Seth Stohs

Very kind of you to say... thank you!!

Thank you very much. We hope you enjoy it!

First and foremost... best wishes for a successful shoulder surgery, and thank you for your support and kind words. It's a ton of work and time, but when it's complete, I know we're very proud of it!

Tenth Annual. It's hard for me to believe that I have now self-published ten Minnesota Twins Prospect handbooks. With the help of Cody Christie and Tom Froemming the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect handbook is now available. Below, maybe you'll find a way to place your order before then. You can now order the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook two ways. Order a print version of the handbook. (Note: If you order a print version, Lulu.com has a promo code (LULU20) that you can use to get 20% off of print versions.Order an e-book of the handbook (for immediate download).Order both!You can also order previous versions of the prospect handbook here.The 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook is chock-full of information on the Twins minor league system and its prospects. The handbook is a must-buy for fans of the Twins who understand that to develop a long-term championship-caliber team requires a lot of building from within. 2017 Twins team that jumped into the playoffs. While they did add a few veterans via free agency, the core of the Twins roster consisted of players that were developed in this system. As much as things may change in the front office and in the minor league development staff, the importance of the minor leagues continues to be vital for every Major League organization. That is part of why I write this book. Twins fans should have a knowledge of the minor leaguers who could someday be members of the big league club. I always envisioned that there are copies of the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook on coffee tables all around the Upper Midwest. When people are watching a Twins game on television and Dick Bremer mentions a minor leaguer, the fan picks up the handbook and learns even more about the player. A person who has already read the handbook will be able to impress their friends and family with knowledge of that player without even looking. As I've always written in the prospect handbooks, another reason I write the book is because I believe wholeheartedly that the minor leaguers deserve to be recognized for all the work that they put in. Most minor leaguers don't even make a minimum-wage salary for what they are doing. The players work hard in season and in the offseason in an attempt and with a goal to reach the Major Leagues. The Twins have a fairly strong minor league system with a lot of depth. There are a lot of players with the potential to be solid contributors at the big league level. Some will make it. Some won't. That's just the reality. But nevertheless they all deserve to be talked about and written about. Here is a listing of some of what you'll find in the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect handbook. Let’s start with what I consider the meat-and-potatoes of the Prospect Handbook, the prospect profiles. Can book contains 169 profiles of twins minor league prospects. That number is a little higher than it has been in previous years. Cody wrote the Header information, organized pictures, and put the book together. Tom wrote the 2017 Recap for each player. Seth wrote a background and a scouting report for all 169 players.As we have done in the past, we have stories on the Twins Daily 2017 Minor League Award winners. Jeremy Nygaard wrote a story on Hitter of the Year Mitch Garver. Tom wrote the story on two-time Starting Pitcher of the Year Stephen Gonsalves. Finally, Seth wrote an article on Relief Pitcher of the Year John Curtiss. Each story includes quotes from those players.In addition, we had a couple of guest writers. Ted Schwerzler wrote two stories; his annual timeline story, and a story on one of the other Twins top prospects. Ben Chase, who writes at Puckett's Pond, also wrote an article for this year's Handbook.You will also be able to see our top 30 Twins Prospect rankings. Find out who made my final list. It is a little bit different than what I posted last month. But I also share my historical top 30 rankings going back to 2005. It's fun to look back and remember those names and see who you are right about and who you may have missed a little bit on. You can also see the top 30 list or Cody, Tom, and Jeremy.And more. There are a couple more stories. There are 138 pages of Twins minor league content.Former Twins blogger Josh Johnson put together the cover of this year’s handbook and did a great job. It features Nick Gordon, Royce Lewis and Brent Rooker. I think it looks great. Here is a look at the full cover: It’s also fun for me to see several people getting their Prospect Handbooks signed by players. No one does it better that @TCAnelle who often posts photos of her signatures on her twitter account. The Release We had thought about waiting to release the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook until next week sometime, but it’s done, and it’s ready, so we thought we would make it available now. This way, you can actually order the book, print a copy of the cover, and give it as a Christmas gift or stocking stuffer. As we have in previous years, the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook is available in two ways. You can buy the print version, or you can buy the e-book and immediately download the pdf. Maybe the best option is to buy both. You can order the e-book and read it now while waiting for the printed version to arrive in your mailbox. Again, use the promo code LULU20 for 20% off of print versions (through December 25th). As always, we welcome your feedback on the book. We are very proud of the end result. It’s been a three-month process to put it together, and yet it’s been a year in the making. We certainly appreciate your support of this effort. As you know, Twins Daily is the leader in terms of Twins minor league content. We take a lot of pride in that and do not take it for granted. We provide the daily Twins Minor League Reports throughout the season. We often post Q&As with Twins minor leaguers to get to know them. We focus heavily on the draft as well. This prospect handbook is a fun complement to all of that and something you can use for the entire year. One thing I am curious about, however… Which prospect handbooks have been your favorites, particularly the covers? Here is a quick look at the past prospect handbooks for you to rank. How does the 2018 cover rank for you? If you have any questions or comment, please let me know. And again, I hope you’ll consider purchasing a Prospect Handbook or six for the 2018 season! Click here to view the article

This is fantastic... thank you!

I think Robles will spend more time in the infield, 2B and 3B probably, though he could get some time in the OF too. But I think Pearson will be in the E-Town OF with Arias, Burns, maybe TJ Dixon (if he's not in CR by then).

I've never been able to get a real good answer on that. I don't think it's a ton... Several of them do other things in the offseason, or at least have.

Interesting... I don't know why I typed Hitting Coach, since he'll be their manager...

Nope, I think spelling people's names correctly is important. Thanks for the correction.

He lives and works in the Metro area, yes. Jake's got three kids, so I definitely understand him wanting to be home more. Too bad for the organization, but probably a very good thing for his family.

Derek Falvey was officially named the Minnesota Twins Chief Baseball Officer in early October of 2016. About a month later, he named Thad Levine as his General Manager. Rob Antony remained with the organization as the Assistant General Manager. While in most cases change was not immediate, change was certain to be forthcoming. Wisely, Falvey and Levine did not jump to conclusions on most personnel. People who worked under Terry Ryan were given time to work with the new regime so that they could evaluate them and how they might fit into the future of the organization in the same way that players are evaluated. As we look to 2018, there have been changes. There have been a lot of changes. Many in the front office remain. Rob Antony and Mike Radcliff are still around. Wayne Krivsky and Bill Smith are not. There are many scouts who remain with the Twins, and there have been many scouts whom the Twins have let go. And in large numbers, there have been many additions. While the Twins won’t be a Top 10 payroll team often (if ever) because their revenues are lower than most teams by a significant margin. However, they can be creative in their spending on infrastructure. They have hired the likes of Daniel Adler from the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars as Director of Baseball Operations. They have hired Jeremy Zoll from the Dodgers. They have hired many people for their analytics department. They have improved the nutrition of their players throughout the organization. They have added coordinators. They have spent money on analytic programs. Those are the types of spending that will help the Twins be better in the short-term and the long-term by making decisions by using many data points.Following the season, it was announced that Brad Steil had been promoted to the Director of Pro Scouting. He had been the Twins Minor League Director since 2013 when Jim Rantz retired. Jeremy Zoll is a 27-year-old who was an assistant in the Dodgers player development group the last couple of years. He has been quite busy since joining the Twins as Director of Minor League Operations. ------------------------------------ This is one article that will appear in the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook which is in its final stages of editing and review. It will likely be available in a week, maybe less. You can find much more information on this vital handbook for Twins fans. ------------------------------------ Likewise, in the minor leagues, some have stayed and several have gone. There will be many new faces in the system. Here is a rundown of the 2018 Twins minor league managers, coaches and coordinators: 2018 COACHING STAFFS Rochester Red Wings Manager: Joel Skinner Hitting Coach: Chad Allen Pitching Coach: Stu Cliburn Bullpen Coach: Mike McCarthy The Twins announced that Mike Quade was no longer the Red Wings manager and that he was taking a roving outfield instructor job in the organization. They have replaced him with Joel Skinner. The former nine-year big league catcher has been managing in the minor league system of several organizations since the mid-90s. He even managed part of a season for Cleveland in 2002. Former Twins outfielder Chad Allen returns as the Red Wings hitting coach (fourth year), and Stu Cliburn returns as pitching coach (many, many years). Bullpen coach is a new position, one that they have not had in the organization. Mike McCarthy pitched in the Red Sox organization from 2011 through 2016, reaching AAA that final year. Chattanooga Lookouts Manager: Tommy Watkins Hitting Coach: Javier Valentin Pitching Coach: Ivan Arteaga Jake Mauer managed in the Twins system for ten years. He was one of the best, most trusted leaders in the organization. In 2017, he led the Lookouts to the best record in minor league baseball and a share of the hurricane-shortened Southern League title. He should have been on the big league coaching staff by now. He was offered a roving instructor job. Instead, he has decided to spend more time with his family, which is also commendable and something he always prioritized. Tommy Watkins will take over as the Lookouts manager. In 2017, he led the Cedar Rapids Kernels to the Midwest League playoffs in his first year as a manager. He was the Lookouts hitting coach in 2016 after being the Kernels hitting coach for three years. This is his eighth season as a coach in the Twins system after spending a dozen seasons as a player in the Twins organization. Javier Valentin returns for his second season as the Lookouts hitting coach. It’s his fourth year as a coach in the organization. Ivan Arteaga is back for his third year in AA. He’s been in the Twins organization since 2001 when he was the pitching coordinator of the Venezuelan League Twins. Fort Myers Miracle Manager: Ramon Borrego Hitting Coach: Steve Singleton Pitching Coach: Henry Bonilla Doug Mientkiewicz was let go by the organization after another winning season at the helm. The former Twins player has found a job as the manager for the Tigers AAA team in Toledo. He will be replaced by Ramon Borrego who has been the GCL Twins manager for the past seven seasons. Steve Singleton will be the hitting coach. It’s his second season with the Miracle and third in the Twins organization as a coach. Henry Bonilla will be back for his third season as the Miracle pitching coach. It will be his seventh season as a coach in the organization. Cedar Rapids Kernels Manager: Toby Gardenhire Hitting Coach: Brian Dinkelman Pitching Coach: Cibney Bello, Justin Willard With Tommy Watkins moving up to Chattanooga, Toby Gardenhire gets his first managerial job in professional baseball. The son of former Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire played in the Twins minor leagues. After playing, he became the coach at UW-Stout. Before the 2016 season, he joined the Twins organization as a coach in the GCL. When Red Wings manager Mike Quade was in an auto accident in Ft. Myers in spring training and a shoulder injury meant he couldn't coach third base, Gardenhire spent the first half with the Red Wings before returning to the GCL. Gardenhire will be joined on the Kernels coaching staff by two guys who have been there the last two seasons. Brian Dinkelman enters his fourth overall year as a coach in the system. Cibney Bello played in the Mariners system. He then was a pitching coach in their system for four years. He worked with the Twins GCL pitchers the last two years. Justin Willard enters his first year as a Twins coach. He was previously at Radford University. Elizabethton Twins Manager: Ray Smith Hitting Coach: Jeff Reed Pitching Coach: Luis Ramirez Coach: Takashi Miyoshi If you want consistency, look no further than Elizabethton. Manager Ray Smith begins his 25th season as the E-Twins manager. This will be the former Twins catcher’s 32nd season managing or coaching the E-Twins. Another former Twins catcher and long-time big leaguer Jeff Reed returns for his 17th season as the E-Twins hitting coach. Luis Ramirez is back for his fourth season as the team’s pitching coach. He has coached in the Twins organization since 2006 when he became the Twins pitching coordinator in Venezuela. Takashi Miyoshi is new to the organization. He had played in several independent leagues as well as in Japan. In the last decade, he has been a coach on a variety of teams and leagues. GCL Twins: Manager: Dan Ramsay Hitting Coach: Luis Rodriguez Hitting Coach: Matt Borgschulte Pitching Coach: Virgil Vasquez The Twins hired Dan Ramsay to take Borrego's place as the GCL Twins manager. He was the head coach at Division III Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington for nine years. He became the coach immediately following his own graduation from the school. In his summers, he was the director of the Nike Baseball Camp. Virgil Vasquez returns for his fourth season as a pitching coach in the GCL. He had pitched for the Twins Double-A and Triple-A affiliates for a couple of seasons beforehand. Luis Rodriguez played in the Twins system from 1998 through 2007, including 206 games with the big league club in 2005-2007, He spent 2008 and 2009 with the Padres. He spent time with the Mariners in 2011. Borgschulte has been a scout and worked with the Cardinals in recent years. 2018 COORDINATORS Minor League Field Coordinator: Edgar Varela Varela was the Assistant Hitting Coordinator in the Pittsburgh Pirates system after managing in their rookie leagues the previous three seasons. He played at Long Beach State and was drafted by the White Sox in 2002. He became a coach in the Pirates system in 2008. Senior Pitching Adviser: Bob McClure McClure pitched in the big leagues for 19 seasons and pitched mostly in relief. He was a teammate of Paul Molitor from 1977 to 1986. He has been a long-time pitching coach including time in the big leagues with the Royals, Red Sox and with the Phillies the last four years. His job will be to work with new Twins pitching coach Garvin Alston and minor league pitching coordinator Paul Maki to make sure that the message is the same between player development stages and the big leagues. Minor League Pitching Coordinator: Paul Maki After the 2017 season, the Twins let long-time employee Eric Rasmussen go. In December, he was replaced by Paul Maki. He was hired after being the pitching coach at Duke the last two seasons. Before that, he coached at Columbia. Minor League Pitching Coordinator: JP Martinez After spending the last two years as the pitching coach for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, he becomes an assistant to Paul Maki. He will travel to all of the affiliates and work at spring training. Minor League Hitting Coordinator: Rick Eckstein Eckstein is the brother of former big league shortstop David Eckstein. He was named the Twins minor league hitting coordinator in July of 2016. He has coached at every level of baseball from college to the minor leagues to the big leagues. Minor League Catching Coordinator: Tanner Swanson The Twins hired Swanson in October of 2017 to be the minor league catching coordinator. He had just been named an assistant coach at Santa Clara a few months earlier. He worked a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Washington where he spent a lot of time working with the catchers. He is also the founder of D1Catching.com. Minor League Infield and Baserunning Coordinator: Sam Perlozzo Perlozzo remains with the Twins organization. The one-time Orioles manager joined the Twins organization in this role after Paul Molitor became the Twins manager. Perlozzo is busy working with infielders in spring training, and he travels to each of the affiliates throughout the season to keep working with players and managers. Minor League Roving Outfielder Instructor: Mike Quade Quade has been a baseball lifer. He had been the Red Wings manager the past two years. In 2010 and 2011, he was the manager of the Cubs. He has been reassigned for 2018 and will be moving around the Twins minor leagues throughout the season working with outfielders. Senior Advisor to Player Development: Joel Lepel Lepel has held a number of roles in his 26 years in the Twins organization including the minor league field coordinator, scouting and more. He takes on an advisory role. There has been a lot of change, and there may continue to be in the coming months and years. But we look to put a lot of attention on player development, and this is the new group in charge of it. What are your thoughts on these assignments? Click here to view the article

I got nothing... I kind of went off on Twitter last Thursday to the point that someone tweeted back at me saying I probably was losing an exclusive interview with Kinley. To be fair, Burdi and Bard were probably 5th and 7th on my list of prospects to protect. I definitely understood that likelihood. And I'm sure Falvey and Levine understood that likelihood as well. They clearly were ok with that risk. But then why select a right-handed relief pitcher who isn't nearly as good (in terms of stuff or MLB-readiness) as Bard. Burdi will miss probably all of 2018, but the Pirates can just put him on the 60 Day DL all season and then let him dominate starting in 2019. If they would have taken a pitcher who could start long-term, I may be OK with it. If they had taken Niko Goodrum from the Tigers, I would have been OK with that... but to watch two potentially strong RH RP go and then take one, made no sense. But, Kinley has pretty much zero chance of sticking with the Twins... and I think there's a decent chance Bard comes back to the Twins, so maybe it's much ado about nothing.

Earlier this offseason, I wrote about what potential long-term contract extensions might mean for Brian Dozier and several of the young core players. If you read my 2018 Twins Offseason Blueprint, you saw that I wanted to work out extensions with a couple more players. Today, I wanted to further dive into my reasons for thinking the Twins should approach Eduardo Escobar about a contract extension.While the priority should likely be working out long-term deals for the young core, like Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Jose Berrios, etc., it should not keep the Twins front office from also working toward - or at least having the conversation about - an extension for Eduardo Escobar too. Escobar was offered arbitration by the Twins. It’ll be his third and final arbitration experience. In 2016, he made $2.15 million. After a rough 2016 season, he got a small raise, to $2.6 million, in 2017. After putting together his best season in 2017, he is in line for a big raise in 2018. In the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook, we projected that he would make $5.0 million. MLB Trade Rumors predicted he would make $4.9 million. In 2017, Escobar posted a career-high OPS of .758, and hit a career-high 21 home runs. But even I was surprised to see that he’s been good in three of the last four years.In 2014, he played in 133 games (465 PA) and hit .275/.315/.406 (.721) with 35 doubles, two triples and six home runs.In 2015, he played in 127 games (446 PA) and hit .262/.309/.445 (.754) with 31 doubles, four triples, and two home runs.In 2016, he played in 105 games (337 PA) and hit .236/.280/.338 (.618) with 14 doubles, two triples, and six home runs.In 2017, he played in 129 games (499 PA) and hit .254/.309/.449 (.758) with 16 doubles, five triples, and 21 home runs.Fewer doubles, but more home runs. He drove in 73 runs. When Miguel Sano got hurt in August, Escobar stepped up and played his best baseball. In fact, right or wrong, Escobar hit in the middle of the lineup against left-handed pitching late in the season. If he performs as he did in 2014, 2015 or 2017, he will be worth a two-year deal. If Miguel Sano is unable to play third base and Escobar is playing there often, he will be well worth the contract. In addition to his work with the bat and with the glove, Escobar is a tremendous ambassador for the Twins in the community, in both Minnesota and his native Venezuela. For his efforts, Escobar was a finalist for MLBPA’s Man of the Year Award. Another thing to remember is that Escobar will only be 29-years-old in 2018. He came up as a utility man when he was just 22 with the White Sox. And, remember when we wondered why the Twins weren’t able to get more in return for Francisco Liriano? I think it’s fair to say that the Twins have won that trade by a huge margin. So, if you saw my 2018 Twins Offseason Handbook, here is what I proposed for an extension for Eduardo Escobar: 2018 - $4.5 million2019 - $4.5 million2020 - $4.5 million (with a $0.5 million buyout)While the $4.5 million is a little less than his 2018 projection, it comes with the guarantee of $5.0 million more. If Escobar ends up playing 125+ games again, $4.5 million will be very fair. If he ends up playing more of a utility role, he will be one of the higher-paid utility infielders in baseball. And, I would venture to say that he is deserving of that. Since then, I would also say that I would add some achievable incentives, and they would be based on plate appearances. I would add $250,000 for 450 plate appearances. I’d then add another $250,000 for every additional 50 plate appearances. And I would carry that forward through all three years (potentially) of the contract). In other words, if he gets 450 plate appearances, he makes $4.75 million. At 500 plate appearances, he gets $5.0 million. If he reaches 550 plate appearances, he makes $5.25 million. If he gets 600 plate appearances, he makes $5.5 million. If the Twins have to pay Eduardo Escobar $5.5 million because he got 600 plate appearances, they would likely be happy to do so. It means that not only is he playing a lot, but that he is hitting high enough up in the order that he’s being very productive. Of course, a lot of that may depend on the physical status of Miguel Sano. If Sano is back at 100% and able to play third base, the Twins would likely prefer that and it would likely push Escobar back into a utility role. Personally, I think $4.5 million for Escobar, even as a utility player is bearable. If he plays more, he gets paid more. He’s earned a payday with his performance not only in 2017, but in three of the last four years. He’s shown he’s a professional. He is a leader on the team. He is a competitor, and he’s shown that he will work. So what do you think? Should the Twins reach out to Eduardo Escobar on a multi-year extension? Click here to view the article

When the Minnesota Twins found out that they were not going to get a meeting with Shohei Otani, they decided to trade some of their international bonus pool money to add talent to the organization. They traded $1 million to the Seattle Mariners for catcher David Banuelos. Moments later, it was announced that they had traded another $1 million to the Angels in exchange for outfielder Jacob Pearson, their third- round pick in 2017. Recently, Twins Daily was able to chat with the talented outfielder about a variety of topics including learning he had been traded.It’s been an interesting couple of weeks for Jacob Pearson, a native of West Monroe, Louisiana. He’s had a couple of life changes that are exciting. First, the 19-year-old learned that he was no longer a member of the Angels organization and would now be part of the Minnesota Twins organization. Then last weekend, he got engaged to his long-time girlfriend. Growing up in northeastern Louisiana, there really wasn’t a local major league team for him to follow. He was a fan of the team that people either love or hate. “When I was a kid, I grew up being a Yankees fan. I grew up watching Derek Jeter. Whenever the Yankees got Alex Rodriguez, I became a die-hard Yankees fan.” It didn’t take long for Pearson to become a star on the diamond. He hurt a shoulder labrum and had surgery, but he still played for the varsity his freshman year in high school. He was the team’s DH that season, and then he played in the outfield his final three seasons. It was after that freshman season that he first started hearing from colleges. “I had heard from Mississippi State my freshman year.” After his sophomore season, he was invited to participate in a Perfect Game event. “I went to Perfect Game just because I got an invite from them. We talked to a guy older than me, and he said you’ve got to go to that. So we went to it, and that’s when he found out we needed to go to stuff like that.” If you look at his high school stats from his final two seasons in high school, it’s easy to understand why college coaches were interested, and why pro scouts found their way to West Monroe. As a junior, he hit .479/.596/.873 (1.469) with ten doubles, three triples and four homers. Pearson noted, “We didn’t even think about major league teams until my junior year. I didn’t think that could be a reality until then. Before that, we were strictly talking to colleges.” As a senior, he hit .551/.620/1.134 (1.755) with ten doubles, six triples and ten home runs. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana. The draft was coming up and he was starting to hear from more and more teams. “I was hearing from about 15 teams that were really interested. We were thinking second to third round, so I’d say I went around where I was expecting to go.” Pearson went to the Angels in the third round, the 85th player taken in the draft. The Angels went above slot, giving Pearson a $1 million signing bonus, to keep him from his commitment to Louisiana State. While playing for LSU is a dream for so many from Louisiana and around the country, Pearson said that the decision wasn’t too hard. “It was tough at first, but just the idea of playing professional baseball overshadows it. I couldn’t pass it up. I was more than happy to be selected in the draft by the Angels.” The Twins were very interested in Pearson and contemplated drafting him with the first pick in the third round. Instead, they selected another top high school player from Louisiana, right-handed pitcher Blayne Enlow. “Yeah, we actually played together in a tournament showcase. We both committed to LSU together. We had known each other, and playing against each other in high school, we kind of grew together.” Pearson struggled some in his pro debut, but that means very little in the long term. Asked what he considers his biggest strength on the field at this time is, Pearson provided a thought-filled response. “I would say it’s my hit tool .My speed is a bit above average, but I would say it’s my hit, and my gears, my motor. My hitting started rough last professional season, but if you look at how it started and how it finished, it was a lot different. It was all good, and it gave me something to work on this offseason.” In his first 21 games, he hit .190/.247/.253 (.500). However, in his final 19 games, he hit .263/.356/.316 (.672). “Just seeing professional pitching from high school pitching, it’s a huge difference. So whenever you go into the offseason, you know what you can work on and what you need to work on. It gave me a list. I was rushing my rookie year, and I was trying to get hits and have a good average. But at the time, I wasn’t focused on the little things. This offseason I’m going to focus on the little things a little more, and I think it’s going to help me next year.” And then last week, he was suddenly no longer a member of the Angels organization. He was out for dinner with his brother-in-law when his agent called him. “‘You’ve just been traded to the Twins.’ My heart just kind of stopped. ‘Oh my gosh, are you kidding?’ “No, this is real. The Twins are going to call you any minute now, so just be ready to answer.’” Moments later, he received a call from the new Twins Minor League Director Jeremy Zoll. “He called and was very excited. He said he had talked to the amateur guys and they were really excited to have me. They had looked at me through my high school years, they just couldn’t make a deal before the draft. He said now they’ve got me, and they’re excited to get spring training started, and to have me in their organization.” One of the first people that Pearson reached out to was fellow LSU commit and now Twins teammate Blayne Enlow. “I texted him as soon as it happened, ‘Hey, I just got traded to the Twins.’ He was like, ‘There’s no way!’ So that was cool.“ That’s a lot of information to process in a short time frame. Pearson said it took him a day to have it all sink in. “Once I had time to process it, it was very exciting.” Pearson has already started researching the Twins organization as he prepares for his 2018 season. “I’m pretty familiar. I’m familiar enough with the big things, but not the details yet like I was with the Angels. We had classes on everything, and I’d done my research, and right now I’m in the process of doing my research on the Twins and everything they have.” It’s likely that before spring training starts in early March, he will have an opportunity to go to Ft. Myers. It’ll be good for him to meet more of the players in the Twins organization as well as the coaching staffs. It’ll be good for him to get acclimated into the system. Based on his interests outside of baseball, he will fit in well when he gets to Minnesota. “I like hunting and I like fishing, but fishing is during baseball season, so I can’t really do that much anymore. I like deer hunting.” Pearson continues, “I love muscle cars. I don’t get to go out and buy them all, but I like to look at other people’s cars. And right now, I’m working on a building, so I like being handsy and crafty.” Pearson is an outdoorsman, a do-it-yourselfer, a gamer, known for his work ethic. He’s got plenty of work and development ahead, but he’s certainly a prospect that Twins fans can get excited about. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacob Pearson will be one of over 165 Twins prospects profiled in the soon-to-be-released Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2018. Check back to Twins Daily in the next couple of weeks to see when it is available. Click here to view the article

It's almost as bad/annoying as that dumb parrot of Edwin Encarnacion's!

Updated to 1 year, $4.5 million deal with $1.5 million in very attainable incentives.

Berardino tweeted his YouTube video of Brad Steil discussing Tyler Kinley.

I'm willing to let it play out. In other words, they left four open spots on the 40 man roster by leaving Burdi, Reed, Stewart, Bard, etc. off of the 40 man roster. They used one spot on Michael Pineda. Let's see how they fill the 40. But, I tend to agree... If you're looking for arms, Burdi at least feels like a big one, though we know the injury risk. And Reed hasn't put up the numbers to match his 'stuff.' So, I also understand taking the risk of leaving them off.

See updates below...The Twins lost two players in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft and added a right-handed pitcher. In the minor league Rule 5, they added two players without losing anyone. On Thursday morning, the 2017 Winter Meetings will come to a close with the annual Rule 5 draft. Last month, the Minnesota added three players to their 40-man roster, but they left several very talented players unprotected. The Twins could potentially lose a couple of players (at least tentatively) to the Rule 5. However, they currently have just 37 players on their 40-man roster, so in theory, they could make a Rule 5 pick (or three!). Below you'll find a brief preview of the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but as the draft takes place, this article will continue to be updated if the Twins lose or gain players. So be sure to check back often. The draft starts at 8:00 a.m. central time.8:15 Update: A computer glitch delayed the inevitable, but with the 3rd overall pick in the Rule 5 draft, the Phillies selected Nick Burdi from the Twins. It was expected. Reports from Orlando indicate that he will be traded. 8:18 Update: Angels selected Luke Bard. 8:19 Update: The Twins selected right-handed pitcher Tyler Kinley from the Miami Marlins (more to come after draft). Tyler Kinley was the 16th round pick of the Miami Marlins in the 2013 draft out of Barry Universityl in Miami Shores, Florida. He spent the 2017 between High-A Jupiter and AA Jacksonville. Combined, he threw 53.1 innings in 50 outings. He walked 22 and struck out 72. He had a 1.98 ERA in High-A, and a 5.19 ERA in AA. He will turn 27 in January. The Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft is complete. The Twins add Tyler Kinley and lose Nick Burdi and Luke Bard. The Minor League portion of the draft is starting. 8:51 Update: The Phillies traded Nick Burdi to the Pirates for international slot money. 8:37 Update: The Twins select RH Yancarlos Baez from the Yankees roster in the AAA Rule 5. Baez was signed by the Yankees as a shortstop, but in 2017, he transitioned to pitching in the GCL. Interesting gamble. 8:43 Update: The Twins selected Sandy Lugo, a 22-year-old RHP from the Dominican, and from the Reds organization. In 2017, he split the year before Low-A Dayton (2 games) and High-A Daytona (4-6, 5.32 ERA in 42 relief games). In 64 innings, he had 40 walks but he struck out 82. 8:51 Update: Nick Burdi was traded to the Pirates in exchange for international bonus pool money. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Below we're going to start with the basics. Who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft? Who could the Twins lose in the Rule 5 draft, and who could they select if they do make a pick? Also, check back often during the 8:00 hour as I'll be updating this article if (or when) they lose a player or add a pick. The Basics Let's start with who is eligible. Players who were 18-years-old when they signed as an international free agent or draft pick signed in 2013. This group includes players such as Kohl Stewart and Lewin Diaz.College players selected in the 2014 Draft. This category includes the likes of Nick Burdi and Jake Reed.Players who are not yet minor league free agents and have been eligible in previous seasons. Luke Bard and Ryan Eades are two from this group.For much more on the players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft, with the exception of the three players added to the 40-man roster, click here. To make an MLB selection, a team must pay $100,000. That player needs to be on the drafting team’s 25-man roster all season or be offered back to the original team for $50,000. The other option is that the teams can work out a trade. The Twins have examples of what can happen with their five most recent picks. Scott Diamond – Twins selected him from the Braves. He did not make the opening day roster, but the Twins and Braves were able to work out a trade. Diamond was taken off of the 40-man roster and the Twins sent RHP Billy Bullock to Atlanta.Terry Doyle – The Twins selected Doyle from the White Sox organization. He was returned to Chicago late in spring training.Ryan Pressly – The Twins drafted Pressly from the Red Sox organization. He remained on the Twins roster the entire 2013 season. He was able to be sent back to AAA during the 2014 season and pitched well enough to be called up during the season’s second half.JR Graham - The Twins selected Graham from the Atlanta organization. He spent an entire season on the Twins roster in 2015 only to be DFAd less than two months into the 2016 season.Justin Haley - The Twins selected Miguel Diaz from the Brewers organization with the top pick in the 2016 Rule 5. They traded down and got starter Justin Haley. He made the roster and made a few appearances. He spent a couple of stints on the DL before the Twins sent him back to the Red Sox.Who The Twins Could Lose Throughout the week, we have heard from several sources that Nick Burdi is very likely be be selected. The flame-thrower had Tommy John surgery in June and will likely miss much of the 2018 season. If he does, the requirement of staying on a team's active roster will carry into the 2019 season.Jake Reed and Luke Bard are two other relievers that I feel have a chance at least to be selected. They are both hard-throwing relievers who finished 2017 in AAA. They both get a lot of movement. They could be stashed on an MLB roster, but they are also guys who could contribute in 2018.Lewin Diaz is less likely to be selected due to his proximity and his lack of position flexibility.Ryan Eades had a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League and did have a couple of appearances in AAA late in the season.Kohl Stewart was the Twins top pick in 2014 out of high school in Houston. He's put up strong ERAs (until 2017), but he's never put up the strikeout numbers that the front office might hope for.Who The Twins Could Pick I don't know if the Twins will make a pick. My general theory is that a team should almost always take a Rule 5 pick and see how it goes. The Twins have three open spots on the roster, so they could take three players. They won't, but they could take one. Here are two good sources for lists of who might be available. Baseball America- 91 namesMLB.comThe Twins have the 20th pick in the Rule 5 draft (as they will next June in the Rule 4 draft). However, several teams ahead of them have full 40-man rosters so they won't be able to make a pick. Some teams may pass. Minor League Rule 5 Draft Shortly after the Major League Rule 5 draft, the Minor League (AAA) portion will start. We'll also update you on any players the Twins gain or lose in that draft. Feel free to discuss the Rule 5 draft before, during and after... Click here to view the article

The Twins announced this morning that they have signed right-handed pitcher Michael Pineda to a two-year, $10 million deal. The former Mariners and Yankees starter had Tommy John surgery July 18, so he is likely to miss the entire 2018 season.Pineda stands 6-7 and about 260 pounds. He is a flame-thrower, when healthy. The Twins deal with Pineda is such that he will make $2 million in 2018 and then $8 million in 2019. The move is very similar to the transaction the Cubs made earlier this week when they signed lefty Drew Smyly for two years and $10 million. While Pineda is unlikely to pitch in the big leagues in 2018 (14 month recovery would be late September), this move is a push for 2019 when he will be over 20 months post-surgery and the Twins should be making another playoff push. It's another creative move for the Twins brass, and it doesn't necessarily stop them from doing anything else. What do you think of the move? Click here to view the article