Seth Stohs

' I'm a big believer in Garver, offensively and now defensively. But there's a reason Murphy was highly thought of. He's had 2-3 solid MLB seasons backing up Brian McCann. Murphy is almost a year younger. Garver has two months in Rochester. One was terrific. One wasn't. I don't think another month or two would be bad for him. But I think he's ready.

Today I’ll start a series in which I am going to try to (somewhat) predict which players will start the season at which levels, which affiliates. It’s a fun exercise to try to predict. I’m going to include everyone who is currently in the organization. As you know, the unfortunate side of the business is that some players will not be in the organization following spring training. Hopefully this series will spur some interesting discussion. We’ll start today behind the plate. Kurt Suzuki has been the Twins primary catcher the last three seasons. He left via free agency and recently signed with the Atlanta Braves. The Twins looked to free agency this offseason for a replacement and signed one early. Jason Castro received at three year, $24.5 million contract, primarily for his pitch framing abilities.However, who will be the backup to Castro, and how will the rest of the catchers fit into the rest of the organization? Let's walk through the catchers throughout the Minnesota Twins organization. Minnesota Twins - Jason Castro (29), John Ryan Murphy (25) No, aside from spring training injury, there is no way that Jason Castro isn’t the team’s primary catcher coming out of spring training. So really it’s all about who the backup will be to start the season. I think going into spring training, there are three guys on pretty equal footing. John Ryan Murphy got the job last year but really struggled in the season’s first month. He spent most of the rest of the season in Rochester. He was very good defensively, but the offense never came on for more than a couple of weeks at a time. He’s still just 25. He has one option remaining. Mitch Garver was just added to the Twins 40-man roster (so he’s got three options left). He was drafted and immediately started hitting. However, over the last three seasons, he has developed into a very solid defensive backstop. He’s got a strong arm and his pitch framing numbers are acceptable and improving. Chris Gimenez was brought in recently on a minor league deal, which puts him a little bit behind the eight-ball. He’s a veteran who has been around a long time. He’s definitely a backup type. Also, he’s played for Cleveland and Texas in recent years so Derek Falvey and Thad Levine are very familiar with him. Which of the three will be the backup? Rochester Red Wings - Mitch Garver (26), Chris Gimenez (34), Eddy Rodriguez (31) Well, the other two will be at Rochester. If Garver is in Rochester, he will continue to get the majority of time behind the plate but will also get to DH and play first base. Murphy would catch at least 50% of the time if he’s there. Gimenez would likely have the same role in Rochester as he would have in the big leagues, backup catcher. Eddy Rodriguez has been around a long time. The 31-year-old was born in Cuba, came to the States and played in high school and college in Miami. He’s played in AAA each year since 2011, and he even played in two games for the Padres in 2012. Chattanooga Lookouts - Brian Navarreto (22), Dan Rohlfing (27) Rohlfing spent the first eight seasons of his pro career in the Twins system including spending the entire 2014 season in Rochester. He left and had spent the last two seasons playing in the Mets and Diamondbacks systems. The 27-year-old may find himself splitting time between AA and AAA. Navarreto remains a big prospect behind the plate. That’s mostly because he is a big man. Unfortunately to this point his bat hasn’t been big. But I maintain hope that it will improve at some point, at least enough to be a quality backup backstop. Defensively, Navarreto fits into the elite category. He has a huge arm and does very well behind the plate. Ft. Myers Miracle - AJ Murray (23), Kevin Garcia (24), Brian Olson (24) Murray was a Midwest League All-Star in 2016. Right after the game (in which he homered), he was promoted to the Miracle (and homered in his first game). He’s got work to do defensively, and after hitting well in Cedar Rapids, he struggled with the Miracle. Kevin Garcia came to the Twins as a free agent before the 2016 season. He moved back and forth between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids. He is solid with the glove and a good leader for a pitching staff. He caught every game for the Kernels once the playoffs started. Brian Olson played in the GCL, Cedar Rapids, Ft. Myers and even a game in Rochester. He’s got some bat and puts together quality plate appearances. He’s solid defensively and could likely ride the same roller coaster in 2017. Cedar Rapids Kernels - Ben Rortvedt (19), Rainis Silva (20), Bryant Hayman (24) Rortvedt was the Twins second-round pick in 2016 out of high school in Wisconsin. While it’s possible he could start the season in extended spring training, he will be the primary catcher wherever he is. He’s got plenty of room for improvement across the board, but he’s got the tools to develop into a very good player. Bryant Hayman began the 2016 season in Cedar Rapids but really struggled and went back down to extended spring training where he got hurt while at Elizabethton. Rainis Silva is a solid defensive catcher. He hasn’t hit, and he’s still young. He spent the second half of the 2016 season with the Kernels. Mitch Kranson played a lot of third base in college, but he went to Instructs to catch, and that's where he would like to play going forward. So expect him to do a lot of catching. Extended Spring Training - Justin Hazard (23), Dominic Blanco (21), Robert Molina (19), Jhon Alvarez (19), Kerby Camacho (19), Kidany Salva (18) Blanco was released by the Mariners midseason last year and the Twins quickly signed him. He got into a handful of games in the GCL, and he should bump up to E-Town this year. Robert Molina can catch but he struggled with the bat at E-Town last year. He’ll likely head back there. Jhon Alvarez is young and debuted in the States in 2016. He is likely to repeat the level. Kidany Salva was drafted last year. A Puerto Rico native, he moved to Texas for his senior year in high school. While he is very young and will head back to the GCL, he has some potential to be good both offensively and defensively. The Top Prospects 1.) Mitch Garver, 2.) Ben Rortvedt, 3.) Brian Navarreto, 4.) Kidany Salva, 5.) AJ Murray So what do you think? Who will start the season as Jason Castro’s backup? Which prospects are you most excited about in 2017? Please feel free to discuss and ask questions in the Comments below. Click here to view the article

There are so many similarities between this signing and Brandon Kintzler last year. The difference, of course, is that Belisle got an MLB deal. Like Kintzler, Belisle missed time the previous year due to leg injuries. Their previous couple of years were very solid. Stuff profiles similarly. Hopefully he's as good in 2017 and Kintzler was in 2016. Hopefully Kintzler is as good in 2017 as he was in 2016. If so, they could be dealt in June/July, and then Reed, Hildenberger and Reed may be ready to go!

A report from Fan Rag's Jon Heyman (which has been verified by others now) says that the Minnesota Twins have signed veteran reliever Matt Belisle to a one-year contract. The 36-year-old right-hander spent 2016 with the Washington Nationals where he posted an impressive 1.87 ERA over 40 games. In 46 innings, he struck out 32 and walked just seven. (More information to come as we gather details)Belisle posted a 2.67 ERA in 2015 with the Cardinals. Before that, he had pitched five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and six seasons with the Colorado Rockies. After making at least 72 appearances each season from 2010 to 2013(including a league-leading 80 appearances in 2012), Belisle pitched 66 games in 2014. The last two seasons, he has combined to pitch in 74 games. He missed two months of the 2016 season with a strained calf muscle. Mike Berardino tweeted that it is a one-year, $2.05 million deal. Belisle easily fits into the Twins bullpen as a 7th and 8th inning guy. Since it's a cheap, one-year deal, he could easily be a trade deadline deal guy if he gets off to a strong start. The deal is also cheap enough such that if any of the prospects are knocking down the door in AAA, they could release him if he isn't pitching well. The Twins are currently at 40 men on their 40-man roster, so they will have to DFA someone to make the move official. Click here to view the article

I can't imagine a Rule 5 pick being much higher for any team...

Matt Albanese’s college career came to a premature end when he fractured his wrist. But the Twins scouts saw enough in him to make him their seventh-round pick in 2016. After signing at Target Field, he went to Ft. Myers to begin the rehab process. Soon after, it was found that he had a ligament tear. Albanese is a terrific athlete with speed and potential to hit with a lot of power. He is already in Ft. Myers continuing to rehab but adding in more and more baseball activities as he looks forward to his professional debut in 2017. In the meantime, he has enjoyed working with kids in the community. The photo was taken last weekend at one such event. They are frequent, free events that the Twins minor leaguers run. Albanese said “Every Saturday, the guys that are around load up in vans and go to two neighborhoods and host a 2 hour workout, sign balls and take pictures. It's a lot of fun to give back and teach younger kids about the game.”Let’s get to know a little more about Matt Albanese. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Connecticut, which was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Matt Albanese (MA): In Connecticut, you are either a Yankees fan or a Red Sox Fan. I grew up a huge Yankees fan and went to a lot of games with my dad and cousins. My greatest memory was Josh Hamilton’s crazy first round performance in the 2008 home run derby at the old stadium. SS: What were some of your best memories from high school baseball? Did you play other sports? Participate in other activities? MA: I went to Xavier High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Middletown, CT. When I tell people about my high school, they are usually expecting me to respond in negative way and tell them how strict it was and how brutal it was without any girls around. I feel the exact opposite about my high school experience. It was awesome on the field and also in the classroom. My senior year we had an incredible team and only lost one game in the regular season. We were looking to make some noise in the state tournament, but we were upset (in) game one. Although that season didn’t end the way we wanted it, I’ll remember those guys and that year forever. I played basketball up until my junior year, also participated in MYARC, a program where you spend time with and have a little dance party with individuals with special needs once a week. I had a cousin in the program, and it was great to spend time with her. SS: What were your options coming out of high school? What was it about Bryant University that made it the right place for you? MA: I was getting looks from all the major northeast schools (Bryant, UCONN, Northeastern), but I wasn't getting the looks I dreamed about as a kid (Vandy, Virginia, etc.) I knew deep down that I had a lot of potential that hadn't been tapped yet. It finally came down to UCONN or Bryant and although, at the time, UCONN’s facilities and baseball program were a little bit ahead of Bryant’s, I had a lot of promise in Bryant’s baseball program’s future. I’d say the greatest deciding factor was the impression Coach Owens (head coach) left on me. I knew that if I went to Bryant, I’d have a leader with incomparable passion, knowledge and he's just a flat-out winner. At Bryant, I was given the opportunity to play right away, and I made some mistakes, but I rarely made them again. I came in my freshman year weighing 185 pounds and started my freshman season at 205, a weight I still maintain. At Bryant, there is a huge commitment to strength and conditioning that helped a lot. SS: Did you talk to a lot of scouts before the draft? Specifically, did you talk to any of the Twins scouts? MA: I was speaking with scouts from every team before the draft. The Twins scout (John) was was not one of the guys that, in my opinion, was forwardly expressing a lot of interest. He'd send me a text here or there, but I had some teams calling me every other day. It was a little bit of a surprise, but definitely a great one. SS: How frustrating was it to get hurt during the season, especially knowing the draft was coming? MA: Throughout college, I had a number of injuries, all of which were out of my control. For example, my sophomore year I missed half the season recovering from an appendectomy. Obviously, getting hurt is frustrating, but if you get hurt on a hustle play, like diving and breaking your wrist, you have to realize it’s part of the game. If I were to have half-heartedly stretched and pulled a hammy or something, then yes, I would have been frustrated and disappointed, but getting hurt making a play for your team doesn't sting as bad. SS: Drafted by the Twins in the seventh round... is that about where you thought you might be selected before the draft? MA: I had a good idea where I deserved to go and the seventh was near my prediction. SS: Did you watch or listen to the draft? Where were you and who were you with when you found out? How busy was your phone at that time? MA: My family and I were at my house in Connecticut. We had the TV outside streaming the second day of the draft. A few of my close friends were there, as well as my uncle, girlfriend, parents and grandparents. Everyone tells you it’s going to be a nerve-wracking day, but you have to realize that there is nothing you can do on that day to change its outcome. I did my best to remember that but still was pretty anxious. After I was selected my phone flooded with calls and texts of congratulations. It was beyond exciting. SS: What was your schedule after signing? When were you able to resume baseball activities? MA: I flew to Minnesota to sign my contract and to have a physical done by the team doctor, then flew down to Ft Myers to continue my wrist rehab. I began resuming baseball later that fall. SS: In these early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? MA: I pride myself on being quick to make adjustments and being a good listener. There are a lot of differences between high school and college ball, and I expect there to be some more differences between college and pro ball. If I'm able to listen to guys that have been successful before me and make some adjustments as needed, I know I’ll be able to continue my success, and help whatever team I’m on win. SS: What are you most looking forward to in getting back on the field as a professional player? MA: I look forward to being part of a team again. The rehab can be a drag and get kind of boring and lonely. I want to go out and compete again with a group of guys with a common goal. SS: What do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? MA: I enjoy fishing with my dad and my friends. We’ll go deep-sea fishing whenever we can all get together. I also enjoy traveling and experiencing new places I’ve never been before. SS:Do you have any specific personal goals for 2017? MA: In 2017, I am going to grow as a person as well as a ball player. I will have quality at-bats, learn from any mistakes I make and be as good a teammate as possible. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? MA: My dad, he introduced me to the game, was my first coach and, along with my mom, has supported me in everything that I do. I played for a travel team growing up and had a lot of great experiences with different coaches. Coach Shane would throw me extra BP for hours, and Coach Martin made me wear my helmet in I/O because I forgot my hat. I never forgot my hat again. In college, Coach Gedman, taught me to step out of your comfort zone and try some new things if you want to improve. Coach Owens helped me realize the importance of doing the little things right because they all add up. Coach Kyle, who is as much my friend as he is my coach, helped me learn how to fine-tune my swing when I wasn't getting the results. And Coach Ryan, always kept the dugout loose, taught me how to play relaxed and confident. SS: Favorite baseball movie? MA: Sandlot Thank you very much to Matt Albanese for taking time out of his schedule to answer our questions. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Click here to view the article

I'd go: Buxton CF Mauer 1B Dozier 2B Sano 3B Kepler RF Park/Vargas DH Polanco SS Rosario/Grossman LF Castro C With Mauer batting after Buxton, Buck will get plenty of opportunities for stolen bases, and he can score from second on singles and first on doubles.

Yup, I know it's been discussed in many minor league threads, but Wells was like 6-1, 185 at spring training a year ago, so hopefully the sites get updated soon. I have Wells in the same general area of the rankings as you do. I was just surprised to see him move down from last year after a spectacular 19-year-old season as a starter in Cedar Rapids. I don't know why he couldn't remain a starter. I mean, I get it, most minor league starters don't become MLB starters, but not sure why that would be determined at 19. Theofanopolous wasn't in my rankings at all. He might be a decent lefty reliever in a few years.

Those numbers never come out. It's cash, but we don't know how much. My assumption is that the Twins were offered at least enough to make it a zero-risk Rule 5 pick, maybe a little more. We know it cost the Twins $100K to select Diaz, and that's the same amount it cost all teams. We know that if the Twins want to offer him back to the Red Sox during spring training, the Red Sox would have to give them $50K.

The Minnesota Twins had the first overall pick in the 2016 Rule 5 draft last December. They selected right-handed pitcher Miguel Diaz with that pick. However, they had arranged to trade the pick to the San Diego Padres. In a roundabout way, the Twins acquired right-hander Justin Haley who had been the eighth player selected in the Rule 5. Haley came from his home in California for Twins Fest this past weekend, and Twins Daily caught up with him for a few minutes between autograph sessions, pop-a-shot games and giant Foosball.It was a bit messy for Twins fans to keep up with that day. So what was it like for Haley and his family? On that day, Haley was in California visiting his mom before the holidays. The Rule 5 draft began at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time, but of course it is just 6:00 a.m. on the west coast. Shortly after that early hour, he was nudged awake by his wife. “My agent was texting me, telling me, ‘Hey, you got drafted by the Angels!’” Haley said, “So I got up. My mom was already awake. We celebrated. We took some pictures, and Woo Hoo, Angels!” And then… “Then all of a sudden, my agent texted me and said, ‘Hey, you just got traded to the Padres.’ OK, great, cool. So we were celebrating again, and we’re taking pictures, and Alright, we’re Padres now!” And then the phone rang. “It was my agent. ‘Hey listen, you’re with the Twins now. They traded for you.’ OK, cool. We celebrated again.” While Twins fans scrambled to learn everything they could about Justin Haley, Haley was a member of four organizations within about an hour, but he didn’t seem to mind at all. “It was fun. The whole day, the whole experience was fun. It all happened within about an hour, so it wasn’t stressful or anything. It was exciting. My whole family enjoyed it.” Haley grew up in northern California. After high school, he spent a season at Sierra College after which he was Cleveland’s 46th-round draft pick. He didn’t sign. Instead he went to Fresno State for the next two seasons. “I knew I needed to go to school. I wanted to get an education. I just knew I wasn’t ready so I waited, took my lumps, put in my work, and now I feel that I’m really ready.” Haley spent the next two seasons at Fresno State. The decision paid off as the Red Sox made him their sixth-round pick in 2012. He’s worked his way up, pitching well as he goes. He began 2016 in AA Portland. He went 5-4 with a 2.20 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 61.1 innings. He was promoted to AAA Pawtucket where he was 8-6 with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 81.1 innings. At the end of the season, Haley made the decision to pitch in the Dominican Winter League. He pitched a combined 23.2 innings and went 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA. He gave up just one run on 12 hits and four walks while striking out 14 batters. It was an experience he not only enjoyed, but he made the most of the opportunity. “I was hoping to go there to intrigue some teams just a little bit more for the (Rule 5) draft. I didn’t end up getting protected. Found out right before my last start. I went down there to do my job. I went to get work in. I had a lot of fun. It was a great experience. Really great people. Really great organization. I was with Escogido. Just a lot of fun. I would definitely do it again. It was work. I feel like I did my job and ultimately it paid off for me.” And that brings us to the draft. Haley says that he wasn’t too surprised to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. He felt he had put himself in a good position. “I knew I’d put in all the work. I knew I’d done everything on my end that I could do. The only thing left was hopefully somebody was watching, and luckily a couple of teams were looking pretty heavy. It turned out great for me.” Haley spent the weekend at Twins Fest, getting to know some people he will be teammates with when spring training starts in two weeks in Ft. Myers. Unlike many Rule 5 picks that have come to Twins Fest, Haley actually knew quite a few players in the clubhouse. Following his 2015 season, Haley went to the Arizona Fall League where he and his Red Sox teammates joined the Twins prospects on the Salt River Rafters roster. Nick Burdi, Trevor Hildenberger, Jake Reed, Taylor Rogers and Mitch Garver were Twins on that team. Adalberto Mejia was also on that team. In the Dominican this winter, Daniel Palka was on the same Escogido roster. Finally, Haley and Pat Light were teammates in the Red Sox system for all four years. Haley felt comfortable in the clubhouse. “Being here this weekend, I’ve met some guys and everybody seems really welcoming. It looks like a really young group. A lot of talent here. I know that. I’m really excited to get to know everybody and get to know this team.” When he travels to spring training, he’ll be able to stay in the same city as when he was with the Red Sox, Ft. Myers. “Turns out I’m in the same city I’ve been in for the last four years. I’m comfortable there. It’s really no change. My wife and I have the same routine of going down to spring training, so it turned out pretty well for us.” The excitement and joy was clear in Haley’s voice and in his comments as he talked. He is excited to get to Ft. Myers. He’s ready for the challenge. “I’ve put in a lot of work this offseason. I’ve really prepared myself mentally and physically for this opportunity. And really, it’s a great opportunity. I’m extremely blessed. I’m extremely thankful that the Twins took a shot at me. I’m definitely going to make the most out of the opportunity that I’m getting. And you know, God willing, it goes my way.” Haley isn’t known for having great velocity, but he knows how to pitch, and he knows how to work. So how does he describe himself as a pitcher? “I like to describe myself as the hardest worker. I might not overpower you, but I’m going to work you to death. I’m going to be meticulous. I work on my craft year-round. I like to say no offseason. I have a fastball, changeup, curveball slider. I like to locate. My hard work is going to beat your hard work. That’s my approach.” Of his 122 career appearances, 110 of them have been as a starting pitcher. As a Rule 5 pick, he needs to remain on the Twins roster all season or be offered back to the Red Sox. So, if his role on the Twins would be in long relief in the bullpen, would he be alright with that? Haley said, “I’d be great with anything that allows me to be a Minnesota Twin.” As spring training approaches, Haley was asked his goals for 2017. “My goals are to be the hardest worker. I want to work hard. I want to be a great teammate. I don’t put a lot of numerical goals out there. I just want to attack every challenge. I see this as a challenge, an obstacle that I can face head on. I’ve got an opponent. I know how to beat him. I know how to succeed. So I’m going to give my full effort to that.” Clearly Haley has a great work ethic. Hard work was a clear characteristic of Haley. It’s something he’s learned from a young age. “I’ve had a lot of great mentors in my life. My father has always instilled in me to be the hardest worker. Hard work beats talent every day of the week and twice on Sundays. That's been my mentality growing up. My mom and dad raised me to work hard and not take anything for granted. That’s going to be my approach” He continued, “I’ve had a lot of great coaches over the years, Coach (Steve) Rousey at Fresno State. I’ve had some great pitching coaches through the Red Sox. They all just keep telling me, keep working hard and that’s just been my process. I’m not going to change anything now that I’m knocking at the door. Justin Haley, like most Rule 5 picks, is facing an uphill battle. But he’s had success on the mound in AA and AAA, and the Twins need all the pitching they can get. Haley will compete for a starting spot or a bullpen spot on the big league roster. It’ll certainly be one of the top stories to follow in Ft. Myers starting on February 14th. Click here to view the article

If anyone wants a taste of the atmosphere, I did a couple of Twitter/Periscope Live recordings. First, Jeremy and I kind of walked around the Brothers Basement to capture the atmosphere. You and see if he recognize anybody... I also recorded the first segment that included some Gleeman and the Geek as well as the Goin interview...

Interesting that Lachlan Wells would fall down your list after the incredible 2016 that he had (he's not 5-8, by the way). I like Hildenberger and Goodrum. I know that the Twins love them both, a lot. Thorpe is one fo the biggest question marks coming into 2017. He could move significantly in either direction during the season.

Curtiss is really good. He throws some serious gas, and he's got a history as a starter which will only help him. I can see the Twins keeping Dereck as a starter and then adding him to the 40 next offseason and moving him to the bullpen. Jermaine Palacios remains interesting. Theofanopoulos is left-handed.

Some of the writers were sitting around and that's the question I asked, and everyone kind of agreed.

If you listen to the video, Kelly acknowledges that he won't be back at spring training this year, first time in 47 years. I had heard that yesterday, but he verified it. He made mention of how much last year took out of him, so he and his wife talked about it and decided it was for his best.

I liked Cuddyer. Definitely one of my favorite players to watch compete. Was pretty surreal interviewing him this afternoon. Seems like a genuinely good, family-first guy. But very smart. He'll do well in his role with the Twins.

That was funny. Twins Fest didn't open until 4, so at 3 Derek Wetmore and I went out to the stage to listen to Reusse interview Falvey and Mauer. But Falvey was a little late, so Reusse asked me to just be ready. One question asked, and Falvey and Levine showed up, so I was done. Ha! that was fine with me. Was nice to shake hands and chat with Falvey and Levine a couple of times today. Very impressive guys. They're very thoughtful in what they say and don't give away too much, for sure. But enjoyable to talk to.

Several members of the 1987 Minnesota Twins World Series championship team were on the 1500ESPN stage for a half-hour with Patrick Reusse on Friday night. Following the on-air portion, the players stayed on the stage along with their manager, Tom Kelly. Twins President Dave St. Peter came to the stage and announced to the crowd that the Twins would be adding an eighth bronze statue to their collection surrounding Target Field. Work has begun on a bronze statue of Twins manager Tom Kelly. “The Minnesota Twins are excited to have this opportunity to further celebrate and recognize the incredible career of the one-and-only Tom Kelly,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “Tom’s contributions to the Twins organization and Upper Midwest baseball community are quite significant. This statue will help memorialize Tom’s greatness and ensure future generations are aware of the T.K. story.”Kelly told reporters following the announcement that he has known for a couple of weeks. They are currently working on the pose, spending a lot of time on which uniform he'll be in. There was no timeline given for completion. Kelly joins several legendary Twins figures to be honored with a bronze statue including Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Kent Hrbek, Calvin Griffith and the Pohlads (Carl and Eloise). Five years ago, Kelly's #10 was retired by the organization. As per usual, Kelly remained humble in talking about the honor, noting even his hesitance to promote it happening in previous years. He prefers to point out that the game is about the players on the field not their manager. And likely, that is why he was as successful as a manager and leader as he was. Here is a live twitter feed of the announcement as well as some of the conversation with Kelly afterward. Click here to view the article

Target Field is just a couple of hours away from opening its doors to Twins Fest 2017. It has been a busy couple of weeks for the Twins front office. The last two weeks have been busy with the Winter Caravan. Thursday night at Target Field was the Diamond Awards. And now Target Field will be full of people looking for handshakes, autographs, pictures and memories with some of their favorite Twins players. At the media luncheon in the Champion's Club this afternoon, Twins President Dave St. Peter gave his state of the team speech and concluded with the announcement that two players have been added to the team's Hall of Fame, Michael Cuddyer and Andy MacPhail.In this article, I'll briefly highlight some of the events and notes from the Diamond Awards and the media luncheon. Please feel free to ask questions below and I will respond as I have time. Michael Cuddyer spent 11 of his 15 MLB season in a Twins uniform. The recently retired ballplayer had some strong seasons in a Twins uniform. Overall, he hit .272/.343/.451 (.794) with 239 doubles, 45 triples and 141 home runs in a Twins uniform. He will be at Twins Fest this weekend. Recently, he and Torii Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins were named special assistants to the Baseball Operations department. Andy MacPhail became the Twins General Manager in 1985. He was very young then and helped put the final pieces together for the Twins 1987 and 1991 World Series Championship teams. Dave St. Peter announced that both will be inducted during Hall of Fame weekend at Target Field, likely in August. Cuddyer was named to the Hall of Fame from the players ballot. Dan Gladden and Cesar Tovar reportedly were second and third in the voting. In the non-player ballot, MacPhail finished ahead of long-time Twins coach Rick Stelmaszek and former Twins President Jerry Bell. OTHER NOTES Dustin Morse informed us that there will be 78 current, former and future Twins players signing at Twins Fest this year. He said that was pretty close to a record.Sid Hartman was at the media luncheon.Derek Falvey told the media that he and Thad Levine were in Ft. Myers last week at the Twins academy. They had two summits while there.The first was a scouting summit. He said all of the scouts were in attendance, including new scouting director Sean Johnson. As a team, they put in place a set of processes, what they were looking for, etc.There also was a hitting summit. It included new Twins hitting coach James Rowson, Jeff Pickler, Torii Hunter, minor league hitting coordinator Rick Epstein and all of the minor league hitting coaches. They discussed how to teach, terminology and more as a group.Falvey also mentioned that it was also important for both of those summits to come together. That way the hitting coaches could discuss with the scouting department what they are teach and what they might be looking for. It starts a conversation and encourages collaboration between MLB, minor leagues, scouting and front office.He said a similar pitching summit will take place in the coming weeks as well.Dave St. Peter discussed many goings-on with the Twins. Much more will be coming out in the coming weeks, but here are a couple of highlights.The Minnesota State High School League's championship games (four classes) will again be at Target Field on June 19th.Target Field will also host a regional RBI tournament in mid-July.Team USA and USA Baseball's 18U team will be headquartered here. They will play a game or two here before heading to Canada for the World Championships.He again reiterated that Rod Carew is six weeks post-heart and kidney surgery. There is a chance he will be released from the hospital as early as today. He will be on travel restrictions, so he won't be at spring training or opening day, but they're hoping he'll be around by mid-summer.Pitchers and catchers report on February 14th. Think about that. It's just 18 days away.There is a new video board at Hammond Stadium.Tickets to the Twins Opening Day game against the Royals on April 3rd will go on sale at 4:00 today.The remainder of the tickets will be available starting February 25th.The Twins will announce their full promotional schedule before the the 25th so that fans can see which games they want to attend.In mid-July, the Twins will hold a 30th anniversary of the 1987 Twins World Series championship.They also are planning a celebration of Rod Carew's Summer of '77 (40 years). The celebration of his MVP season and chase for .400 will include a bobblehead.The Twins recently announced that Billy Joel will be playing a concert at Target Field. St. Peter also mentioned that they are having ongoing discussions with several promoters and will likely have at least one more show this summer.He reminded the assembled group that the first college football game at Target Field will be played on September 23. It will feature St. Johns and St. Thomas. They anticipate drawing the largest crowd for a Division III football game ever.St. Peter credited Bill Smith and Dan Starkey for their work on the Dominican academy, a $19 million collaboration between the Twins and Phillies.They are changing the lighting at Target Field to an enhanced LED system. It will improve energy efficiency and improve the televised broadcasts.Also, the team is opening a Twins-themed restaurant at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport (C concourse) in early March.Twins FestI should point out that if you look at the Player Autograph schedule for Twins Fest, you'll notice that there are several FREE autograph sessions.Lots of the player interviews will air on 1500 ESPN throughout the weekend, so be sure to listen in to those if you're not able to get here in person.Winter MeltdownA quick reminder that the Twins Daily Winter Meltdown will be held at Brothers (near Target Field) on Saturday night. The event will begin at 4:30. Our guests this year will include Jack Goin and LaTroy Hawkins. Parker, John and I talked to them this afternoon.Diamond AwardsOn Thursday night, the Twins and the University of Minnesota collaborated with the BBWAA to put on a terrific show at the Diamond Awards at Target Field.It's a fun celebration of the positives for the Twins during the 2016 season (yes, there were some), and a way to help the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center (BAARC) and the University of Minnesota. The dollars generated will help research to find cures eventually for diseases such as ALS, ataxia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases.You can watch a lot of it on the Twins Facebook page. Much of it was shown live.It was nice catching up with some of the players at the event, Zack Granite, Stephen Gonsalves, Max Kepler and Brian Dozier.We had a Twins Daily table, and as was pointed out on Twitter, it was right by the bar. In addition to John and I, Jeremy Nygaard and Ted Schwerzler were at the table. Also, Mariana, the person behind Twins Latinos on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram sat with us. Be sure to follow her. Who knows? Give it some thought. Maybe next year we can get enough people to get 2-3 tables there.If you get out to Twins Fest this weekend and see any of us Twins Daily types, be sure to say Hi. And, if you are still looking for a 2017 Twins Prospect Handbook, they can be purchased at the FanHQ booth on the lower level of Target Field. Click here to view the article