Seth Stohs

And if he is, it's not the end of the world. 1.) because of his plate approach, and 2.) because he's not a bad player, and 3.) because $4 million is nothing, and 4.) it's not guaranteed if someone else comes along.

The Minnesota Twins need to make a decision on 11 of their players on Friday. The deadline for determining whether to offer a player arbitration, or not, is one of those milestone dates on the baseball calendar. They don't have to sign a deal, just determine whether to offer the players a contract or not. This year, players with at least 2.124 years (2 years and 124 days) of service time are arbitration-eligible. Those players between 2.124 service years and 3.000 service years are the Super-2 guys and will have four arbitration seasons (should they stay in the big leagues that long). Today we will have a brief review of which players are arbitration-eligible. A reminder that you can find much more on these players (except CJ Cron, of course) in the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook. It's been a relatively quiet offseason, so if you haven't yet, you can download the Handbook (for free, if you choose).So, by Friday's deadline, the Twins need to either offer these players arbitration or non-tender them in which case they become free agents. Sometimes the two sides will reach an agreement before the deadline on a 2019 contract. That likely involves the Twins reaching out to the player and saying, "Hey, we will offer you $X to sign, otherwise we will non-tender you." Sometimes that can create a situation where the sides reach a deal on a multi-year contract. Sometimes they agree to a one-year deal and make it clear that they are open to a multi-year deal. Trades are also possible. It is also important to remember that arbitration contracts are not fully guaranteed. The Twins could DFA these guys and depending on when, they will only owe them a portion of the total salary. Let's take a look at the eligible players. Jake Odorizzi (5.042) - $9 - 10 million Odorizzi certainly had his ups and downs in 2018 with the Twins. He often wasn't able to get through six innings, but he ended pretty strong While the 2019 projected salary seems pretty high, the Twins have plenty of payroll, and Odorizzi does take the ball every time. There is value in that. Ideally, he's the Twins fourth starter. Prediction: Tendered Kyle Gibson (5.039) - $7.5 - 8.5 million A year ago, many were surprised that the Twins offered Gibson arbitration. But he ended the 2017 season strong (after a couple of minor league stints earlier in the season) and the Twins brought him back. At this point, it's' a no brainer that the Twins want Gibson back for 2019 after a strong 2018 season. If Gibson is open to it, I'm sure the Twins may be interested in a two or three year extension, but Gibson is now one year from free agency and may want to experience that. Prediction: Tendered CJ Cron (4.097) - $5.0 - $5.5 million Dude hit 30 home runs. The Rays just let him go for nothing. The Rays will go with Jake Bauers at first base and sign someone for cheap. $5 million for a guy coming off of the season Cron just had is a bargain. Easy choice to tender Cron a contract and get his bat in the lineup often. I mean, unless they go get Paul Goldschmidt. Prediction: Tendered Eddie Rosario (3.120) - $4.5 - $5.0 million Rosario has hit well in three of his four big leagues seasons. Even though he tailed off over the final month of 2018, in large part due to injury, Rosario had a great year. He was in the Final Vote for the All-Star Game and really deserved the opportunity. There''s not much to say here. Easy choice for his first arbitration. Prediction: Tendered (long-term discussions possible) Robbie Grossman (4.060) - $3.5 - 4 million Many seem to think that the decision on Grossman will be easy. He isn't a great defensive outfield and isn't versatile, so he's mostly a DH. He doesn't have a ton of power. But, he does get on base, and he does take very professional at-bats. And, $4 million isn't a lot. This decision shouldn't be as easy as many think. But... Prediction: Non-Tendered Max Kepler (2.152) - $2.8 - $3.2 million Kepler's primary value to this point has been that he is a tremendous defensive outfielder, and there is a lot of value in that. Overall, there hasn't been as much year-over-year improvement as many would like to see with the bat, though there have been improvements made (vs LHP, plate approach). And, 20 home runs is never something to completely sneeze at. Prediction: Tendered (and if it was me, I'd work for a long-term deal) Miguel Sano (3.066) - $2.8 - $3.2 million 2018 was an awful year for Miguel Sano on and off the field. There were a couple of off-field investigations. There were a lot of strikeouts. There was a demotion all the way to Ft. Myers. But arbitration figures factor in more than just one season, and Sano was an All-Star in 2017, so this will be an interesting case. But, it's an easy decision. Prediction: Tendered Ehire Adrianza (4.131) - $1.5 - $2.0 million This is another one that is probably a much more easy decision that one might think. Adrianza was a waiver claim by the Twins a couple of seasons ago, and he has been productive in his role has a utility infielder. He's probably been forced into more action than most would have planned and held his own. He can play four infield positions and left field adequately. Less than $2 million for a solid utility infielder is standard, maybe even low. Prediction: Tendered UPDATE (3:00 pm Thursday) Taylor Rogers (2.145) - $1.5 - $2.0 million Rogers was great in the first half of 2017 and struggled in the second half. In 2018, he put it all together and became one of the better left-handed relievers in baseball. Paul Molitor relied on him heavily, especially in the second half, and Rogers came through. Prediction: Tendered (maybe a two-year deal discussed) Byron Buxton (2.160) - $1.0 - $1.5 million Another interesting case. Buxton's 2018 season was derailed by the early-season broken toe that affected him in the field and at the plate. He spent a lot of time on the DL and in Rochester. As you can see from his service time, that cost him an extra season before free agency. But again, in 2017, he received several MVP votes and won a Gold and a Platinum Glove for his elite defense. Prediction: Tendered (and I would still be very open to a long-term deal) Trevor May (4.012) - $1.0 - $1.5 million May racked up a year of service time on the Disabled List, but he came back strong late in the 2018 season. In fact, he looked the part of a closer in September. Regardless of role or innings he may pitch, May is a guy who can be a real factor out of the Twins bullpen (or even as an opener). Prediction: Tendered (consider a multi-year deal) So there you have it. I'm predicting that the Twins will offer 2019 contracts to 10 of their 11 arbitration-eligible players. Most are no-brainers, and even the two players that many seem to think could be non-tendered are not easy decisions. What will the Twins do with each of these players, and what should they do? That's up for debate and discussion. You can do so below. Click here to view the article

Per Baseball-Reference, he's at 4.097 service years, so he would have one more year of arbitration remaining after 2019.

The Minnesota Twins announced on Monday afternoon that the team claimed first baseman CJ Cron off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. The slugger hit .253 in 2018 with 28 doubles, 30 home runs and 74 RBI.Coming off of a season in which he provided the surprising Rays with power and a 123 OPS+, it was surprising that the Rays would DFA him while he is still relatively inexpensive. Cron is arbitration-eligible and projected to receive a 2019 contract of approximately $5 million. Cron had spent the 2014 through 2017 seasons with the Angels before joining the Rays in 2018 and having a season worth 2.0 bWAR. Over his five-year career, Cron has hit .260/.311/.461 (.772) with 96 doubles and 89 home runs. One of the Twins needs in the offseason was a 1B/DH type to replace the recently-retired Joe Mauer as well as the injured Logan Morrison. If the Twins are set on Miguel Sano remaining at third base, and they have remained forthright that they are, they needed another hitter to team with Tyler Austin in those first base and DH positions. The Twins 40-man roster is currently at 39. Twins Daily's own Parker Hageman offered up some additional analysis on Twitter: Click here to view the article

The Twins’ Double A affiliate had been in Chattanooga for four years, but on October 1st of this year, the Twins announced a new Player Development Agreement with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Recently, Twins Daily reached out to the Blue Wahoo’s new media relations director, Daniel Venn. The Minnesota native grew up a Twins fans and has worked in the industry for several years. We appreciate him taking time to answer our questions and help us Get To Know the Twins newest affiliate.Get to know more about the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Which golf great and which former NFL star are minority owners in the team? And, how can you purchase some Blue Wahoos merchandise (at Black Friday prices)? Keep on reading. Twins Daily (TD): Dan, you're from Minnesota. What is your background in baseball and PR, and what was the process that brought you to Pensacola. Daniel Venn (DV): Hey Seth! Yes sir, born and raised in the Metrodome. I’ve got endless fond memories of those mid-2000s Twins teams somehow winning division title after division title and the Dome getting so loud you thought the roof would fly off. But, besides watching a lot of good baseball growing up and being one of the worst college middle relievers in history, I don’t have a professional background in the game. I got a degree in secondary education and taught both in the U.S. and internationally after college. Before my first job in sports, I had been teaching baseball and softball prospects in Nicaragua with the non-profit Helping Kids Round First and knew I would be coming back home to the States before the upcoming baseball season. Being young and dumb and having nothing tying me down, I thought I’d give my little kid dream of working in baseball a shot. I sent a resume and cover letter to EVERY minor, independent, and college summer league team in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Mexico. After 200+ emails, I got a grand total of four responses. Three said “Thanks, but we’re not hiring”. Thankfully the fourth, the Dunedin Blue Jays, had just posted a media relations job online (I had never seen the posting), thought I was applying for that, and thought my resume was strange enough that I’d be an entertaining interview. I didn’t actually know what job I’d gotten until I received the contract and read “Media Relations Coordinator” at the top! I spent two really great years with the Blue Jays in Dunedin working MLB spring training and with their Advanced A affiliate and getting a crash course in all things professional baseball. I decided this off-season that I wanted to try to move up in the minors and applied for an opening in Pensacola. When I applied, they were the Reds' Double A team. During the interview process, they declared themselves free agents and the day before my final interview they officially became the Twins Double A team. Sometimes it just works out. TD: The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a fairly new addition to the Southern League. What is the organization's brief history? (all with the Reds, etc.) DV: Pensacola has a really deep history with the game of baseball, going all the way back to the late 1800s with the Pensacola Dudes (now there’s a minor league team name!). Unfortunately, Pensacola lost its affiliated team in the early 60s during the civil rights era as Major League Baseball moved many minor league teams north so players of all races would have a better experience. Fast-forward many years. Independent baseball became popular in the south. Affiliated baseball returned. In 2002, Quint and Rishy Studer, a baseball-loving family which has helped revolutionize healthcare nationwide, attended an indy league game held at a local junior college between the Pensacola Pelicans and the Selma Cloverleafs. Within days, they noticed an article in the newspaper saying the Pelicans team was for sale and they acted. Independent league baseball is volatile. Teams fold without notice, but the Studers kept the Pelicans alive, sometimes paying other team’s salaries so they’d have competition or traveling as far as St. Paul to play the Saints! In 2009, they looked to move the Pelicans downtown into their own stadium and began building on some heavily-polluted but really beautiful waterfront property in Pensacola. While they were building the new stadium for the Pelicans, the Carolina Mudcats went up for sale, then the Double A team for the Reds. The Studers purchased the Mudcats and brought them to Pensacola, opening the new stadium with the return of affiliated baseball in Pensacola in 2012. TD: The stadium has been touted as one of the best in minor league baseball. Tell us a little more about the stadium and its brief history. What are the key features around the stadium that fans should be sure to check out (or eat!)? DV: I say this as a baseball fan and not a team employee: this stadium is AWESOME. My office is in the press box, so I spend all day trying to focus on my work when I’ve got the field and the water and sailboats going by right outside my window. There’s a reason Ben Hill just named Blue Wahoos Stadium “Best View” in Double A. Besides the fact that this stadium is so close to the ocean that you can hit home runs into the bay, it’s got everything you want in a minor league park. A grass berm in the outfield, three party decks, a great big screen….It’s also the smallest ballpark in the Southern League, so you can’t get any closer to the action than here. Most importantly, though, the team has a really special staff whose #1 focus is on customer service and putting on a great show every night. And I’m not just saying that. The Wahoos have been a team for just seven seasons and have already won the Southern League Organization of the Year four times and the league’s Community Service Award four times because of their dedication to the community, to customer service, and to great gameday experiences. In regard to food, I haven’t gotten to taste test anything yet…but, the team has their own Executive Chef who just competed in the World Food Championships. Besides your typical ballpark favorites, he cooks up a special themed dish every homestand based on the team we’re playing. I’m looking forward to that! TD: What was the process for the naming of the team, the Blue Wahoos? I imagine that there were a lot of potential options. DV: Speaking of minor league team names…it’s been quite the off-season already, hasn’t it? Amarillo Sod Poodles. Rocket City Trash Pandas. Fayetteville Woodpeckers. And, just announced this week, my favorite: the Rocky Mountain Vibes. Never thought I’d see a team with a s’more for a logo! On topic. Back in 2011, Pensacola held a name submission contest for their to-be new ballclub and received over 1,700 submissions from fans! It was narrowed down to six finalists: Aviators, Blue Wahoos, Loggerheads, Mullets, Redbones, and Salty Dogs. Blue Wahoos took home the fan vote, and the rest is history. Well, almost. The Wahoos did do a pretty fun “What Could Have Been Night?” a couple of years back where they played as the Mullets for a night. Check out that logo! TD: Bubba Watson became one of the team's minority owners a couple of years ago. What is his involvement level with the organization, and what is the rest of the ownership team? DV: Bubba threw out the first pitch at a Wahoos game after winning the Masters. The next time he won, he came back to throw out another first pitch. After that, his team inquired if he could become a part owner of the Wahoos! He’s local and shows up at games frequently when his schedule allows. He even throws on the roach costume from time-to-time and surprises fans during the team’s traditional fifth inning “Roach Run” contest. He’s also got a shop downtown called Bubba’s Sweet Spot that you’ve got to stop at if you’re ever in town and looking for a snack. Last season, Buccaneers great Derrick Brooks also joined the team as a minority owner. The original owners, Quint and Rishy Studer are still majority owners of the team. They’re incredible. They’ve done substantial work nationwide in healthcare, early brain development, and city revitalization. Today, the Studer Family of Companies includes the Blue Wahoos, real estate projects, numerous downtown shops, the Studer Family Institute, the Studer Foundation, and more. TD: How did the city as well as the stadium survive and handle the recent hurricane? DV: I was back home in Minnesota in the interview process when the hurricane hit. Pensacola was extremely fortunate as a city to sustain almost no damage. TD: Twins fans will want to know, are Blue Wahoo games available online, TV and/or radio? DV: All Blue Wahoos home games and nearly every road game (I believe only one team in the league doesn’t broadcast) will be on MiLB.TV! Games are also shown on Cox Sports for fans with the Cox Sports Package and can be found on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on BlabTV.com Every game is also on the radio with all broadcasts TD: What is the excitement level of the front office, but also of the fan base in Pensacola? DV: It’s a big change to move from the only organization the team and the city have ever known to a new affiliate! But, we’re lucky to be moving from one great organization to another. As a front office, I know we’re excited by the Twins commitment to being involved with the Blue Wahoos as a baseball team and as a business. From a baseball perspective, I think it’s definitely difficult to take a look at the Twins top prospect list and not get excited. There’s a good chance, in my opinion, we see the Twins #1, 2, and 3 prospects on the field in Pensacola at some point during the 2019. Having watched Fort Myers win the Florida State League Championship last year, it’s pretty exciting knowing a championship-level team is on its way up to you. TD: The Blue Wahoos could be the home of some of the organization's biggest prospects at points throughout the 2019 season. There must be some excitement in that thought. DV: Speaking as a Twins fan, absolutely. Working in the FSL last year, I drove to Bradenton and Lakeland and even as far as Fort Myers itself to catch Miracle games when I had nights off with the Blue Jays. It’s not often anyone will drive four hours to watch a minor league ball game, but with the talent they had there at the end of last season, it was well worth it. Lewis, Kirilloff, Graterol, Alcala, Arraez, Diaz, Blankenhorn, Rortvedt, Jax, Wells, Grzelakowski…so many good players have a good shot at being in Pensacola during the 2019 season. And I know I’m leaving off names and not even considering that loaded class at Cedar Rapids that has a chance to excel and move up through Fort Myers. Twins fans should definitely keep an eye firmly on Pensacola this season. TD Merchandise. Where can Twins fans go to add to their collections or Twins minor league affiliate merchandise by ordering some Blue Wahoo hats, t-shirts and more? DV: Hit up our online store! The timing couldn’t be better because we’re doing 30% off EVERYTHING this weekend, Black Friday through Cyber Monday, with the promo code KAZOO30. My personal favorite is the P-Hook Cap. I’m thinking I’ll probably just buy a stack of them and anyone who would have received a real Christmas present from me this year will get one. A huge Thank You to Daniel Venn for helping us Get to Know him and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Please feel free to leave comments and ask questions below. Click here to view the article

Twins officially announced their final coach: TWINS FINALIZE COACHING STAFF Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today their final coaching addition for the 2019 season. Former Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays coach Bill Evers will serve as Major League Coach under Manager Rocco Baldelli. Evers, 64, will also assist with catching instruction at the major league level. The New York native has spent over 30 years as a major league coach, minor league coach, minor league manager and minor league field coordinator for the Cubs, Yankees and Rays. Evers joined Tampa Bay during their inaugural season in 1998, and managed the Triple-A Durham Bulls from 1998-2005. He joined the Rays major league staff for the 2006-2007 seasons as bench coach under Manager Joe Maddon. Evers was a scout for the Rays for the 2008-2009 seasons and has been serving as the Rays minor league field coordinator since 2010. Evers compiled a 1,381-1,206 record (.534) as a minor league manager and with more than 2,500 games managed he ranks among all-time minor league leaders.

I just think there's no risk... Take a guy, and give him back... or turn him into Ryan Pressly. Either way I just mainly think it's silly to think that the team should just never take that option, whether they are a contender or not.

Correct... great way to add a player that you've liked. Obviously you have to factor in the guys you have versus the guys you could potentially take.

Per Doogie: The #MNTwins will leave Tyler Jay exposed:

I don't see Curtiss as a disappointment. He was great again at Rochester and just not given opportunities with the Twins. Busenitz at least got some chances, even if they were inconsistent. Regarding Jay... if you (or, the front office) think that he "probably" turns the corner this year and becomes what was projected, then he is a no-brainer to add.

What's the confusion on Michael Reed? He was claimed which means he's on the 40-man roster. Wiel and Davis aren't the type of players who get Rule 5d. Arraez is a one-tool player, so I don't think he's a Given. I could go either way on him. He really only is a 2B, and Polanco and Gordon are both ahead of him there... especially if they bring in a free agent middle infielder, which is pretty likely. He's an interesting case.

Tyler Webb grew up in Prosper, Texas, where he was a star on the football field in high school. He was also a star baseball player in high school, coached by the father of a big-league All Star. He was mentored by a local big leaguer who starred for the Minnesota Twins for 12 of his 19 major-league seasons. In 2018, he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins. Recently, Twins Daily had the opportunity to catch up with Tyler Webb, the Twins 40th round draft pick this past June to learn about a variety of topics. What was it like to play high school football in Texas? What are his strengths, and what areas is he hoping to improve upon during the offseason? Thank you to Tyler for taking time to answer our questions!Upon signing with the Twins, Tyler Webb spent most of the summer in the Gulf Coast League, though he did play ten games in Elizabethton when they needed an outfielder. Join us in getting to know Twins minor league outfielder and 2018 draft pick Tyler Webb. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Prosper, Texas, I have an assumption on which MLB team was your favorite team growing up. Did you get to a lot of Rangers games? Who were some of your favorite players? Tyler Webb (TW): Yes, growing up I was a big Rangers fan. My dad would take me to a bunch of games when I was younger and when I got older me and my friends would go on the weekends when we got a chance to make a game. My two favorite players that I got to watch were Michael Young and Josh Hamilton. SS: You were a three-time All Star football player in Texas. Do the movies and TV shows do justice to football in Texas, and what was your football experience like? TW: The movies do a good job of showing the hype of Texas football. There’s nothing like a Friday night football game in the state of Texas. The energy and atmosphere is unmatched. My football experience was unbelievable. I was fortunate enough to play all four years on varsity, so I got to play in a lot of big games and also play with some great players who went on to play at big division 1 schools and even to go on and play in the NFL. SS: You were also twice an All State performer in baseball. What were some of the better memories of your high school baseball career? TW: I was lucky enough to have a great coach in high school, he is actually Matt Carpenter’s, for the Cardinals, dad. We were and still are what I would consider one of the powerhouses in the state of Texas so we always made it deep into playoffs and won a lot of games. The best memories I have from high school baseball are just the playoff runs we made and the other big name schools we played and beat. SS: What was the recruitment process like for you out of high school, and what made Galveston College the right place for you to play? Did you consider playing football after high school too? TW: The recruiting process for baseball out of high school was very slow for me. I only had a few junior colleges that were looking at me. It wasn’t until my senior year that I decided to pursue baseball, because up until then I was so focused on football. But when I realized that I probably had more opportunities in baseball I decided to take that route. I chose Galveston College because coach Joblin was going to put me at a position that suited me best. I played infield in high school but knew my strength was outfield and Galveston was the only school that saw that. SS: What was the adjustment from the high school game to the junior college game? You stepped in and immediately put up some big numbers. TW: The adjustment from high school to junior college was tough. My freshman fall was terrible. I was having no success and wasn’t enjoying it. But something clicked for me going into the spring and I ended up having a great freshman year and then I went into my sophomore year with a ton of confidence and ended up being an All-American. SS: How about the decision to go to the University of Memphis after two years at Galveston? Did you have options, and what made becoming a Tiger the right move for you at that time? TW: My decision to go to Memphis was a no brainer. As soon as I stepped onto the campus I knew that was where I wanted and needed to go. I had some other options, but I just had a feeling that those weren’t the right places for me. I also had a high school teammate that was playing at Memphis at the time so that was neat to get to play with him again. SS: When did you first start to notice scouts at your games? When did you have your first interactions with scouts? TW: I first started noticing scouts at games my sophomore year of Junior College. And then scouts continued to come my junior and senior year of college. It really didn’t start heating up until my senior fall when I started having meetings with a bunch of teams. SS: The Twins took you in the 40th round. How did you find out that you had been drafted? How busy was your phone at that moment? TW: I had received some calls earlier in the draft, but teams never pulled the trigger on me. Then when it came to the last day the Twins had contacted me in the earlier rounds that day but when it came to the 40th round I hadn’t heard anything so I honestly stopped watching the draft. My mom on the other hand was still watching and my name popped up and she went crazy, then at that same time the area scout called me and let me know I had been picked. It was a very stressful but neat experience. SS: What has the adjustment been like for you so far, from the college game to the professional game, both on and off the field? TW: The adjustment from college to pro ball was tough but I was prepared. I have a few close friends who had been in pro ball a year or two before me so I was able to get good advice from them on what to expect. SS: At this very early stage in your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths? TW: My biggest strength right now would be my ability to learn. I still don’t believe I’ve reached my full potential and I know there is still a lot about the game that I can absorb and incorporate to my own game to be successful. SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve? TW: The part of my game that I feel needs improvement is hitting. I would consider myself an athletic hitter, but I want to be a pure hitter in the long run. SS: What do you have planned for the offseason? What was your major in school, and what do you do to get away from the game of baseball? TW: This offseason I am currently finishing up some school while I have the chance to. I’m majoring in business management. I love being outdoors so any chance I get to go hunting or fishing I do. SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? TW: First and foremost I have to give credit to my dad for putting me in baseball and providing me with whatever necessary to be successful in this game. My high school coach is another big influencer on how I got to where I am. He really changed my mind from football to baseball. Another person who helped me was my junior college coach. He really helped me become a better player both defensively and offensively and gave me a foundation to build off of. Then my coaches at Memphis really fine-tuned my skills to prepare me for pro ball. A person that was always a mentor for me throughout this was Torii Hunter. I grew up in the same town as him and played with his sons and he was always there to answer any questions I had. SS: Favorite Baseball movie? TW: The Sandlot is a classic. A huge Thank You to Tyler Webb for taking the time to respond to our questions. We wish him a great offseason and success going forward in his career. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions below. Click here to view the article

Tuesday night, the Twins announced that they have added infielders Nick Gordon and Luis Arraez and outfielder LaMonte Wade to their 40-man roster. On Monday night, Aaron Gleeman of Baseball Prospectus was the first to report Gordon and Wade being added. Later, the Twins Official website has added those two players to their 40-man roster .Arraez was not announced until Tuesday. In addition, Alan Busenitz has been granted his unconditional release so he can sign with the Rakuten Eagles in Japan. The Twins roster is at 38. Here is a list of other Twins minor leaguers who were not added to the 40-man roster. These players will be eligible to be selected in the December Winter Meetings. Right-Handed PItchers: Jake Reed, Cody Stashak, Johan Quezada, Andro Cutura, Hector Lujan, Ryan Eades Left-Handed Relief Pitchers: Tyler Jay Outfielders: Zander Wiel, Jaylin Davis Catchers: Brian Navarreto Click here to view the article

And Zach Bove comes from Central Florida this year too. Definitely a trend happening.

Yeah, Rudy Hernandez has probably been the one voice who spoke Spanish as his primary language. It will be good to have a second coach on the staff with speaks the language fluently.

I'm pretty sure that Baldelli could present several names and maybe got a couple of 'his' guys considered, but my assumption is that the decision is ultimately Falvey's since he's the Chief Baseball Operator and wants to make sure that the coaches are matching up with his philosophies.

On Friday afternoon, the Twins announced most of their 2019 coaching staff. While they are still looking to fill one spot on Rocco Baldelli's coaching staff, they did make seven of their coaches official.New Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has talked since he was hired that he felt that hiring his coaching staff would be his first big decision. On Friday, they announced most of his staff. Previously, they had announced that hitting coach James Rowson and assistant hitting coach Rudy Hernandez would return to their roles. When Derek Shelton finished runner-up to Chris Woodward for the Rangers job, it was clear that he would return as the bench coach. On Thursday, Dan Hayes from The Athletic broke the news that the Twins were hiring long-time college pitching coach (most recently at the University of Arkansas), Wes Johnson for that role with the Twins, his first job in professional baseball. Later Thursday afternoon, Derek Wetmore broke the news that Jeremy Hefner would be added to the coaching staff as well. He had been an advanced scout for the Twins in 2018. Friday the Twins announced that he will be the assistant pitching coach. On Friday, the Twins announced that Tony Diaz will be their third base coach. He has spent the last 20 years managing and coaching in the Colorado Rockies organization. Most recently, he was the first base coach in the big leagues.The Dominican Republic native authored a book called Practical English for Latin Players. Tommy Watkins will be their first base coach. Watkins was the Twins 38th round pick in the 1998 draft out of high school in Ft. Myers. He slowly worked his way up the organizational ladder, and in 2007, he played nine games in the big leagues. In fact, he was hitting .357 (through nine games) and had become the starting third baseman. Unfortunately, he was injured and missed the rest of the year. He spent another year in the organization before retiring as a player and becoming a coach. He was the hitting coach in Beloit and then also when the Twins moved their Midwest League affiliate to Cedar Rapids. He moved up to Chattanooga for a year as their hitting coach, but then became the manager back in Cedar Rapids. In 2018, he was the Lookouts manager, and on Saturday, he will lead the Salt River Rafters into the Arizona Fall League championship game. Watkins has worked very closely with the core of young Twins players through their minor league careers. Watkins said that he was "stunned" when he found out the news yesterday and is excited for the opportunity. In an interview with Ft. Myers News Press writer David Dorsey, he said, "I’m excited for the opportunity, I can tell you that. It’s what we all work for. We can’t all play in the big leagues, and we can’t play forever. The next best thing would be to coach in the big leagues." The Twins also announced that they will be hiring one more coach. Baldelli talked about putting together a collection of talented coaches who can teach. He talked about the importance of diversity. Hernandez is the oldest coach at 50. Derek Shelton is 48. Rowson is 42 while Johnson and Diaz are both 41. Tommy Watkins is 38, and Jeremy Hefner is just 32 years old. Is it possible that the staff is too inexperienced, or is this group of coaches with a vast array of experiences, strong people skills and willingness to be open-minded exactly what they need right now? Click here to view the article

Not really what youre asking as I know that your'e talking about MLB time... but I looked at my 2018 Opening Day Longest Tenured in the organization list... Mauer, Vargas and Dozier (1, 2, 3 at the time) are all gone, so here is the update:

From DJ Baxendale: