Seth Stohs

Per Jerry Crasnick, Twins and Ryan Pressly have agreed at $1.175 million.

They did not reach an agreement with Pressly so the two sides will exchange figures. They can still negotiate even after that happens up until it goes to the... arbiter or arbitrator(?)...

If they go Polanco and Dozier up the middle in 2017, then the middle infield defense is pretty much the same (+ or - a bit either way). I would probably say that 2015 and 2016 were outliers. They were a 'better than .500 team' in 2015, and they had way more talent in 2016 to be a 59-win season. My optimism is in the hope that the elite young talent takes a step forward and that the pitching staff is better, healthier. Will Sano, Buxton, Kepler, Polanco and Berrios all take a step forward? Probably not, but could one or two of them take 2-3 steps forward? Sure. Can Jason Castro help the pitching staff? That's certainly the hope. It's certainly not a perfect roster. There are flaws. But there is potential.

I'd like to see that too.

Per Doogie... Kintzler agrees at $2.925 million... The Saves got him some extra money, no doubt. Which is fine. It's still not a big number.

Per Berardino, the Twins and Hector Santiago settled at $8 million. That's exactly what we projected in the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook.

Thank you! This was a fun one for me because I've known and chatted occasionally with Dan for probably 7-8 years. But this one was different because 1.) he was coming back, 2.) his relationship with Beresford, 3.) the catcher stats stuff, 4.) Team USA stuff, 5.) playing for Backman and Viola... I felt like there was a lot of interesting stuff here.

According to Mike Berardino, the Twins and Kyle Gibson avoided arbitration by agreeing to a 1 year, $2.9 million deal. I'll be interested in finding out if there are any incentives in this deal... Here's what I wrote in the article...

To steal a fun catch phrase we see often... a person with direct knowledge told me that teams have until noon central time to reach an agreement before they are required to exchange numbers. We'll keep things updated here.

Dan Rohlfing was the Twins 14th round draft pick in 2007 out of high school in St. Louis. He played a lot of third base in high school, but the Twins had him mostly playing catcher. Because he is such a good athlete, he played some in the outfield as well. After three years of rookie-league ball, Rohlfing skipped the Midwest League and jumped right to Ft. Myers in 2010. He split the 2011 and 2012 seasons between Ft. Myers and New Britain and finished the 2012 season with some time in the Arizona Fall League. His 2013 was split between New Britain and Rochester, and he spent the 2014 season with the Red Wings. Though he could have left earlier as a minor league free agent, he signed with the Mets before the 2015 season and spent the summer in Las Vegas (AAA). In 2016, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and spent most of the season in AAA Reno.Given the opportunity, Dan Rohlfing decided to return to the Minnesota Twins organization on a minor league contract. Recently, he took time to answer several questions for Twins Daily readers about a variety of prospects. Let’s get started. Seth Stohs (SS): Earlier this month, you announced on Twitter that you are returning to the Twins. Tell us what went into your decision to sign with the Twins. What were some of the factors that led to that choice? Dan Rohlfing (DR):Opportunity is the number one factor I look at. I just want a chance to play and prove myself. This year, with the teams I was talking to, the Twins were the best fit. Bonus points for it being a familiar place! SS: You’ve been a free agent the last couple of years and signed with two different organizations. Have you enjoyed the free agency process at all, or is is more stressful? DR: Free agency starts as exciting. Then can turn stressful pretty quickly if it doesn't go your way. Wondering who will call or the thought of a fresh start somewhere is always exciting. The first couple years went smooth, and I signed back with the Twins pretty quickly. But, then there are years like last year where the catchers market was saturated and the phone wasn't ringing. I didn't sign with the Dbacks until Feb 8th. So to say I was stressed may be an understatement. SS: After all those years in the Twins organization, you’ve had a year in the Mets and Diamondbacks systems. Without getting into anymore detail than you’re comfortable, were there (significant) differences between the organizations from your perspective? DR: There wasn't anything too crazy that I can remember. Baseball-wise, it's all the same game. The main difference I noticed is just how teams place emphasis in different areas. SS: What did it mean to you to put on the red, white and blue chest protector and represent Team USA in the WSBC Premier 12 tournament a year ago in Japan? What was that experience like for you? DR: Playing for Team USA was always a dream of mine and that was the most fun I've ever had playing ball. That uniform had a special feel to it the second I put it on, different than any other uniform I've ever worn. We had such an awesome group of guys that all came together and truly played for the name on the front. Even though Park and Team Korea took the gold, we walked away with silver, and I wouldn't trade that experience of playing for Team USA for anything. SS: I have to ask… How was your Wally Backman experience? (Secondly, did you work with Frank Viola as well in 2015 in Las Vegas?) DR: Ha ha! What a staff! That was fun. I loved playing for Wally and working with Frank! Wally is a guy you wanted to play hard for. He still remembers how tough it is to play this game, and because of that the way he interacts with his players is special and he was the type of guy you wanted to win for. You knew he always had your back and clearly has no problem tearing into an umpire for you. If you need a refresher just check out his YouTube videos. Ha ha!. SS: You spent eight years moving gradually up the Twins system. You had a lot of teammates in those years, and there were several that you played with a lot. For instance, you played with James Beresford about five of those years. Were you excited to see him get his month in the big leagues in 2016? DR: So many great guys! I think Jimmy and I may actually be legal brothers now. Between time at the field and living together in about 7 different apartments and houses we definitely got close. That was the happiest I've been for someone to get 'the call'. The only one that would top it was if I received that call myself. SS: Having seen that, and with the time you’ve spent in AAA over the years, does it change your opinion at all on what it would mean to you to get an opportunity in the big leagues, even if just for a week? DR: I'll take one day at this point. Ha ha! Baseball has been my life and my dream since I can remember. To be able to say "I made it" would make every single sacrifice I've made worth it. SS: You’ve spent some time in the Dominican Winter League. What do you get out of the Winter League experience? DR: Each year I've had a little different motive. The first year was for the experience and getting more reps in against quality competition to make myself better. The other year I was a free agent so it helped get more exposure. Also the money is nice so that's always a plus of going down. SS: What is it that you most enjoy about catching? DR: I love the action. It's a crazy position where you impact the game on so many different levels. My favorite part has to be working with pitchers and game-calling. It gets you involved in every pitch, and it becomes a game within a game. Using my knowledge of what the pitcher has against each different hitter is a true chess match. SS: As more catcher statistics such as pitch framing have become more prevalent, what are your thoughts on them? In your experience, are they used by coaches at various levels in any way? DR: I love them. I'm not exactly sure how I measure up on them, but I'd be willing to bet I could guess pretty close to where I am. Being a catcher first/hitter second type of guy I love seeing guys finally getting credit and getting paid their worth for what they do behind the dish SS: Are you looking forward to getting back to Ft. Myers and spring training in that Twins uniform again? DR: I am. Fort Myers has become kind of a second home to me and a town I really enjoy. Leaving the Twins was a sad day for me, so to get another opportunity with them is something I hope to take advantage of. I'm excited to see what this year has in store. Thank you to Dan Rohlfing for taking time to thoughtfully respond to these questions. Please feel free to discuss and ask questions in the comments down below. Click here to view the article

In my opinion, the plan doesn't change if the Twins don't trade Dozier, at least big picture. The plan should be all about playing the young guys as much as possible and giving them opportunities. Sano, Kepler, Buxton, Polanco, Rosario, Berrios, .. these guys are the key, and hopefully each of them will improve in 2017. Castro should help the defense, or at least that is the assumption. Santana is a solid guy in the rotation, and we have to assume that Gibson and Santiago will be better (if healthy)... Hughes can be solid (if healthy)... and Mejia likely works his way into the rotation at some point. The bullpen, well maybe they can add another option, but I want to see Pressly, Chargois, Rogers and soon Reed, Melotakis, Hildenberger, Burdi, etc. if they'd like a DH, I'd be good with Chris Carter (if the front office is ready to give up on Park or Vargas). Target Field has been good for right-handed power hitters, and Carter - despite all the Ks - could hit 40 HR in his year. This is a 59-win team that could/should jump up to 75 wins in 2017 just with improved youth and some health.

Spent 45 minutes chatting with English a couple of days ago. He's healthy. He had Lasik surgery in April. Was supposed to miss three weeks. That third week, he was playing his second (final) rehab game when he hurt his ankle. However, he came back for about 25-30 games at the end of the season and ended with five in Rochester. He also played 22 games in the AFL (one behind team leaders). He's healthy. He's talented. He and Granite are very similar in terms of skill set. Here's my thought. English probably has a little more upside. He's a little bigger/stronger. They're both incredible fast. English is a better outfielder and has a stronger arm. The two are friends and competitive with each other, which is fun to see. If people have my book and have seen my updated top 30/50 rankings, I have Wade in the low-teens, with English and Granite in the mid-20s. Wade has a chance to be a quality everyday left fielder (or a 4th OF). Of the three, all of them can play CF, but Wade and Granite are more left fielders whereas English can absolutely be a centerfielder (even if he never gets that chance because of Buxton).

My guess is that it won't a whole lot. The general inflation of all salaries probably is equally helpful to those types.

Back in November, the Twins had to decide whether or not to offer 2017 contracts to six players. They non-tendered Trevor Plouffe (who now has an agreement with the A’s). The Twins agreed to terms with Eduardo Escobar who will make $2.6 million in 2017. The Twins offered arbitration to four other players for 2017: Hector Santiago, Brandon Kintzler, Kyle Gibson and Ryan Pressly. If those players do not have an agreement with the Twins by Friday (several players already have), the two sides will exchange numbers. Obviously the player and his agent will ask the team for a number. The Twins side will likely think that number is a bit high and will come in with their own number, likely lower. Most often, the two sides wind up meeting somewhere near the midpoint on a deal.With that in mind, let's try to project (OK, guess) what will happen over the next two days. Post your thoughts and guesses in the Comments below. HECTOR SANTIAGO Service Time: 5.016 2016 Salary: $5.0 Million MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $8.6 Million Twins Daily Projection: 8.0 Million Santiago came to the Twins at the deadline last year in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer. He struggled early, but was better late. He has been an All-Star and until his 4.70 ERA in 2016, he had never posted an ERA over 3.75. He has pitched over 180 innings in each of the last two seasons. Seth’s Guesses Santiago Asks: $8.5 Million Twins Offer: $7.0 Million Midpoint: $7.75 Million A huge salary bump after a rough season for Santiago doesn’t make sense, but he’ll get a bump because of the innings and the numbers prior to 2016. That means there is potentially a pretty big difference between what Santiago’s side wants and what the Twins might be willing to offer. The bigger the gap, the more difficult it can be for both sides to reach an agreement in the middle. Remember that the Twins sent $4 million to the Angels in that trade last year to avoid needing to pay Nolasco $12 million in 2017. In other words, it appears that they anticipated needing to pay him around $8 million. BRANDON KINTZLER Service Time: 4.128 2016 Salary: $1.1 Million MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $2.2 Million Twins Daily Projection: $2.5 Million Kintzler’s road to the big leagues was interesting and even included a stint with the St. Paul Saints. After a couple of solid seasons in middle relief for the Brewers, he missed much of the 2015 season with a knee injury. The Brewers non-tendered him after that season and the Twins quickly signed him to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Though he didn’t start the season in the big leagues, he was with the Twins within a month. Not only did he pitch well and show increased velocity, but he became the Twins closer and recorded 17 saves. Seth’s Guesses Kintzler Asks: $2.95 Million Twins Offer: $2.25 Million Midpoint: $2.6 Million This is an interesting one because of the saves. Frankly, if he had just worked in middle relief, he would likely be in line for a deal between $1.9 and $2.2 million. The reality is that the saves probably mean something in arbitration discussions. While I can’t imagine Kintzler’s side overstating their case, they should be using it to their advantage. That’s why I kept them just shy of $3 million. The Twins will argue that he isn’t really a typical closer and fits the role of middle relief. That would be an easier case for them if they had a veteran closer on the staff at this point. This feels like one where an agreement should be easy to reach. KYLE GIBSON Service Time: 3.056 2016 Salary: approximately $600,000 MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $3.5 Million Twins Daily Projection: $2.5 Million Gibson was being fast-tracked to the big leagues. He was the team’s #1 pick in 2009 and began his career in Ft. Myers in 2010. He finished the season with several starts in AAA. That’s where he began the 2011 season. By season’s end, he had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2012 season. He debuted in 2013 and became a fixture in the Twins rotation since 2014. He was the Twins pitcher of the year in 2015. A month into the 2016 season, he landed on the DL with some shoulder pain. He returned about six weeks later and was inconsistent the rest of the season. Seth’s Guesses Gibson Asks: $3.55 Million Twins Offer: $2.55 Million Midpoint: $3.05 Million This is another difficult one. It is Gibson’s first trek into arbitration. There are some first-year arbitration eligible starting pitchers who have reached closer to $4 million, but I don’t think Gibson can reach that level. But the Twins may be able to use his 2016 struggles to negate some of the value he could have received after 2015. The Twins can’t really go any lower than $2.5 million. My guess is that they will reach an agreement with Gibson just shy of the midpoint with some innings-incentives that could push him just past the midpoint. Using my guesses, I could see a deal for about $2.9 million with $50K bonus at 140 innings, $50K at 170 innings, $50K at 185 innings and $50K at 200 innings. RYAN PRESSLY Service Time: 3.053 2016 Salary: approximately $550,000 MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $1.1 Million Twins Daily Projection: $1.5 Million Pressly came to the Twins in the December 2012 Rule 5 draft. He spent the entire 2013 season with the Twins, but he was able to go to Rochester in 2014. He returned late in 2014 and pitched well. He was off to a very good start in 2015 but an injury ended his season early. Pressly was one of the most used relievers early in the 2016 season and in time it caught up to him. Blessed with a fastball that reached 98 and even 99 mph, he has the potential to be very good in the bullpen. Seth’s Guesses Pressly Asks: $1.65 Million Twins Offer: $1.15 Million Midpoint: $1.4 Million I can’t imagine this one even getting to the point of exchanging figures. They should be fairly close in the $1.1 to $1.5 million range. I would think that they are close enough where midpoint agreement would work. He pitched innings, but was average for a reliever, numbers-wise. He has missed time the two previous seasons, so he should fit into a typical first-year arbitration reliever range. So what do you think? Which players will come to an agreement with the Twins before exchanging numbers? Is it possible that the Twins could go to arbitration for the first time in over a decade in 2017? We shall find out in the next couple of days. Click here to view the article

In some conversations with various people, I think this might be true right now: Travis Blankenhorn has the higher floor, but Trey Cabbage has the higher ceiling.

Trey Cabbage was the Twins third round draft pick in June of 2015 out of high school in Tennessee. After a solid debut in the GCL after signing, he spent his first full season as a professional baseball player with the Twins in 2016. After extended spring training, he went back to his home state and played for the Elizabethton Twins. A year ago at this time, we Got to Know Trey Cabbage, and now we catch up with him to read how he felt about his first full professional season and much more.If you order the 2017 Twins Prospect Handbook, you’ll learn that Cabbage was an incredible three-sport athlete at Granger High School. He is a very mature young man who continues to mature physically. With his work ethic, he’s got a chance hit for a lot of power. He was young for his draft class, so patience will be key. But the upside is tremendous. With that, let’s get to the the questions and answers. Today, let’s get caught up with Trey Cabbage. Seth Stohs (SS): Your first full season, let’s start at the beginning. Discuss your thoughts on your first spring training. Was it what you thought it would be? Trey Cabbage (TC): My first full year was a great experience. My first full spring training was really fun and I learned a lot just by playing, failing, watching and learning. SS: Spring training tends to be pretty busy with a lot of fans, but I imagine once extended spring training starts, there are fewer people there. Describe the work you put in during those months of EST, or is it the same as regular spring training? TC: Extended is a lot less exciting and flashy from the fan and environment standpoint. However, it's great because mostly everyone gets to play everyday. The work you put in during extended is no less important than any other time. Not many people outside of your teammates see the process and it can be tough to get motivated, but you have to have the inner fire to push to the next step. SS: What was the adjustment like for you playing in the Appalachian League in Elizabethton? It was kind of like coming home for you, playing in Tennessee? TC: Playing in ETown was fun because I got to be in the country and small town atmosphere like I'm used to back home. Finally, going on road trips and playing series of games was very exciting too. SS: Now that you’ve been home for a few months, have you been able to put together your overall thoughts on your first full season? What did you learn about yourself on and off the field. TC: I already knew this, yet it becomes more evident year after year: I need to relax and to not press so much. SS: Do you follow other professional or college sports teams throughout the offseason? Do you spend time at your high school watching sports? TC: I'm a huge Tennessee football fan, and I somewhat keep up with their men's basketball team. I'm not big on NFL or NBA, but I do root for the Titans and the Cowboys. SS: How would you describe yourself as a player? What are your strengths on the field? TC: I'm blessed with a good frame and ability. If I will allow myself to relax and let the game come to me, I feel confident in myself to perform in many aspects of the game. SS: What are some areas of your game that you focused on in instructs and through your offseason? TC: I focused a lot on gaining weight. One of my goals is to add some good weight and a little body fat to help with durability for the long playing season. I want to get bigger and stronger, while still maintaining my speed. SS: Whether on the baseball field or elsewhere, what is the best piece of advice that you have been given? TC: On time is late. The early bird gets the worm. Quality of quantity. SS: What are some of the things you do to get away from baseball? TC: I go fishing and hiking, hang out with my girlfriend and my buddies. Just anything to relieve stress. SS: At what point do you not only start thinking about the 2017 season, but when do your workouts and preparation begin? Are you doing anything different after going through a full season? TC: I usually take about 3-4 weeks off after the season is over. Then I begin to lift and strength train. I start hitting in mid-December. SS: Did you learn anything about yourself, or did anything surprise you about working through a full season? TC: I feel like I was pretty well prepared for what I faced. Nothing really caught me off guard. SS: There are probably some high school baseball players reading this. What would one piece of advice be that you would share with them (or maybe have shared with kids back home), or share with a 13-or-14-year-old Trey? TC: Pay attention to those who don't cheer when you do well, those are the people you have to prove wrong. Work for yourself, work until your good-enough is flawless. Thank you so much to Trey Cabbage for taking time out of his busy day to answer our questions. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss in the comments below. Click here to view the article

I feel like the only time I did that was the first year (2009?), and that took me over a day to get everything signed and shipped and such. Uffdah.

Darren Wolfson discussed and highlighted the 2017 Twins Prospect Handbook in his Scoops podcast this week. Also includes information on Brian Dozier. I assume people already are listening to The Scoops podcast, but if not, listen here... http://www.1500espn.com/the-scoop-2/2017/01/pete-najarian-p-j-fleck-brian-windhorst-wolves-nba-ep-54/

Fans of the Minnesota Twins came into the 2016 season with some high hopes and expectations following their first winning season since 2010. The team went on to set a team record with 103 losses. Fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves came into this 2016-17 season with some high hopes and expectations. They had a new head coach with plenty of experience to work with the Wolves young talent. Even with a win on Monday night against Dallas, the Wolves are still just 12-26 on their season.Obviously there is no perfect way to compare and contrast two teams, especially in different sports. There are a lot of similarities between the two teams right now beyond disappointing 2016 on-field performances. MIGUEL SANO and KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS These are two big men who were signed with big expectations. Sano was considered one of the best amateurs from the Dominican Republic in the last 15 years. The Twins signed him to the top signing bonus of the year. Towns was clearly the top players available in the draft in 2015 after just one season at Kentucky. Towns was the unanimous choice for NBA Rookie of the Year when he averaged 18.3 points with 10.5 rebounds. Sano finished third place in American League Rookie of the Year voting despite not being called up until July. He hit .269/.385/.530 (.916) with 17 doubles and 18 home runs. Sano took a step back in 2016. He hit .236/.319/.462 (.781) with 22 doubles and 25 home runs. He set the Twins record for strikeouts in a season and didn’t find a defensive position. Towns has averaged 21.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game so far this season, both improvements. Yet there are times when we read that he hasn’t stepped up yet as much as some would like. In both cases, if those are bad seasons, it symbolizes just how much talent each has, and how good they can be in the coming years. BYRON BUXTON and ANDREW WIGGINS These are two tremendously gifted athletes selected high in the draft creating tremendous expectations. Wiggins was the #1 pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 and soon traded to the Wolves in the Kevin Love trade. Byron Buxton was the second overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Twins and was #1 or #2 in the national prospect rankings three straight years. Wiggins won the 2014-15 NBA Rookie of the Year when he averaged 16.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. Buxton struggled in the big leagues until September when he began to show just how good he can be. Buxton hasn’t shown consistency in the big leagues yet. And Wiggins can score 40 in one game and go 2-15 from the field in the next. Both were said to be much stronger defensively than offensively but their athleticism gives hope that they could become all-around players. Buxton has all five tools though he has struggled with the offense for the most part. Wiggins has increased his scoring each year from 16.9 to 20.1 to 22.1 this season. He’s averaging 4.2 rebounds with 2.4 assists. MAX KEPLER and ZACH LaVINE When the Wolves selected LaVine out of UCLA with a mid-first round pickin 2014, it raised some eyebrows. He’s a uniquely-gifted, athletic talent who was very raw when he was drafted. Flip Saunders moved him around a little bit, often playing him at point guard in an attempt to improve his all around game. He has gone from 10.8 to 14.0 to 20.8 points per game. He’s become more than just a flashy dunk champion. He’s become a real three-point threat. He needed more time to develop but he has developed into a key contributor and big part of the future. Kepler was signed in 2009 out of Germany. He needed a lot of development and spent extra time down in the rookie leagues. However, as he moved up the ladder, Kepler started putting up more numbers. As he reached AA in 2015, he was sitting at 6-3 and 220 pounds. He was the Southern League MVP and the Twins choice for minor league hitter of the year. He filled out the stat line, hitting for average, showing power, getting on-base, stealing bases and playing good defense at multiple positions. While there isn’t a slam-dunk contest in baseball, but Kepler’s athleticism gives him a good chance of being a well-rounded player. JOSE BERRIOS and KRIS DUNN Berrios was a supplemental first-round pick in 2012 and debuted in 2016 before his 22nd birthday. He continued to improve and became a Top 25 prospect in all of baseball. Kris Dunn had a solid career at Providence to the point the he became the fifth overall pick in last year’s draft. Berrios certainly struggled in his debut in 2016, posting a 3-7 with an 8.02 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP, but that doesn’t (or shouldn’t) take away any of the luster of his potential. Likewise, Kris Dunn has had a frustrating rookie season. To this point, he is averaging just four points per game, with 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds. Then again, he’s been averaging just under 16 minutes per game. Both are known for their work ethic and should have stronger sophomore seasons as they get more opportunity. JORGE POLANCO and TYUS JONES Polanco was signed the same day that Max Kepler was signed. They were added to the 40-man roster in 2013 after strong seasons in Cedar Rapids. Polanco - out of 40-man roster necessity - debuted with two very small cups of coffee in 2014. The same thing happened in 2015. Early in 2016, he came up and sat on the bench most of the time. Finally after Eduardo Nunez was traded, he began playing every day. Given the opportunity, he hit a solid .282/.332/.424 (.757) with 15 doubles, four triples and four home runs. The question with Polanco is more his defense. He struggled at shortstop statistically. He would likely move to second base with a Brian Dozier trade, where he would probably be better, but certainly not a Gold Glove caliber player. Apple Valley native Tyus Jones went to Duke where he won a National Championship as a freshman and was named the Final Four MVP. He decided to come out for the draft and the Cavaliers selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 draft. Flip Saunders made the trade to acquire the point guard. As a rookie, he played an average of 15 minutes in a little less than half of the games. This year, he’s averaging a little over 10 minutes in a little more than half of the game. However, he has improved his shooting, including hitting 44% of three-pointers so far. One would think that if/when the Wolves trade Ricky Rubio, Jones (and Dunn) would both see quite a bit more playing time. Jones has improved his offense and defense. Because he is not a big guy, he will struggle defensively, particularly down on the post. OTHERS? Maybe there are other similarities. Could you compare Gorgui Dieng, a defensive stopper/rebounder to a guy like Ryan Pressly. Both have been around a few years and can be solid performers and may be underrated. Or maybe we could say that Trevor May and Shabazz Muhammad are similar to their teams. Muhammad comes off the Wolves bench and can provide energy and some instant offense, hoping to end a run by the other team and giving the team back momentum. Maybe he could be compared to a Trevor May who is brought into the game to keep the opponents from taking back a lead and can energize the crowd by throwing hard and getting strikeouts. Who is the Ricky Rubio of the Twins? Maybe Eddie Rosario? SUMMARY Maybe a couple of these are stretches, but it doesn’t lessen the thought that there are similarities. The teams are young and their core players are very young. Maybe the concept of ‘veteran leadership’ does have some value. On a smaller roster like the Wolves, it may have an even more important role. The Wolves core - Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine - are all 21-years-old. Kris Dunn is 22. The Twins core - for their next playoff run (we hope) - includes Miguel Sano (23), Byron Buxton (23), Jose Berrios (22), Jorge Polanco (23) and Max Kepler (23). Fans of these two teams should feel excited about the future of both organizations despite all of the losing in these seasons. There is value in taking lumps, making improvements and hopefully becoming a team that knows how to win. Click here to view the article

From the time I've been in there Eduardo Escobar appears to be a uniter. He and Dozier are obviously very close, but he's often talking to the young, Spanish-speaking players. And I definitely don't think it's accurate to say that Mauer and Dozier aren't doing those things. Ervin Santana may or may not be. I've seen him with Berrios, but that's about it. (I'm not in there enough to know for sure what all happens. Then again, when anyone from the media is there, we don't see how the players are when it matters, behind the scenes.)

We return today with another Q&A with a Twins 2016 draft pick. Casey Scoggins was the Twins 39th round pick from the University of Tampa. The senior signed quickly and reported to Elizabethton. A week later, he was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he primarily led off and played centerfield for the Kernels as they made their playoff run. A little more on Scoggins from the scouting report of the outfielder (from the 2017 Twins Prospect Handbook): 8]Scouting Report: No stranger to south Florida, Scoggins grew up on the east side of the state in Port St. Lucie and went to Jensen Beach high school. He went to Santa Fe CC in Gainesville where he was the mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year as a freshman when he hit .400/.515/.438. He had a down year as a sophomore. He went to Tampa University for the final two seasons. He hit .352/.425/.421 (.846) and then .348/.431/.548 (.979) as a senior. All four years of college he walked more than he struck out. In addition, he was a two-time ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove winner and the national defender of the year. For a 39th round pick, Scoggins has some tools. He’s got above average speed. He is a terrific defensive outfielder. And he has good leadoff hitter qualities. Let’s get to the Q&A. Get to know a little bit more about Kernels outfielder and Twins 2016 draft pick Casey Scoggins. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in south Florida, which was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Casey Scoggins (CS): Growing up I didn't really have a favorite team. I like different players such as Torii Hunter, Barry Bonds, Jim Edmonds, Derek Jeter, and David Eckstein. Torii was my favorite outfielder because he always made sick plays and robbed home runs and David was my favorite infielder because he was small and scrappy like me. SS: What were some of your best memories from high school baseball? Did you play other sports? Participate in other activities? CS: My favorite memory from high school was playing in the State Tournament my freshman year. A lot of my favorite memories came from playing summer ball throughout high school on a team called Team Worth we were always the underdogs every tournament we went to because we didn't have any big-name kids on the team. We would beat some of the top teams, and it was just a good feeling. I also played football and soccer in high school. SS: What were your options coming out of high school? What was it about Santa Fe College and then Tampa that made them the right place for you at those times? CS: Well coming out of high school I didn't have the grades and a lot of colleges, especially Jucos, told me I was too small and not big enough to play. Coach Wiggs at Santa Fe gave me a chance to walk on my first year, and I did what I had to do to make my way into the starting line up. After freshman year of college, I verbally committed to the University of Florida for my junior junior year. Some other D1 schools recruited me also and the long story short, things didn't work out with Florida, and I fell in love with Tampa and felt at home when I went on my visit. SS: You won a couple of college Gold Glove awards. How much pride do you take in your defense and what makes you so good, in your opinion? CS: Defense is what I take pride in. I'm not the biggest guy offensively, so I told myself I want to be the biggest threat defensively. It started growing up with my dad. He was an outfielder for the University of Florida. He started me with baseball. But, I’ve got to give credit to my mom also because at all my dad’s softball games growing up, she was the one that threw me fly balls, and I always liked running them down and trying to rob home runs. So between my parents, I was literally taking fly balls almost every day growing up for fun and I had no idea. But winning a Gold Glove made me feel like I'm getting somewhere, but I can still get better. Hopefully I get one at the next level. SS: Did you talk to a lot of scouts before the draft? Specifically, did you talk to any of the Twins scouts? CS: I actually talked to a handful of scouts at the end of my junior year and throughout my senior year. The Twins didn't come into play till Day 3 of the draft. SS: Drafted by the Twins in the 39th round... is that about where you thought you might be selected before the draft? CS: Absolutely not. I thought I would go way before that based on how the scouts were talking to me. But, being a senior sign, I figured it might happen, but not as late as it did. It just gives me more motivation. I'm very thankful that the Twins are giving me an opportunity to show what I can do. 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? CS: I was at home with my parents and now fiancé and some friends. I didn't want to listen to the draft, but my parents did, so I gave in. My phone didn't get busy until Day 2 and 3. That's when the phone calls started coming in pretty steady. SS: In these early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? CS: My biggest strengths, I would say, are my defense and my aggressiveness, chippy play. Also, my ability to work counts and get on base. SS: What was the adjustment like, on and off the field, going from college to pro baseball? CS: Honestly I adjusted pretty easy. Joe Urso at Tampa runs his program like pro ball so I did pretty well with the overall adjustment. But, if I had to pick, I would say pitching was the biggest adjustment for me. Just seeing better pitching. In E-town, my at-bats weren't the best, but then when I got to Cedar Rapids, I was able to get comfortable. SS: Were you surprised to move up to Cedar Rapids so quickly, and what was the atmosphere like during the playoff push and in the playoffs? CS: Oh yes, I was very surprised especially with my slow start in E-town. It caught me by surprise, but I knew that I was a better player than what I was showing. I felt more comfortable moving up. The playoffs were great even though it wasn't the outcome we wanted. The atmosphere overall was awesome. The baseball, it just felt different. The series with Clinton, even though they didn't have a lot of fans, the baseball was like playing in the College World Series again. SS: What do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? CS: I enjoy spending time with my family and my fiancé. I like to try and travel as much as I can. I also like to try to help my old coaches from college anyway I can with what they need if I see them or see a player they might like. I was lucky enough to form great relationships with my college coaches so that's why I can go them if they need any help. SS:Do you have any specific personal goals for 2017? When do you head to Ft. Myers? CS: My goals for myself is to have a better season than last. Definitely get a lot more stolen bases. Just don't put too much pressure on myself. I go back to Ft. Myers the beginning of March, but I'll probably go back a little earlier if I'm allowed just because I'm getting bored here on the east coast, and it's not bad to get settled in early. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? CS: A lot of people helped me along the way. My dad and mom obviously, but it started in Little league, then my travel-ball coaches. They helped me develop and get to college. Now, my college coaches polished me and help me mature and develop to make it to pro ball. Coach Wiggs at Santa Fe and Coach Urso at Tampa, they put me in position and pushed me to get better and put me in position to be seen. SS: Favorite Baseball Movie? CS: As a kid it was Little Big League. Now it’s Moneyball. Thank you very much to Casey Scoggins for taking the time to respond to our questions. Click here to view the article