Seth Stohs

If you ever have an hour to spare and you’re not feeling great, do a search for “Alex Kirilloff Batting Practice” on YouTube, Google or your search engine of choice. I’d guess you’ll find yourself smiling. In preparing for this article, I only meant to watch one video. An hour later, I figured I should start writing. In 2015, the Twins had their first season with a record over .500 since 2010. Because of it, they drafted outside of the top six picks for the first time in five years. With the 15th overall pick, the Twins went in a familiar direction, an athletic outfielder out of high school. Alex Kirilloff was drafted out of Plum High School in Pennsylvania. He actually was part of the Pennsylvania Cyber School, a public charter with online courses. On the day the Twins drafted him, he led his team to the state championship game.After signing, Kirilloff jumped straight to Elizabethton where he got off to a great start. Through his first 38 games, he hit .361/.378/.516 (.894) with nine doubles and five home runs. He slowed down as the summer went on, and his season came to an end early with an elbow injury. In a recent Q&A with Twins Daily, Kirilloff discussed his success in his pro debut. “It really was a combination of things. First off, it was a blessing from the Lord, and I give all the glory to God for letting me get off to a good start in my career. Second, I was pretty rested, excited, and eager to start playing.” Age: 19 (DOB: 11/9/97) 2016 Stats (Adv-Rookie): .306/.341/.454 (.795), nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs ETA: 2020 2016 Twins Daily Ranking: NR National Top 100 Rankings BA: 98 | MLB: NR | ESPN: 97 | BP: NR What's To Like As you would expect from any first-round draft pick, there is a lot to like about Alex Kirilloff. He has the tools and the makeup to go with it. The first thing that people talk about when it comes to Kirilloff is his offensive game. He’s got good size (6-2, 200 pounds). His father owns an indoor hitting facility and there are stories of Kirilloff hitting off the tee as soon as he was able to walk. He has always played against older competition, a trend which continued in Elizabethton where he was more than two years younger than the league average. He possesses a smooth, left-handed swing and uses the whole field very well. He has shown power to all fields. He’s got quick hands and can pull the ball a long way, but his most natural power just might be to left-center field. He showed power in Elizabethton in his pro debut, and most believe that he will continue to add home run power. Defensively, he has enough speed that he could play center field. However, he primarily played right field with the E-Twins and that will likely be his position going forward. He has a strong arm. He also played some first base in his amateur career and really impressed scouts with his work there. What's Left To Work On While most believe that Kirilloff is an advanced hitter, one thing he’ll certainly look to improve upon in his first full season will be getting on base more often. While he struck out in just 13.8% of his plate appearances, he walked just 4.7% of his plate appearances. It’s not unusual for first-year pros to debut and swing early and often, looking to make a strong impression. He was known in high school to have a strong approach at the plate, but he’ll need to show more of that in 2017. Other than that, Kirilloff needs to play. He needs at-bats, and he needs to get opportunities in the outfield. He will need to adjust to the advanced speed of the game as he moves up the ladder. As Kirilloff himself said in the aforementioned Q&A, “I still have room for improvement in all aspects of my game though and I have a long way to go.” What's Next Like other top draft picks, Alex Kirilloff will begin his first full season as a professional in the Midwest League. He will begin the season in Cedar Rapids. Most likely, he’ll spend the full season there, though it is certainly possible that he could spend time late in the season with the Miracle in Ft. Myers. ~~~ Read up on our previous installments in the Twins Daily top prospects series: TD Top Prospects: #20-16 TD Top Prospects: #15-11 TD Top Prospects: #10 Lewin Diaz TD Top Prospects: #9 Travis Blankenhorn TD Top Prospects: #8 Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospects: #7 Adalberto Mejia TD Top Prospects: #6 Wander Javier TD Top Prospects: #5 Tyler Jay TD Top Prospects: #4 Nick Gordon TD Top Prospects: #3 Alex Kirilloff TD Top Prospects: #2 (Coming Thursday) TD Top Prospects: #1 (Coming Friday) Click here to view the article

I don't know how to judge that without spending a ton of time. I think their player development has done a good job with hitters. Obviously they have struggled with pitchers. They have had several success, and they have had several "failures." Some methods work for some and the same method doesn't work for others. I don't know how to judge any of that. It's a huge success if an 8th rounder makes it to AA, right? How about a 32nd rounder spending 2-3 years in the big leagues as a utility infielder? That's a huge success. My guess is any sort of analytics would not be very favorable to the Twins over the last 10 years or so. I've written a couple of articles saying that... but I think that the Twins have some scouting successes and several failures. I think player development has had some successes and some failures. I think they've had some successes and some failures in self-scouting. But more important, I think that we need to move on. Let's see the Falvey and Levine processes and give them a year or two to see the changes and differences. And, I would think that of the group of Sano, Buxton, Kepler, Polanco and Berrios (all developed in the TWins system), at least a couple of them will take a step forward. Let's see how Chargois, Burdi, Duffey, May, Hildenberger, Reed, Melotakis, Jay, Gordon, etc. do.

I'm sure there have been several mistakes, as there are in every organization... But I'd like to see a list of say 5-6 more areas where we can definitively say that poor player development or "mismanagement" affected a player. For instance... was Matt Moses not getting past AA about bad player development, or some sort of mismanagement? Or, was it that Moses didn't really care too much and didn't do a lot of extra work? (not to say taht's the case) Was it the Twins player development issue or mismanagement that Alex Wimmers go the yips (which they helped him correct) or need Tommy John surgery. And likewise, do the Twins get credit for Brian Dozier, a senior sign 8th round pick without huge tools? Do they get credit for developing late, late round picks to the big leagues? I'm not saying there aren't sometimes better ways, and Falvey and Levine will likely implement several. But they're not going to have a perfect record either. I hope that's not the expectations.

While i would like to see Berrios make the opening day roster, I don't think he's earned anything. I think we throw the term "jerking him around" too often. Berrios isn't at the point where he should be handed a job yet. I think he'll get there, and hopefully soon, but nothing about his 2016 should say that he should be given a job out of spring training. Thrylos... I had to respond because every once in awhile I do agree with you.

Javier's Twins Prospect Rankings: Twins Daily - 6 Seth - 8 Nick - 6 Jeremy - 7 Cody - 7 Baseball America - 13 Baseball Prospectus - 6 John Sickels - 9 MLB Pipeline - 12 Keith Law - NR

Tyler Jay's Twins Prospect Rankings: Twins Daily - 5 Seth - 5 Nick - 5 Jeremy - 5 Cody - 5 Baseball America - 5 Baseball Prospectus - 2 John Sickels (Minor League Ball) - 5 MLB Pipeline - 1 Keith Law - 6

I should have done this for all of them, but ... Nick Gordon's Twins prospect rankings by some "rankers": Twins Daily - 4 Seth - 4 Nick - 4 Jeremy - 3 Cody - 1 Baseball America - 1 Baseball Prospectus - 1 John Sickels (Minor League Ball) - 1 MLB Pipeline - 2 Keith Law - 1

In past years, I posted my first big league Roster Projections on the first day of Twins full-squad workouts. This is a couple of days late. Actually, my first 2017 Roster Projection was done following baseball’s Winter Meetings in mid-December. Here’s the second attempt, though a lot can still happen in the next six or seven weeks. This is always a fun exercise. Without question, this can and will change at any time. Certainly there are several roster spots that are Givens meaning, if they are healthy, they will make the Opening Day roster. The remainder of the jobs could still be up for grabs. Spring Training statistics should not matter much in decision making, but spring training performance will matter.So here is my second 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, Mitch Garver 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. Ideally, that backup would be a right-handed hitter. The three primary backup catching options all bat right-handed. Last time, I put John Ryan Murphy in the backup catcher role. He may be the favorite as spring training begins. Chris Gimenez has plenty of big league experience as a backup catcher. The Twins have asked him to spend time in the corner infield and outfield spots this spring to be more flexible. The thing he’s most got against him may be the fact that he’s not on the 40-man roster. While he has the least experience, which certainly is the biggest thing he has against him, Mitch Garver might be the most well-rounded catcher in the organization. He has only about two months of time in AAA, but of the three, he’s probably got the most offensive potential. His defense has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years as well. He will have to go out and win the backup catcher spot. I think he’s capable. The question will be whether the Twins brass will want him as the big league backup, or if they’d like him to catch two out of three in AAA (and DH and play 1B in Rochester the other games). Infielders (6): Kennys Vargas, Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco, Eduardo Escobar Joe Mauer will start most of the time at first base, and he should, at least against right-handers. He’ll need time off, a bunch, so Kennys Vargas will get some time there. Vargas will likely be the primary DH. Miguel Sano will likely get the majority of time at third base, though he could see time at DH and first base too. Brian Dozier will be at second base most every day. I don’t think we need to worry too much about that. Jorge Polanco should start the season as the team’s primary shortstop. His question marks with the glove make it uncertain that that he’ll stay there all year. Eduardo Escobar will likely get some starts at shortstop. He’ll also play a lot of third base when Sano is playing elsewhere. With this group (and the 13th hitter), there is some flexibility in the infield. It’s possible that Byungho Park could be a DH option as well. Outfielders (4): Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Robbie Grossman I think the three starters are pretty close to set. Byron Buxton will be manning center field, hopefully as close to 162 times as possible. We all hope his September showing is a sign of good things to come. If he can put up decent offensive numbers with his defense, that is immensely valuable. Max Kepler will look to improve upon a solid rookie season in the big leagues. He’s got good range and an accurate arm in right field. While he’s a line drive hitter, he is very strong and has a chance to add a lot of power as he learns to lift the ball. Eddie Rosario fought a sophomore slump in 2016 both offensively and defensively. There are no secrets with Rosario. Doesn’t want to walk. Will likely struggle to post an OBP over .300. Has some momentary lapses. Sometimes tries to do too much. But he’s very talented. If he isn’t going to walk, he just needs to know which pitches he can and can’t drive. Robbie Grossman - as I’ve written before - may be the worst defensive outfielder I’ve seen in a Twins uniform (and I’ve seen Delmon Young, Josh Willingham and some other really bad defensive outfielders). But he can crush left-handed pitching. Maybe he can play some in left field when there are ground ball pitchers. He should DH a lot against left-handed pitching. 13th Hitter (1): Ehire Adrianza This is kind of a new category for me… There were a lot of options that fit into this category. So I thought I would address them here. Right now I’ve got Ehire Adrianza as the “25th man.” I figured with the question marks with Polanco that Adrianza can be a late-inning defensive replacement when the team has a lead. Frankly, Eduardo Escobar could hold the same role for third base as well. But there are other options as well. Danny Santana may fit the role best, in some ways. His ability to at least play three outfield positions and three infield positions may have the most value to the roster. Looking at the outfielders I profiled above, it becomes clear that the team could struggle in the outfield if one of the three starters gets a day off. It may make sense to have Santana, who isn’t a plus defensive outfielder either, available. JB Shuck could be an outfield option, as could Ben Paulsen. However, the two bat left-handed. The Twins could use a right-handed outfield option to give days off to Rosario or Kepler. That’s where Drew Stubbs might make some sense as well. If Chris Gimenez proves that he can play multiple positions adequately, he is likely an option as well. POSSIBLE LINEUPS 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, Mitch Garver C, Max Kepler RF, Eduardo Escobar 3B, 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, Trevor May All right, barring injury or something completely unexpected, the first four (Santana, Hughes, Gibson and Santiago) will be in the starting rotation when the season starts in April. I have written several times that I think if Jose Berrios has a strong camp (and shows fastball command), he will be in the Twins starting rotation. I just can’t help but wonder how playing in the WBC will affect his opportunity to make the team on Opening Day. And that’s the reason that I have Trevor May starting the season in the rotation. While May isn't a Given to be a starting pitcher, but he's very likely guaranteed to be on the Opening Day roster. There will be other contenders for a spot, including Justin Haley, Ryan Vogelsong, Nick Tepesch and Adalberto Mejia. Bullpen (7): Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Pressly, Matt Belisle, JT Chargois, Taylor Rogers, Craig Breslow, Justin Haley. It appears that Brandon Kintzler will go into the season as the closer. Matt Belisle and Ryan Pressly will certainly be set-up men. Taylor Rogers should have secured one of the left-handed bullpen spots. So there are four of the seven bullpen spots pretty much guaranteed. Let’s start with the left-handers. I am going to go with the assumption that Glen Perkins will start the season on the disabled list. That’s not necessarily the case, but probably still the more likely situation. Now I’ve got Craig Breslow taking the second lefty bullpen spot. He’s a veteran, brought in late, and the front office has frequently talked about veteran leadership. He will, of course, have to show this spring that his new arm angle will be successful. Ryan O’Rourke is the best option if they want a lefty-specialist due to his incredible numbers against same-siders. Buddy Boshers had a nice season in 2016 as well. Mason Melotakis will likely debut in 2017, but it wasn’t likely to happen at the start of the season. His oblique injury makes that more certain. In my opinion, JT Chargois’s days in the minor leagues should be over. At 26 and with his September performance, he should be a given. I don’t know that he is. After that, it’s some of the same names. Justin Haley was my choice because he is either MLB-ready or very close. He could fill a long-relief role while also being able to spot start if needed. That means that Ryan Vogelson and Nick Tepesch start the season off the big league roster. Michael Tonkin has a chance still to make the roster again. I think the toughest decision will be on Tyler Duffey. Could he make the team as a starter or a long-reliever? Would they start him in Rochester, and if so, would it be as a starter or a reliever? We’ll probably update this every other week or so as Opening Day nears. For now, it’s a starting point for a possible roster. As I mentioned, some of the spots are certainly subject to change at any time. What are your thoughts? What does your roster look like? Click here to view the article

Good catch... I've updated it... my bad!

I think it's 100% factual that they went over their allotted slot. Their slot was $3.85ish and they spent $4.0 million. That's over slot. I mean, they could have spent another $100K or $200K to sign him, just to get a penalty, I guess.

Miguel Sano was my #3 prospect back in 2010. That was after his DSL debut. Prospect rankings are always a combination of production, tools, ceiling, floor, age, and many other factors. My personal rankings had Javier at #8.

Just a couple of years ago, MLB changed its rules on signing international players. In an attempt to keep signing bonuses down, MLB gave slot numbers that teams could use to sign 16-year-olds. In 2015, the Twins allotment was just shy of $4 million. They chose to give $4 million to shortstop Wander Javier, going over their slot to secure his signature. Javier made his professional debut in 2016 in the Dominican Summer League where he showed what he could be, albeit in just nine games due to injury. He has a ton of potential, and we will begin to see it stateside in 2017. Age: 18 (DOB: 12/29/98) 2016 Stats: (DSL): .308/.400/.654 (1.054), three doubles, two home runs ETA: 2022 2016 Ranking: 13 National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR | MLB: NR | ESPN: NR | BP: NRThe first time a Twins scout watched Wander Javier play, he was just 13 years old. The Dominican Republic native trained with Josue Mateo. They continued to watch him grow and they saw enough to warrant the $4 million signing bonus. That bonus became the highest paid by the Twins to an international signing (ignoring Japan and Korea, of course), topping the $3.15 million bonus the Twins signed (SS) Miguel Sano to in 2009. When the Twins signed him, he was the #9 ranked international prospect according to Baseball America. While he was shy of 6-0 and 160 pounds, the tools were all there. Since signing, he has added an inch and about 20 pounds of muscle. What's To Like The tools. The terrific tools. Javier is considered a plus fielder. He handles the routine plays well. In his debut, he had just one error in 25 chances in the Dominican Summer League (DSL). He has plus arm strength, able to make all of the throws a shortstop needs to make. The belief is that he should be able to stick at shortstop. Offensively, he has plus bat speed. Because of that, he has plus raw power. Most believe that he will be able to develop above average power for a shortstop. In his professional debut in the DSL, he did show some offensive capabilities. He hit over .300, got on base 40% of the time, showed a strong approach at the plate, and hit for power. He had just 30 plate appearances and he had five extra-base hits and four walks. Unfortunately, he was limited to those 30 plate appearances because of an injury. After just seven games he hurt his hamstring. He didn’t play for over two weeks. When he returned, he played in two games and then re-strained the same hamstring and missed the remainder of the season. Fortunately, he was healthy enough to come to Ft. Myers for the Instructional League in September. What's Left To Work On Everything. I mean, come on… The kid is just 18 years old. While the potential is there for Wander Javier to become a star, he’s got plenty of room for growth. Physically, he will likely continue to grow and gain strength and power. The biggest question mark regarding Javier is the hit tool. Javier has a big leg kick, and there are times he can be off-balance. That could affect him, especially on breaking pitches. That isn’t an unusual for most hitters coming out of the draft, but it’s almost ‘normal’ for a 17-year-old. He needs to work on his swing mechanics, his timing and his balance. The reality is the Javier is just very raw. (You can see some of the good and bad in the below video) I asked Fred Guerrero, the Twins top scout in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, what Javier needs to work on most. His response was “He needs to play a lot. He needs to get a lot of at-bats.” What's Next Javier will come to minor league spring training in Ft. Myers in a couple of weeks. When the full season teams start in early April, Javier will remain in southwest Florida and participate in extended spring training. It is most likely that he will start in the Gulf Coast League. However, if he gets off to a fast start the first three or four weeks, he could jump up to Elizabethton by the end of the season. ~~~ Read up on our previous installments in the Twins Daily top prospects series: TD Top Prospects: #20-16 TD Top Prospects: #15-11 TD Top Prospects: #10 Lewin Diaz TD Top Prospects: #9 Travis Blankenhorn TD Top Prospects: #8 Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospects: #7 Adalberto Mejia TD Top Prospects: #6 Wander Javier TD Top Prospects: #5 (Coming Monday) TD Top Prospects: #4 (Coming Tuesday) TD Top Prospects: #3 (Coming Wednesday) TD Top Prospects: #2 (Coming Thursday) TD Top Prospects: #1 (Coming Friday) Click here to view the article

Sure... but they're drafted for their upside and potential... and there may be a belief that he is close to MLB ready... but they shouldn't promote based on that. Especially if there is an injury involved. Burdi is 23... There is no rush. Getting him up in 2017 might be good, and it might be fun... but I'm more concerned about 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, etc...

The question was about the draft... at that time, she was his fiance...

On Sunday, the Twins will hold their first full-squad workout. Within the next couple of weeks, minor league camp will begin and all will be right with the world. Today we present another Q&A with a Twins minor leaguer. Domenick Carlini is a 22-year-old left-hander who the Twins drafted in 2016 out of Southeastern Louisiana University. As a senior last year, he went 8-2 with a 2.03 ERA. He was second-team All-Conference. The Twins drafted the crafty lefty and sent him to Elizabethton.So let’s get to know a little more about Domenick Carlini. After reading this, feel free to ask questions and leave comments below. Enjoy the Q&A. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Mississippi, which was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Domenick Carlini (DC): Growing up, I loved the Braves. Chipper, Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux were some of my favorites. SS: What were some of the better memories of your high school baseball career? Did you play other sports or were you involved in other activities? DC: My junior year was a year for me to step into a role as sort of the last starter in the rotation, so I had a chip on my shoulder because of that. I ended up having one of my best statistical seasons during that year. I wasn’t really involved in any other sports or activities. I was a late bloomer and my athleticism didn’t really mature until after high school. SS: What was the recruitment process like for you out of high school, and what was it about Southeastern Louisiana U. that made you want to pitch there? DC: Out of high school I only received offers from JUCOs and a couple of D2s. JUCO seemed like the best decision for me then. Out of Northwest Mississippi CC the recruiting process picked up fast, but Southeastern was my best option, all-around. I think the reason they stuck out so much is their style of play. I like playing baseball at its purest form (sac bunts, giving your best effort, hustle, etc.) and that’s how we played. Also, I wanted to pitch there because Coach Daniel Latham is one of the best college closers of all time. SS: What was the experience for you at Southeastern Louisiana? What were some of your highlights and favorite moments in your years there? DC: The relationships I made off the field will be life-long. Two players stood in my wedding and countless others made the 5+ hour drive. That shows the friendships made. On the field, I think making the first at-large regional bid in program history my senior year was the thing I take most pride in, and pitching in the regional is a memory I can never forget. SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? Where did you think that you might be drafted? What was your interaction with Twins scouts before the draft? DC: I talked to a few teams. I had a good idea of the range I would get taken in. Honestly, I didn’t really talk with the Twins. He contacted me in the morning of the third day and simply asked if I was ready and if I was still willing to go if I was selected. But the first time I talked to my scout was when I got the call a few seconds after the pick was announced. SS: When you did hear your name in the 21st round, where were you? What was your reaction and the reaction of those close to you? DC: I was sitting on my couch with my mother, step-father, and fiancé nearby. I had gotten texts in the rounds prior and just waiting to see when I would go. After a team that had texted me decided to go with another player we all sat back in the couch. I was in my head, so I wasn’t 100% focused, but I remember the guy saying my name. Everyone jumped up. It was an amazing moment for my family and me. We almost didn’t get through hugging when my scout was calling. What a moment. SS: What has the adjustment like for you, from the amateur/college game to the professional game, both on and off the field? DC: In college, I was a contact pitcher. I lived off of the batter hitting the ball to my teammates and them getting the outs. Well, in pro ball the hitter’s a little better and those ground balls I was getting in college seem to find a way through the infield for a hit more often. Learning hitters more and finding a way to strike them out more than in college has been the biggest adjustment for me so far. SS: To what do you attribute your success in the Elizabethton? DC: Coaching. SS: What pitches do you throw, and what would you consider your out pitch? DC: Fastball (two seam and four seam), changeup, curve, slider, cutter. My out pitch would be fastball or changeup. SS: At this very early stage in your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths? DC: I compete. Plain and simple. I don’t throw 100 mph, but I want to help my team win. That means always being focused on the next pitch and always bouncing back from anything negative that may occur in the game. SS: What are the areas of your game that you have been working on improving in the offseason and going forward? DC: Strikeouts. Like I said I am used to just getting a quick ground ball or pop up, but now there are situations where I don’t want the hitter to hit the ball at all. SS: Did you go back to school in the offseason? What is your major in school? DC: I did not go back to school. I graduated last May. SS: What are some of the things you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? DC: Being with my family or playing basketball with my brother. Ping pong too. SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? DC: All of my coaches along the way have done something to help me get where I am now. I also have a great family that supports me. SS: Favorite baseball movie? DC: For the Love of the Game Thank you very much Domenick for taking time to answer our questions. Please feel free to leave comments or ask questions in the forum below. Click here to view the article

A nice tribute to Landa, a plaque, in the Ft. Myers Miracle locker room (obviously the Twins spring training locker room as well): https://twitter.com/MikeBerardino/status/832276918053507072

I did a little research: Rankings............ Mejia ...............Garver Nick ......................7 .................... 12 Seth .....................12 ................... 11 Jeremy ..................8 .....................10 Cody .....................8 ..................... 13 BB Am ...................6 ......................17 BB Pro .................. 8 .................... No Mention Min Lg Ball ............ 7 ......................15 MLB Pipeline ..........9 ......................21 Mejia was a great get for Nunez, in my opinion... he just looks a little Mjaresque to me... not that I'm one to speak...

Hildenberger has told me that he's healthy, so I think he'll be ready to go when minor league camp starts. There is no need to not be conservative with Burdi. I don't get what you mean by "at this point." Because he missed a year? That would be a great reason to be conservative. Or, because he hasn't pitched well at AA yet as a pro? That's also a good reason. There is no rush to get him up fast. That said, if he dominated for the first 4-6 weeks, he should be moved up to AAA, and if he dominates there for 4-5 weeks, call him up. But he's only 23 still, so zero reason to do anything unnecessary.

Over the last two weeks, we’ve been making some roster projections for the teams from the Twins down to extended spring training. We predicted the starting pitchers earlier this week. Today we tackle the bullpen arms. Of course, there will be some crossover, especially in the lower levels. As always, the Twins brought in several additional pitchers on minor league contracts. Some will compete for a big league job. Some have opt-outs. Some are competing for AAA jobs, and others are competing to keep their careers going. There are few relievers who are absolutely guaranteed to be in the bullpen on Opening Day (pending injury), so there are a lot of questions. The same is true throughout the system, so let’s take a look at some of the names you’ll be hearing over the next six weeks.If you missed any of the other parts in this series, you can find them here: The Catchers, The Outfielders, The Middle Infielders, The Corner Infielders, and The Starting Pitchers. Minnesota Twins RHP - Brandon Kintzler (32), JT Chargois (26), Ryan Pressly (28), Matt Belisle (36), Tyler Duffey (26), Trevor May (27), Justin Haley (25), Ryan Vogelsong (39), Michael Tonkin (27) LHP - Taylor Rogers (26), Ryan O’Rourke (28), Craig Breslow (36), Glen Perkins (33-DL) The Givens: All right, let’s try to clear this up, if even just a little. These pitchers are ‘Givens’ to make the Opening Day roster, assuming health. Brandon Kintzler will likely start the season as the closer. Maybe he’s not the prototype for a big league closer, but he survived (and maybe even thrived?) in the role in the second half. Matt Belisle signed recently and is also a given to fill a role in the Twins bullpen. Ryan Pressly is a given. He was pretty solid in the 8th inning last year until he got overused. The other given is lefty Taylor Rogers who had a very solid rookie season last year. In my mind, JT Chargois should be a given. I don’t think that he necessarily is, but he needs to be in the big leagues. To Start Or Relieve: Tyler Duffey and Trevor May head to spring training with the same set of circumstances. Both have started in the past, and both have spent a lot of time in the big leagues. Duffey has started. May has primarily been in the bullpen the last couple of seasons. Both could be in the rotation. Both should probably be in the big leagues. However, each has an option remaining which could be used if the new regime thinks that they could develop into solid starters by spending any time in the bullpen. To Start Or Relieve (Part 2): The Twins have a few more players who could start or relieve, though the odds of starting are lower. Justin Haley was the Twins Rule 5 pick. As you know, that means that he has to stick on the Twins 25-man roster all season or be offered back to the Red Sox (or kept via a trade). Veteran Ryan Vogelsong was signed to a minor league deal. The 39-year-old could fit into the fifth starter competition or, like Haley, he could fill a long-relief type of role. The Lefties: There should be some good competition for the second lefty in the bullpen, alongside Taylor Rogers. If Glen Perkins is healthy and able, he will be in the bullpen, a given. More likely, he’ll start the season on the disabled list or rehabbing. Ryan O’Rourke is the best lefty in the organization against left-handed batters. If used in that role, he has a ton of value. However, depending on how well the starters pitch in 2017, the team may decide to go with someone else. Buddy Boshers signed out of the indy leagues last offseason and pitched well through 2016. Mason Melotakis will be ready at some point in 2017. It’s also possible that due to numbers the team could go with just one left-hander. Rochester Red Wings RHP - Jake Reed (24), Alex Wimmers (28), Trevor Hildenberger (26), Alan Busenitz (26), DJ Baxendale (26), Jim Miller (34) LHP - Buddy Boshers (28), Mason Melotakis (25) There are some guys coming through the system that we should see in 2017 (as we said in 2016). It will be interesting to see which guys come up, and in what order. Of the eight names mentioned here, only Boshers and Melotakis are currently on the 40-man roster, and they both have a legitimate chance to make the big league roster. Melotakis is at about the same point in his post-Tommy John surgery that JT Chargois was last year. Wimmers’ road to the big leagues was long and winding, but he got there last August and pitched pretty well the final month of the season. He came off the 40-man roster, but he signed back with the team quite quickly. Jim Miller has big league time with the Orioles, Rockies, A’s and Yankees going back to 2008. The 35-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Twins recently. DJ Baxendale could get another opportunity to start, but he pitched very well out of the bullpen once he was promoted to Rochester. It’s a role that fits his stuff well. Alan Busenitz came to the Twins last August 1st in the trade that sent Alex Meyer and Ricky Nolasco to the Angels. Busenitz isn’t a big guy, but he has the ability to reach 100 mph at times. Jake Reed and Trevor Hildenberger are the two that we’ll likely be hearing a lot about early in the season. They are two guys who could be ready at any time to help in the big leagues. Both were drafted in 2014, Reed in the fifth round and Hildenberger in the 22nd round. Hildenberger was the Twins Daily Relief PItcher of the Year in both 2015 and 2016. Chattanooga Lookouts RHP - Nick Burdi(23), Raul Fernandez (26), John Curtiss (23), Ryan Eades (25), Brandon Peterson (25), Luke Bard (26), Alex Muren (25), Todd Van Steensel (26), Matt Tracy (28), Zack Jones (26 - DL) LHP - Nik Turley (27), Cam Booser (24) 2016 was a very frustrating season for Nick Burdi. If healthy, he will likely return to the Lookouts to start over in 2017. Also if healthy, he has a good chance to debut in 2017. Speaking of healthy returns, Alex Muren missed the 2016 season after having thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. Zack Jones unfortunately will miss the 2017 season (or at least a large part of it) after shoulder surgery. Matt Tracy signed as a free agent. He pitched in one game for the Yankees in 2015. Raul Fernandez re-signed with the Twins this year and got an invitation to big league camp. He split 2016 between Ft. Myers and Chattanooga. The same can be said of Brandon Peterson, the Minnesotan, who has been one of the best relievers in the Twins system since he was drafted in 2013. Luke Bard spent some time with the Lookouts last year as well. His fastball reaches 97 mph, so with some improved control he could move up as well. Todd Van Steensel finally got called up to AA at the end of the 2016 season. He will be pitching for Team Australia in the upcoming WBC. Ryan Eades pitched for the Lookouts last year. Halfway through the season he moved into the bullpen. While he could still start, his stuff may play out well for him in the 'pen. John Curtiss suffered through a couple of injuries in 2015. He began 2016 in Cedar Rapids, but after dominating for a month, he moved up to Ft. Myers. He pitched well in the Arizona Fall League as well. Ft. Myers Miracle RHP - Nick Anderson (26), Williams Ramirez (24), Michael Cederoth (24), Thomas Hackimer (22), Confesor Lara (26), Max Cordy (23), Zach Tillery (24), Logan Lombana (22) LHP - Michael Theofanopoulos (24), Anthony McIver (24), Sam Clay(23) Nick Anderson signed late in the 2015 season out of the independent leagues. The Brainerd area native has pitched very well since signing and came on strong late in 2016 with the Miracle. Thomas Hackimer was a closer at St. John’s. After signing, he spent the remainder of last season with the Kernels. He should make the move up to Ft. Myers. Michael Cederoth stayed healthy in Cedar Rapids and is now ready to move up. Williams Ramirez came on last year with the Kernels and has the ability to throw very hard with a good slider. Max Cordy throws 95 as well, and he did well after moving up from extended spring. Zach Tillery missed most of the 2016 season with injury, but he’ll need to make the move up to Ft. Myers. Logan Lombana served a 50-game suspension last year. Late in the season, he moved up and ended the season with the Miracle. Confesor Lara signed with the Twins for the last couple of weeks of the season after being let go by the Tigers organization. Michael Theofanopoulos repeated in Cedar Rapids during the first half of the 2016 season. He pitched well and then did well in the second half with the Miracle. McIver spent the season with the Kernels and very quietly put together a strong season. Sam Clay pitched in the Midwest League All-Star Game for the Kernels. He did move up to Ft. Myers to end the season. Drafted out of Georgia Tech where he was a reliever, it’s likely Clay moves to the bullpen at some point during the season. Cedar Rapids Kernels RHP - Colton Davis (23), Johan Quezada (22), Alex Schik (22), Clark Beeker(24), Patrick McGuff (22), Quin Grogan(23), Hector Lujan (22) LHP - Andrew Vasquez (23), Alex Robinson (22) It becomes really difficult to project who will be in the lower level bullpens. Several of these pitchers were starters in college at this time last year. That group includes Colton Davis, Alex Schik, Clark Beeker, Patrick McGuff and Quin Grogan. Davis and Beeker ended the season in Cedar Rapids’ bullpen. McGuff joined the Kernels for their playoff run last year after dominating the GCL and at Elizabethton. Johan Quezada became quite popular last year when it came out that he grew a bunch and started throwing fastballs that occasionally touched triple digits. Hector Lujan was a 2015 draft pick. He pitched in Elizabethton, and he actually made one appearance in Ft. Myers too. Andrew Vasquez made a couple of appearances in Elizabethton before moving up to Cedar Rapids where he dominated.. In 38.1 innings, he struck out 51 batters (12.4 per nine). Alex Robinson was used as a starter at the start of the 2016 E-Twins season, but he completely lacked control. He’s likely a bullpen guy, but he’ll have to get a lot better control to do that. Extended Spring Training RHP - Moises Gomez (20), Juan Gamez (22), Blair Lasko (23), Callan Pearce (21), Matz Schutte (19), Garrett Kelly (22), Zach Strecker (23), Vadim Balan (23), Petru Balan (20) LHP - Domenick Carlini (23), Austin Tribby (22) Unlike many years, the Twins signed several undrafted players after the draft. Zach Strecker went to Kentucky and then pitched out of the GCL bullpen. Blair Lasko couldn’t throw strikes at Buffalo, but he found some control in the summer league and threw well, and hard, and the Twins took a shot. Garrett Kelly went to Wake Forest where he was a catcher, but he moved to the mound. He throws 95, but he’s got a lot of room to grow. Juan Gamez was drafted in 2016, but he has a similar story. He was a catcher in college, but the Twins quickly moved him to the mound as well. This offseason, the Twins signed Petru Balan, the younger brother of the Vadim Balan. The two are from Moldova. Vadim Balan pitched just a couple of times in the GCL in 2015 before having some back issues that caused him to miss all of 2016. Callan Pearce, from South Africa, has pitched in the GCL the last three years. He’ll jump up to Elizabethton. Matz Schutte is from The Netherlands and has pitched in the GCL the last two years. The 20-year-old Moises Gomez pitched the last two seasons in the GCL. In 2016, he was 4-0 with a 1.19 ERA. Lefties Domenick Carlini and Austin Tribby were drafted in 2016 and pitched in Elizabethton. They could pitch in Cedar Rapids in 2017 as well. Top Prospects 1.) JT Chargois 2.) Jake Reed 3.) Nick Burdi 4.) Trevor Hildenberger 5.) Mason Melotakis 6.) Thomas Hackimer 7.) John Curtiss 8.) Andrew Vasquez 9.) Alan Busenitz 10.) Alex Wimmers So what do you think? Who will comprise the Twins bullpen, and how will things trickle down the system? Which prospects are you most looking forward to seeing perform in 2017? Click here to view the article

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