Seth Stohs

Remember that Levi Michael is also on the roster and hasn't played the first three games. As for Gordon/Vielma, SS/2B... it'll be interesting to see how it goes. Sometimes guys need to get into a flow. Maybe Mauer will have Gordon play SS for a week with VIelma at second and then switch them around the next week. It's a trend of three games so far, so I'm not ready to say too much about it. It's also possible they've just decided that they're going to go with Gordon and hope he can do it. Vielma can still play SS. If he spent the full season at 2B, he'd still be a great SS.

Note: I added the note about Luis Arraez's injury.

He had 25 games and 102 plate appearances there last year.

The first Saturday of the minor league season presented us with several interesting story lines. Two pitchers that Twins fans have high hopes for made their first starts of the season, Jose Berrios for Rochester and Fernando Romero in Chattanooga. The Red Wings had to wait two days, but they played their first game of the year. Meanwhile, Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers both played their home openers.Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Saturday. It might help get your mind off of the fact that the Twins will not have an undefeated 2017 season. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 10, Syracuse 0 Box Score They had to wait a couple of extra days to start their season, but things went well in the season debut for the Red Wings. Jose Berrios still received the Opening Day call. The right hander used 77 pitches to work through six shutout innings. He gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out seven batters to improve to 1-0. Just 48 of his 77 pitches (62%) were strikes, but he was able to work through that well. DJ Baxendale came in for the seventh and earned a three-inning save. He continued the shutout and gave up just one hit. He walked none and struck out three. Mitch Garver got things going and kept it rolling. He drove in the first run for the Red Wings with an RBI double. A couple innings later, he added a two-run double. He came to the plate three more times, but he was walked twice and also hit by a pitch. Late in the game, Ben Paulsen added his first hit, and it was a big one. His grand slam capped a six-run seventh inning. Matt Hague went 3-6 with two doubles. Byungho Park went 2-4 with a walk and a double. Daniel Palka went 2-4 with a walk. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Mobile 3 Box Score It was the much-anticipated 2017 debut of Fernando Romero for Chattanooga. After just 11 starts in Ft. Myers, Romero was pushed to AA this year. He gave up just one run through three innings. However, his final line was three runs on three hits and three walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out four. Ryan Eades came on and gave up a hit, a walk and hit a batter, while striking out two in 1.2 innings. 27-year-old Nik Turley was another minor league free agent signed by the Twins. He’s been on 40-man rosters in the past. The left-hander gave up one hit in four scoreless innings. He walked none and struck out ten (yes, that is accurate). The Lookouts had some chances. They had the bases loaded and were unable to score in the seventh inning. They scored two runs in the eighth inning. In the ninth, down by one, they had a runner on third base with one out and were unable to bring in a third run. Dan Gamache went 2-4 and drove in one run. Ryan Walker and Engelb Vielma each hit a double. Nick Gordon had a single and a walk in the game. He started at shortstop for the third time in three games. Vielma started at second base for the third straight game. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Jupiter 2 Box Score David Fischer was the starter for the Miracle on their opening night at Hammond Stadium. The right-hander threw four shutout innings. He gave up five hits and struck five out without a walk. Anthony McIver came in and worked the next two innings. He gave up a run on a hit and two walks. Williams Ramirez went the next two innings. He gave up a run on two hits and two walks while striking out three. Lefty Jonny Drozd recorded the save with a perfect ninth inning, including two strikeouts. Daniel Kihle made his first start of the season. He went 2-2, was hit by a pitch, doubled and hit a home run. Alex Perez was 1-3 with a walk and an RBI double, his second of the season. Luis Arraez was carted off the field after tripping awkwardly over first base in the 7th inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Beloit 7 Box Score The Kernels made the trek back to Cedar Rapids following their Friday doubleheader in Beloit. Cedar Rapids was able to play their home opener. When Travis Blankenhorn knocked a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, it gave the Kernels a 6-1 lead. Unfortunately, it was a lead they were unable to hold. Sean Poppen started for the Kernels. The right-hander from Harvard provided the team with a quality start. He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits in seven innings. He struck out seven without issuing a walk. Lefty Andrew Vasquez came on for the eighth inning. He gave up a run on two hits in the inning. Tom Hackimer came on to hold a two-run lead in the ninth inning. Hackimer was charged with three earned runs on three hits and a walk before getting out of the inning. Blankenhorn had the homer (video below), and he went 2-4 with a walk and a double as well. Shane Carrier also added his first home run of the season. Jaylin Davis added an RBI triple. Caleb Hamilton went 1-3 with a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Nik Turley, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mitch Garver, Rochester Red Wings SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (DH @ 12:05 CST) - RHP Nick Tepesch, Drew Rucinski (bullpen game) Mobile @ Chattanooga - (1:15 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (3:05 CST) - RHP Keaton Steele Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – RHP Alex Schick Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday's Opening Day games. Click here to view the article

Hopefully... Other than right-handed versus left-handed.

Crazy story for sure!! Fun read though.

Del Rosario is definitely a sleeper. I like him a lot. I think he was ranked #44 by me this offseason, but he's impressive. He's little, but he's got good arm action and some pretty decent stuff.

Today is the third day... it's 'draft' is in the Adopt-A-Prospect 2017 Forum.

I wouldnt worry about Lachlan Wells yet. It'seems possible he's slotted in as their #5 or #6 starter and they were just getting him work. Also possible that they want him pitching all season, so they're keeping his innings down early in the year. Like you, I don't think it makes any sense to move him permanently yet.

Turns out all the Twins had to do to get off to a good start was not swing. Of course it's not that simple. The Twins have done a lot of things well en route to their 3-0 start, but one thing that sticks out in particular is the number of walks they've been able to pile up.Twins hitters tallied 23 walks in the opening series against the Royals, while the pitching staff issued just nine free passes. To put that into perspective, last season the Twins didn't draw their 23rd walk until the eighth game of the season. Not surprisingly, all those walks did in the Royals, as they were outscored 21-5. The Twins had some great timely hitting, the bullpen has been excellent and even the defense has been solid, but anytime you get that many walks, good things are going to happen. So, what does this mean? Well, in such a small sample we can't be sure. Maybe it means the Royals pitching staff is going to stink. Or maybe they just got off on a bad foot. But, maybe it means we'll see a more patient approach from the Twins this season. With new leadership comes new philosophies and new and different things that are stressed. Maybe patience is especially being preached this season. Or maybe Twins hitters are just more comfortable taking what comes during an at-bat, as opposed to trying to make something happen. One of the things I've really admired about new hitting coach James Rowson's style is he seems to put a big focus on getting hitters confident and comfortable. MikeBerardino of the Pioneer Press did a great feature on how Rowson was trying to help Miguel Sano take the next step in which Rowson said “You look at [sano] and you realize he doesn’t need anyone’s help to be good. He’s a good player right now.” What an outstanding message to send to a young player like Sano. Late last season, the team was threatening to send its young slugger down to the minors. Quite a difference a few months makes. Free agent addition Jason Castro leads the team with six walks, but Sano has three, which is tied for second with Robbie Grossman. Maybe the thing that sticks out the most is the pair of walks Eddie Rosario drew in Thursday's 5-3 win. The free-swinging Rosario entered the season averaging one walk for every 30 plate appearances. Is it possible we're seeing these younger Twins hitters coming into their own? Could this be the year they get comfortable instead of constantly worrying about being sent to the bench, or back to Rochester, after a few bad games? Well, right now it looks just about as possible as the Royals just having a rotten pitching staff. Only time will tell. Click here to view the article

Happy Minor League Opening Day! Unfortunately, two of the four Minnesota Twins full-season affiliates had weather that wiped out their games and forced them to be postponed. For the two teams that played, the bats might have been left in Ft. Myers, though they did get a solid start from one of their top pitching prospects. Read on for our first Twins Minor League Report of 2017. The will be one every day, at least until Labor Day. And then we'll follow the Twins affiliates in the playoffs.Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Thursday, even if it is abbreviated. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester , Syracuse Box Score Bad weather in Syracuse not only postponed Thursday’s game, but the forecast pushed their Opening Day game to Saturday. They will play one on Saturday and two games on Sunday. Jose Berrios will start the game on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the team announced that Zack Granite had been placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique. He later told me that he suffered the injury on the last day of spring training camp though he doesn’t expect to be sidelined for too long. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Mobile 2 Box Score Kohl Stewart was given the Opening Day nod by Lookouts manager Jake Mauer. The right-hander gave the team six innings and was charged only with an unearned run. The stat line looks familiar for the 2013 first-round pick. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out just one. He needed 86 pitches, and 52 of them were strikes. He had five ground outs and eight fly outs. In the seventh inning, Stewart was replaced by Mason Melotakis. The lefty walked one and struck out two in a scoreless inning. “Melo” turned things over to Luke Bard. Bard walked one and struck one out in a scoreless eighth innings. He struck out the side, kind of, in the ninth inning. However, he also gave up a one-out solo homer that pushed the deficit to 2-0. The Lookouts were just unable to muster any offense in the game. In the first inning, Edgar Corcino and Travis Harrison each singled, but the team had just one more hit (another Corcino single) the rest of the game. Corcino went 2-4, and Harrison was 1-3 with a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Jupiter 4 Box Score The Miracle were able to get some hits, even some extra base hits. They just were not able to turn them into an runs. Chris Paul went 2-4. Alex Perez was 2-4 with a double. Sean Miller had a double. Luis Arraez hit a two-out triple, but he was stranded too. In the ninth inning, they got two base runners on before the final out. Dereck Rodriguez was pretty solid through the first four innings. He had given up just one run. However, he ran into trouble in the fifth inning. His final line? He was charged with four runs on seven hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. He struck out four. Randy Rosario came on in relief and got two outs right away to get out of the fifth inning without any further damage. In the 6th inning, a batter reached by error and then next batter was hit by a pitch. However Rosario was able to get the next three out to keep the game at 4-0. Lachlan Wells came on and gave up just one hit over two scoreless innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids, Beloit Box Score The weather in Beloit was also poor, forcing the postponement of the Snappers/Kernels Opening Night game. The teams will play two games on Friday, starting at 4:30. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Kohl Stewart, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alex Perez, Ft. Myers Miracle FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse - Friday game postponed. Teams will play on Saturday. Mobile @ Chattanooga - (6:15 CST) - LHP Matt Tracy Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:30) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (DH @ 4:30 CST) – RHP Eddie Del Rosario, RHP Tyler Wells Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday's Opening Day games. Click here to view the article

Might have meant oldER... at least that's what I edit it to. Ha!

He's like 3-4 years older, so that's the big part. He also was just starting last year after spending the full season in Cedar Rapids the night before. He struggled in Ft. Myers last year as well, though he ended strong in 1-2 starts in Chattanooga.

We have a minor league forum that's been updated as I've learned about releases. And I'll post an Extended Spring Training roster early next week.

In the offseason, the Twins made changes in their front office, adding Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. More changes were made in the coaching staff with Jeff Pickler, James Rowson and Jeff Smith joining the big league team. But there have been several other changes in the organization, specifically in the minor leagues. Last August, the Twins added a key instructor in the minor league ranks when Rick Eckstein was named the Twins minor league hitting coordinator. I caught up with the former big league hitting coach in Ft. Myers to find out what his job entails and some of his philosophies. But first, here a little more background about Eckstein. As you know, he is the older brother of former Angels shortstop David Eckstein. He played ball at the University of Florida under Coach Gary Henderson. In 2008, he was the hitting coach for the US team at the Olympics in Beijing. He spent parts of five seasons as a hitting coach for the Washington Nationals. He had a front office job with the Angels. He left that to become the hitting coach at Kentucky, under Henderson.And last August, he became the Twins minor league hitting coordinator. So, the obvious first question to Eckstein was, what was it about the Twins minor league hitting coordinator job that appealed to you. According to the 44-year-old, “When the job was presented to me, it was the opportunity to bring my beliefs and thoughts about hitting, and bring it to the organization.” Eckstein sees the big picture. Having now worked in the organization through the Instructional League, a full offseason and now big league and minor league spring training camps, he sounds glad to be with the Twins. “What I’ve come to find out, working with the staff here, there’s a lot of good people. There are a lot of good things happening. To be a piece to that puzzle was something that I look forward to and have enjoyed so far.” But what is his job? What is a minor league hitting coordinator? In his own words, Eckstein said, “As the minor league coordinator, my job - as it was described to me - is to bring a sound philosophy into the organization that mirrors what they were looking for.” Eckstein interviewed for the Twins minor league leaders. He said, “Through the interview process, I talked about what I believe in. The things I believe in and how I teach and how to get the desired results that you’re looking for within the confines of the organization, Brad Steil, Joel Lepel, the guys in the organization that are over the minor leagues look for.” Tanner English listening to instruction from Eckstein. Eckstein has been a part of the organization’s new hitting philosophy. He was part of the Twins “hitting summit” in January where hitting coordinators and hitting coaches all met together to discuss their hitting goals, philosophies, terminology and more. Eckstein and Twins hitting coach James Rowson have to be on the same page and communicate despite different roles. “James (Rowson) is our major league hitting coach, and he has his sound principals too, so being part of major league camp and listen to him work and work with the guys was great. But his job is to tend to 12 to15 hitters and make sure that they’re performing at the major league level.” Things are a little bit different in the minor leagues. Sure, each affiliate has its own hitting coach who tends to the 12 to 15 hitters on its roster at any given time. But minor league development comes with its own challenges. Eckstein described the challenge. “On the development side, it’s a little bit different. The challenge is different. You’re putting in a philosophy with really young kids who don’t have the experience that the major leaguers have, obviously. So now your philosophy has to be really grounded and really catered toward what we feel is important about hitting. Dealing with a major leaguer, you’re constantly just trying to fine-tune things to keep them tuned up, so to speak, with things he has already developed and worked on throughout his career. So I love the challenge of working with the kids that don’t necessarily have the experience yet, and putting in their heads what we feel is very important when it comes to hitting.” When I was in Ft. Myers, late one morning most of the four full-season work groups were at lunch, maybe an hour or so before a spring game. The ewxtended spring training work group’s hitters, some of the youngest and least experienced in the organization, were on Bill Smith Field taking a round of batting practice. I observed. Eckstein instructing between batting practice pitches. Eckstein watched the first couple of rounds, and then he threw a couple of rounds. He was vocal and energetic. He was consistently teaching. He was challenging the young hitters to think. “Attack the ball out front.” “I don’t care where you hit it, get the bat head out and hit it hard.” “Don’t try to do too much. Do you.” Truth be told, as I watched batting practice and listened to the words and lessons from Eckstein, I was pumped up. I wanted to get out there and take a round of cuts (though I would have needed the Twins training staff after it). You can see why he’s been described as passionate and full of energy. He truly enjoys what he does. So how does an organization or a minor league coordinator develop a hitting philosophy while not wanting to create a cookie-cutter hitter (something that had been an accusation of Twins minor league hitters in the past). Eckstein responded, “Obviously I believe in technique, but really, what we’re trying to do is create the concepts that allow us to understand what’s important about hitting, and then we can use our uniqueness and our athleticism to get us in those positions the way we want to. So whether it’s a higher leg kick, or more of a knee lift, or a very simple load, you can vary in our system. You have the freedom to be who you are and express your talent. Then over time, we’re going to teach you how you do it, how to make you more efficient at doing it, and the things that encompass being ready to hit.” During that session, he brought the hitters together and used (and explained) BABIP (batting average on balls in play). He told them that if they’re aggressive, and if they attack, but at the same time minimize strikeouts, BABIP tells them they’re likelihood of getting a hit or doing something to help the team. Asked about his thoughts on the analytics of the game today, Eckstein said he loves them. “I love understanding the numbers. I love understanding how the analytics have really pushed us into an area of knowing the game to a level at such detail, if you will.” But how much of that information can or should be explained to hitters. Some like it. Others don’t. For some, hearing more might make them think too much. But when you’re trying to explain concepts, sometimes those numbers can help. Eckstein explained the discussion with the hitters. “The players don’t need to know a lot of that information. When I referenced batting average on balls in play, it was simply because we were working on our two-strike approach, and I wanted the young men to understand the value of understanding how to be in a good position to where you can better put balls in play with two strikes and how to go about that, and when you do across the board, the batting average says you’re going to hit closer to that .300 average if you eliminate the strikeout. So, it was more of a reference point to say, Men, if we can have a process that allows us to compete better, and allows us to get the barrel in and to the front side of the zone and stay through it. Where the ball goes is irrelevant compared to having a process that allows us to put it in play and hopefully put it in play harder. In effect, if we can eliminate the strikeout, which technically isn’t going to happen across the board, but if you have a process that allows you to understand your barrel and understand the importance of what contact says, you give yourself a better chance to do the things you want to do as a hitter. Eckstein chatting with minor leaguers Jorge Munoz and Andre Jernigan As we know, the pitchers go into each game with a plan, and as you get closer to the big leagues, opponents’ pitchers and catchers have very detailed individual game plans for each hitter. Oh, and their pitches tend to be better, more crisp, sharp. There has to be a short term and a long-term plan to combat that. “There’s a point where contact made too deep is not good. So there is a hitting area. Where is your hitting area? You’ve got to know that. What is a pitcher trying to do to you? He’s trying to throw off your rhythm and timing. He’s trying to make contact much deeper, if not non-existent, that’s what a pitcher is trying to do. So, we’re trying to combat that with our philosophy. We’re trying to combat that and get players to understand that there’s a difference between getting a hit and hitting. There are a lot of players in this game that can eventually find a hit and get a hit. Does that mean they were a good hitter? So there’s a difference there.” It’s all about process. We talk about that on our site a lot. We talk about it in our daily lives. Not everything you do is going to provide great results, but we have to think about developing a sound process and think long term. It’s really the same with hitting, especially in the development stages. “There’s a difference between being able to hit, and getting a hit. We’re trying to define that for the players and make them understand that there’s a mind set and a process, and we’re trying to cultivate that. We’ve kind of gotten off to a good start in that direction and we’ve still got work to do.” The Twins big league lineup has five regulars that are 25 and under, but player development’s job is to keep pushing players to the big leagues who are ready to compete. Rick Eckstein and his philosophies, along with the minor league hitting coaches, will have a big role in that. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I also caught up with Twins minor league pitching coordinator Eric Rasmussen. The 65-year-old pitched eight seasons in the big leagues for St. Louis, San Diego and Kansas City. In 1991, he joined the Twins minor league coaching staff, starting in the GCL. He held pitching coach duties for Ft. Myers (12 years) and New Britain (one year). This is his ninth season in his current position. Asked what his job as minor league pitching coordinator entails, Rasmussen said, “We set objectives for each pitcher through the year, what they need to accomplish and how they’re going to get better and move level-to-level, and get ready for the big leagues. Once that’s established, and we talk this over with each coach because they know the players very well, between me and Brad Steil and each pitching coach. And it’s up to the coaches to carry out the plan. It’s my job to oversee the whole thing and make sure that things are getting done and keep good communication going.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eckstein and Rasmussen will likely do some traveling throughout the minor league season. They are likely to visit each affiliate a couple of times each and continue to work with the players and the coaches. Click here to view the article

That was a new one to me... I'll see what I can find out.

Due to injuries, he got pushed up to Ft. Myers too quickly last season. That didn't help. But then he got hurt too, and obviously that derails things.

A year ago, the Miracle had an overall record of 78-61, and yet they did not make the playoffs as they did not win their division in each half. Manager Jeff Smith took the job of Twins first base coach, and a familiar face returned to lead the Miracle in 2017. While this team may not have a lot of the big-name prospects, there is a lot of talent on the roster and it should be a competitive team again.Today we look at the Ft. Myers Miracle players and coaching staff. We try to figure out a solid everyday lineup, and discuss the top prospects. Feel free to share any thoughts you may have on the team or roster, and ask as many questions as you would like. COACHING STAFF The last time Ft. Myers fans saw Doug Mientkiewicz in a Miracle uniform, he was leading the team to the 2014 Florida State League championship. He was moved up to Chattanooga where he helped the Lookouts to the 2015 Southern League championship. In 2017, he is back in his home state of Florida with the Miracle. In his four seasons as a minor league manager, he has an impressive 312-239 record. With the retirement of Jim Dwyer, the Miracle will have a new hitting coach for the first time since 2006. Dwyer had been a coach in the Twins system dating back to 1991. Steve Singleton takes over as the team’s new hitting coach after spending 2016 with the GCL Twins. He reached AAA with the Twins during his six seasons as a player in the organization. Henry Bonilla will be in his second season as the team’s pitching coach. It is his sixth season as a coach in the organization. He pitched in the Twins organization for seven minor league seasons. ROSTERS Here is a look at the Ft. Myers Miracle Opening Day roster. 16 of the players spent at least some time with the Miracle last year. One player, Randy Rosario, is on the 40-man roster. HITTERS Catchers: Kevin Garcia, Brian Navarreto, AJ Murray (DL), Infielders: Trey Vavra, Zander Wiel, Luis Arraez, Sean Miller, Nelson Molina, Alex Perez, Chris Paul, Brian Olson (DL), Outfielders: Daniel Kihle, Max Murphy, Rafael Valera PITCHERS Starting Pitchers: Randy LeBlanc, Dereck Rodriguez, Cody Stashak, Keaton Steele, Lachlan Wells, Andro Cutura (DL-elbow), Henry Centeno (DL) Relief Pitchers: Sam Clay, Jonny Drozd, Anthony McIver, Alex Muren (DL), Williams Ramirez, Randy Rosario, Michael Theofanopoulos, Todd Van Steensel, Nick Anderson (DL), Cameron Booser (DL), Michael Cederoth (DL), Henry Centeno (DL) POTENTIAL LINEUP 2B - Luis Arraez SS - Nelson Molina 1B - Trey Vavra DH - Zander Wiel 3B - Chris Paul CF - Daniel Kihle RF - Max Murphy C - AJ Murray LF - Rafael Valera TOP PROSPECTS Luis Arraez - He can flat-out hit. He has hit everywhere he’s played, including the Venezuelan Winter League. His .347 average led the Midwest League a year ago.Lachlan Wells - The Australian posted a 1.77 ERA in 12 starts (71.1 innings) as a 19-year-old last year. Pitched for Team Australia in the WBC.Randy Rosario - Rosario has a strong showing in big league spring training, but he was also moved to the bullpen full time and will start with the Miracle.Cody Stashak - Not a big guy, but Stashak just gets the job done well. He sits 91-92 with a fastball. He has good control of three good pitches. Under-the-radar prospect.Nelson Molina - had a breakout season in 2016, hitting .300 with a strong OBP in Cedar Rapids.STORIES TO WATCH The Australian starter Lachlan Wells will be fun to watch. Wells is 20. He put up strong numbers as a 19-year-old in Cedar Rapids. Wells, along with fellow Australian (who should pitch for the Miracle sometime in 2017) could be Top 10 Twins prospects by season’s end. And who knows, maybe Todd Van Steensel will help secure a couple of their wins.What can Luis Arraez do in the Florida State League. He doesn’t have a lot of power, but will he continue to be able to post incredible batting average with the bigger ballparks? As a prospect, however, he’ll have to improve his defense. But again, the batting average will be something to watch.Alex Muren missed the entire 2016 season due to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery. He will start the season on the DL, but he’s one reliever who could advance quickly to Chattanooga when ready and needed. The same can be said of Van Steensel and Randy Rosario.A lot was made of Tyler Jay’s move to the bullpen. The club’s decision to move Randy Rosario was made less than a week earlier, and Rosario was happy about that. Before spring training, the organization also decided to move another left-handed starter, Sam Clay, to the bullpen. He was a reliever in college and really struggled with command. He should see an improvement in stuff and velocity with the move, but he’ll have to improve his control.Dereck Rodriguez was the Twins 6th round pick in 2011 out of high school. He spent three years as a hitter. He has now spent the last three seasons as a pitcher, the last two as a starter. He moved up to Ft. Myers for the final two months of last season, and then he pitched out of the bullpen throughout the offseason in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Can he take a step forward on the mound again in 2017? Enough for the Twins to add him to the 40-man roster after the season?Please feel free to discuss this roster. Ask lots of questions and check back often. What stories will you be following? Click here to view the article

Yup.

I'd also warn against this... Often guys are top prospects in part because of their age-to-level-of-competition. As much as some of the guys are very, very talented, there are going to be 21-22 year olds playing against 24-26 year olds with a lot of experience. So, lots of prospects at a level doesn't always translate to lots of wins. AT least not always early.

Nick Gordon isn't going to get huge, but he's plenty strong. He'll be fine. And he'll keep gaining size and experience. He has the ability to hit the ball a long ways. he's a pretty complete hitter too.