Seth Stohs

I guess, but at the same time... it wasn't Ryan that made the September call-ups. It was the new regime that made the 40-man roster decisions and the Non-Roster invites. And, I don't think you'll find any scouts who would say that Wheeler's stuff is better than Dean's. Frankly, there is little difference between Wheeler, Dean, Albers, Hurlbut, Darnell and the like.

Following their solid showing in their Dairy Queen Classic, the Gophers have played a couple of upper-Midwest colleges the last couple of nights. They were able to add a couple more wins and have improved to 8-4 overall. They will play three more home games this coming weekend (against Missouri State) before heading on the road for a couple of weeks.Today, we’ll share a few Gophers Notes. But first, let’s get to know another Gophers senior. Right-handed pitcher Toby Anderson has made a start each weekend so far for the Gophers. The Idaho native came to the Gophers and has split his time between starting and working in the bullpen. In 2016, he went 7-1 with a 3.32 ERA. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Idaho, who was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Toby Anderson (TA): I would say growing up with no pro team close to me, I was always a fan of the Giants just because I love their stadium and had always wanted to play for them. Favorite player would be Roy Halladay. He was always fun to watch. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? TA: Winning the first baseball district championship in our school history and making it to the state championship. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? TA: When I was in the college search and started seriously talking to teams there was never really a competition, I was drawn to this place from the first time I talked to the coaches. Also my dad played with TO (Todd Oakes) at Nebraska, so having that connection helped with the comfort level as well. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? TA: I played one full summer for the Duluth Huskies, and about 2 weeks of another summer just on a temporary contract. SS: Which pitches do you throw, and what makes you successful on the mound? TA: Fastball, Changeup, slider. I think what makes me successful is the ability to go at people with my fastball and command that pitch consistently. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? TA: Starting against the Twins my sophomore year was a big highlight, and then really all of last season. The whole process of us winning the Big Ten and making a regional was something I will never forget. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? TA: Being in that Sunday role again, I want to make sure no matter what the stats say or how I'm pitching I always give my team a good chance to win the series at the end of the day. We obviously want to repeat as Big Ten champs and also take it a step farther and possibly make a push to Omaha. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) TA: Sports management, and I grew up in a family of coaches so it has always been a dream of mine to coach either baseball or basketball at the college level. Hoping to get a shot at pro ball and to play this game as long it will allow me too before telling me to hang it up. Thank you to Toby Anderson for taking time out of his busy schedule of school and baseball to answer our questions. GOPHERS NOTES On Tuesday night, the Gophers hosted South Dakota State at US Bank Stadium. Minnesota got off to a quick start with three runs in the first inning. They added four more in the third inning and then held on for the win. Terrin Vavra went 2-4 with a double. Alex Boxwell was also 2-4. Toby Hanson went 1-3 with a walk. Matt Stemper was 1-3 with a double and three RBI. Nolan Burchill, the freshman from Sioux Falls, started. He gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in 3.2 innings. Jackson Rose came in and gave up two runs on a hit and a walk in 2.1 innings. Jeff Fasching struck out two in two scoreless innings. Tim Shannon got the final three outs. On Wednesday, UW-Milwaukee came to town. The Gophers needed a walkoff to win it. Sophomore Reggie Meyer made the start. He gave up one run on three hits and a walk in five innings. Jake Stevenson gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Tim Shannon came on and gave up a run (on a homer) in 1.1 innings. Brian Glowicki threw a perfect ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Luke Pettersen led off with a single. Terrin Vavra was hit by a pitch. The next two batters got out which brought Toby Hanson to the plate. The first baseman hit a double to score Pettersen and end the game. Alex Boxwell went 3-4. Vavra went 2-3 with a triple. Pettersen went 2-5. Micah Coffey drove in two runs. What’s next? The Gophers will host Missouri State at US Bank Stadium Friday through Sunday. On Friday, the teams play at 6:30. Saturday, the game will begin at 2:00. Sunday’s finale has a start time of 1:00. The Gophers will spend the next week in California, and then the following weekend, they will start Big 10 play with a series at Ohio State. Their next home game is scheduled for April 4th at Siebert Field against North Dakota State. Please feel free to discuss the Anderson Q&A or any goings on with the Gophers baseball program. Click here to view the article

Also true... I would probably be in that group too.

I can't imagine there is anyone in the Twins or Red Wings or Lookouts coaching staff, or in the front office who would think that Wheeler should be starting in the big leagues ahead of Tyler Duffey.

There are so many minor league stories to follow in 2017. Yesterday we talked about what could be a very intriguing starting staff in Chattanooga throughout the season. Today’s article is more about the business of baseball. A player can become a minor league free agent after he has played six full seasons of minor league ball, unless added to the 40-man roster. So it is fair to say that this is a big year for a handful of Twins minor leaguers.There are five Twins minor league players who were drafted by the Twins in 2011 who have yet to reach the big leagues. Could they be called up sometime during the 2017 season? Could they be added to the 40-man roster following the season, before the World Series is complete and become free agents? 2010 draft pick Niko Goodrum spent the first half of the 2016 season on the disabled list. Following the season he could have become a minor league free agent, but instead, he quickly re-signed with the Twins. Fellow 2010 draft pick Alex Wimmers could have become a free agent after the Twins took him off of their 40-man roster following the season. Instead, he quickly returned to the Twins on a minor league contract. Both are playing well in spring training. So while it would be great for these five players to have big seasons in 2017 and force the Twins hand, doors could open up for them after the season via free agency, or they could choose to stay in the Twins organization. LEVI MICHAEL The Twins had the 30th overall pick in the 2011 draft. The Twins selected North Carolina shortstop Levi Michael. In his three years with the Tar Heels, he spent a season at each of three infield positions. Many scouting sources had Michael ranked higher than 30th, and the Twins needed middle infielders in the system. The pick made sense. Unfortunately, he missed the rest of that season with injury, and he has fought a variety of injuries throughout his career. He has spent parts of the last three seasons at AA. In 2016, he played in 95 games and hit just .215/.293/.291 (.584) and lost playing time as the season went on. He recently turned 26, and it would be nice to see him get some AAA time in 2017. TRAVIS HARRISON The Twins took Harrison with the 50th overall pick in 2011 out of high school in California. He quickly moved up one level each year until 2016 when he returned for a second season in AA Chattanooga. In 120 games, he hit .230 but had a .338 on-base percentage and a .339 slugging percentage. He had 22 doubles, seven homers and stole 15 bases. He has been in the outfield the last three seasons, though he has moved from left to right and back and forth a couple of times. No one questions Harrison’s work ethic, and anyone who has watched him knows that he has tremendous power potential and strength. He will still be just 24 years old through the 2017 season. DERECK RODRIGUEZ Dereck Rodriguez, as you know, is the son of recently-named Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez. The Twins drafted him in the sixth round in 2011 out of high school in Florida. They drafted him as a potential five-tool outfielder, but when he was unable to hit in the rookie leagues for three seasons, the decision was pretty easy to give him the option of pitching. He’s progressed slowly up the ladder as a pitcher. In 2015, he was the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year. He began 2016 really struggling in Cedar Rapids, but in the middle of June, he started pitching much better. He earned a promotion to Ft. Myers where he pitched well too. He pitched very well this winter in Puerto Rico and helped the team win the Caribbean Series. He now is part of Team Puerto Rico in the WBC. He’ll continue to start as the season begins, but the 24-year-old could be a solid bullpen arm. JASON WHEELER Wheeler is the one player on this list who has been on the Twins 40-man roster. Two years ago, he was added to the roster and went to spring training with the big club. He really struggled in 2015 and by season’s end, he was removed from the 40-man roster. After that point, he went on to lead the Chattanooga Lookouts to the 2015 Southern League championship (he was named MVP, won a game and recorded a four-inning save). 2016 was a very good year for Wheeler. He began in Chattanooga again, but he moved up to Rochester quickly. And, he put up terrific numbers, good enough to be named the starting pitcher for the International League team in the AAA All-Star game. The left-hander doesn’t throw real hard, but he is generally around the plate and uses his defense. The 26-year-old was the Twins eighth-round pick in 2011 out of Loyola Marymount. DAVID HURLBUT The Twins liked Hurlbut enough to draft him twice. He was the team’s 35th-round pick in 2009 out of junior college. Two years later, the Twins took him in the 28th round out of Cal State-Fullerton. He missed some time at the start of 2016 with a shoulder issue, but he pitched well once he got on the mound. He went 7-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 23 starts in AA. He finished the season with five starts in Rochester. The 27-year-old is a soft-throwing left-hander, occasionally touching 90, but he has pinpoint control and a good changeup. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obviously all five of these guys are “prospects’ as they have yet to play in the big leagues. The two 24-year-olds are the two that would fit into the “prospect” category meaning there is still a lot of potential with them. It’s a big year for each of them. Not only are they working for a big league opportunity with the Twins, but they will have another season to be monitored by scouts and coaching staffs from the other 29 organizations too. So what are your hopes or expectations for these five? Will any of them get to the big leagues in 2017? Could any be found on the 40-man roster after the 2017 season? Click here to view the article

While I think that makes sense, and I'd love to see Romero in the big leagues, it has to make sense. With his innings limit (Whatever they put it at this year - maybe 130 or 140?), they'll be cautious. I hope they have him skip some starts early, maybe start the season a little later, so that he can be strong late in the season. In the minor leagues, you can do more creative things to help protect a player. If he's ready, they'll bring him up but they'll be cautious, especially in a non-playoff team season.

I don't think the "options" situation is reason enough to push anyone more quickly. Rosario is on his second option in 2017, and he's at AA, so he's just fine. Romero and Jorge will be on their first years of options. They don't run out of options until the 2020 season. They're fine. Stewart and Gonsalves will need to be added after this season, Jay the year after that. Some may get up quicker, but options should not be what is pushing any of them. I've said that I think Mauer is the best manager in the organization. I don't know if others think that. Obviously they have a big trust for him. They chose him to go to Cedar Rapids in 2013, knowing all the prospects that would be there. And they're trusting him with this group of pitchers. I did roster projections a couple of weeks ago, and they're linked in the Minor League primer, so you can check those out for guesses. Dalton Hicks has retired.

On Tuesday, the Twins held their first full-squad practice of the 2017 season. At Twins Daily, we put together a quick Minor League Primer, full of stories and notes for fans to know as their spring training begins. Today, I’m going to start posting some Minor League Storylines. Trust me. There are more than I’ll write about, and when I get to Ft. Myers, I’ll hopefully find some more. Today I want to write about one of the things that I know I’ll be watching intently throughout the 2017 season, the starting rotation at Chattanooga.Last year as the minor league season began, one of the top stories was the Ft. Myers starting rotation. As the season began, the Miracle had a rotation of Stephen Gonsalves, Kohl Stewart, Tyler Jay, Felix Jorge, Randy Rosario and Keaton Steele. And they didn’t disappoint. That group, potentially even with the addition of another top pitching prospect, should be starting the season in Chattanooga. That will make the rotation and that team very interesting to follow, but the individual stories are also quite interesting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ With the success that Stephen Gonsalves had over the final three months of the 2016 season, it is certainly possible that he will start the 2017 season in AAA Rochester. My guess, however, is he’ll spend a couple of months back in the Southern League. The Twins (and Twins Daily’s) Minor League Pitcher of the Year, he went 8-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 13 starts for the Lookouts. While he struck out 10.8 per nine innings, he also walked 4.5 per nine innings. That’s obviously a number that will have to come down, and command of that fastball is a reason to have him start in AA. He’s been good in his 3.2 scoreless, hitless spring training innings. It will be an interesting season. Could Gonsalves reach the Twins? Kohl Stewart moved up to the Lookouts a few weeks before Gonsalves did, and he did a nice job. He went 9-6 with a 3.03 ERA in 16 starts for the Lookouts. While he saw an uptick in strikeouts in the season’s first half, a return to the Miracle, he struck out just 4.6 per nine innings for Chattanooga. That is the one number surrounding Stewart that really scares a lot of prospect people. We’ll see how it goes, but if Stewart spends the entire 2017 season as a 22-year-old in AA, he will still be an easy decision to add to the 40-man-roster in November. Tyler Jay pitched in his first full season as a professional. The 2015 top pick from Illinois finished that season in the Miracle bullpen, but the organization was committed to giving him an opportunity to start. He certainly had his ups and downs, but with his four-pitch mix makes giving him an opportunity to become a starter a worthy choice. In five May starts, he posted a 0.84 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. In 32.1 innings, he walked seven and struck out 38. In 13 starts for the Miracle, he went 5-5 with a 2.84 ERA and struck out 68 in 69.2 innings. He moved up to AA late in the season and made two starts and three relief appearances before his season came to an early end with a neck injury. He will begin the season starting for the Lookouts. By the end of the year, we will likely have a much better sense of where Jay’s future might be. If he can be a solid #3 starter (with #2 upside) and work 170-180 innings a year, starting is the right call. If not, he and his pitch-mix have a chance to be an elite reliever. Since he was demoted from Cedar Rapids to Elizabethton in early 2014, Felix Jorge has been remarkable. He was the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year in 2014. He was 6-7 but had a 2.79 ERA in Cedar Rapids in 2015. He was the starting pitcher in the Florida State League and went 9-3 with a 1.55 ERA in 14 starts for the Miracle. There were several key observers who said he was the Miracle’s top starting pitcher. He finished the season with 11 starts in Chattanooga where he went 3-5 with a 4.12 ERA. However, he continued to aggressively attack the bottom of the strike zone and work a lot of innings. He’s been as consistent as any starting pitcher in the organization, and the Twins added him to the 40-man roster after last season. He’ll have to show that he can continue to throw strikes and miss some more bats. Randy Rosario pitched in his first full season since his Tommy John surgery. He spent half of the 2015 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He showed enough, including an upper-90s fastball, to be added to the Twins 40-man roster after that season. He went 6-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 16 starts (and five relief appearances) for the Miracle. He also didn’t strike out a lot, but has the stuff that he should. When he moved up to Chattanooga late in the season, he worked out of the bullpen. Like Jay, there are questions of whether the southpaw will wind up starting or in the bullpen, but it is wise to keep him starting as long as he can. Keaton Steele was the one Miracle Opening rotation member to spend the full season at Ft. Myers. He’s 25 and went 8-11 with a 3.60 ERA for the Miracle. He pitched much better in the second half and warrants the promotion to AA in 2017. Of course the name to watch might be Fernando Romero. After missing two seasons with injuries, he returned in May and after just five starts in Cedar Rapids (and went 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA), he moved up to Ft. Myers where he continued to dominate. With the Miracle, he made 11 starts and went 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA. His season ended one start early due to his innings limit. He was added to the 40-man roster and has been impressive this spring. Will he start the season in the Lookouts, or will he be making starts in Chattanooga starting in May or June? Randy LeBlanc, Dereck Rodriguez and Cody Stashak are all guys who should make starts for the Lookouts sometime in 2017 as well. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jake Mauer gets to manage this group, and Ivan Arteaga will be charged with working with this talent, helping them prepare for big league readiness. The pitching talent should make the Lookouts a contender again in the Southern League. Could one of two of these guys pitch in the big leagues in 2017?How many of these guys will be added to the 40-man roster after the season?What would you say are the keys to each one's 2017 success or failure?There are so many questions throughout the minor league system. The Twins need pitching. I can’t imagine anyone reading this (especially if you’ve made it this far) would disagree with that comment. And help isn’t too far away. Youngsters like Jose Berrios and Adalberto Mejia are very close. This group of prospects are not very far away from being in the big leagues too. And to that point, 2017 is a big year. That makes the 2017 Chattanooga starting pitcher rotation something exciting to watch! Click here to view the article

I'll echo what Steve said about Mientkiewicz. He's happily back in Florida. Only job he'd like outside of FM would be in Minnesota, I'm sure. As for predicting rosters, I included links to my roster projections in the article. It's not perfect, and it's from a month ago, and I didn't predict the releases (cuz I hate doing that), but it's something.

I happen to know that at least a couple of the hirings, despite being former Twins were hired (at least in part) because they were willing to talk ways that they thought the current system could be made better. Wayyyyy too much concern about this kind of stuff. They're all individuals and able to think on their own. Vasquez came up with the Tigers and Pirates before a couple of years with the Twins. He pitches in Australia in the winters and he doesn't think like most people (from stories and such). JP Martinez did other coaching in between. Mientkiewicz played for a bunch of organizations and he coached in the Dodgers system. Jeff Reed spent a dozen years in the big leagues AFTER leaving the Twins. Javy Valentin played for a long time after leaving the Twins. Steve Singleton spent time with the Phillies, and he's done other coaching since retiring.

Good news on Travis Harrison.

On Tuesday morning, Minnesota Twins minor league spring training officially begins with the first full-squad workouts. Granted, a majority of the minor leaguers have taken advantage of the Twins academy and arrived anywhere from a week to a month ago. But on Tuesday just over 140 players will be working out on the back fields, not counting the six Twins minor leaguers participating in the World Baseball Classic.Today, I thought it would be fun to put together a bit of a primer for some things to look for as minor league camp starts. COACHING STAFFS There were several changes in the coaching ranks within the organizations. With Jeff Smith getting the Twins first base coaching job, there was an opening. Here are the 2017 Twins Minor League coaches, including some very familiar names. Rochester Red Wings: Manager - Mike Quade, Hitting Coach - Chad Allen, Pitching Coach - Stu Cliburn Chattanooga Lookouts: Manager - Jake Mauer, Hitting Coach - Javier Valentin, Pitching Coach - Ivan Arteaga Ft. Myers Miracle: Manager - Doug Mientkiewicz, Hitting Coach - Steve Singleton, Pitching Coach - Henry Bonilla Cedar Rapids Kernels: Manager - Tommy Watkins, Hitting Coach - Brian Dinkelman, Pitching Coach - JP Martinez Elizabethton Twins: Manager - Ray Smith, Hitting Coach - Jeff Reed, Pitching Coach - Luis Ramirez GCL Twins: Manager - Ramon Borrega, Hitting Coaches - Toby Gardenhire & Jose Marzan, Pitching Coach - Virgil Vasquez, Cibney Bello WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC The World Baseball Classic is beginning in various places around the globe. While four players (Eddie Rosario, Kennys Vargas, Hector Santiago and Jose Berrios) left Twins big league camp to head to Mexico and play for Team Puerto Rico, they aren’t the only WBC participants in the organization. (Here is a list of current, former and future Twins in the WBC.) Right-hander Dereck Rodriguez is also a member of that Puerto Rican team. As you would expect, the Australian team is full of current and former Twins members. Lefty Lachlan Wells, righty Todd Van Steensel and outfielder Aaron Whitefield represent the Twins on Team Australia this spring. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Yohan Pino (who re-signed with the Twins for his third stint with the team) will play for Team Colombia. RETURNING FROM INJURY Injuries happen in baseball. We all know that. However, there are several players this year returning from injury. We’ll want to watch each. Trevor Hildenberger missed the final month of the season with soreness in his elbow. He’s been full-go for a while now. Nick Burdi missed most of last season with a bone bruise in his elbow. Alex Muren had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery early last season and missed the full year. Lewis Thorpe has missed the last two years after having Tommy John surgery. Jovani Moran had bone chips removed last year. LaMonte Wade had two stints on the disabled list including one stint at the end of the season. He’s been in Ft. Myers since early January and is ready to go. Jermaine Palacios’s season came to an end early when he was hit by a pitch and broke a bone in his hand. Nelson Molina broke his hamate bone in his hand early in the Puerto Rico Winter League. He had surgery and is healthy for spring training. Matt Albanese is excited to get on the field after a fractured wrist and some tendon injuries cost him most of his junior season and all of the Twins short season. Joe Cronin’s pro debut ended early with a hamstring injury. Brusdar Graterol is likely to start the season in extended spring training. He missed all of 2016 with Tommy John surgery and pitched in the Instructional League (hitting 100 with the fastball). Vadim Balan missed all of 2016 with a stress fracture in his back. He also will start in extended spring before pitching in real games, likely in Elizabethton. As we learned last week, Alex Kirilloff will be having Tommy John surgery on Wednesday and will miss the 2017 season. Tyler Benninghoff had Tommy John right after the June draft. He might see some time in the GCL late in the year. Andro Cutura had Tommy John surgery in August and will miss the 2017 season as well. Zack Jones had shoulder surgery last September and is likely to miss most, if not all, of 2017. Kerby Camacho missed the 2016 season due to his PED suspension. He has served his time and will be eligible to play right away in 2017. MINNESOTANS IN A TWINS UNIFORM There are several Minnesotans in the Twins system. Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins are two on the big league roster. The following players from Minnesota will be in minor league camp. Recently, the Twins signed former Gophers reliever Seth Rosin (Arden Hills, Mounds View HS). He pitched in four big league games between 2014 and 2015, with Texas and Philadelphia. Brandon Peterson (Savage, Burnsville HS) split the season between Chattanooga and Ft. Myers. Nick Anderson (Crosby, Brainerd HS) was signed by the Twins in August of 2015 and spent last year between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. Bo Hellquist (Edina, Burnsville HS) signed with the Twins last year after a strong career at Minnesota-Duluth. The one hitter on this list is Max Murphy (Robbinsdale, Robbinsdale Cooper HS). POSITION CHANGES It seems as though every year there are a few pitchers who switch positions for whatever reason. Maybe it’s just to accentuate their tools, or just to try something different. Sam Clay is going to be moved to the bullpen. The other noteworthy changes involve players moving behind the plate. Rafael Valera went to Instructional League the last couple of years and spent some time catching. However, he didn’t do any catching last year before his season-ending injury. Caleb Hamilton was drafted last year out of Oregon State. For Elizabethton, he played all over the diamond, mostly around the infield. He will add a catcher’s mitt to his bag of gloves this year. Mitch Kranson was a slugging third baseman/DH type for California. He worked a lot behind the plate and hopes to be catching throughout the season. He’ll need to work on it and will likely have the bat to keep him in the lineup even when he isn’t catching. TWINS MINOR LEAGUE SIGNINGS WITH MLB SPRING TRAINING INVITE You know these names already. These guys were signed to minor league deals, but they have been in big league spring training. Catchers: Chris Gimenez, Eddy Rodriguez, Dan Rohlfing Infielders: Matt Hague, Ben Paulsen, Benji Gonzalez Outfielders: JB Shuck, Drew Stubbs Pitchers: Ryan Vogelsong, Nick Tepesch, Craig Breslow, Drew Rucinski TWINS MINOR LEAGUE SIGNINGS WITHOUT MLB SPRING TRAINING INVITE Catchers: Jose Gonzalez Infielders: Jonathan Rodriguez, Dan Gamache, Tom Belza, Shane Kennedy Outfielders: Quintin Berry, Leandro Castro, Josh Romanski, Ryan Strausborger Starting Pitchers: Matt Tracy, Nik Turley, Yohan Pino, Henry Centeno Relief Pitchers: Jim Miller Seth Rosin, Jonny Drozd, David Fischer, Evan Sanders Here are a few more links you can use as you get excited about the Twins minor league camp open. 2016 TWINS MINOR LEAGUE AWARDS Here is a quick rundown of the 2016 Minor League Award winners: 2016 Twins Daily Minor League All StarsTwins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year - Daniel PalkaTwins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year - Stephen GonsalvesTwins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year - Trevor HildenbergerTwins Daily short-season Minor League Hitter of the Year - Lewin DiazTwins Daily short-season Minor League Pitcher of the Year- Huascar Ynoa2017 Twins Daily Top Prospects 20. Justin Haley, RHP 19. Ben Rortvedt, C 18. Engelb Vielma, SS 17. Nick Burdi, RHP 16. Zack Granite, OF 15. LaMonte Wade, OF 14. Daniel Palka, OF 13. JT Chargois, RHP 12. Felix Jorge, RHP 11. Mitch Garver, C 10. Lewin Diaz, 1B 9. Travis Blankenhorn, 2B 8. Kohl Stewart, RHP 7. Adalberto Mejia, LHP 6. Wander Javier, SS 5. Tyler Jay, LHP 4. Nick Gordon, SS 3. Alex Kirilloff, OF 2. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP 1. Fernando Romero, RHP 2017 Roster Projections Recently, I made my 2017 Roster Projections for the start of the season. The Twins have signed a couple of minor league deals since then, but you can read them here: The Catchers The Outfielders The Middle Infielders The Corner Infielders The Starting Pitchers The Relief Pitchers The minor league seasons will begin just days after the MLB Opening Day. There are plenty of story lines, as you would expect, when there are 200 players in the organization all hanging out around the Century Link Sports Complex. We’ll be sure to cover them, starting this weekend when Seth travels to Ft. Myers. For now, I hope you’ve enjoyed this 2017 Twins minor league primer and feel free to ask any questions you might have. Click here to view the article

Spring training stats mean pretty much nothing at this stage. The most plate appearances anyone has so far (coming into today) is 19. And did some give up on John Ryan Murphy? He's 2-10... if he goes 2-2 in his next game, he'll be hitting .333...

No chance... but the org loves him, and he could have been a free agent after last season but chose to stick. He is a tremendous athlete. He's tall, and he's got really big legs. He should continue to grow and get stronger. He's got a chance, but not in spring training. He's a guy who could get added to the 40-man roster next year.

Pretty sure it wasn't "cheap."

It’s a busy time of year for the Gophers baseball program. On Tuesday, they played NDSU. On Thursday, they played a game against Hawaii. Today, they completed the Dairy Queen Classic by playing Iowa after playing Oral Roberts on Friday and Hawaii on Saturday. The schedule doesn’t slow down as they will play South Dakota State on Tuesday night and Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Then they’ll play a three-game series against Missouri State. That will end their 13-game homestand at US Bank Stadium.Today, we get to know more about right-handed pitcher Tim Shannon. Coming into the season, he had pitched in 52 career games for the Gophers including 23 starts. This year, he has been working out of the bullpen for the Gophers (and making a fairly significant mechanical alteration). The Hopkins graduate grew up miles away from the Metrodome (and now Target Field) and was a big Twins fans. Let’s spend a little time today getting to know him. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Hopkins, were you a big Twins fan? Did you get to many games? Who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Tim Shannon (TS): I was always a huge Twins fan, and my family actually had season tickets for most of my childhood. I went to tons of games, and a good amount of playoff games as well, including Game 163 against the Tigers in 2009 which was definitely a highlight. My favorite players were Delmon Young, Alexi Casilla, and Michael Cuddyer. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? TS: High school baseball was a phenomenal experience for me, and I have a lot of great memories from it. If I had to pick one, it would be a win that I got against Wayzata in 2012 to get into the state tournament. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? TS: I really wanted to be part of the Gopher baseball family. I knew many of the guys on the team, and had heard nothing but good things about the coaches and support staff. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? TS: I have played in the Northwoods League with the Waterloo Bucks. My time in summer ball has been some of my favorite in the sport, and I made a lot of good friends in my time there. The Northwoods League is also a tremendous place to grow as a collegiate player and gain experience. SS: Which pitches do you throw, and what makes you successful on the mound? TS: This is my first year as a submariner, and so far it has been a blast. I rely mostly on deception and movement, and throw a sinking fastball, a frisbee slider, and a ridiculously slow changeup. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? TS: The big one is obviously winning the Big Ten Title in 2016. The team we had that year was a special group of guys that were really close on and off the field, and the things that we had to deal with off the field, including the passing of Todd Oakes, only worked to bring us closer. As far as personal highlights, my first career start came on the road at the University of Texas and I pitched pretty well. The next day, Auggie Garrido came and found me and told me he was impressed with the way that I threw, and that was a really cool moment for me. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? TS: My goals for the 2017 season are to help out in any way that I can out of the bullpen. One of the perks of being a submarine guy is that it doesn't take much of a toll on my arm, so I should be available for many of the games which is exciting for me. I also hope to grow as a leader on and off the field, especially as one of the older guys on the team. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) TS: I am a political science major, and a sport management minor. I am hoping to go to law school down the road, and would love to work as an agent within the baseball field. Thank you to Tim Shannon for taking time to answer our questions. We certainly wish him continued success throughout the season and beyond. GOPHER NOTES On Thursday, Hawaii topped the Gophers 11-2, though going into the ninth inning, it was a 5-2 game. Terrin Vavra went 3-4 with a stolen base in the game. Micah Coffey went 2-4 with a double. Jordan Smith added his first home run of the year. Friday night, the Gophers played Oral Roberts in their first game of the Dairy Queen Classic. It went to the 13th inning when catcher Cole McDevitt hit a sacrifice fly to win the game. McDevitt went 2-4 with a walk and two RBIs in the game. Jordan Smith went 2-5 with a walk and a double. Terrin Vavra also had two hits. Ben Mezzenga went 1-4 with two walks. Lucas Gilbreath had his best start of the year. He gave up two unearned runs in the first inning and ended with six innings of just one-hit baseball. He walked three and struck out five. Jackson Rose threw two scoreless innings. Brian Glowicki gave up a run in his two innings. Nick Lackney finished the game with three shutout innings with a walk and three strikeouts. On Saturday night, the Twins were unable to get the bats going against Hawaii, falling 4-0. Brett Schulze started and was solid again. The freshman worked five innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks. Tim Shannon struck out two over the final five outs. Terrin Vavra was 2-4 with a stolen base. Luke Pettersen was 1-3 with a walk. On Sunday, the Gophers played an afternoon game against Iowa. It won’t count as a Big 10 game, but the Gophers were able to pick up a 6-3 win. Toby Anderson was on the mound to start the game. He gave up a three-run homer in the first inning, but he settled down nicely. In total, he went six innings and gave up three runs on three hits. He walked four and struck out four. Nick Lackney got the next five outs, and Brian Glowicki recorded the final four outs for the save. Ben Mezzenga led off and went 2-4 with a walk. Luke Pettersen also went 2-4. Jordan Smith went 1-3 with a walk and his second home run. Micah Coffey was 1-3 with a walk, a double and a couple of RBIs. In the four games, shortstop Terrin Vavra went a combined 7-17 (.412) with a couple of stolen bases. After starting the season 5-27, it was a nice turnaround for the infielder. Vavra has more Twins ties that most. His father is Joe Vavra, the Twins current bench coach who has served the organization for a couple of decades. His brother Tanner Vavra spent three seasons in the Twins farm system, reaching Ft. Myers and twice being awarded a Harmon Killebrew Award. He spent 2016 with the St. Paul Saints. Another older brother, Trey Vavra, is a first baseman in the Twins system. He spent 2016 with the Miracle. He’s been named to his league’s All-Star team each of the last two years.Senior Jordan Smith also had a strong four-game weekend. He went 5-15 (.333) with two walks, a double and two home runs. The senior from Eden Prairie plays left field for the Gophers.Coming into the weekend, Luke Pettersen led the country with a .667 batting average. He went 3-13 with a walk in the Dairy Queen Classic. He is now hitting .529 (18-34) on the season.Micah Coffey leads the team with nine RBIs. Smith and Toby Hanson each have eight.Nick Lackney is a left-handed reliever from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. He has appeared in four games and pitched nine innings. He has yet to give up a run. He has given up just one hit and struck out seven. He also has seven walks.Again, things stay busy this week for the Gophers. The 13-game US Bank homestand is eight games over. There will be five more games there for baseball fans to watch over the next week. Again South Dakota State will be here on Tuesday, and Milwaukee will be there on Wednesday. Missouri State then comes in for a three-game series next weekend. Then they are on the road for a couple of weeks. Feel free to discuss the Gophers, the Dairy Queen Classic and more. Feel free to ask questions and discuss college baseball. Click here to view the article

I get that, but I also wonder why. By definition, the Rule 5 is a draft of players that another team didn't put on their 40 man roster (much less their 25 man roster).

I'd agree... The only thing, as Nick wrote, is the injury factor. Very nice starting staff. Very nice bullpen. Cody Allen is pretty underrated. But yes, I think they need to be cautious with Andrew Miller. Just can't do what he did in the playoffs all year 'round.

The Twins won't be putting their best twenty five players on the Opening Day roster. That's never quite how it happens. Instead, much of how the final few roster spots are decided comes down to how the players fit into specific roles or whether or not a guy can be sent down to the minors without risk of losing him. The Rule 5 Draft, one of the most obscure and convoluted things in all of sports, can give players what equates to a golden ticket into the big leagues. The Twins ended up with Justin Haley once the dust settled on this year's draft (it's a long story), meaning they get to keep him just so long as he's on the 25-man roster (or the DL). Haley comes over from the Red Sox, where he put up very similar 2016 numbers to another recent Twins acquisition. Player A: 3.14 ERA, 1.121 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, opponents hit .241/.286/.366 Player B: 3.01 ERA, 1.118 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, opponents hit .225/.291/.345 Player A is Adalberto Mejia, Player B is Haley. Mejia is the better prospect because he's two years younger, but Haley's probably a better bet to be of use to the Twins in 2017. Also, one big advantage to a Rule 5 draftee is development gets tossed out the window. The Twins wouldn't want to use Mejia as a long reliever because it would derail his development as a starting pitcher. With Haley, they can't send him to the minors for further seasoning as a starter. It's now or never.Yes, it's possible the Twins could try to work out a trade with the Red Sox (they traded for Rule 5 pick Scott Diamond in 2010 in order to be able to send him down to Rochester), but I don't see that as very likely in this case. I doubt Boston would be interested in cash considerations or lower level minor leaguers; they're flush with cash and trying to compete. Sure, they exposed Haley to the Rule 5 Draft, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't like to have him back if given the opportunity. Beyond anything else, the biggest reason I feel it would be wise for the Twins to make room on the roster for Haley is he can provide valuable insurance to the rotation and protection for the bullpen. Here's how I imagine the pitching staff shaking out right now: Rotation Ervin Santana Kyle Gibson Hector Santiago Trevor May Phil Hughes Bullpen (assuming Glen Perkins starts on the DL) Brandon Kintzler Ryan Pressly J.T. Chargois Matt Belisle Taylor Rogers Justin Haley Buddy Boshers Neither Gibson nor Santiago are known for pitching deep into games, and both Hughes (recovering from injuries) and May (transitioning from he bullpen) aren't exactly guys you want to count on to eat innings out of the gate. This staff needs a reliever who can be called upon to throw multiple innings early in games, and I'd rather not see another promising young starter moved to the pen (like May was) or a reliever miscast into a role he's not suited for (like Michael Tonkin was). Basically what I'm saying is Haley should be this year's version of J.R. Graham, the Twins Rule 5 pick in 2015. It's tough to point to a guy who had a 4.95 ERA and 1.48 WHIP and say he was a valuable member of a pitching staff, but Graham throwing 63 2/3 innings was essential to keeping the rest of the bullpen fresh that season. He even made one emergency spot start. Over his 38 relief appearances, Graham entered a game prior to the fifth inning 12 times, he pitched in multiple innings 25 times and in 20 of his appearances there was at least a five-run difference in the score (one way or the other) when he entered the game. He was basically the definition of a mop-up man. Another big thing to remember concerning the Opening Day roster is it can change the next week, the next series, hell, the next day if need be. Bringing Haley north with the big club doesn't necessarily mean committing a roster spot to him for the entire season. If he doesn't pan out, no big loss. You basically rented him from Boston in order to gobble up a bunch of low-leverage innings early in the season and you send him back once you're convinced he's nothing special. No harm done. Some people may take issue with Jose Berrios not being included on the Opening Day roster. While he has nothing left to prove in the minors in terms of performance -- he's dominated every level -- he does have plenty to work on. At this point I'd rather he work out the kinks in Rochester, where guys like he, Tyler Duffy and Mejia would stay stretched out to serve as rotation insurance. Berrios was the youngest AL pitcher to start a game last season, so it's important to keep in mind he's still way ahead of the curve. Leaving Tonkin off the roster would mean exposing him to waivers, but I think there's more of a chance that Tonkin would clear waivers than there's a chance the Twins could work out a suitable trade for Haley with Boston. But I do not view Haley and Tonkin as being in direct competition for the same spot. There needs to be a long man behind this rotation, and we saw last season, Tonkin cannot thrive in that role. Haley making the 25-man roster wouldn't be "blocking" any of the higher upside relievers. Would you rather see a guy like Jake Reed, Mason Melotakis, Trevor Hildenberger, Nick Burdi or (insert your favorite of the Twins 46 relief prospects here) getting abused in a mop-up role in the majors or pitching in the back end of the bullpen in the minors? To me, Haley's primary competition is against the guys like Ryan Vogelsong and Nick Tepesch, not any of the traditional one-inning relief guys. Is Justin Haley one of the Twins' best dozen or so pitchers? No, probably not. Is he an excellent fit to be the last man in the bullpen? Absolutely. Click here to view the article