Seth Stohs

Kind of... he was signed last summer after the draft. He had played at Valdosta State, but I think he was playing summer ball in Alaska when he signed.

It would be KEVIN Garcia, not former Dodgers outfielder Karim Garcia...

In fact, he's the top set up guy, and I would say that at the end of the year, he'll have been the team's top bullpen guy. He's definitely a lock.

With Haley, it's not about results in spring IF they believe he can be valuable down the road. They're not winning a division title, and probably not contending for a wild card, in 2017, so he's about whether he can provide value in 2018 and beyond. If they think he can, they should keep him around regardless of how he's pitched much of this spring. If they no longer see him with a future as a starter in the big leagues, they should send him back. If they're not sure, they should really try to work out a deal with Boston to keep him.

I'd hope not. He's pretty solid out there. They all have their moments. I saw Buxton drop a routine fly ball while I was in Ft. Myers. No worries, no need for alarm.

Have we heard that Justin Haley isn't an option for the bullpen? He hasn't pitched well, but he is still the pitcher that the current front office believes can be a potential MLB starter, they may want to keep him around. Right or wrong, that's the nature of the Rule 5.

Good stuff... Especially Rib City! Ha!

I was chatting with Tommy Watkins yesterday before I left, and actually we did kind of a Brian Dozier comparison. I told Watkins that Granite isn't the kind of guy that's going to jump out at you if you just watch a game. But if you watch him for a week, or over time, you start realizing all that he does for a team on the baseball field. Knows the strike zone, great approach. doesn't try to do too much, hits line drives, runs the bases very well, plays good defense with great range, and has an OK arm. Maybe 5 years ago, I was in Beloit talking with Tommy Watkins, and he said that Brian Dozier was the kind of guy that you didn't notice him a lot if you just watched one game, but if you watched him for a week, you would start appreciating all the things he can do on the field. Both have the ability to show leadership qualities in the clubhouse too... Obviously Dozier has become the type of player that you do notice if you watch one game. Granite, as Cody mentions, isn't going to hit 42 homers in his career, much less in a season, but he can still be an impact player... in a role.

The Twins are less than two weeks from packing up from Ft. Myers and heading north to open the 2017 season. There are currently 48 players on the Twins spring roster which means they have a lot of decisions and transactions to make in the next week to ten days. As I am leaving Ft. Myers, I’m going to try to piece together a projection for the Twins opening day roster. Opinions are mine and certainly subject to change in the coming days.So here is my third attempt at projecting the Twins Opening Day roster… I encourage you to read my thoughts, develop your own and then post your thoughts and projections in the comments below. THE HITTERS Catchers (2): Jason Castro, Chris Gimenez Jason Castro will be the primary catcher. He will likely catch 110-120 games, so the question will be who can start behind the plate in the other 40-50 games. Mitch Garver didn’t get much opportunity again this spring, but the manager likes his game. He was sent down on Saturday, his first option. Murphy hasn’t actually played much either. He’s got one option year remaining. Gimenez feels like the leading candidate to be the backup catcher. Veteran leadership plays into that. His ability to play a couple other positions helps. Infielders (5): Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco, Eduardo Escobar The starting infield is set. Joe Mauer will start most often at first, with Brian Dozier Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano also starting. None of those are at all surprising. Jorge Polanco’s defense, at least from my opinion, seems to have improved so far this spring, and really in the last three weeks or so. The throws have been more consistently solid. Escobar is competing with the likes of Ehire Adrianza, Tommy Field and Bengie Gonzalez for the primary utility infield job, but he would certainly still be the favorite. Adrianza is, however, out of options, and Field is not on the 40-man roster. Could the Twins have a second utility infielder? Still in the game: Ehire Adrianza, Tommy Field, Matt Hague, Bengie Gonzalez Outfielders (5): Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Robbie Grossman, Danny Santana Like the infield, the starting outfield is also pretty well set. Rosario has been starring for Puerto Rico in the WBC. Buxton and Kepler are parts of the next core of Twins players and will get every opportunity this year. So, the question really becomes the fourth outfielder. I will contend and assume that Grossman will be on the roster, and he has played a lot of outfield this spring, especially with Rosario gone. And yes, I fully expect Danny Santana to make the Opening Day roster. He is getting a lot of playing time and making starts all around the diamond. Many readers (or at least many of those who choose to comment) aren’t big Santana fans. At the same time, he can hit a little, and he can play adequate defense at six positions. That is kind of the definition of a 25th man. Still in the game: Drew Stubbs, JB Shuck Designated Hitter (1): Kennys Vargas I haven’t had the DH position on its own in the past, but I think it’s worth its own discussion. Kennys Vargas has been the favorite, but he went to the WBC and hasn’t played much. The Twins did get the fourth year option for him, so it’s entirely possible he starts in Rochester. Byungho Park is no longer on the 40-man roster, but he came to spring training healthy and he has hit well this spring. He has a much better walk-to-strikeout rate and looks more comfortable. And, I wouldn't be opposed to a scenario in which Robbie Grossman is the primary DH. You could keep an extra outfielder around, and you can get DH at-bats for Mauer, Sano and even Dozier or other guys in need of a game off from the field. In that scenario, any one of the extra infielders or outfielders would be added. I still think Vargas remains the favorite, but he’ll likely have to show something in the two final weeks of spring training. Still in contention: Byungho Park, Matt Hague, Ben Paulsen POSSIBLE LINEUPS Primary lineup versus RHP: Byron Buxton CF, Joe Mauer 1B, Brian Dozier 2B, Miguel Sano 3B, Max Kepler RF, Kennys Vargas DH, Eddie Rosario LF, Jason Castro C, Jorge Polanco SS Versus LHP: Byron Buxton CF, Robbie Grossman LF, Brian Dozier 2B, Miguel Sano DH, Kennys Vargas 1B, Max Kepler RF, Eduardo Escobar 3B, Chris Gimenez C, Jorge Polanco SS. Byron Buxton, Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco are the guys I want in the lineup almost every day. Kennys Vargas is in both lineups, but I would use the DH spot to also give “half days off” to guys like Dozier and Mauer and Grossman as well. THE PITCHERS Starting Pitchers (5): Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson, Hector Santiago, Jose Berrios The first four will be in the starting rotation on Opening Day. We’ve known that for months. The question remains, who will be the fifth starter. Ten days ago, the answer “Trevor May” was becoming much more likely as he was pitching well. Unfortunately, May has a torn UCL and will miss the 2017 season. I still think that Jose Berrios maintains a slight lead for the fifth starter job. He had a solid performance in his first WBC start, and he could be the starter for Team Puerto Rico in the championship game, if they get there. Still in contention: Tyler Duffey, Justin Haley, Ryan Vogelsong, and Adalberto Mejia. Tyler Duffey has made starts the last couple of years. He was terrific in 2015, and he really struggled in 2016. His two-pitch mix would likely play better in the bullpen. Justin Haley struggle again on Sunday, giving up four runs in just two innings. As a Rule 5 pick, much more goes into the decision of whether or not to keep him on the roster than just his performance on the mound. Ryan Vogelsong made a start this week and topped out at 88 but many are impressed with his veteran-ness. Adalberto Mejia’s start this week was very impressive, striking out 11 batters in just 3.2 innings. He’s the “prospect” of this group and has some really good stuff. He’s close. Bullpen (7): Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Pressly, Matt Belisle, JT Chargois, Taylor Rogers, Craig Breslow, Tyler Duffey. Brandon Kintzler will go into the season as the closer. Matt Belisle and Ryan Pressly will certainly be set up men. Taylor Rogers has secured one of the left-handed bullpen spots. With Mike Berardino’s reports that Craig Breslow is likely to be added to the 40-man roster early this week, it also appears that the second left-hander job has been determined. As I’ve written many times before, JT Chargois should never spend another day in the minor leagues, but I don’t think he’s a given yet. He needs to find a way to improve his efficiency and be more consistent. So there are six spots taken for a seven-person bullpen. That means there is just one more spot, and there are a lot of options. So my prediction for today is that Tyler Duffey will be the seventh reliever. His inability to add a third pitch has continued, and his fastball/breaking ball combination could be elite working an inning or two at a time. Also, with the other six, there really isn’t a guy who can go more than two innings. Duffey could do that when needed. Others in Contention: Michael Tonkin, Justin Haley, Ryan Vogelsong, Ryan O’Rourke, Buddy Boshers. We’ll see how the final roster cuts come. Some are still quite clear, while others could become really, really interesting over the next ten days. What are your thoughts? What does your roster look like? Click here to view the article

I would say probably pretty highly for his scouting acumen, and such... But we need to remember that Deron Johnson ran the drafts... Not Terry. Johnson's already been "promoted."

I guess I would argue that Ben Revere being in the big leagues for nine years says a lot. And, while he was bad the last couple of years, his best years came with the Twins and provided a lot of value. I would then say that they traded him at just the right time too.

15 of the 21 players drafted ahead of Gibson in 2009 have a bWAR less than his. So... as much as we'd like an "ace" or an All Star hitter, it's just not gonna happen very often. Even with "first round picks." Four of those 21 never got to the big leagues, and four others have a negative bWAR in very brief MLB time.

Tweet from Doogie:

I've talked to Gonsalves quite a bit since heading down. He's doing fine. He's been playing catch, and I believe his first on-mound time will be on Monday, but they plan on him making his first start in Chattanooga (probably) if he gets his pitch count up. If not, he may stay in Ft. Myers for an extra couple of days to make one more appearance down there first. Ynoa... well, he'll start in Extended, and probably go to E-Town, but it is also possible he could move up to Cedar Rapids in May/June as guys like Wells, Thorpe, Romero and others have in recent years.

Twins Daily has learned and confirmed that Tyler Jay has been moved to the bullpen going forward. A couple of sources have verified the change. We will have much more on that, and several other minor league notes today.When the Twins drafted Jay with the sixth overall pick in 2015 out of the University of Illinois where he was used almost exclusively out of the bullpen. At the time, the Twins and many other teams felt that the left-hander's pure stuff and four-pitch mix was reason to give him an opportunity to start. After signing, he jumped straight to Ft. Myers where he pitched out of the bullpen the rest of the season. Last year, he began the season in the starting rotation of the Ft. Myers Miracle. He had his ups and downs but he had some very good moments too. In one game, he threw eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits and a walk to go with 11 strikeouts. Overall, he was 5-5 with a 3.10 ERA in 13 starts for the Miracle. In 69.2 innings, he walked 21 and struck out 68. He moved up to Chattanooga to end the season. He made two starts and a couple of relief appearances before being shut down due to an injury in his neck. He missed the final month of the season rehabbing. Had the season lasted a couple more weeks, he likely would have returned. He came to camp with the idea he would be starting. It was a mutual decision to move Jay to the bullpen exclusively, and it’s something he enjoys and thrives in. It’s likely we’ll see his fastball readings back into the mid-to-upper 90s, and his slider can be a weapon. It is very possible that the Jay could be as good as Glen Perkins was during his three All-Star seasons. As a reliever, he is likely to move much more quickly. Earlier in the week, the Twins announced that Randy Rosario would be moving to the bullpen as well. In both cases, the pitchers were happy with the decision. WBC RETURNS The three Twins minor leaguers from Australia who participated in the WBC for their country have returned. Lachlan Wells has thrown a couple of bullpens and worked in the AA game on Friday afternoon on the back fields. In the game, he took a line drive off of his biceps. He stayed in the game and this morning told me that it’s fine. In fact, he threw another short bullpen this morning. Todd Van Steensel, full beard and all, has also returned. Aaron Whitefield has had a busy year. He reported to Ft. Myers for extended spring training last April. Following his terrific showing in the GCL, he participated in the World Cup for Australia. Then he returned to Australia where he again played for the Brisbane Bandits. He said the plan was just to play half of the season, but the team was competing for a playoff spot and wanted to defend its Claxton Shield title. Whitefield kept playing and Brisbane topped Melbourne for the repeat. Right after that, he joined the Australian WBC team and they played in several games in Korea and then in Seoul, South Korea. Within a day of of the end of their run, he returned to Ft. Myers. He got one day to try to move past jet lag, and now he’s going full go. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Yohan Pino also returned and are working with the Rochester work group. Pino started on the mound for the team on Thursday. WBC ENTHUSIASM I have thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the players from Puerto Rico during the team’s WBC run. I chatted for a good half-hour with Dereck Rodriguez, who I’d mentioned is an alternate for Team Puerto Rico. He has been joined for each Puerto Rico game by about a dozen other Twins minor leaguers from the island. Nelson Molina told me that it’s very exciting to watch his friends and countrymen. Brian Navarreto started mentioning the players on the roster that he played with going back to Little League and it was quite a few. Edgar Corcino is from Bayamon and is friends with Jose Berrios, Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez. Of course, they all know the Twins contingent of Berrios, Hector Santiago, Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas. SIGHT IS GOOD Brian Navarreto also told me that he had LASIK eye surgery in the offseason and is still working back. He hasn’t been catching every single day. However, he also noted that he can see the ball so much better at the plate and even behind the plate. It’s also fun talking to pitchers who have been caught by Navarreto. They say that he calls a good game, works very hard, controls the running game and is just very good to work with. SIGHT IS GOOD, PART 2 On Friday, Travis Harrison went 3-4 with a couple of very loud hits. I noted that he is now wearing glasses on the field and at bat. Following the game, I asked him about it and he said that doctors said he needed a small prescription, and it was his first day with the glasses. It was a good first day. BULLPEN IMPRESSIONS I’ve watched quite a few bullpens, and they’re always fun. It’s fun to see what people throw, how hard they throw, break on pitches, what they’re working on and more. Two guys have thrown bullpens that really stuck out to me. Huascar Ynoa is very young. He was our Twins Daily short season minor league pitcher of the year. The youngster, whose brother Michael pitches for the White Sox, throws really hard. He also showed a very good, sharp breaking ball and a solid changeup. Again, it was one bullpen, but it was very good. The other one that was terrific in the bullpen was Kohl Stewart. I don’t know why he doesn’t strike out more, but he throws really hard, and I’m told that the ball is very heavy, which explains the lack of hard contact. His breaking pitches looked very sharp, and I saw an at least average changeup. While I did drop him in my Twins prospect rankings this year, he clearly has the ability to be an above average big league starter. One bonus pitcher of note is Tyler Wells. The tall (6-8) right-hander throws pretty hard, maybe hitting 93-95. However, he also showed a very good breaking ball mix in his outing on Saturday afternoon on the back fields. He showed a slower, 12-6 curveball, and a sharper slider that darts in on a left-hander. Definitely one to watch this spring in Cedar Rapids. EMPTYING THE NOTEBOOK Here are just a couple more notes: Has anyone ever seen Twins 3B prospect Chris Paul and Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz in the same place? They look identical, at least facially.Mitchell Kranson was the Twins ninth-round pick last year out of Cal-Berkeley. He did very little catching his last couple of years in college, but the Twins saw that it was a good place for him. He played all over the diamond, third base, outfield, first base, anywhere. His bat played anywhere. Since the end of last season, he has dropped 25 pounds without losing any muscle. He worked with a trainer twice a day and ate a strict diet.Alex Kirilloff was watching the Twins minor league games this afternoon.That’s it for today. Please feel free to ask questions as you like. I’ll try to answer as I have time. Click here to view the article

Completely different players. You are correct. I think Palka fits more into the DH category. But, if there were a long-term injury of a Twins starting outfielder, they could just call up whichever one is putting together more production at the time. Obviously if it's CF, it'd be Granite over Palka.

Spring Training has very little to do with the stats in 2.2 innings. It's as much about bullpens and such and working on stuff...

He's worked with Major League pitchers for the last month. He'll likely be the one to catch them in minor league games if they use pitchers down there. He'll be ok. It was interesting to hear him mention to me that pitchers wanted to throw to him this spring, even more than when he was a non-roster guy. He'll be fine. Granite is far above Palka in the Twins thinking. I would agree with that. Goodrum has been a utility player for a couple of years already, so yes. (A utility guy that plays most every day somewhere)

He spent all of last year in AA Chattanooga.

I'll update the article, but all four optioned players were optioned to Rochester.

(Updated with quotes from Twins manager Paul Molitor on all eight players.) On Saturday morning, the Minnesota Twins cut their roster by another eight players. With just over two weeks before spring training, the team still has several moves to make. High-level prospects Zack Granite, Mitch Garver, Nick Gordon and Daniel Palka were among those cut this morning. The Twins now have 48 players in camp, 25 pitchers, four catchers, 12 infielders and seven outfielders. There are still 16 non-roster players (7 pitchers, 2 catchers, 5 infielders and 2 outfielders).In the clubhouse, players shook hands, gave man-hugs and wished the players sent out best wishes, often encouraging them to keep working and that they hope to see them in the big leagues soon. For several, that is a real possibility. Following Saturday's game, Molitor noted, "We're looking at our departure in less than two weeks. We're trying to do some reduction here." The Minnesota Twins optioned infielder Engelb Vielma, outfielders Zack Granite and Daniel Palka and catcher Mitch Garver to Rochester. They also reassigned infielders Niko Goodrum, Nick Gordon and Leonardo Reginnato and catcher Dan Rohlfing to minor league camp. Zack Granite was the Twins minor league player of the year in 2016 and continued to make a good showing. He certainly impressed his manager and teammates. He played quite a bit, going 6-28 (.231) with a double. He played all three outfield positions. The outlook is certainly positive for Granite. He should start the season in Rochester and has a chance to get to the big leagues if there is an injury. Molitor Note: "I like Zack a lot. I like how he prepares. I like how he competes. It was good to watch him play. He got into actually a lot of games. Made an impression almost every day he played in some capacity." Daniel Palka was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year. He struggled early in camp but came on of late. Palka went 3-18 (.167) with a double and a home run in camp. Palka also should start the season in Rochester. He'll need to work on putting the ball in play more frequently, but his immense power makes him intriguing later in the season. Molitor Note: "I thought Palka really handled himself great. He had a bit of a label of practicing his swing in the outfield kind of guy. He got his focus on. Pick got to him a little bit. We heard there might be some adventures out there, I didn't see it. I saw a guy who tracked balls, had good first step and did some things. Had good at bats. I think he leads our team in walks. I think he's got to learn to hit a little better. And there's that power. You can tell that he's a threat. People are really more careful when he's in the box. Those two outfielders handled themselves well." Mitch Garver will head to AAA with a good shot at getting to the big league club in 2017. Garver went 3-13 (.231) with two doubles this spring. Garver should also head to Rochester, where he ended last year. He will do a lot of catching, but when he's not catching, expect to see him continue to get time at first base and DH as well. Molitor noted, "Mitch, I'm very pleased with him. He didn't get a great opportunity here, but what I saw, I continue to like." Shortstop Engelb Vielma was added to the 40-man roster. He didn't play a lot. He went 2-12 (.167) with a double. Obviously a great defender, he could go to Rochester or play in Chattanooga. Molitor Note: "Vielma just needs to get stronger. He can do things you can't really teach with the glove. He just has to make sure he doesn't get sloppy now and then and keep things clean. The defensive player of the year. Brad told him to defend his title." Of the non-roster players sent down, Nick Gordon is the biggest prospect. He had a good showing in big league camp, doing well at second base and shortstop and at the plate. He's got some work to do, but he'll get every day playing time at shortstop in Chattanooga. He went 2-11 (.182) in eight games in spring training. He told me earlier this week that he gained a lot of confidence after his Arizona Fall League season, and gained even more throughout spring training. He said he learned a lot. Molitor Note: "Nick Gordon, maybe one of our best hitting prospects that we have, if you ask me. It was good to see him play. He didn't get a lot of chance, but I think he absorbed a lot. Got the chance to play some at short and second." Niko Goodrum had a nice camp too, at least when he wasn't battling a shoulder issue. He had a big, three-run homer in the game on Wednesday. He showed the ability to play all around the diamond. He went 6-16 (.375) this spring. I thought Goodrum would likely start the season with the Lookouts, and that's probably still the likely scenario, but he did have a very nice showing in big league camp and should move up to AAA at some point in the season. Molitor Note: Niko Goodrum had a shoulder issue midway through camp, but he showed versatility. I really encouraged him to embrace that rather than wondering why he can't find a position because it has value and can open more doors for him. He showed some things." Leonardo Reginnato also had to pack his (WBC-issued) bag this morning. The native of Brazil was on his country's WBC-Qualifier team last spring. He can play both positions on the left side of the diamond. Reginnato went 9-17 this spring (.529). He ended last season in Rochester, and should start there this year. Molitor Note: "Similar to Niko. Doesn't play as many positions, but he still has to be versatile and contribute." Finally, catcher Dan Rohlfing was sent down. It will be interesting to see where he goes, and if he is asked to work with some of the Twins top pitching prospects. He showed a little power this spring again, and he is a very good athlete behind the plate. He went 2-11 (.182) with a home run. Both of his hits came this week. Molitor Note: Rohlfing returned to the organization. "He didn't get much of a chance. He's hopefully going to get a significant amount of playing time wherever he would go. He needs to play." MORE FROM MOLITOR Asked if Gordon can stick at shortstop, Molitor said, "We'll see how it matches up with he and Vielma if they're on the same team. We could split them, and we've got other guys who can play short. I would never say that he's not going to develop into potentially being a shortstop. I mean, that's what he's played. Athletes like that, you want to give them every opportunity to work, I would think. But to get some more experience on the other side of the base would be helpful. I think he only started a handful of games at second last year and one at third. Primarily that's been his spot. Maybe it's only two spots, but you want to make sure that you've got more doors open. I mean, I would want to. You just have to make sure that these seeds are planted so that they don't lose confidence if they're not playing the position they thought they might be.Asked if Rohlfing can be an asset working with pitching prospects, Molitor said, "He's been challenged to follow the role of a guy like (Chris) Gimenez who has made himself valuable by being a good leader, by being a good teammate, by being able to help develop pitchers. They both have a some versatility and can play first base and left field a little bit. He was very clear the first meeting early on that he hasn't given up his dream of playing in the big leagues. So I encourage that. Didn't give you a great chance here, but go out there and keep yourself on the (radar)." Click here to view the article

Aaron Slegers found out on Monday morning that his spring training time with the big league Twins had come to an end, but he didn’t sulk. He enjoyed the experience and is looking forward to what could be and exciting 2017 season for him. Slegers was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2013 out of Indiana after a season in which he was named the Big Ten’s Pitcher of the Year. He has moved up the organizational ladder exactly in the way you would expect. He finished 2013 in Elizabethton. He spent most of 2014 in Low Class-A Cedar Rapids. He spent most of 2015 in High Class-A Ft. Myers, ending the year with a handful of starts in Chattanooga. That’s where he spent his 2016 season. In 25 starts, he went 10-7 with a 3.41 ERA. In 145.1 innings, he walked 2.8 per nine and struck out 6.4 batters per nine innings. At one point in the middle of the season, he had a stretch of nine straight Quality Starts.Slegers called 2016 a “successful year, minus the three weeks in July.” He prides himself in his ability to take the ball and provide innings. “I was able to take the ball every fifth day and be as consistent as possible.” He continued, pointing out that he wants to be reliable. “That’s what I see from myself in the big leagues, taking the ball every fifth day and be an innings eater. The manager knows what he’s going to get on an every fifth day bases, a spot of consistency in a big league pitching rotation.” Unfortunately, he wasn’t added to the Twins 40-man roster in November. I know there was a lot of concern that he might be selected in the Rule 5 draft. Slegers himself was not opposed to the idea of being selected, as his 2016 Lookouts teammate and battery mate Stuart Turner was. However, the draft came and went, and Slegers remained in the organization. Several in the organization took a deep breath in relief. Shortly after the calendar turned to 2017, Slegers received a call from Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil informing him he was invited to Twins big league spring training as a non-roster player. As you would expect, Slegers was very excited and appreciative, and quickly accepted. When asked about his experience, he summarized briefly by saying “It was fun.” But, Slegers actually broke up his experience in big league camp into two parts. “The first week, I was kind of staying to myself and observing and seeing how things were done and how the various veterans and the guys who have been there before go about their business. Which was a great experience and I’m glad I did that.” That makes sense, the Be Seen But Not Heard approach. However, he continued, “Then I transitioned into being more proactive and asking questions. A few of those guys, like Matt Belisle and Ryan Vogelsong and Brandon Kintzler, were extremely helpful. When I would show myself to guys like Belisle, that I wanted to learn and I’d ask things he was working on, he was more than receptive to show me what he was working on and expand on things he’d learned in the past. He really made himself available and approachable on a daily basis.” Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine often talked about bringing in veteran leadership. Following the signing of Belisle, it was reiterated, that he was a quality person and a nice leader for younger players. While those things aren’t necessarily visible to the public, this is a good example of what a veteran can do to assist a younger player on the roster. When the Twins sent Slegers back to minor league camp, manager and Hall of Famer Paul Molitor was very complimentary of the right-hander. Molitor said, "Slegers came even better than advertised for me. I'd heard a lot of very positive things about makeup. But the way that he threw the ball was good." Reports on Slegers will say that he throws a fastball that sits 90-92 mph. However, he has the ability to hit 94 and even 95 at times. He’s got a good sinker and slider, and a still-developing changeup. It is the changeup that likely will determine how good Slegers can be at the next level. He knows he can rely on his “two-seam sinkers to righties and lefties,” but “when I have the changeup working, throwing it 15-20 times per start, it really seems to pay off for me.” Earlier in his career, he was mostly a fastball/slider pitcher, but last year in Chattanooga, his pitching coach and manager really encouraged him to utilize and develop the changeup. Slegers points out, “From my A ball outings in Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers, it was mostly fastballs and sliders, and the changeup was mostly on the backburner. When I worked with (Lookouts pitching coach) Ivan (Arteaga) and (Lookouts manager) Doug (Mientkeiwicz), getting the changeup around twenty times a game. I don’t put quotas on myself. Obviously, there are different mixes of righties and lefties in a lineup, but when the hitter has a different look after seeing the sinker, and then I throw the changeup behind it, it seems to be effective.” He’s coming off of a very nice season in AA Chattanooga. He’s been able to spend nearly a month in Twins big league spring training. He has a couple of goals in mind. First, Slegers said, “(I want to) refine my craft as a starter, pitch calling and going deep into games and continue taking the ball every fifth day.” On another tier, Slegers has a lofty, but achievable goal. “I see myself getting in the conversation to get to the big leagues at some point this year. There are certain things out of spring training, where I break, that I can’t control. Wherever I might be at a certain point in the season, but just force the hand and get myself into that conversation.” There is no reason for him to return to AA Chattanooga in 2017, so he should start for the Red Wings every fifth day. Aaron Slegers has been very consistent since the Twins drafted him. For the most part, he has remained healthy. He didn’t sulk when he wasn’t added to the 40-man roster in November and earned an invitation to big league spring training. He took advantage of his time in camp, and looks to put the things he’s learned into action in 2017. Click here to view the article