeting up with other bloggers and fans. It’s also fun to chat with the players and the minor leaguers. If you’re heading down to the Metrodome (and it is great that the Twins are back there for Twins Fest this year after the roof collapse a year ago), let me know!
    ◦One thing that I would love to eventually attend, and won’t be able to this year, is the 2012 Diamond Awards. This year, it is on Thursday, January 26th, at Target Field. It’s a great even that provides dollars for the University of Minnesota’s innovative research and patient care in ataxia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS.
    ◦Check out Parker’s blog on A team building exercise.
    ◦Quick Update on the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 – I also wanted to let people know that I hope to have the book available in the next three weeks. My goal is always to have it available so that people can bring it to Twins Fest and get it signed by players. It is definitely coming together, and I’m nearly to the point of doing the final editing and production. I hope to have more information for you next week, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
    ◦There are a ton of great Twins blogs, and instead of me doing a Link blog today, I’ll encourage you

    to check out the NoDak Twins Fan’s Friday Links-N-Thinks and Aaron Gleeman’s Link-O-Rama.
    That’s it for today! Feel free to leave comments or more links/topics in the Comments section.
  13. Seth Stohs
    That my choice for Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year, Andrew Albers, paid his own way to Ft. Myers for a tryout with the Twins. He was later reimbursed, but he went to Ft. Myers knowing that if the Twins didn't sign him, he was ready to drive back home to Canada and begin life after baseball.
     
    Instead, the Twins signed the 25 year old left-hander. After spending a couple of weeks at Extended Spring Training, he was promoted 'across the parking lot' to the Ft. Myers Miracle. He pitched great for the Miracle and was eventually promoted to AA New Britain where he continued to pitch well.
     
    Following the season, he was named to Team Canada for the World Cup tournament in Panama. Tom Stuifbergen (Netherlands) was the tournament's top pitcher, but with over 15 scoreless innings, Albers pitched great as well. He then pitched for Canada in the Pan Am games and was the winning pitcher in the championship game.
     
    Not a bad year for Albers. And I'm sure the Twins are happy to have reimbursed his trip to Ft. Myers.
  14. Seth Stohs
    Alright, as many of you know - and maybe many of you are - I'm a huge binge TV watchers. I've got access to Amazon, Hulu and Netflix and watch so many shows. I'll watch almost anything. I've watched shows like Highway to Heaven, and I've watched shows like American Horror Story. I'm currently watching old episodes of 7th Heaven, and I'm very excited for Season 8 of The Walking Dead on AMC!
     
    I was late to the show, to be honest. Season 7 was the first season that I watched on AMC as it was happening. I binge-watched the first six seasons and completed them just before Season 7 began. I tell you, needing to wait a week for new episodes was incredibly difficult. Waiting a whole week between episodes? Waiting for months between seasons?
     
    On Sunday night at 8:00 central time, Season 8 of The Walking Dead will debut. Of not, it is also the show's 100th episode.
     
    In anticipation of the show tonight, I thought I would make eight predictions for Season 8. It should be noted that I haven't read any of the comics, so I don't know what follows that storyline or not. And, until typing this sentence, I never though to google The Walking Dead either. So, these are really just my top-of-head predictions for what should be an interesting season.
     
    When we last watched an episode, King Ezekiel, Rick and Maggie were standing before the people from The Kingdom, Alexandria and the Hilltop. They were inspiring their people, sending them off to war against Negan and his many, many followers.
     
    So, let's get started:
     
     
    Prediction #1 - Maggie Takes Over
     
    I don't know if she'll necessarily take over for Rick as the overall leader, but I think personally that she has shown to be a better, smarter leader. Rick has had his ups and downs in the leadership category over the years, and Maggie's got the intelligence and charisma to lead. Now, she is pregnant, so I don't know how that storyline will work this season. It certainly didn't set her back during the fight with Negan in the season 7 finale, but it may come into play.
     
    Prediction #2 - Death In Episode 100 (or Season 8, Episode 1)
     
    In the premier episode of Season 7, we saw the brutal deaths of Glen and Abraham at the hands of Negan (with the help of Lucille). I would anticipate that at least one or two of the main characters will be killed off. I don't think it'll be anyone like Rick, Carol, Daryl or Carl, but that next tier of character could be affected. Morgan finally got angry and decided that killing was OK, so he might be one to watch. Maybe someone like Tara or Rosita could also be lost. Shiva was one of the big heroes of the final Season 7 episode, so the hero tiger could play a factor in this as well.
     
    Prediction #3 - Carl & Enid
     
    It has to happen at some point, right? Carl and Enid have been kind of this cutesy couple of kids who might like each other, but kind of kept their distance, but also walked off in the woods together, and even ended up roller blading together. So, it's got to happen, right?
     
    Prediction #4 - A Relationship for Jesus
     
    We first saw Jesus in a semi light-hearted episode with Daryl and Rick in which a huge truck loaded with food ended up lost in a lake. At that point, I kind of figured his character would become prevalent. Jesus was a nice character in Season 7, but I would think it would be a bigger role in Season 8. In Season 7, he came out to Maggie as gay, which I'm sure sent shock waves to many, and likely upset some as well. I would guess that Jesus will have some sort of relationship this season. Many wonder if that will be with Daryl, who has pretty much only had platonic inclinations through the first seven seasons. Who knows? Maybe the writers will really go for the upset and hook up Jesus with Father Gabriel. Probably not.
     
    Prediction #5 - The Plight of Dwight
     
    So, I think that Dwight was being truthful in saying he wanted to help Rick's group against Negan, but in the final fight scene, he was still working with Negan. I am very curious how this plays out, again because I think he will want to be on the side of the good guys. In fact, I could see him being the one to take down Negan. But how will he integrate himself into Alexandria? That could be an episode or two all its own. Another question might be whether or not his wife will show up, maybe with beer and pretzels?
     
    Prediction #6 - Eugene will survive, somehow
     
    Eugene lied about knowing how to save the world. He is smart, and he's all about self-preservation. That's why he's all about the "I am Negan" right now. He feels comfortable right now, and he probably feels he is in a power position, and he likes it. But if we assume that "Negan" goes down, what will Eugene do to preserve himself again? Will he find a way back into the confidence of Rick and his group? My guess is Yes...
     
    Prediction #7 - Rick and Michonne Break Up
     
    I don't know. I just never thought they really made sense in the first place. As I watched, bringing them together seemed really forced. Plus, a break up is something that really hasn't happened on the show so far. I mean, there was Carol and her husband's issues early in Season 1, but those were resolved quickly. I mean, the Shane, Rick, Lori situation was kind of fun in Season 1 too, but a break up could create all sorts of intrigue.
     
    Prediction #8 - A Few Mini-Predictions/Questions
     
    OK, eight predictions for Season 8 just made sense, but I'm going to cheat a bit and throw a few quick predictions at you in #8 for your thoughts. The relationship between Daryl and Carol is interesting to me. They've had a very strong connection, strictly platonic to this point, throughout the show. If they don't have Daryl hook up with Jesus, could he and Carol come together? And, who will be the nemesis of the show is Negan isn't in power? Will Jadis take over as the real bad guy, or will there be another group? Gregory will also obviously be killed, or at least be taken out of the equation. Will it be fighting for the good side, or will it be at the hands of someone from the good side? Oceanside will have to come into play somehow, right? I still think that Tara and Cyndie will wind up together as a couple, so how will they all come together?
     
    So, there you have it, Eight-ish predictions for Season 8 of The Walking Dead. Please feel free to leave your comments on any of my predictions or predictions of your own in the Comments. And then after the episode, I may be back with additional thoughts, maybe even more blogs... at least if people are interested.
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