Seth Stohs

Oof, if they're going to trade him for 'back of the pen help', then they need to just keep him.

I can't' imagine the front office thinks that at all right now. Depth is good. Odorizzi's struggled, but he'll be fine. And Lynn has been good now for 4-5 weeks, doing what he's' done in the past. Depth is good. Mejia's getting back into the picture now. Gonsalves is probably 4th on their list of Rochester guys ready right now.

I mean, not directly. They could have used half of it to get Pearson or Banuelos. Teng would have used part of it. There isn't a direct connection. E-Town's two games in... they wont/shouldn't make any promotions for at least 2-3 weeks. It'll even out.

1.) AAA 2.) and Littell, and Jorge started rehab appearances, and it's fun to see. 3.) No.

He won't be playing every day. They've said all along it'll be more of a spring training schedule where he's working on a ton of things.

I subtly suggest in tonight's Minor League Report that it's happening tomorrow.

As the short-season minor leagues get going, it’s a lot of fun to highlight a lot of Firsts: First hits, first doubles, first wins, etc. There were a lot of firsts in Elizabethton on Wednesday night. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton both played in minor league games on Wednesday. Adalberto Mejia is also doing a good job of trying to get his name back on the forefront in the minds of Twins fans and front office personnel. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Adalberto Mejia) As the short-season minor leagues get going, it’s a lot of fun to highlight a lot of Firsts: First hits, first doubles, first wins, etc. There were a lot of firsts in Elizabethton on Wednesday night. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton both played in minor league games on Wednesday. Adalberto Mejia is also doing a good job of trying to get his name back on the forefront in the minds of Twins fans and front office personnel. Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Wednesday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Chattanooga’s Williams Ramirez pitched in the Southern League All- Star game on Tuesday night and was placed on the Lookouts disabled list on Wednesday. Lefty Andrew Vasquez returns to the Lookouts. RHP Colton Davis and RHP Brady Anderson were activated from the Miracle DL with LHP Kevin Marnon going on the DL. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Syracuse 0 Box Score Lefty Adalberto Mejia celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday by tossing seven shutout innings. He gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out eight batters in the game. He improved to 3-2 while dropping his ERA to 2.91 on the season. Gabriel Moya pitched a scoreless eighth inning despite giving up a hit and walking a batter. Alan Busenitz came on for a perfect ninth inning, including a strikeout. It was just his second save of the season. The Red Wings offense didn't do much either. In fact, both of their runs came in the fourth inning. It had the making of a really big inning, but it also turned into a disaster. They had the bases loaded with nobody out, but two straight batters hit grounders that were fielded and the out was made at home. With two outs, Byron Buxton came through with a single that scored two, the second on a throwing error. Buxton was 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Willians Astudillo went 2-for-4 with his ninth and tenth doubles. Nick Gordon added a triple. LaMonte Wade was 0-for-2, but he walked twice. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts have the final day of their All-Star break on Wednesday. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Tampa 5 Box Score Clark Beeker put together another quality start, but the Miracle offense was unable to provide enough support. Beeker gave up three runs on six hits and a walk over the first six innings. He struck out seven. Brady Anderson came on and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks over the final three innings. He struck out two. The Miracle managed just four hits in the game. Caleb Hamilton had the long extra -base hit, his ninth double of the season. Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Maybe more surprising, Luis Arraez went 0-for-4, though he did drive in a run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids Box Score The Kernels enjoyed their final day of the All-Star break. They get back into game action on Thursday at home E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton Twins 15, Burlington 3 Box Score Less than two weeks ago, 6-9 starting pitcher Tyler Palm was working in the United Shores Professional Baseball League. On Wednesday night, Palm made his first start for an affiliated baseball club and did a nice job. He gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out seven batters without issuing a walk. Derek Molina came on and struck out three in two scoreless, hitless innings. Juan Gamez threw the final two innings. He was charged with an unearned run on two hits and a walk. He struck out four. The E-Twins got contributions from several players on their way to 15 runs on 19 hits. Alex Robles went 4-for-4 with a walk. He drove in two runs and scored two runs. Trevor Casanova, playing in his first game, went 3-for-4 with two doubles. He was also hit by a pitch. Jared Akins had a double and a triple. Casanova’s fellow catcher at Cal State Northridge, Albee Weiss, has already been moved to the outfield. He had his first two professional hits in this game, including a double. Fourth-round pick Dashawn Keirsey went 2-for-5 with a triple, again, his first two hits. Yunior Severino had his first two hits in the Twins organization and drove in four runs. Eighth-round pick Chris Williams had his first hit, a double. GCL TWINS TALK GCL Twins 5, GCL Orioles 1 Box Score The GCL Twins improved to 3-0 on the season thanks to some strong pitching. Kai-Wai Teng’s first US start went well. In five innings, he gave up one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out six. Next, Dylan Stowell made his first pro appearance. The 2018 34th-round pick gave up three hits and hit a batter, but no runs, over two scoreless innings. Osiris German recorded the save with two scoreless innings. Aaron Whitefield batted second and started in centerfield. He went 1-for-3 with a double in the game. He had not played since April when he suffered a broken hamate bone. Gabe Snyder, 2018 pick from Wright State, picked up the first two hits of his professional career. Tyler Webb went 2-for-4. Snyder and Webb each stole their first base. Samuel Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a double. Janigson Villalobos had just one hit, but he drove in three of the team’s five runs. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Alex Robles, Elizabethton Twins (4-4, BB) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day:Adalberto Mejia, Rochester Red Wings (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #2 - Fernando Romero (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #3 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-4, 3B(3) #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break, expect news of his promotion to Ft. Myers soon. #6 - Wander Javier - out of for the season #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - All Star Break #11 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 0-4 #14 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 0-2, 2 BB, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-2, BB, HBP, K #18 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) - 2-5, R, 4 RBI, K #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - All Star Break #20 - Felix Jorge (Chattanooga) - Disabled List, began rehab on June 19. THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Zack Littell (1-3, 3.58 ERA) Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - TBD Tampa Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (1-4, 3.88 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-2, 4.01 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled Please feel free to ask any questions about Wednesday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. View full article

I wouldn't worry about DL trips in these lower levels of the minors. Only worth really noticing if they go more than like 8-9 days. The Twins do an incredible job of manipulating rosters with DL usage.

It's hard to find a comp for Arraez. He is a singles-hitting machine with little speed, little athleticism, little power,, no real defensive position... But he can take terrific at bats and single all over the field. He's to watch.

He had Tommy John surgery.

He started at shortstop for Elizabethton last night. He was mentioned in the Elizabethton Twins Roster Preview the other day.

Winder signed for slot. https://twitter.com/JonathanMayo/status/1008929199548239873

They signed 15-20 international players most every year. Maybe one or two of them get the big money ($500K plus). Most probably get the $10-20,000 number, if that. The ones that are particularly noteworthy are the ones who sign in July of their Age 16 year. But as you can see, many of these players from other countries are already 19, 20, 21. That shouldn't matter a whole lot, but those are typically guys that signed later and for less money at that point.

He wasn't on the roster yet, but he is signed so he will be soon. I did add a paragraph to that point. Thank you!

On Monday, the GCL Twins began their 2018 season with a win against the GCL Orioles. After previewing the Elizabethton Twins yesterday, today we preview the Gulf Coast League Twins. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Victor Tademo) On Monday, the GCL Twins began their 2018 season with a win against the GCL Orioles. After previewing the Elizabethton Twins yesterday, today we preview the Gulf Coast League Twins. After seven seasons of managing the GCL Twins (and Extended Spring Training), Ramon Borrego moved up to manager of the Ft. Myers Miracle this year. The Twins brought in Dan Ramsey as their new manager. He had been the coach at Whitworth University in Washington. He had led his team to the national Division III tournament three times. Ramsey is joined by two pitching coaches. Richard Salazar is in his first season on the job. He was drafted in 2001 and played pro ball right up through the 2017 season. Frank Jagoda joins the organization in 2018 as another pitching coach. He’s had a variety of roles in recent years including coaching at Patrick Henry Community College in Virginia and USA Baseball the last couple of summers. The Twins also hired a couple of new hitting coaches for the GCL. Luis Rodriguez originally signed as a player with the Twins in 1997. He worked his way up and spent time with the Twins for parts of 2005 through 2007. He spent parts of three more season in the big leagues. This is his first coaching opportunity. Also, Matt Borgschulte comes to the Twins organization after coaching in the Cardinals system in 2017. Prospects To Watch While none of the GCL Twins ranked among the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects coming into the season, this is a very talented group. Landon Leach is a very hard-throwing pitcher who will do well when he’s activated. Tyler Benninghoff was another high-ceiling prep pick from the 2016 draft who has a chance to jump up prospect rankings this year. The pitcher from the DSL that gets talked about the most is Michael Montero. Willie Joe Garry has a ton of potential, but he’s very raw. He may take a few years to get going, but has a very high ceiling. RHP Regi Grace also signed for significantly over slot value in the 10th round forgoing a scholarship to Mississippi State. While he wasn't on the roster yet, he obviously will appear soon, and he's got a ton of potential. THE ROSTER The Pitchers LHP Petru Balan (22) - signed November 2016 from Moldova RHP Tyler Benninghoff (20) - 11th round pick in 2016 from high school in Missouri RHP Prelander Berroa (18) - signed July 2016 out of the Dominican Republic RHP Donny Breek (18) - signed September 2017 from the Netherlands RHP Amilcar Cruz (22) - signed May 2016 from the Dominican Republic RHP Steven Cruz (19) - signed March 2017 from the Dominican Republic RHP Osiris German (19) - signed July 2016 out of the Dominican Republic RHP Tanner Howell (23) - 35th round pick in 2018 from Dixie State (Utah) RHP Landon Leach (18) - 2nd round pick in 2017 (37th overall) from high school in Canada RHP Andriu Marin (19) - signed November 2014 from Venezuela RHP Michael Montero (18) - signed July 2016 from Venezuela RHP Junior Navas (18) - signed July 2016 from Venezuela RHP Joe Record (23) - 28th round in 2017 from UC-Santa Barbara RHP Niklas Rimmel (18) - signed September 2017 from Germany LHP Fredderi Soto (19) - signed January 2015 from the Dominican Republic RHP Dylan Stowell (23) - 34th round pick in 2018 from California Baptist RHP Kai-Wei Teng (19) - signed October 2017 from Taiwan RHP Frandy Torres (22) - signed May 2016 from the Dominican RepublicAs I noted yesterday, it’s hard to always know the roles of the pitchers. Because of innings limits and innings already thrown in Extended Spring Training, as well as giving people opportunities, roles can shift throughout the short-season. Joe Record missed the entire 2017 season with Tommy John surgery and will likely not pitch in 2018 either. Soto is also on the 60-Day Disabled List. Meanwhile, Landon Leach and Junior Lavas will also begin the season on the 7-Day Disabled List. Tyler Benninghoff came back late last year to pitch a couple of innings in the GCL. Drafted in 2016, he immediately had Tommy John surgery. He has a chance to really step it up in 2018. The GCL Twins is a melting pot. As you can see, it has players from six different countries. This rotation consists of several players that performed very well in the Dominican Summer League. Steven Cruz went 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA in 29 1/3 innings. Andriu Marin went 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA in 47 1/3 innings. Michael Montero went 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 58 1/3 innings. Junior Navas went 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. Fredderi Soto was 1-1 with a 1.34 ERA in 53 2/3 innings. Frandy Torres went 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. Along with 2018 draft picks Tanner Howell and Dylan Stowell, Donny Breek, Niklas Rimmel and Kai-Wei Teng will make their professional debuts the first time they step on the mound in a game. The Catchers Yeremi De La Cruz (20) - signed September 2015 from the Dominican Republic Yeison Perez (22) - signed May 2016 out of the Dominican Republic Kidany Salva (19) - 17th round in 2016 out of high school in Texas (via Puerto Rico) Janigson Villalobos (21) - acquired in trade with San Diego Padres in May 2018Villalobos came to the Twins organization last month as part of the trade that sent Phil Hughes to the Padres. This is Salva’s third season in the GCL yet remains younger than the two catchers who came to the States from the DSL. De La Cruz hit .286 with an .811 OPS a year ago. The Infielders Yeltsin Encarnacion (19) - signed in February 2015 from the Dominican Republic Edgar Herrera (21) - signed July 2013 out of Venezuela Agustin Marte (19) - signed February 2016 from the Dominican Republic Emmanuel Morel (21) - signed July 2013 out of the Dominican Republic Gabe Snyder (23) - 21st round in 2018 from Wright State Victor Tademo (18) - signed September 2015 out of Venezuela Estamy Urena (19) - signed July 2016 from the Dominican RepublicVictor Tademo is the one player in this group that spent the 2017 season in the GCL. He was one of the youngest players in the league, and he still will be in 2018. Herrera and Morel were actually both eligible for the Rule 5 draft this year, and last year, but they have fought injuries. Morel is on the DL to start this season again. Herrera missed a lot of time last year with a hamate bone injury. Gabe Snyder was a big bat in the middle of the Wright State lineup. The three players who are making their Stateside debut this year all are intriguing. Encarnacion hit .318/.408/.523 (.931) with nine doubles, eight triples and two homers. Agustin Marte hit .299/.366/.419 (.785) with 11 doubles, three triples and a homer. Estamy Urena hit .306/.369/.434 (.802) with seven doubles, three triples and three homers. Outfielders Willie Joe Garry (18) - 9th round draft pick in 2018 from high school in Mississippi Alberoni Nunez (19) - signed July 2016 out of the Dominican Republic Samuel Vasquez (21) - signed October 2015 from the Dominican Republic Tyler Webb (22) - 40th round draft pick in 2018 out of MemphisThe Twins went over slot to sign Willie Joe Garry and keep him from college. Tyler Webb was the team’s final draft pick this year. He was the centerfielder and third hitter for Memphis this season. Alberoni Nunez hit .352/.420/.545 (.965) in the DSL last year with nine doubles, seven triples and three homers. Vasquez hit .301/.396/.398 (.793) with four doubles, three triples and two homers. So there you have it, the Opening Day roster of the Gulf Coast League Twins. There are 30 players listed above, and as mentioned, more will likely be added in coming days as more players (hopefully Charlie Mack, at least) sign. For more information on the 2018 Twins draft picks, please click here (links at bottom of article). View full article

Nope...

GCL Twins Roster Preview coming soon.

While the Rochester Red Wings had the day off, and the Chattanooga Lookouts and Cedar Rapids Kernels started their All-Star breaks, today we post our first short-season game summary. The GCL Twins played their first game of the 2018 season and gave new manager Dan Ramsey his first win as a professional manager. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Luis Arraez) While the Rochester Red Wings had the day off, and the Chattanooga Lookouts and Cedar Rapids Kernels started their All-Star breaks, today we post our first short-season game summary. The GCL Twins played their first game of the 2018 season and gave new manager Dan Ramsey his first win as a professional manager. Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Saturday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. But first, be sure to check out the 2018 Elizabethton Twins Roster Preview. TRANSACTIONS Rochester announced that infielder Taylor Featherston has been released. They also announced that catcher Jordan Pacheco has begun his rehab in the GCL. Ft. Myers officially added Miguel Sano to their roster. While you would notice it in the GCL Twins Roster Preview and the Elizabethton Twins Roster Preview, Baseball America noted that the Twins released several players from extended spring training as the short-season leagues get started. They are catchers Kerby Camacho and Darling Cuestro, 1B Kolton Kendrick, 2B Carson Crites, and outfielders TJ Dixon and Humberto Maldonado. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester Box Score The Red Wings have a scheduled off day. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts began their All-Star break on Monday. OFs LaMonte Wade and Zander Wiel were named to the All-Star team. Wade has since been promoted to AAA. Wiel is currently on the disabled list. So is RH SP Randy LeBlanc who was named to the roster. Representing the Lookouts will be RHPs Omar Bencomo, Williams Ramirez and Todd Van Steensel, and LHP Ryne Harper. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Tampa 5 Box Score The big story in this game was the return of Miguel Sano to the Miracle lineup. The Miracle returned to the diamond on Thursday night, their first game back from their All-Star break. Sano batted third and played third base. His inclusion in the lineup pushed Travis Blankenhorn out to left field. Sano would factor into the end of this game. The story early in the game was the pitching performance of Andro Cutura. He gave up just one run and struck out eight over the first five innings. He struggled in the sixth inning and ended up giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine. Hector Lujan got the next four outs and was charged with an unearned run. He struck out two. Alex Robinson got all six batters that he faced out, including two on strikeouts. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Miguel Sano came to the plate with one out. Sano drilled a double down the left field line. Taylor Grzelakowski walked. Then Jaylin Davis played hero, driving in Sano with a single. Sano went 2-for-4 on the night. He walked in his first plate appearance. That was followed by a single, a double play grounder, a ground out and then the double. Luis Arraez remains on fire. He went 4-for-5 in this game. In his past 11 games, he has hit .500 (24-28) with five doubles and three triples. It took him awhile to get going after missing all but the first three games of the 2017 season with knee surgery. Lewin Diaz went 2-for-4 with his ninth double. Taylor Grzelakowski went 1-for-3 with two walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids Box Score The Kernels began their All Star break on Monday. OF Alex Kirilloff, SS Royce Lewis, and RHPs Brusdar Graterol and Jared Finkel are the representatives. Although… https://twitter.com/jeje66/status/1008772284289601539 GCL TWINS TALK GCL Twins 7, GCL Orioles 5 Box Score Congratulations to manager Dan Ramsey, hitting coaches Matt Borgschulte and Luis Rodriguez, and pitching coaches Richard Salazar and Frank Jagoda on their first wins as coaches in the Twins organization. Shortstop Yeltsin Encarnacion led off and led the way for the Twins. He went 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple. He scored three runs. DH Kidany Salva went 2-for-4 with three RBI in the game. Center fielder Alberoni Nunez also went 2-for-4. Catcher Jordan Pacheco was making his first rehab appearance. He went 0-for-2 with two RBI. He was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and also had a sacrifice fly. Andriu Marin was tasked with starting the opener. He gave up five runs on nine hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out three. Amilcar Cruz came on and threw three shutout innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. 35th- round pick (from Dixie State) Tanner Howell picked up his first career save in his first pro outing. He worked two perfect inning and struck out three. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Luis Arraez, Ft. Myers Miracle (4-5) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Howell, GCL Twins (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, first career appearance, first career save) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - All-Star break #2 - Fernando Romero (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #3 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - No game scheduled #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - No game scheduled #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - All-Star break #6 - Wander Javier - out of for the season #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - All-Star break #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - All-Star break #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Cedar Rapids) - All-Star break #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - All-Star break #11 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - No game scheduled #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - All-Star break #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, 2B(9) #14 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - No game scheduled #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, 2 K #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, BB, R, K #18 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) - Did not play #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - All-Star break #20 - Felix Jorge (Chattanooga) - Disabled list, still no official timetable for return. TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Dietrich Enns (4-6, 5.30 ERA) Chattanooga - Southern League All Star Game Tampa @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - LHP Tyler Watson (0-0, 1.98 ERA) Cedar Rapids - Midwest League All Star Game Burlington @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Monday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. View full article

Jones - GCL, Leach - GCL (DL), Benninghoff - GCL. (I would think all three could possibly move up. Villalobos - GCL. Morel - GCL (DL). Kendrick - Released Tademo - GCL.

Kirilloff will likely be promoted to Ft. Myers by Thursday or Friday. The Kernels play again on Thursday. I don't know how hurt Matt Albanese is, but if he's not too hurt, I could see him moving up to Cedar Rapids to take Kirilloff's spot. then again, Marrero was in CR last year, so he could, and Akins and Burns were college draft picks last year, so they could move up too. Larnach will be there in a couple of weeks probably, though he likely won't be in E-Town for more than a month before moving up to CR.

Added a couple more to the "Signed" group. Lots of guys will head to Elizabethton and some in the GCL.

In 2017, the Elizabethton Twins won the Appalachian League championship. The team will begin their quest to defend the title on Tuesday night when they host the Burlington Royals at Joe O’Brien Stadium in Elizabethton. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Yunior Severino) In 2017, the Elizabethton Twins won the Appalachian League championship. The team will begin their quest to defend the title on Tuesday night when they host the Burlington Royals at Joe O’Brien Stadium in Elizabethton. Led by manager Ray Smith, Elizabethton won its seventh Appy League title in 2017. Smith, who was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in 1977, enters his 32nd season in the Elizabethton Twins coaching staff, his 25th as the manager. He played in 63 games for the E-Twins during that 1977 season. He played in 83 games for the Twins between 1981 and 1983. He comes into the season with an overall managerial record of 977-648. Former Twins first-round draft pick (1980) Jeff Reed, who played for the Twins from 1984 through 1986, enters his 17th season as the Elizabethton hitting coach. The 17-year major league veteran also works with the E-Twins catchers. Pitching coach Luis Ramirez has been with Elizabethton the past three seasons. Before that, he was the GCL pitching coach for two years. He came to the Twins organization in 2006 as the pitching coordinator for the Twins at their Venezuelan Academy. For the first time, Elizabethton will have a fourth coach on staff. Takashi Miyoshi has spent the past seven seasons coaching in independent leagues Prospects To Watch The Elizabethton Twins Opening Day roster (including the DL) includes just one player who ranked in the preseason Twins Daily Top 20 Prospect rankings. Yunior Severino was our choice for the Twins #18 prospect. The infielder from the Dominican Republic signed a year earlier with Atlanta. However, when MLB announced sanctions on the team for illegal practices, Severino became a free agent. After a solid showing as a 17-year-old in the GCL last year, the Twins signed him as a free agent for $2.5 million. Severino is a good athlete with a strong swing from both sides of the plate. He has some power potential. Defensively, he could play shortstop, but he’ll likely mostly play second base. The reason is, at least in part, because of Ricky De La Torre. The Twins sixth-round draft pick out of high school in Puerto Rico is a very talented shortstop. On a roster where most of the players are 21 or 22 years old, the two 18-year-olds will form a very talented, athletic keystone combination. 2018 first-round draft pick, Trevor Larnach, will likely join the E-Twins at some point following the Oregon State College World Series run. Even if his stay is fairly short, we should anticipate him spending some time in eastern Tennessee. Second-round pick Ryan Jeffers will also begin his professional career with the E-Twins. (if you missed it, read Ted’s Q&A with Ryan Jeffers here) THE ROSTER Before jumping into the roster, it should be noted that there have been a couple of injuries. You're all aware of the Wander Javier shoulder surgery that cost him this entire season. In addition, lefty Riley Widell, who pitched for Elizabethton last year, came down with mono this spring, so he's been gradually regaining his strength. Miguel DeJesus, who missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery, could also surface with the E-Twins this summer. Outfielder Matt Albanese is also on the DL to start the season. The Pitchers RHP Jacob Blank (22) - 22nd round pick in 2018 from Division II National Champion Augustana RHP Christian Broussard (21) - 22nd round pick in 2017, from Cal St-Los Angeles RHP Andrew Cabezas (21) - 18th round pick in 2018 out of Miami LHP Kody Funderburk (21) - 15th round pick in 2018 from Dallas Baptist University RHP Juan Gamez (24) - 31st round pick in 2016 as a catcher from NDSU. Moved to pitcher that summer. RHP Pedro Garcia (22) - signed October, 2015, from Dominican Republic RHP Moises Gomez (21) - signed April, 2014, from Venezuela RHP Blair Lakso (23) - undrafted free agent signed in August, 2016, from U of Buffalo RHP Derek Molina (20) - 14th round pick in 2017 out of Merced College LHP Tyler Palm (23) - signed about a week ago from the United Shore Professional Baseball League. Tallest pitcher on the roster at 6-9. RHP Seth Pinkerton (21) - 20th round pick in 2018 from the U. of Hartford RHP Johan Quezada (23) - signed September, 2012, Dominican Republic. 6-6 pitcher has missed most of last two seasons with shoulder injury. RHP Ricky Ramirez (21) - 15th round pick in 2017 from Fresno State RHP Brian Rapp (22) - 26th round pick in 2018 from Boston College RHP Austin Schulfer (22) - 19th round pick in 2018 out of UW-Milwaukee RHP Carlos Suniaga (21) - signed in September 2014 out of Venezuela RHP Josh Winder (21) - 7th round pick in 2018 from Virginia Military InstituteA few of these guys have already seen some time in Cedar Rapids. Carlos Suniaga was just sent to the E-Twins over the weekend. Most likely, the organization would like to see him start and he’s been working out of the bullpen for the Kernels. Derek Molina and Ricky Ramirez have already seen some time with the Kernels as well. At the rookie levels, it is difficult to know the roles of players, especially pitchers. The pitchers drafted out of college this year have likely already thrown a lot of innings, and have been throwing since January. So, the Twins will limited their innings and starters may work out of the bullpen. That’s also why the rookie level events can have up to 35 players on the roster. The Catchers Trevor Casanova (21) - 13th round pick in 2018 out of Cal St-Northridge Andrew Cosgrove (21) - 17th round pick in 2017 from North Carolina State Ryan Jeffers (21) - 2nd round pick in 2018 out of UNC-Wilmington Chris Williams (21) - 8th round pick in 2018 from Clemson UniversityThe Twins drafted a lot of college catchers in 2018, and the first three they selected are all going to be in Elizabethton. As these guys adjust to the professional baseball game, they will all catch probably twice a week, at least early in the season. They may get extra at bats by DHing or playing some at another position. The Infielders Ricky De La Torre (18) - 6th round pick in 2017 out of high school in Puerto Rico Hunter Lee (22) - 27th round pick in 2018 out of High Point University Ariel Montesino (22) - signed May 2013 from the Dominican Republic Yunior Severino (18) - Free agent from Atlanta from the Dominican Republic. Played for GCL Braves last year. Alex Robles (22) - 30th round pick in 2017 from Austin Peay UniversityRobles was a two-way player all four years in college. The organization has decided to have him start his career as a hitter, knowing they could move him to the mound later. He has already spent a couple of weeks with both the Ft. Myers Miracle and Chattanooga Lookouts. Montesino split 2017 between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids and sprinkled in a couple of games with Ft. Myers. This is the fourth season he will have spent time with the E-Twins yet remains just 22. Lee is a 5-9 second baseman who was all Big South this year. He had a 28 game hitting streak earlier in the season. As mentioned above, Severino and De La Torre are the two big prospects on this opening day roster, in part, because of their relative youth, along with their immense talent. The Outfielders Jared Akins (21) - 13th round pick in 2017 from Fresno State Colton Burns (22) - 18th round pick in 2017 from UC-Santa Barbara DaShawn Keirsey (21) - 4th round pick in 2018 out of Utah Lean Marrero (20) - 16th round pick in 2015 out of high school in Puerto Rico Albee Weiss (22) - 23rd round pick in 2018 from Cal St-NorthridgeAs mentioned Trevor Larnach will likely join the E-Twins in the next two or three weeks. Keirsey is the very talented fourth-round pick that may have still been available because he missed lots of time with injury. Marrero spent a few weeks in Cedar Rapids last year, until he suffered a broken hamate bone which cost him the rest of his season. Akins and Burns played at strong college programs. Both have very good size and tools, but they need patience. It was strange when the Twins drafted a second catcher from Cal State-Northridge in this year’s draft, but Weiss has already been moved to the outfield. So there you have it, the Opening Day roster of the Elizabethton Twins. There are 30 players listed above, and as mentioned, more will likely be added in coming days as more players (Trevor Larnach, Cole Sands, etc.) sign. For more information on the 2018 Twins draft picks, please click here (links at bottom of article). View full article