Seth Stohs

Terry was the best... In probably 2010, I was in Beloit watching the Snappers play a few games. Ryan was there. I was in the stadium early, watching BP and infield practice and such. Ryan was in the stands, sitting high, watching the minor leaguers. After one of the games, he approached me. I had never met him before. He introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Terry Ryan." "Yup... you sure are." "I was just wondering why you didn't come up and chat with me." I told him that I was there for fun and my own view of hte players, but that he was there working. He was great to talk to. In Ft. Myers, he would always come over and chat with me on the minor league side. He would have fans come up and ask him questions about who was practicing, and he would push them over to ask me because "he is down here more than I am unfortunately." His pre-game media chats were great, and obviously he couldn't tell us everything, but he appreciated the Twins Daily types as much as the mainstream media guys because he knew our passion. He got the we don't make any money doing this (or very little), and he knows we care. One year, I asked him a question about a minor leaguer in a spring training media session, and he smiled like he was just happy to talk about a different topic and about a guy that he thought was a good story. I could go on and on. I still see him occasional in spring training on the minor league fields or in the press box, and always make it a point to talk to him for a bit. Usually it's him who comes over to me... Things didn't necessarily go well in his return to the GM job, but I will always admire the person that Terry Ryan is.

I've always thought Rosario and Kepler should have switched too. Not because of the glove hand, but because of the arms. Kepler has a plus arm, but Rosario has a plus-plus arm (though sometimes a bit wild). As for the balls toward the corner, I don''t think that''s a huge deal by any means. Maybe it's' a 3-inch difference or so, even somewhat depending on the angle that they're running.

Just curious... why would it be nice to have a righty-throwing outfielder... Why would that be a benefit? I get it that it's nice to have another right-handed hitting outfield option, just not sure why what arm they throw with matters.

The Twins announced on Wednesday that they have claimed outfielder Michael Reed from the Atlanta Braves. Reed was born in Maplewood, Minnesota. He played in seven games for Atlanta in 2018. He had previous big league experience with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 and 2016.The 25-year-old Reed played 44 games at Double-A Mississippi and hit .314/.446/.493 (.939). In 53 games at Triple-A Gwinnett, he hit .363/.459/.539 (.997). Combined, he hit 26 doubles and 11 home runs. Reed is a speedy outfielder who has always been able to take walks. He has shown some power. He is also a right-handed bat. With Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Jake Cave in a likely 2019 outfield, along with Byron Buxton, a right-handed hitting fourth or fifth outfielder could provide value. The move may tip the Twins hand on roster decisions of Johnny Field and Zack Granite, and possibly Robbie Grossman. Could Michael Reed be a similar story to Jake Cave? The Twins acquired Cave in a spring training trade with the Yankees. He was coming off of a big season, split between AA and AAA after struggling with injuries early in his career. Both could be late bloomers who provide value in the big leagues. Cave has shown more power, while Reed has better defense and on-base skills. Claiming players off of waivers is not going to excite a fan base or provide a future star, but this could be a solid depth move for the Twins outfield, particularly if the front office has any plans to deal an outfielder this offseason. Click here to view the article

Jaylin Davis's four-hit night last night should help!

They don't have to officially make the moves until mid-November (maybe the 20th or so?). And Baldelli won't see them. These decisions are totally front office/minor league staff decisions... The manager may help them lean toward a style or something to (very minimally) input an opinion.

Mauer, Belisle, Gimenez and Forsythe became free agents after the World Series. Santana and Morrison have options that the Twins will have to decide on, likely in the next day or two.

I would be completely shocked if Andrew Vasquez is DFAd. He was brought up for a purpose. He's potentially part of the future. So, he's' not going anywhere (well, I guess he could be traded, but he's not a DFA candidate). As for your starters... Jorge came off the roster in the season. Slegers is a possible DFA candidate. The others are not getting DFAd (again ,could be trade options). Rortvedt and the other high school picks from 2016 (Kirilloff, Baddoo, Miranda, Balazovic, Benninghoff) won't be eligible for two more years.

Navarreto was drafted in 2013, so he's not a free agent for another year. Bard and Baxendale became free agents at the end of the World Series. One thing for people to remember... The Twins will DFA some more guys before they add a few guys. I don't expect them to add too many. Remember,, those players added can't be removed from the 40-man roster until sometime in spring training. So, they'll leave some open roster spots and they'll keep some guys on the 40-man roster that they can DFA during the winter if needed. Do we know if LaMonte Wade is better than Robbie Grossman? I don't know that. I would say No right now.

But the GCL and DSL seasons were over, so he's not eligible... at least that's what I've been told by a few people. If that is wrong, then he is #1 on the Given list. For sure.

It''s a reality. That is and should be a factor for all teams. But, as we saw last year with Stewart, it isn't the biggest factor. A bigger factor will be his stuff. Second, they have Taylor Rogers and Gabriel Moya in the big leagues and Andrew Vasquez has passed Jay as a LH RP option. They also will factor in if they plan to go get a LH RP in free agency, and also, how they could potentially uses these guys.

That's the way it used to be. The managers still vote on it, but they're given better guidelines and take it more seriously now. They're given all the numbers, so it means a lot more now than it did, say, 15 years ago. The Platinum Glove is voted on by the fans, so that one may be more questionable... though I think the fans got it right when they voted for Buxton last year (And Andrelton Simmons has won it a couple times, I believe).

I'm not crying either... No... I'm not ... really!!

Interesting idea, and maybe Nick has some different thoughts... My thoughts are that the Offseason Handbook is a prep for the offseason. Presents many of the options for the offseason. But rather than update there, we will update with articles here on this site. And hopefully those articles (after signing players, etc) will include some thoughts on what is next.

The MLB offseason is upon us. There are many decisions that this front office will need to make. Some will happen soon. One big decision that is made every November is which players to add to the 40-man roster. Being added to the 40-man roster is a huge thing for players. They make a little more money in the minor leagues, but more important, a huge obstacle to being called up to the big leagues is removed. Here is a list of Twins minor leaguers who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected.As a reminder, here are some of the criteria for who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected. Here is this year’s criteria: Players who signed when they were 18 or younger in 2014 (during the minor league season).Players who signed when they were 19 or older in 2015.Players who were eligible in previous seasons are also eligible again.Players drafted or signed during the 2012 season became free agents after the World Series was complete. That includes Luke Bard and DJ Baxendale. If the Twins signed them (or other minor league free agents) before the Rule 5 draft, they would be eligible to for the Rule 5 draft.But back to the players needing to be added or risk losing to the Rule 5 draft, I’ll break them into a few categories. The Givens are players that I think have to be added or there is a high percentage that they will be selected if they are not. The next are players that are more On The Bubble. It will be interesting to see which of these guys are added. How many spots are available on the team’s 40-man roster, etc. I’m going to add a couple of Sleepers. Finally, the Next category are those players that probably won’t be added and yet do have a chance to be selected by the right team with the right need or the right report. The Givens Andrew Vasquez would have been in this list, but he was called up to the Twins on September 1st. I have two players listed as givens. SS/2B Nick Gordon - He may have struggled in the second half of the season after his promotion to the Red Wings, but Gordon, the team’s top pick in 2014 just turned 23 and remains a quality prospect. Will he play second base or shortstop, or both, in the big leagues? Yes.OF LaMonte Wade - Wade will turn 25 on New Years Day. He returned to AA to start 2018 and hit the same number of home runs in less than half as many games. He hit .229 in Rochester and still got on base 33% of the time. The outfielder is close and for the right team, he could start in the big leagues now.On The Bubble Again, this group is the players on the bubble. Depending upon how many players the Twins add, a couple of these players could be added. 2B Luis Arraez - After missing most of 2017, Arraez returned to form with the Miracle in 2018 and ended the season with two months in Chattanooga. While not a high ranking prospect, the second baseman can hit single after single.RHP Jake Reed - If it was me, Reed would be a given, but he already didn’t get selected a year ago in the Rule 5 draft, and he didn’t get a September call up despite being tremendous over the final three months of the season. Now 26, he is ready for a big league opportunity.RHP Nick Anderson - As good as Reed was over the final three months, that’s how good Anderson was during the season’s first three months. Another inexplicable exclusion from the September roster adds, Anderson is absolutely ready for a big league opportunity, making him a strong Rule 5 candidate.LHP Tyler Jay - The Twins top pick in 2015 has endured a series of arm injuries which have cost him time and some of his stuff. Now a reliever, he still has a chance to be a big league contributor.The Sleepers Here are a couple of guys who might be brought up some places as possible . RHP Johan Quezada - Signed way back in September of 2012, Quezada only has four games pitched above the rookie leagues. He was very raw when he signed. He grew a ton, but then he struggled with shoulder issues for a couple of years. He returned this year and found an upper-90s fastball. He turned 24 late in the season and isn’t likely to stick, but he is a very intriguing arm.RHP Andro Cutura - Cutura returned in May after missing two years due to Tommy John surgery. The former seventh-round pick threw well for the Miracle in his return. Again, probably not so much a Rule 5 guy as one to watch in 2019.The Next This is a group that contains some intriguing names. While they aren’t obvious choices, there could be a team that likes them enough to take a shot with a Rule 5 pick. 1B/OF Zander Wiel - Now playing first base and left field, Wiel had a really nice season in AA Chattanooga before a late-season promotion to Rochester.RHP Ryan Eades - The Twins second round pick in 2013, Eades continued to pitch in multiple roles. Not a starter, and not a late-inning guy, Eades could be intriguing for teams interested in using him as an Opener candidate.C Brian Navarreto - Navaretto is such a strong defensive catcher. If he can hit even a little bit, he could have a long big league career. He’s got the size, but he just hasn’t put up the numbers offensively.OF Jaylin Davis - Davis is playing well in the Arizona Fall League. He was able to cut down his K-rate and increase his walk rate in 2018.RHP Hector Lujan - Another AFL candidate, Lujan has slowly worked up the system and continued to add pieces to his game. He throws hard and has some intriguing secondary pitches.RHP Cody Stashak - Stashak moved to the bullpen in 2018 and really had a nice season. He too could be intriguing as teams look to use the Opener of bullpening strategies in coming years.The Rest Here is a list of other players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Twins organization. LHP Sam ClayOF Tanner EnglishRHP Randy LeBlancIF Alex Perez LHP Alex Robinson1B/3B Chris PaulOF Jean-Carlos AriasRHP Miguel De Jesus RHP Sandy Lugo LHP Lachlan WellsRHP Yancarlos Baez RHP Williams Ramirez RHP Moises Gomez Now, the number of players added to the 40-man roster will in large part depend upon how many players that the front office is willing to remove from the 40-man roster over the next couple of weeks. In the comments below, discuss my ranking and rank them by how you would protect them. Click here to view the article

Yeah, he does the Twins first every year, then - I think - Atlanta, and then the Royals maybe?

As the 2018 World Series is set to start tonight in Boston, indications would seem to be the the Twins are down to just a couple of final candidates for the next team manager. Twins bench coach Derek Shelton, Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde, and Rays Major League Field Coordinator Rocco Baldelli appear to be the favorites, though it is entirely possible that there are other candidates that we just aren’t hearing as much about. So instead of dissecting each candidate, let’s take a moment to consider what we, as fans, would want to see from the next Twins manager. What traits do you think are important, and why?Instead of regurgitating old, tired discussions about why the Twins needed to fire Paul Molitor (or Ron Gardenhire before him), let’s be a little more productive. Let’s not jump to hyperbole and automatically bash everything about the Twins brass. Like all of us, there is good and not-so-good in everybody. People have strengths and areas for improvement. What are the areas of strength that you find most important for a manager? So, for the sake of important, meaningful discussion, let’s limit this discussion to the manager role. Today, I’m going to post several qualifications that I think are either important for an MLB manager or that come up often in discussions. Feel free to discuss the qualifications in the comments, but mostly, use this article to start thinking about who you would like to see replace Paul Molitor. MANAGERIAL EXPERIENCE (BACKGROUND) Do the Twins need to hire someone with experience as a big league manager? If so, does it need to be a manager who has put together World Series championships, or could you consider a candidate who wasn’t good in his first manager job but meets many other requirements? (Note that none of the three men generally presumed to be the Twins finalists have any major league managerial experience.) How about minor league managerial experience, and if so, how much? Do you prefer a candidate who has been second-in-command in a winning organization, for instance, a respected bench coach? Can the candidate be a former player, or would the negate him as a possibility for you? While they probably couldn’t officially ask, does age factor into the decision? ANALYTICS This is one that people think that the Twins are so far behind on, but with Derek Falvey on board, it’s now known as an organization that embraces analytics. So what level of analytical skill or curiosity is enough, or maybe even too much? And how do you evaluate that? A manager may not always go by the analytic book. A manager has to go by the gut sometimes, based on factors that we as fans may not see or ever know about. Players need rest. Players may have other things going on. COMMUNICATION Which leads to a pretty important topic; how does the manager communicate? How should the manager communicate with the front office? How much voice should he have in the conversations about any number of topics? How should the manager communicate with his coaching staff? How should the manager communicate with the players? We often hear the term “lose the clubhouse.” That didn’t happen with Paul Molitor, but it is always a topic when a team loses. How much screaming and yelling do you want from a manager? Or do you prefer a manager be more laid back and professional in his communication? In other words, do you want someone with "fire in his belly" like Ron Gardenhire, or someone generally more calm and collected like Paul Molitor? While less important than the above, what would your expectations be for a manager with the media? Ron Gardenhire was great, gave good, fun answers, and often didn’t say much. Paul Molitor was terrific with the media as well, very smart and thoughtful in his responses. As fans, we want to know everything and we want to know the real reasons for whatever situation, but that’s not always best for the team. So, what would you want? PLAYER DEVELOPMENT How much input should the major league manager have in the development of philosophies on the minor leagues and player development? How can the manager be helpful in the transition from minor league baseball to the big leagues? How much of this is delegated to the coaching staff? How can a manager help players continue to develop once getting to the big leagues, and how do you evaluate that? Player development is rarely linear. For example. Miguel Sano came up in July of 2015 and played so well that he was named the Twins MVP. In 2016, he took a step backward. But then in 2017, he played well in the first half and was an All Star. And then he got hurt, and 2018 was a mess. How much of that is on the manager? Every manager (and hitting coach, and pitching coach) will have his successes and failures, so how should it be evaluated? BULLPEN USAGE Bullpen usage has been a topic as it relates to Ron Gardenhire and Paul Molitor. Both were often accused of not being very good at it. How do you expect bullpen arms to be used? How much usage is too much usage? How much negativity would come up when a top reliever is given an extra day off and a secondary reliever comes in instead and gives up a lead? But over the long haul, was it the right thing? How is it evaluated when there are only three or four reliable options in the bullpen? How do the manager and the pitching coach share responsibility in this? WINS AND LOSSES At the end of a day, Wins are what any manager will be evaluated by, right or wrong? What are the expectations for Win total in 2019, and how does that change if the Twins front office makes more July deadline deals, or if a couple of major contributors get hurt? How long are you giving a manager to ‘Win”? Two years? And does that mean winning an AL Central title, or are you talking about a playoff series, or even a game? Or, a World Series title? MISCELLANEOUS How do you define “Success” with the next manager? What should the clubhouse atmosphere be like under a new manager? What should the atmosphere between the manager and the front office personnel be? How does the managerial candidate feel about building from within? How does that manager candidate create a culture of accountability with his players, coaches and himself? Which current major league and minor league coaches would be let go, and who would you bring back? WHAT DO YOU THINK? All right, now it’s your turn? What are the most important qualities that a Manager can bring to an organization? I brought up a lot of topics, and how do you go about acquiring those kinds of players? Put yourself in the shoes of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. You need to decide which manager will lead your vision. What does that look like, and how embodies that? Again, I appreciate this thread not turning into yet another negative, bashing thread, but instead, let’s be productive and each of us jot down our thoughts on what makes a good manager, and what type of candidate we would support for the Twins. Click here to view the article

At the All Star break in 2017, I wrote up an article discussing the Twins Core Four. During the Twins recent poor seasons, there was a lot of hope tied to these four Twins prospects who were now playing in the big leagues. As the 2017 season was nearing its completion, and the Twins were marching toward the playoffs, I wrote that the Twins might just have a Core Seven. Three other prospects that didn’t come up with quite the hype as the top four, but were still borderline Top 100 prospects too. Here we are, one year later, and the Twins front office has a lot of big decisions to make, and potentially a lot of money to spend. How do these seven players factor into this offseason?Throughout the really rough Twins seasons from 2011 through the surprising 2015 season, and then through the equality surprising - and incredibly disappointing - 2016 season, the hope the so many Twins fans held on to involved the highly-touted prospects. The New York Yankees had their Core Four - Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera. They were the key to those four-straight Yankees championships in the late 1990s. Sure, they had help, but building a core from within is vital to any sort of championship run. While my expectations for the Twins core of minor league prospects wasn’t going to be for them to win multiple World Series titles, the hope was certainly for them to bring the Twins back to a competitive state. It was for them to get back to the playoffs and be a perennial contender for the World Series. That core of players came up between 2015 and 2016 and were a big part of the Twins run to the AL Wild Card game in 2017. But then there were struggles by several of these core players, as well as some of the free agents that were brought in to contribute, and 2018 was a disappointing season. Today, let’s take a look at that Core Seven and see how they’ve done and where they stand going into the 2018-2019 offseason. ADALBERTO MEJIA Admittedly, Mejia was an add-on to the list. When he came to the Twins from the Giants in a deadline deal with the Giants for Eduardo Nunez, he had recently been named in a midseason Top 100 Prospect ranking by Baseball America. He made the Twins Opening Day roster in 2017, and he had some ups and downs. While he usually struggled to complete five innings, he showed that he had some decent stuff. And, he was just 24 as the 2017 season came to an end. Mejia didn’t make this roster to start the 2018 season. In fact, he didn’t make an appearance for the Twins until the end of June. He was fantastic for the Red Wings starting in June and July. He made four appearances for the Twins in late July and early August. In those four games, he gave up just two runs over 18 1/3 innings. Over his final three appearances (against Boston, Cleveland and Cleveland), he gave up just three hits (and four walks) over 13 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, he left that game with a sore wrist and forearm and didn’t pitch again in 2018. Give some thought to which pitchers will comprise the Twins starting rotation in 2019. Where does Mejia fit into that group? Is he part of a Core? Probably not, but maybe as we see more Openers or the Brewer Bullpen strategy, Mejia’s ability to get through three innings might be valuable. JORGE POLANCO Out of options, the Twins had to keep Polanco in the big leagues throughout the 2017 season. In June, he was hitting just .213 (.570) with little power. Paul Molitor gave him several games off. Over the final two months, Polanco hit .316/.377/.553 (.931) with 15 doubles and 10 home runs. He became the team’s best hitter down the stretch and hit third in the lineup. There was excitement surrounding Polanco as spring training began, but in mid-March, news came that Polanco had been suspended for 80 games for a performance-enhancing drug violation. He returned to the team in early July. While it took him a little while to get going, he ended up hitting .288/.345/.427 (.773) with 18 doubles and six homers. Polanco is yet to reach arbitration, so he will be an important part of the 2019 Twins season. Will he play shortstop or second base? That may be a question for the Twins front office to determine. Polanco has another year before he hits arbitration. EDDIE ROSARIO Rosario put together an impressive rookie season in 2015. He struggled early in 2016 which earned him a trip back to Rochester for a month, but really since then, he’s been one of the Twins more consistent hitters. In 2017, he hit .290/.328/.507 (.836) with 33 doubles and 27 home runs. In 2018, he hit .288/.323/.479 (.803) with 31 doubles and 24 home runs despite missing the final 12 games of the Twins schedule. He was the Twins Daily choice for team MVP. Rosario will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason and should get a hefty raise, earning eight-to-ten times as much as he did in 2018. He’s earned it, and he should remain the Twins left fielder. MAX KEPLER Kepler signed with the Twins on the same day as Jorge Polanco in 2009. Kepler really didn’t get a lot of prospect fanfare, at least not nationally, until his monster 2015 season in Chattanooga where he won the Southern League MVP and helped the Lookouts to the league championship. That season, he hit .322/.416/.531 (.947) with 32 doubles, 13 triples and nine home runs. Through his first three MLB seasons, Kepler has been remarkably consistent. Often that is a good thing, but it would be great to see him taking steps forward. His OPS in those years have been .734, .737, and .727. He has hit 17 home runs, then 19 home runs, and on the final day of the 2018 season, he knocked his 20th home run of the season. But it’s also important to remember that his WAR (Wins Above Replacement) according to fangraphs have been 1.2, 1.4, and it jumped up to 2.6 in 2018. Kepler should remain a part of the Twins future and at least their 2019 plans. His defense is strong, even when he played centerfield. He has some power, and he remains full of power potential. He is Super-2 arbitration eligible this offseason. So while Kepler has been valuable while making close to league minimum, he may have to start taking those strides forward starting in 2019. BYRON BUXTON Buxton has been highly-touted since the Twins used the #2 overall pick in the 2012 draft on the athletic outfielder. He was the #1 overall prospect in all of baseball two years. He was rushed up to the big leagues in 2015. Since then, he has endured long slumps. He has had a variety of injuries, many caused by how hard he plays the game or slamming into walls. He has bumped up and down from the Twins to Rochester and back and forth several times. In 2017, he played in 140 games, and he showed exactly why so many are so excited about. After a slow start through his first 18 games, he hit .274/.333/.452 (.785) with 12 doubles, six triples and 16 home runs over the final 122 games. Add in that he is the best defensive center fielder in baseball. He won the AL Gold Glove and the AL Platinum Glove (best overall defensive player in the league). But 2018 was a major disappointment for Buxton. He got off to a slow start, and then he had a migraine. He fouled a ball off of his foot, and broke his big toe. He missed a little time, but he came back before the bone had healed, and the struggles continued to affect him. He went on the DL later in the season and stayed in Rochester the rest of the year. As we know, he was sent home rather than joining the Twins for September. So what does that mean for 2019, especially considering Jake Cave came up and hit very well. It should be obvious that the Twins should not trade Buxton. At 25, he still has the world of potential. He just needs to get healthy and stay healthy. Plus, it would be selling very low on Buxton. Don’t give up on Buxton. 2019 is Buxton’s first of potentially four years of arbitration. MIGUEL SANO Sano was a consensus Top 10 overall prospect in national rankings as he climbed the ladder. He may have been up in the big leagues in 2014, but Tommy John surgery ended his season. He came back in 2015. He was called up to the Twins in July, and had a huge rookie season. In fact, the Twins media voted him as not only the Twins rookie of the year but also their MVP. In 2016, he took a couple of steps backwards and missed time with a couple of injuries. In 2017, he had a big first half and made the All Star team and was runner up to Aaron Judge in the home run derby. His 2017 season ended early with a leg injury that resulted in a titanium rod being placed in his leg. During the holidays, he was accused of assault. He was not suspended, but his reputation took another hit. He started the season in a big slump, filled with strikeouts. He went on the DL in late April for a month. He returned, and he really struggled, looked lost at the plate. The Twins made the decision to option him all the way to Ft. Myers. He returned in late July, looking different, but the play was the same. He played in just one of the team’s final 24 after a late slide re-aggravated his leg injury. And, just over a week ago, he was detained for an incident in the Dominican Republic that was deemed an accident. The Rise and Fall of Miguel Sano has been incredible, and we certainly hope that there will be another rise in the equation. Like Buxton, trading Sano should not be an option. He’s still young and still has talent and huge power potential. It would be selling very low. Can Sano stick to his plan and maintain his weight loss? Can he play third base, or should he shift to first base? Can he find a way to strike out at a reasonable clip?Those questions all still need to be answered. Sano is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason. JOSE BERRIOS Berrios was the Twins supplemental first-round pick (32nd overall) in 2012. He gradually moved up prospect rankings and his hard work became a social media marvel. He continued to pitch well and move up. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2014and 2015. He debuted with the Twins in 2016 and really struggled. He came back in 2017 and was much improved. He went 14-8 with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. In 2018, he was even better, especially in the first half when he earned his first All Star appearance. On the season, he went 12-11 with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He ended the season with 202 strikeouts in 192 1/3 innings. He was the choice for Twins Daily Pitcher of the Year. While he may not be a Justin Verlander-like ace, the Twins should be excited about the potential of the hard-throwing Berrios. Along with counting on him for 2019, the Twins should consider locking him up to a long-term contract extension to keep him at the top of the Twins rotation for years to come. He has one more year before he becomes arbitration-eligible. It started with The Core Four, and by the end of 2017, it became somewhat of a Core Seven. 2018 created more question marks regarding most of these players than it provided answers. How many from this group do you feel remain part of the organization’s core? How many should? Who should be handed jobs heading into 2019? Who should be on the potential trade block? These are some of the questions the Twins front office will have to answer in the offseason. You'll be able to go through the Twins 40-man roster, consider potential free agents and trade targets and develop your own blueprint by using our 2019 Offseason Handbook, which is available for preorder. Claim your copy now, get it before its official release. Yesterday we revealed the front cover and our star-studded lineup of guest authors. Click here to view the article

Yeah, they just all had to wait until Larnach signed. Once he signed, they could go to Sands and Mack and get them taken care of, which also happened on that last day. My guess is that Helman was willing to sign for whatever was still available. Working the draft signings is a science.

While Twins 2018 draft pick Michael Helman is just 22-years-old, baseball has kept him on the move in recent years. The infielder from Lincoln, Nebraska, has played in Hutchinson (Kansas), College Station (Texas), Elizabethton (Tennessee), and Cedar Rapids (Iowa). And, he just completed his first camp in Ft. Myers (Florida). Recently, Twins Daily caught up with the talented second base prospect and 11th round pick in 2018. Get to know a little more about him on and off the field.“Growing up, I loved the game and being around it. I played pretty much 24/7; playing fall ball, playing spring ball, and in the winter, I was usually doing something related to baseball.” Michael Helman was born 22 years ago in Lincoln, Nebraska. While football is life in Lincoln (yes, even now), baseball was the sport for Helman. While he did play basketball and football, once he got to high school, it was all baseball all the time. But that started when he was young. Helman notes, “When I was a kid, I was watching baseball movies all the time. I was watching Roy Hobbs and The Natural, and Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner. I always had a passion for the game.” It was a passion that was shared in his home. “I was always playing catch with my dad, and I have a twin brother. We always played on the same teams. Even where we used to live, there was a cruddy little baseball field behind our house. We got out there a lot to play catch and our dad would throw to us. It was fun. I loved baseball, and it was how I grew up. I had a dream to make it one day.” He also appreciates his youth coaches for continually pushing him on the field and driving his passion. “Growing up, I played some travel baseball. Probably second grade to eighth grade. I had some great coaches, and I have to thank them for the kind of ballplayer and person that they made me into.” In Lincoln, most baseball fans are Kansas City Royals fans. It is the nearest MLB team to the city, but also the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate is in Omaha. Helman was a Royals fan, but not solely a Royals fan. “I was a Royals fan by default, and then I was also a Twins fan for awhile just because I have a twin brother. So we followed the Twins for a while. Actually I grew up being a Mets fans. Kind of weird. I loved Mike Piazza. ” Helman went to Lincoln’s Pius X High School. Baseball in Lincoln may not be as strong as in Omaha, but there have been several players to go to Division I schools and more playing at Division II schools, or other colleges. Speaking of Omaha, while Helman didn’t get the chance to play in the College World Series, it is an event that he has attended most years. “I would go almost every year. I went when I was in junior college. This past year, even though we didn’t make the College World Series, I was still able to go to some games. It’s like a carnival there.” Upon graduation from high school, Helman made the decision to head south and play baseball at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas. Despite a solid career in high school, Helman found himself without any college offers. He added, “The only reason I got hooked up with Hutch was because a kid that went to my high school went there and then went to the University of Nebraska. He called them up and said ‘Hey, take a look at this kid.’ They invited me to a camp, and they happened to have one spot open. They offered me a spot on the team, and I took that.” Whatever the reason, Helman took full advantage of the opportunity presented to him. As a freshman, he hit .416/.473/.654 (1.127) with 20 doubles and nine home runs in 57 games. The next year, he played 60 games and hit .487/.567/.829 (1.329) with 17 doubles and 17 home runs.In addition, he walked 34 times and struck out just 13 times that season. Despite such gaudy numbers, Helman went undrafted. Scouts were there to watch his teammate, pitcher Nolan Hoffman. He filled out the questionnaires and sat down with scouts, but nothing too major. During the draft, he did receive some phone calls, but by then he was pretty set on going to Texas A&M. He had several Division I offers, but he knew he wanted to play for the Aggies. A fellow Lincoln native Logan Foster was heading there, and so was Hutchinson teammate Nolan Hoffman (who was drafted in the fifth round by the Mariners in 2018). In addition, one of Texas A&M coaches had gone to high school at Lincoln Southeast High School and the University of Nebraska. That coach is Jeff Christy who was the sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2006. He played in the Twins organization through the 2009 season and reached the Triple-A level. “It was nice to have guys I was familiar with at A&M.The coaches at Hutch really helped me out with everything. Coach Ryan Schmidt, he was great through the whole process and stuck with me the whole way, and I’m glad it worked out at Texas A&M..” His junior, and sole, season, at Texas A&M, Helman played in 61 games. He hit .369/.452/.520 (.972) with 15 doubles and six home runs. This time, Helman was ready to make the jump to pro ball. He noted, “I knew I wanted to play professional ball once I got to A&M, and I knew A&M was a great place to get more looks and have that opportunity.” Greg Runser is the Twins area scout for southeast Texas and Louisiana. He was in occasional contact with Helman. But there were several other teams that expressed interest as well. Helman said, “Close to the draft day, I know I got calls from him and calls from a bunch of other teams. It looked like the Rockies were probably most interested, and they were planning on taking me anywhere from the third to seventh round. Obviously that didn’t happen.” Helman fell to the 11th round, and the Twins were thrilled to take him with the first pick of the third day. In a story in the Lincoln Journal-Star, Helman noticed that he had likely been drafted thanks to social media and a familiar Twins website he follows. He told the newspaper, The Twins sent Helman to Elizabethton to begin his career. He was excited to get going. He thought that the time in Elizabethton was beneficial just in terms of getting back into the proverbial swing of things. “The Twins ended up coming through, and I was glad to start my professional career. I was definitely trying to get back into it because I hadn’t played for a month and a half while we were waiting for Trevor Larnach (to sign). It was nice to get back into it and see that pitching. There were a lot of good arms there, though it was all stuff that I’ve seen before. It just took time to adjust again.” It didn’t take him long to adjust at all. He played just twelve games and got just 40 at-bats in Tennessee. He hit .375 (1.010 OPS) with a triple and two home runs. In early August, Helman was surprised that he was promoted to Cedar Rapids. He made an assumption that he would spend the remainder of the season in E-Town. “Honestly, I was playing maybe three times a week. I wasn’t planning on getting called up. I brought my car to Tennessee so I could drive back home. After I got called up, my dad flew to Tennessee and drove my car up to Cedar Rapids. I was pretty shocked when I got called up. I didn’t figure I’d be up there that quick, after just 12 games, and ended up playing every single day, which was an adjustment for me. It was great.” It’s not unusual for college players to play every other day in Elizabethton as they re-adjust to playing after time off between their college season, the draft and signing. But once he got to the Kernels, he was in the lineup almost every day. And, he had fans in the stands. “It was great to be there. It was a little closer to home so my family could come up and watch. It just felt a little more like home. The competition definitely upped itself a little bit once I got to Cedar Rapids, but nothing too drastic changing from Rookie to Low A.” Soon after, the Kernels had four members of the 2018 Twins draft on its roster. First-round pick Trevor Larnach played right field most days. Second-round pick Ryan Jeffers split time catching and at DH. Helman played second base, and 25th-round pick Michael Davis played shortstop. All four found success and helped push the team forward as they prepared for the Midwest League playoffs. The four players fit in and got to know each other. “It was great to help out the team and do our jobs, to be team players. We all just kind of clicked together and we all feed off of each other, hitting the ball and on defense. We hang out together all the time, and being around those guys is great.” Helman contributed strongly in the middle of the lineup. In his 27 games with the Kernels, he hit .355/.398/.486 (.884) with six double and two home runs. As a hitter, Helman tries to keep it simple and put the ball in play. “My whole life I’ve loved swinging the bat. My whole approach at the plate has been established through my junior college play and at Texas A&M. I just figure, put the ball in play and anything can happen.” How about power? Could he add some power to his game? Helman insists. “I say I have a little power, it just hasn’t been unleashed yet. I pretty much spray the ball to all parts of the field. I’m just trying to drive the ball, and sometimes I hit the ball on the ground in a hole and can beat it out. Bunt for hits. I just compete, a scrappy player, I would say.” Defensively, he has primarily played second base the last few years, and it is a position at which he is continuing to gain confidence. “I played one game at shortstop in E-Town. It wasn’t bad, it was just getting readjusted to it because I played a little shortstop in high school. But my whole life, I was a catcher. The first time I played second base consistently was at Hutchinson. I got recruited as a second baseman, and I got drafted as a second baseman. I’m really comfortable over there. I enjoy being over there. I’m willing to play anywhere, outfield ,left side of the infield, but most comfortable at second base.” He continued, “I definitely need to work on my defense a little bit. I’ve only been playing second base for three years. There’s always room to get better in every part of my game, defense, base running, anything like that.” Helman is a very competitive, very talented player who works really hard on the field, something he considers his biggest strength right now. “I would say it’s my ability to compete, not necessarily in the box, but even making plays in the field, making the routine ones, laying out for balls that are borderline, and helping the team in any way that I can.” Away from the game, you won’t be surprised to read one of his favorite things to do. “I play Fortnite with my roommates. I love playing Fortnite. He will spend a large part of his offseason back at College Station. Winter in Texas is generally a bit warmer than in Lincoln. He’ll be able to play catch outside, take ground balls and hit on the field. But he will head back home to Nebraska a few times during the offseason. “I really want to get back to Lincoln and see a Husker football game because I’m a die-hard Husker football fan at heart. Even though they’re not playing well, things are crazy, it’s a great atmosphere.” Helman just returned from his first Instructional League. Now he’ll enjoy his first offseason as a professional baseball player. He’ll work out for baseball, and he’ll play a lot of Fortnite. Click here to view the article