Seth Stohs

Odorizzi was terrific. Duke was actually fine. He actually had reverse splits last year. I just would have liked to see him go to Reed to face Joseph mainly because Duke was already at 20+ pitches in the inning. Reed was fantastic. Rodney got an unlikely job done in the 10th, and honestly, I have no problem with him throwing a first-pitch strike in the 11th... Jones was just ready for it. I truly don't have much problem with the game. Frankly, the offense just didn't show up until the 9th inning. Rosario looked good. Got robbed. Kepler had the one really good PA (walk) and a single. But the offense will be fine. Nothing really to worry about based on this game.

Happy Opening Day, Minnesota Twins Fans! As the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles are set to play their Opening Day game at 2:05 (central time), another season begins. And if there is one thing that is needed at the beginning of every season, it’s some good old fashioned predictions. The pieces are in place for what should be a very entertaining season for the Twins and their fans. Today, the Twins Daily owners and writers share their predictions for the Twins 2018 season.Here is how our Twins Daily staff thinks 2018 will go for the Minnesota Twins. Be sure to share your predictions for these categories (or more) below in the comment section. And of course in October or November, we’ll be sure to go through these and see how we all did. Seth Stohs: Minnesota Twins 88-74 (Second in AL Central behind Cleveland, Will Card #2) Offensive Player of the Year: Brian Dozier Most Home Runs: Max Kepler Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jake Odorizzi Relief Pitcher of the Year: Addison Reed Twins Rookie of the Year: Mitch Garver Nick Nelson: Minnesota Twins 92-70 (Second in AL Central, Wild Card #1) Offensive Player of the Year: Brian Dozier Most Home Runs: Miguel Sano Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Addison Reed Twins Rookie of the Year: Fernando Romero Parker Hageman: Minnesota Twins 90-72 (Second in AL Central) Offensive Player of the Year: Logan Morrison Most Home Runs: Miguel Sano Starting Pitcher of the Year: Lance Lynn Relief Pitcher of the Year: Taylor Rogers Twins Rookie of the Year: Gabriel Moya John Bonnes: Minnesota Twins 87-76 (Second in AL Central, win Game 163 for Wild Card #2) Offensive Player of the Year: Miguel Sano Most Home Runs: Miguel Sano Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jake Odorizzi Relief Pitcher of the Year: Addison Reed Twins Rookie of the Year: Fernando Romero Brock Beauchamp: Minnesota Twins 88-74 (Second in AL Central, Wild Card #2) Offensive Player of the Year: Brian Dozier Most Home Runs: Brian Dozier Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Trevor Hildenberger Twins Rookie of the Year: Nick Gordon Tom Froemming: Minnesota Twins 87-75 (Second in AL Central, Wild Card #2) Offensive Player of the Year: Brian Dozier Most Home Runs: Logan Morrison Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Addison Reed Twins Rookie of the Year: Mitch Garver Cody Christie: Minnesota Twins 90-72 (Second in AL Central, Wild Card #2) Offensive Player of the Year: Brian Dozier Most Home Runs: Miguel Sano Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Trevor Hildenberger Twins Rookie of the Year: Stephen Gonsalves Ted Schwerzler: Minnesota Twins 91-71 (Second in AL Central. Wild Card #2) Offensive Player of the Year: Miguel Sano Most Home Runs: Miguel Sano Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Addison Reed Twins Rookie of the Year: Mitch Garver Jeremy Nygaard: Minnesota Twins 83-79 (2nd in AL Central. Miss playoffs) Offensive Player of the Year: Byron Buxton Most Home Runs: Logan Morrison Starting Pitcher of the Year: Lance Lynn Relief Pitcher of the Year: Addison Reed Twins Rookie of the Year: Mitch Garver Steve Lein: Minnesota Twins 89-73 (2nd in AL Central, Wild Card #2) Offensive Player of the Year: Brian Dozier Most Home Runs: Miguel Sano Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Trevor Hildenberger Twins Rookie of the Year: Mitch Garver Andrew Thares: Minnesota Twins 87-75 (#2 Wild Card) Offensive Player of the Year: Byron Buxton Most Home Runs: Logan Morrison Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Trevor Hildenberger Twins Rookie of the Year: Mitch Garver JD Cameron: Minnesota Twins 90-72 (2nd in the AL Central, #1 Wild Card) Offensive Player of the Year: Brian Dozier Most Home Runs: Miguel Sano Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Relief Pitcher of the Year: Addison Reed Twins Rookie of the Year: Gabriel Moya Now it’s your turn. Post your predictions in the comments below. ~~~ This is setting up to be a truly exciting season. Make sure you're following along with Twins Daily all summer by following us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as entering your email address below to receive our newsletter! Click here to view the article

This was the spring training work groups when this article was written,, not a projected roster. This was just who was with the Miracle work group at the time. As most know by now, the rosters are closer now and most of this roster is now on the Cedar Rapids roster.

And that's fair too because a lot of people think they could both wind up in the bullpen. Of course, the Twins are going to try to develop them as starters, ,but they both have such powerful arms.

If you want a Must-Win game lineup, wouldn't you stack the lineup with AA and AAA guys, not necessarily the top prospects.

It's just a 10-day DL,, so Phil Hughes could come off of it April 11th and still make that start.. In the meanwhile, he can stay back in Ft. Myers and work every fifth day to get to the 90-100 pitch count and building his strength and such. That may make more sense than having him be a long-reliever who pitches rarely, can't throw too big of bullpens in case he's needed and then isn''t ready to start on the 11th.

I mean, Aybar was deemed not able to play SS because he's lost a step. Taylor Featherston and Gregorio Petit were the last two guys sent to minor league camp. They both CAN play shortstop. So while they don't have Aybar's track record, they're probably better for the role.

I'm guessing Service Time has pretty much zero impact on this decision.

In my opinion, the answer is because if one of the three starters get hurt, Granite takes over as the starter and Lamarre remains the 4th OF.

Yup, and then DFA him and hope he can join Vargas (and Granite and Wade and Buss) in Rochester.

The Minnesota Twins have a trio of very athletic outfielders. All three are 26 and under. All three have good speed. All three came up as prospects of the Twins, each reaching into Top 100 rankings (Buxton near the top, Rosario and Kepler appearing briefly). All three hit in the minor leagues, and all three have had their moments in the big leagues already. Most important, all three still have the potential to be even better with just a few improvements.Today, I want to highlight the three starting Twins outfielders by pointing to one statistic, one theme, or one area of improvement that could help them take the next step in their careers. Kepler Versus Lefties There is no question that Max Kepler has really struggled during his two seasons in the big leagues against left-handed pitching. Here are the numbers: 2016 (133 PA): .203/.273/.322 (.595) - .792 OPS vs RHP 2017 (137 PA): .152/.213/.240 (.453) - .828 OPS vs RHP Kepler took a step backwards in 2017 against same-sided pitchers. Some may believe that there is enough of a sample size to suggest a strict platoon in right field. Others (this writer included) believe that because he will be just 25-years-old throughout the 2018 season, he needs to get more opportunities. If you are looking for more reason for optimism, look back to 2015. After several years as a very raw prospect, Kepler had his breakout season in 2015 in which he was named the Twins Minor League Player of the Year. While he posted a .935 OPS against right-handers in AA, he also hit .319/.390/.473 (.863) against southpaws. Of course, there is a difference between AA pitching and big league pitching, but that is enough to keep me optimistic for some success against left-handers. While we shouldn’t expect Kepler to increase his OPS vs LHP to the .800 level, if he could just get that number to the .650 range, it would be a dramatic improvement and help his overall numbers look just a little better. That said, if he has another season with an OPS vs LHP near the .450 range, then the team will have to consider platoon options in right field for a playoff run and in the future. Fast Start For Buxton Byron Buxton is really fast. Unfortunately, his bat has started out very slowly in each of his three seasons in the big leagues. He’s proven to be very valuable just because of his defense, but we’ve also seen just how much he can bring to the table when he is being a force with the bat and the glove. In my opinion, one of the biggest keys to a strong 2018 Twins season might just be the bat of the best defensive player in the game in April. Here is a quick look at the stats of Byron Buxton in his first 15 games in each of his first three seasons: 2015 (61 PA): .207/.233/.276 (.507) 2016 (40 PA): .162/.205/.297 (.502) 2017 (52 PA): .082/.135/.122 (.287) His start in 2017 was dreadful, but as we saw over the course of the season, he made several adjustments and by season’s end, he looked like a new hitter. Consider that after really struggling those first 15 games in 2017, he hit .274/.335/.448 (.783) the rest of the year. As Yogi Berra famously said, “Half of baseball is 90% mental.” Imagine the confidence that Buxton could gain by getting off to a fast start. It is the kind of thing that could thrust him into superstardom and MVP discussions. Rosario Shows Zone Judgment Eddie Rosario enjoyed a breakout season in 2017 when he hit .290/.328/.507 (.836) with 33 doubles and 27 home runs. There is little question what the biggest key was for Eddie Rosario. He didn’t swing at as many pitches outside the zone. According to FanGraphs, here are his Outside-the-Zone Swing Percentages during his three MLB seasons: 2015: 45.6% 2016: 41.7% 2017: 37.6% In short, he has quit swinging at quite so many pitches outside of the strike zone. In theory, by making the pitcher throw a few more strikes, and with Rosario’s still-aggressive approach, he is hitting better pitches. Rosario has such quick hands, and he makes contact at such a high percentage. By swinging at fewer bad pitches, he is giving himself a better chance. If Rosario can continue the trend, he should continue to put up really strong numbers. As nice as the improvement was in 2017, check out where Rosario ranks among Twins regulars last year at swinging at pitches out of the zone. (and I included Logan Morrison just for fun). Robbie Grossman 18.2%Joe Mauer 20.5%Jason Castro 21.7%Brian Dozier 23.4%Jorge Polanco 26.9%Logan Morrison 27.7%Max Kepler 28.5%Miguel Sano 29.1%Byron Buxton 31.1%Eduardo Escobar 35.7%Eddie Rosario 37.6%In other words, there is much room for improvement. However, if he can put up his 2017 numbers while swinging at 37.6% of pitches outside the zone, imagine what type of numbers he might put up is he can get that number down to 32%, or even lower? So there are three key numbers for three key contributors to a successful 2018 season for the Twins. “Nothing Falls But Raindrops” was the motto for the 2017 Twins outfielders. Each has good range at his outfield position, and each has a ton of potential remaining with his bat as well. The aforementioned statistics will be key for each of them. What do you think? Click here to view the article

It's a nice story, but with this roster and this team, there is no reason to believe that he would make the roster because it's a nice story. Do people really think the manage and the front office would make decisions because of that? If they feel like they can make the roster better if he's on it, then they're going to. If not, he won't be. I'll trust their judgment. If nothing else, this front office has shown it isn't afraid to "make mistakes."

Why would they want Lamonte Wade to play once or twice a week. And he's left-handed, so it doesn't work with the platoon. LaMarre bats right handed at least.

Well, that's fun...

Granite may (or may not) wind up on the DL with his shoulder contusion. Vargas may be put right back on waivers in hopes of getting him to Rochester. Lamarre may still end up in Rochester.

FORT MYERS - When the Twins signed outfielder Ryan LaMarre in late November, it was a ho-hum minor league signing. A quick look at his Baseball-Reference page shows that he’s a solid outfielder who has had a couple of brief cups of coffee in the big leagues. But he’s one of many similar players who sign minor league contracts each offseason. Yet here we are, less than a week from Opening Day and Ryan LaMarre is still in camp. After going 2-4 on Saturday night in Sarasota, LaMarre is hitting a robust .487 with a 1.307 OPS.The Twins outfield appears set. In reality, it’s been set for about two years. Ryan LaMarre knew that when he signed. But after a conversation with Twins minor league director Jeremy Zoll, he felt that this was the right place for him to sign. “I talked to Jeremy Zoll. He had some great things to say in terms of where he saw me fitting in, what he thought I could bring to the table. Obviously we’ve got Buck (Byron Buxton), Eddie (Rosario) and (Max) Kepler, so that’s pretty much set. Then Robbie (Grossman) and (Zack) Granite behind them, but behind them there wasn’t as much. So it was an opportunity to come in here and show what you can do.” LaMarre continued, “Also as you know, they use a lot of players throughout the year. There’s always going to be that opportunity. But I just really liked what he said about where I fit in, especially coming off of the injury I had last year, so it seemed like a good opportunity.” Ryan LaMarre is not a star. The 29-year-old knows that. He understands that if he were to make the Twins roster, be it for Opening Day or later in the season, it will be as a backup. That’s just fine with him. By definition, Ryan LaMarre is a journeyman. He has played for three MLB clubs (and four organizations) in the last three years. In 2018, he joins his fifth organization, the Twins. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LaMarre was the second-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 out of the University of Michigan. He worked his way up the ladder. He never hit over .300, but he always showed a good approach at the plate and a little bit of pop. He also plays strong defense. In August of 2015, he finally received the call he’d be waiting for his whole life. The story of his first big league call up is pretty entertaining. LaMarre explains: “I was with Cincinnati. I was in AAA. We were in Gwinnett, the Braves AAA team. I was having a decent year, but they were losing a lot of games. I was hot for about the last three weeks leading up to the series. Billy Hamilton was injured. They ended up calling up someone else on the team.” Lamarre was disappointed, but got a motivational chat from his manager, “I was pretty close to the manager. I had played for him for two or three years. He called me in and said ‘Don’t worry. Just keep playing hard. September’s right around the corner. I know they didn’t call you up right here, but just keep playing.’ LaMarre went out onto the field to stretch, and as he tells it, “Within an hour, he (the manager) came running out to the field and said, ‘You’re going up! It’s four o'clock. I don’t have time to explain. You’ve got to pack your bag. You’ve got to go. You have a six o'clock flight out of Atlanta.’” Imagine the excitement of getting that news, but now needing to leave the AAA ballpark, pack up your belonging from the hotel and rush to the airport to catch a flight that is less than two hours away. “It was rush hour. I packed my bag and grabbed a bat boy who drove me to the airport. I didn’t even get there until an hour after it left, So I missed my flight. I remember calling the guy from the Reds and I was like, if this is it, I’ll rent a car. I’ll be there by the 8th or 9th inning somehow. They said ‘No, no, no. Just take it easy. It was so last minute, we understand. We’ll just get you a flight tomorrow morning. If you miss that, don’t even bother showing up.’ A positive message, yet also pretty direct. LaMarre heard it, “So I stayed that night at the airport, and then I got on a flight the next day.” It was an exciting time Ryan LaMarre and those close to him. “My family was super excited. My wife was my girlfriend at the time. She was very excited. They were all excited. They came into Cincinnati for the weekend. It was fun.” LaMarre played in 21 games over the season’s final six weeks. He was used primarily as a defensive replacement and got just 25 at-bats. Following the season, he was DFAd and signed a minor league free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox. In late June of 2016, he was called up and got five at-bats (no hits) in five games played. He actually played in one more game, on July 2nd. The Red Sox were losing 21-3 to the Angels, and LaMarre threw a scoreless ninth inning. He gave up two hits, but the final out of the inning came off the bat of Gregorio Petit who also remains on the Twins spring training roster. Following the 2016 season, LaMarre was let go by the Red Sox and signed a minor league deal with the Angels. In late April, he was traded to Oakland. He was immediately called up to the A’s and played in three games (0-7) before being sent down. He remained in AAA until a mid-June injury cost him the rest of his season. The Twins signed LaMarre in late November, 2017. He began to rehab last July and was cleared in October. About that same time, he was getting married to his wife Whitney who is a Minnesota native. Because of his injury and rehab, they spent the majority of their offseason in Florida, but he says he could see himself living in the Twin Cities. He noted with a smile, “That wouldn’t be a bad place to play for awhile.” It might be even more cool for his wife and her family for LaMarre to make the Twins roster in 2018. “It would be amazing. She obviously represents her family. Her parents are from Minneapolis. Her dad was down here and he got to meet Rod (Carew) and Tony (Oliva), and for him, those were the guys he looked up to as a kid. So it would be special. It’d be a fun time.” LaMarre’s big league track record hasn’t been strong, but it’s also been a very small sample size. Paul Molitor was asked how he takes past history into account with spring success. “You try to know these guys’ history, but you hear about swing changes and other things he’s been doing. He’s had a nice camp. He can play around the outfield. I think he plays the outfield well. He’s been taking good at-bats all spring. He’ll swing and miss some, but he’s got that opposite field power that we’ve seen more than once. He’s got a little bit of that hockey player mentality.” Makes sense since LaMarre played hockey in his younger years. Another reason it makes sense for Ryan LaMarre to make the Twins roster in 2018, is to be part of the State of Hockey. And, with the hopes and expectations of the Twins and their fans for 2018, maybe he can help make it more of a State of Baseball again. For LaMarre, he’s happy to be a part of this year’s Twins organization and sees it as a special place. “It’s been fun. It’s an awesome group of guys. The coaches are amazing. The manager. The hitting coach. Everyone’s pulling in the right direction. This is a good place to be right now.” And on Thursday, Baltimore would be a great place for Ryan LaMarre to be for his first Opening Day. The odds were long six weeks ago (even two weeks ago), but it just might happen. Click here to view the article

sorry, wasn't on the computer since early this morning. I just updated the link... if anyone is still interested.

FORT MYERS - Seth discusses the last day or so at Twins spring training. Topics include Miguel Sano not being suspended, the roster moves, Erick Aybar, Ryan Lamarre, Tanner English's big blast and some notes from minor league spring training, including a couple of transactions there too. You can listen to it here, or better yet, subscribe to it on your smartphone using the directions below.To add this podcast to your iPhone podcast app, do the following: 1. Open up this page in your iphone and copy this link: http://twinsdaily.libsyn.com/rss 2. Go into your iPhone podcast app and click on the "Library" tab at the bottom and then click on "Edit" in the upper right-hand corner: 3. Click on "Add a Podcast by URL..." 4. Paste the link you just copied into the dialog box and click on 'Subscribe'. Now you'll get every episode delivered to your phone to listen to whenever you want Click here to view the article

FORT MYERS - On Friday afternoon, MLB announced that Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano will not be suspended for sexual assault allegations. MLB has been investigating Sano since early January.The Twins 2017 All Star third baseman will not be suspended after an MLB investigation for sexual assault. In a statement from MLB: "The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball has completed its investigation into an assault allegation made against Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano. The comprehensive investigation included interviews of more than 20 individuals, including Sano and the complainant, as well as a review of available documents, including communication records. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Office of the Commissioner found that there was insufficient evidence to support a disciplinary determination against Sano, due to conflicting and inconsistent witness accounts and the absence of contemporaneous substantiation. Barring the receipt of any new information or evidence, the Office of the Commissioner will not impose discipline on Sano in connection with the alleged incident." Through the MLB Players Association, Miguel Sano released the following statement. "I want to thank Major League Baseball for conducting a thorough investigation and I'm happy to put this behind me. I look forward to focusing on the upcoming season and playing alongside my teammates. I want to thank my family, friends, the Players Association, the Minnesota Twins and my fans for their continued support. " The Twins issued as statement as well. "The Minnesota Twins fully support the join MLB-MLBPA policy which governs serious matters of this nature. The Twins are pleased that the Commissioner's Office has concluded its investigation with respect to Miguel Sano. Miguel can now return his sole focus to the season ahead. Per team protocol, the Twins will not comment further on this matter." More to come. Click here to view the article

Aybar will likely opt-out today and become a free agent again. If he doesn't, he could go to AAA. That said, his range at SS is definitely in question right now. They also have Taylor Featherston and Gregorio Petit around still in case of a Sano suspension. While they don't have the name Aybar does, they could be better anyway.