Seth Stohs

The Winter Meetings are set to begin later today in Washington D.C. No time during the year, with the exception (maybe) of the July trade deadline, are there more rumors. Some are real. Some are baseless. But it is a fun time of the year for baseball fans. Each day, we'll have an official thread for the day. Use this as an area to discuss any rumors you hear or read, or a place to mention transactions as they happen. Obviously if (or when) the Twins make any transactions, we'll have a full article on it, but this is a good place to discuss moves and rumors from around the league. Be sure to check back frequently. Let's get to the rumors:Right away this morning, we had the following tweet from USA Today's Bob Nightengale: So, let the rumors begin... Julio Urias? We can wish. Jose Deleon? Should be the minimum as a starting point. Cody Bellinger is their top prospect, a left-handed hitting outfielder who can also play first base. But the Twins need pitching, so names like Yadier Alvarez, Walker Buehler and Jordan Sheffield should be in discussions as well. And maybe a shortstop too, like Gavin Lux. Mike Berardino wrote yesterday that Thad LeVine is saying that the team would have to be "inspired" to deal Dozier. In my mind, that means at least two of the names mentioned above, and one of them being Urias or DeLeon. Dozier is obviously the big talker, but the Twins have far more to do than just consider dealing the second baseman. Adding pitching will be the key. Derek Falvey and Thad LeVine, along with a full contingent of Twins front office types, will make the trek to DC today. In case you missed it, LaVelle Neal wrote a really nice piece on Falvey that you should read. In Case You Missed It: Brian Duensing signed a one-year deal with the Cubs.Casey Fien signed a one-year, split contract with the Mariners. In the big leagues, he would make $1.1 million with more available in incentives. Since he has an option remaining, he would make a different amount in AAA.Is Andrew McCutchen going to the Nationals and teaming with Bryce Harper in the outfield?Will Mark Melancon go to the Giants or Nationals?Houston has been very active early. Will that continue?Again, keep tabs of rumors here, and if there is a Twins transaction, we'll soon have an article ready to discuss that too. If you hear a rumor, come back here and post it in the comments! Click here to view the article

On Sunday afternoon, executives from all of the major league teams will descend upon our nation's capital for the annual Winter Meetings. It is just one, four-day stretch in the middle of the Hot Stove season, but it is a busy time for transactions. The Twins go into the meetings with some questions and some things that need to be done. Some moves have already been made. Some are part of the bigger picture and some are short-term issues. Today, I'm going to just start typing and see where it goes. I'll cover several topics from the past week and some things to consider as the team heads to the Winter Meetings.In the last couple of weeks, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have been busy and things are about to get even busier. As we discussed yesterday, the Twins have until Friday night to offer arbitration to five players (Hector Santiago, Kyle Gibson, Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Pressly, and Eduardo Escobar). Be sure to stop by throughout the day to find out if any players were not tendered a contract. Two days after introducing Michael Cuddyer, LaTroy Hawkins and Torii Hunter as new Special Assistants to Baseball Operations, the Twins made official their signing of catcher Jason Castro. The three year, $24.5 million deal is the largest free agent contract handed out to a new Twins position player. In Wednesday's press conference, Derek Falvey acknowledged that Castro was "identified early on as an important target for us this offseason. He was somebody that we talked about from Day 1." On Thursday, George King of the New York Post tweeted the following: Rowson is apparently a very respected hitting man. He comes from the Yankees organization, but he held similar titles recently in the Cubs system too. You can learn more about him in the discussion on this forum. Now all the Twins need is a first base coach. They will likely want someone who can also work with outfielders, or the catchers. That said, news came out in the last couple of days that former Twins GM Terry Ryan has accepted a job as a Special Assignment scout with the Philadelphia Phillies. Ryan, of course, has been in the organization going back to 1986, 30 years. Likewise, former GM Bill Smith, who also has given over 30 years of service time to the Twins organization, was informed recently that his job with the Twins will be over in January when his contract is complete. The Winter Meetings officially start on Monday in Washington, DC, but teams will start arriving there on Sunday afternoon. As always, there will be a ton of rumors, this GM talking to that GM or that agent, and we’ll hear a bunch of them. However, it’s always a good reminder that these meetings are actually designed to have many meetings set up, official meetings, to discuss the business of baseball. College students will be there, hoping to get an interview and latch on with an organization. Big league, minor league (affiliated or independent) will be there. But it’s those side meetings that will garner the most attention. Brian Dozier will certainly be Topic #1 for the Twins rumor mill over the coming week. Will Falvey-Levine find a taker for the second baseman who hit 42 home runs a year ago? Will there actually be a trade? And, if Dozier is traded, does that mean that Jorge Polanco moves to second base? Would the Twins then be in the market for a shortstop at the Winter Meetings? But then, it all comes down to pitching. What will the new regime’s strategy be to bring in high-end pitching? How much can they get for Brian Dozier, but also will they be active in other trades? WIll they be active in free agency? Are there even starters to find in free agency? What about the bullpen? Will they look to add more bullpen arms? Will they choose to push some of the young flame-throwers? It’s going to be an interesting week, and I would venture to guess that with their new roles, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine will be among the most popular COB/GM combos for agents and executives alike to talk to. What if the Twins don’t actually make a Dozier trade or other moves during the Winter Meetings? I mean, this is one week in early December and there will be plenty of talent available next week, or the week after, or into January. So, it’s not a big deal. But the Winter Meetings provide the opportunity for in-person meetings to set the tone for deals, now, or in the near future. Also, next Thursday, the final day of the Winter Meetings, will be the Rule 5 draft. The Twins will have the first pick. With the Castro signing, they are currently at 40 men on their 40-man roster. They will either have to make a move next week to make room, or DFA someone to make room, if they want to make a pick. Maybe the best, big picture news this week was that there was a new Collective Bargaining Agreement finalized a day before the old one expired. There is a lot in our forums about the new CBA, so be sure to read more if you are interested. Here are a few more topics from our forums that you may enjoy contributing to: News came out last weekend that lefty Pat Dean, who the Twins DFAd last month, has signed with the KIA Tigers in Korea. He recently returned from Korea where he signed the deal.Adam Brett Walker, who was removed from the 40 man roster two weeks ago and claimed by his hometown Milwaukee Brewers, was DFAd by the Brewers this week. It will be interesting to see if he clears and stays in the Brewers organization, or if he is claimed by yet another team. The DFA/Limbo cycle can really stink.Logan Schafer signed a minor league deal with the Orioles. Chris Parmelee signed with the Oakland A’s. Dan Runzler signed with the Pirates.Brandon Warne gave report cards to all 40 members of the Twins 40-man roster in 2016. Find them all here.In the last week or so, we have had Q&As with several Twins minor leaguers including Travis Blankenhorn, Shane Carrier, and Jordan Balazovic. We’ve got more lined up as well.It’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s #1 overall pick in the draft. Baseball America released its Top 100 High School kids this week. Sam Carlson, a 6-4 right-hander from Burnsville who is committed to Florida is on the list.Be sure to check out our sister sites, Vikings Journal and Wild Xtra as well.Finally, we are starting to get a lot of questions on the 2017 Twins Prospect Handbook. I assure you that Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are putting in a ton of hours and hope to have it available shortly after the holidays, in early January. Feel free to discuss anything in the comments below, and check out our forums for many more topics. Click here to view the article

Jordan Balazovic was one of the youngest players selected in the 2016 MLB draft when the Twins used their fifth-round pick in the right-handed pitcher. The youngster from the suburbs of Toronto is likely several years from potentially getting to the big leagues, but he is going to be one to watch in coming years. In September, I ranked him as my #38 Twins prospect, and frankly, after several conversations I will likely rank him higher in the 2017 Twins Prospect Handbook. Already 6-4, Balazovic has plenty of room to grow and gain strength. He only turned 18 after the season concluded.Recently, Jordan Balazovic was kind enough to take some time to answer questions for us. Continue reading to Get To Know more about a very young, very intriguing pitching prospect in the Twins system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Ontario, I’m guessing that we can guess who your favorite team was to follow, right? Who were some of your favorite players? Jordan Balazovic (JB):Haha! Yes, my favourite team was the Toronto Blue Jays and also the New York Yankees. I have two favourite pitchers that I admire which are Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Sanchez. 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? JB: Well, high school baseball in Canada does compare to high school baseball in the States. I would play third base which was a lot of fun. Plus, I got to hit a little bit. Haha! SS: What was the recruitment process like for you out of high school. You had committed to Auburn, but did you have a lot of coaches talking to you? JB: Before Perfect Game in Jupiter, I didn't have a lot of schools talking to me. But I pitched pretty well at Perfect Game and then after that week I started to get a lot more interest. But it was between Missouri State and Auburn. SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? What was your interaction with the Twins scout? JB: I was speaking to quite a few teams at the time, and honestly, I thought I was going to be a Phillie. But a lot changes during the draft. You never know. Walt Burrows is the Canadian area scout, so he saw me a lot even when I was younger because he would come to the Ontario Blue Jays clubhouse. So he's seen me develop ever since I was 14, I believe. Once it got closer to the draft, he came over for a home visit with my family and I. It went really well. Felt like we have good chemistry and it wasn't awkward at all which was a very good sign SS: The Twins took you in the fifth round. Was that about where you expected to be selected? How did you find out that you had been drafted? How busy was your phone at that moment? JB: I was told top 5 rounds by the team I was talking to before the draft, but once it got closer to draft day a couple team had me top 3 rounds. So I wasn't too sure where I was going to go at the time. I was watching the draft since day one. Then I was with my family Day 2 when I got the call from my agent saying I was going to be a Twin. SS: With the Auburn commitment, how difficult was the decision to sign with the Twins? JB: It was very difficult, but you never know if you will get the opportunity to play professional baseball again. It's been my dream ever since I started to play. SS: What has the adjustment like for you, from the high school game to the professional game, both on and off the field? JB: Honestly, it wasn't a big jump because with my travel ball team (Ontario Blue Jays) we would have a fall trip every year to play top universities. So I got to face better hitters which helped my development a lot and helped me this year in professional baseball. SS: You went through the Instructional League for the first time. What were you working on there or was it more about learning and getting more innings? JB: When I went to Instructional League, I was working on my arm angle and mechanics, but it's also a great learning experience with the coaching staff they had down there from higher levels. SS: At this very early stage in your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths? JB: My biggest strength would have to be the way I attack the strike zone, and I'm not afraid to face anybody. SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve? JB: I need to improve my slider and curve ball which were also things I was working on during Instructional League. SS: How has your offseason been so far? What do you do when you get away from baseball and training? JB: It's been really good! I've been working out everyday, trying to put on weight and muscle. And when I'm not doing that, I'm spending time with my family and friends. SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? JB: I would have to say my parents, both being very supportive, and my dad teaching me a lot about the game and help develop my game. A big part would have also been the Ontario Blue Jays. SS: Favorite Baseball movie? JB: Haha! That's a tough one, but I really enjoy Major League. A Big Thank You to Jordan Balazovic! Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. Click here to view the article

December is upon us. If you’re from the Upper Midwest, you have recently felt winter’s wrath. Some have had more snow than others. Some have had freezing rain. And temperatures have finally fallen. The calendar has changed. Baseball’s Hot Stove is upon us. December 1st was the deadline for reaching a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. On Wednesday evening, news came out that the players and the owners had reached an agreement on a new, five-year deal. There has not been a work stoppage in MLB since games resumed early in the 1995 season. It’s good to know it’s not something we need to worry about again until (at least) after the 2021 season. On Sunday night, executives from nearly all of the professional baseball teams - Major League, Minor League, Independent teams and more - will head to Houston. On Monday, baseball’s annual Winter Meetings will commence. You’ll definitely want to keep up with Twins Daily for any trade rumors or transactions. And you’ll want to familiarize yourself with our Free Agent Tracker.Before then, the Twins have one more decision to make. On Friday night (December 2), teams need to determine whether or not to offer their arbitration-eligible players a contract for 2017. The Twins have to make that decision on five more players and the decisions aren’t necessarily as easy as we might think. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you haven’t already downloaded the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook, now is the right time! In its 57 pages, there is a chapter written by Nick on the arbitration-eligibles. There is also a lot of information on free agents, some trade scenarios and some special stories written by the Twins Daily founders. So download the Offseason Handbooktoday. It’s FREE, or you can choose whatever price you would like. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Of course, in the Handbook you’ll notice that there are six players that the Twins needed to make an arbitration decision on. Now there are just five. Two weeks ago, the Twins made their decision on 3B Trevor Plouffe. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine outrighted the veteran, thus removing him from the 40-man roster. When he cleared waivers, he became a free agent. Here are the five players that Falvey and Levine still have to make the decision on, or at least make those decisions official. STARTING PITCHERS HECTOR SANTIAGO The left-hander came to the Twins at the July trade deadline in exchange for Alex Meyer and Ricky Nolasco. He really struggled in his first month with the Twins, then pitched pretty mediocrely in September. He was an All-Star in 2015. From 2012-2015, he posted ERAs between 3.30 and 3.75. He made 33 starts in 2016 and threw 182 innings. He will turn 29 in two weeks. 2016 Salary - $5.0 million, Twins Daily Projection for 2017 - $8.0 million. MLB Trade Rumors Projection for 2017 - $8.6 million KYLE GIBSON The right-hander was the Twins Pitcher of the Year in 2015 when he went 11-11 with a 3.84 ERA in 194.2 innings. He fought a shoulder injury in 2016 and fell to 6-11 with a 5.07 ERA. The Twins first-round pick in 2009 turned 29 since the season ended. 2016 Salary - approximately $0.55 million Twins Daily Projection for 2017 - $2.5 million MLB Trade Rumors Projection for 2017 - $3.5 million These two starters would typically both be easy choices to bring back.Under a previous regime, both would have been obvious choices to tender. However, with Falvey and Levine, it’s hard to know what their thoughts are on these veterans. We also don’t know what their blueprint is for the offseason, what they would hope to do in free agency, and who they might try to acquire in a trade (specifically a Brian Dozier trade). It all ties together, but I would personally bring back both because having depth at starting pitcher, quality depth, is a good thing. RELIEF PITCHERS BRANDON KINTZLER The former St. Paul Saints pitcher spent parts of 2010 through 2015 in the big leagues with the Brewers. He missed most of 2015 with a knee injury. The Twins signed him to a minor league contract a year ago. He spent a month in Rochester before coming up and becoming the Twins most reliable reliever. He even did well as the team’s closer. 2016 Salary - $1.1 million Twins Daily Projection for 2017 - $2.5 million MLB Trade Rumors Projection for 2017 - $2.2 million RYAN PRESSLY The Twins selected Pressly out of the Red Sox organization in the 2012 Rule 5 draft. He spent all of 2013 with the big league club - as per the Rule 5 rules. He was in the minor leagues in 2014 until late July. He was pitching very well in 2015 until an injury shut down his season in early July. He was one of the most used relievers in the league in 2016. He touches 98 and 99 and has a good breaking ball. He will turn 28 years old in two weeks. 2016 Salary - approximately $0.55 million Twins Daily Projection for 2017 - $1.5 million MLB Trade Rumors Projection for 2017 - $1.1 million The Twins have a lot of relief pitchers in the upper levels of the minor leagues, names we’ve been reading and hearing about for a couple of years. They’ll get there at some point. Glen Perkins is under contract, and he’ll likely be back at some point in 2017. But at the end of the day, these two are easy decisions to add because Kintzler has been reliable when healthy, and Pressly still has a lot of potential. HITTERS EDUARDO ESCOBAR After playing very well in 2014 and 2015 once given an everyday gig, Escobar was the shortstop heading into the 2016 season. Unfortunately for him, he was hurt very early in the season and when he returned Eduardo Nunez had taken off. Escobar was back on the bench and was unable to get things going. Escobar will turn 28 in early January. 2016 Salary - $2.15 million Twins Daily Projection for 2017 - $3.5 million MLB Trade Rumors Projection for 2017 - $2.9 million Will Brian Dozier be back? Depending on that, where will Jorge Polanco play. With no Plouffe, how much can they rely upon Miguel Sano at third base? Having a solid veteran who can play three infield positions, including shortstop, will be very important. So there you have it. The five players that the Twins need to either tender or non-tender a contract to by Friday night are mentioned above. Discuss below what you think the Twins should do in each case. Be sure to explain why. Click here to view the article

It's a way of thinking in every organization. It's wanting players who are passionate about the team, who want to give back, who believe in the process from scouting to player development and all the way up to the big leagues. They all want to bring championships back to Minnesota. They believe in team. They have had a lot of respect and success. They want players to work hard and push each other while cheering for each other. Can't imagine there is an organization in baseball that wouldn't want those things. Also, it's very likely that these three have had these types of conversations with Falvey and Levine and grasp their thinking and their path. These guys won't be decision-makers. They'll each be small voices while learning the other side of the game, the front office side.

Adding a Chief Baseball Operator whose job is to set the ton and the plan and the strategy for the whole organization is new. They have a new GM. Those are two pretty huge positions - some might say the biggest - in the baseball operations of the organization. Everyone underneath will have to adjust to the new thinking or not be here this time next year.

Again, very well put. It's a new era and fans seem to have the same concerns. Sometimes it's as if every other organization does stuff like this, but when the Twins do it it's hated on by Twins fans. It just makes no sense. Again, they will have multiple roles, and they will have a voice that is heard. But, they aren't going to be heard more than Falvey or Levine, or the analytical groups or the scouts or those that have been doing their jobs. The big thing is it gives them an opportunity to learn what happens behind the scenes, in the front office.

Very well summarized... and all three have a passion for helping the Twins organization and giving back. That's a good thing.

They spelled it out, though it's certainly subject to change. They talked about them going out and doing some amateur scouting, talking to potential draft picks, their families, etc. They will be brought into the discussions on transactions and trades. They will get into the business side, and learn more about the analytics. From my interpretation of Falvey saying that there wasn't a part of the baseball operations department that they won't touch, they'll be learning a lot and will be asked a lot of questions for another perspective. Like I said, this isn't your typical former player shows up for a week at spring training in a uniform and goes to Twins Fest and maybe another engagement. These are not token positions.

Again, on-field-wise, they will be in big league spring training for like 2 weeks. That's about it. The impact will be about someone to talk to. Not about mechanics. That's coming through Falvey and the coaching staff.

They aren't being brought in to be hitting coaches. They are buying in to Falvey's plan and will go about their jobs, whatever dozens of things that likely means, with that in mind.

How much do you think those salaries are?? Three of the most respected team-first players in the game of baseball... want to be here... it's an absolute no-brainer.

Molitor, who played in some World Series... These guys are in baseball operations. They're not coach. They're there to help as needed, on or off the field. They all want to be involved in teh business side.

On Monday morning, the Minnesota Twins made it official that Michael Cuddyer, Torii Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins were coming back to the organization. No, they aren’t going to come out of retirement. Though all three could probably still contribute in some way on the field, they are going to attempt to help the Twins off the field and in the front office. I’m not sure when the “bringing back the gang” saying became a negative thing. I believe it was when the Twins decided to bring back Jason Kubel and Matt Guerrier on minor league deals before the 2014 season. Both were veterans who had solid MLB careers but were both coming off of injuries. The Twins took a chance on both, hoping they might be back at 100% and able to contribute. In both cases, it really didn’t work. A year later, the Twins brought Torii Hunter back for one more season. He had his ups and downs on the field that season, but few can question the impact he had in the clubhouse, even if you struggle to believe in the value of veteran leadership. The negative tone some chose to take for such signings went to a ridiculous level in the last year or so. When the Twins were looking to hire a manager, some didn’t want Paul Molitor. Maybe those people were right, but if the reasoning was because of his previous time with the Twins, then that just isn’t right. Even worse, Chip Hale was also considered a candidate early in the process. Some didn’t like that because he played for the Twins, about 20 years ago. Or, when the Twins were looking for a pitching coach two years ago, some said that Frank Viola shouldn’t be considered because he played for the organization, 25 years ago. Forget that he helped develop the likes of Matt Harvey, Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and the like. How about when the Twins were looking for a new GM (which became a new GM and Chief Baseball Operator)? I remember reading somewhere that the Twins probably shouldn’t consider someone like Randy Bush because he played for the Twins for several years in the 1980s and was on two championship teams. It would be Bringing Back The Gang, right? Again, ignore the fact that he hasn’t played in the organization for 25 years, and he’s not only coached in college but has been an assistant GM with the Cubs since long before the Theo Epstein reign began.All Major League organizations bring back players in an “assistant” type of role. The Twins have done that for guys like Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek and Tony Oliva. They represent the organization at events like Twins Fest. They may show up for a while at spring training and other special events. That is a wonderful thing and something current players should appreciate. Last spring training, LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter and Rick Aguilera each spent time in big league spring training. With today’s announcement, Cuddyer, Hunter and Hawkins will do that. They’ll be at spring training. They’ll help Paul Molitor with instruction, if asked. They’ll also be there to lend an ear to the players at camp. They’ll share stories. They’ll share things they learned in their careers. But they’ll do much more in their roles as special assistants. As Derek Falvey noted in his introductory comments of Monday’s press conference, “Each guy will play a meaningful role in our baseball operation moving forward. That spans across baseball operations, decisions that we make on a day-to-day, but also in player development, amateur scouting, how we transition players to the major leagues, and ultimately how we impact our culture here in Minnesota to get to where we want to be as a team.” In their introductory press conference earlier in the month, Thad Levine indicated that long-time Rangers players Michael Young and Darren Oliver hold similar roles in that organization. It isn’t just a token title, but a role where their input will be valued. Likewise in the Cleveland organization, former players such as Travis Hafner have a similar role. But one thing was clear from the press conference on Monday afternoon, the Twins had a great culture at the turn of the century and through those division-winning years. As Michael Cuddyer noted, it was a based on a “belief in teammates and self.” Cuddyer noted that it was a culture of team-first, and a culture of winning, throughout the organization, that helped lead to their MLB success. He exemplified the unselfishness of those teams with his willingness to play anywhere on the diamond that he was needed. “That is a culture that is established with rookie ball. Professional baseball is a system set up for self-promotion. I think a lot of the players buy into that. When I was coming up through the minor leagues we wanted to win the Eastern League. We wanted to win the Florida State League. We wanted to play that extra week or two weeks of the minor league season. When I would go down on rehab after a few years of being in the big leagues, I didn’t see that anymore. I would see more guys saying, 'I can’t wait to go home,' or 'I better get called up.' I-I-I-I… I think that’s a culture that can get put back into it, but it has to start in the lower minor league levels, the culture of We are going to win. We move up to the Florida State League, we’re going to win there too. We get called up to the Southern League, we’re going to win there too. When we move up to the International League, we’re going to win there too. And you know what, when we move up to the big leagues, we’re going to win there too. That’s a culture that needs to be developed again.” For what it’s worth, the Twins have seemingly developed a culture of winning in the minor leagues. In 2016, the Twins had a winning percentage of .542 for their four full-season affiliates. That was good for fifth place among big league organizations. If you want to take that out to the past four seasons, the Twins four, full-season affiliates have combined to go 1,225-1,020, a 54.6% winning percentage, third best in baseball over that stretch. Add to that, the Twins have been 1st, 3rd and 3rd in FIP (fielding independent pitching) the last three years. Brad Steil has certainly led the Twins organization and minor league system in the right direction. It also speaks well of the young talent that Terry Ryan was able to bring in to the organization. It’s that culture of winning and togetherness that brings these guys back to the organization. Cuddyer was the Twins first-round pick in 1997 out of high school in Norfolk, Virginia. He remained in the organization through the 2011 season. He played in 1,139 games in a Twins uniform. He hit a combined .272/.343/.451 (.794) with 239 doubles and 141 home runs for the Twins. He went to one All-Star Game as a Twins player (his final season). He went to Colorado where he went to another All-Star Game and won the 2013 batting title with a .331 average. He played in the 2015 World Series for the Mets. Injuries and a desire to spend more time with his family are the reasons he decided to retire following that season. LaTroy Hawkins was the Twins seventh-round pick in 1991 out of high school in Gary, Indiana. He was in the Twins organization through the 2003 season. He spent 21 seasons in the big leagues and only nine pitchers in MLB history pitched in more games than Hawkins’ 1,042. For the Twins, he struggled as a starter, and he struggled as a closer. Late in his time in the organization, he moved to a set up role, and his career took off. Torii Hunter was the Twins first-round pick in 1993 out of high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. He stayed in the organization through the 2007 season. He took a huge money deal to play five years for the Angels and then two years with the Tigers. He returned to the organization for the 2015 season. In all, he hit .268/.321/.462 (.783) with 281 doubles and 215 homer runs in 1,373 games over 12 years with the Twins. All three experienced a lot of frustrations in their careers (injuries, struggles, demotions, etc.), and all three experienced longevity and a lot of successes in their careers. All three were and are greatly respected by their peers. All three of them give credit to the Minnesota Twins organization for who they were on and off the field. So when the Twins called offering these positions, it was an easy choice for each. Cuddyer said, “There was really only one team that I saw myself ever being affiliated with again at this level in this early stage of my retirement, and that was the Twins. When this opportunity came about, I was excited to get join back in the organization. The organization made such a huge impact to me, a huge impact to myself and my family. This was the organization I wanted to be affiliate if I was going to do anything other than be with my family.” Hunter added “When I came back to retire, I was here to stay for life. The reason why I am here is because of the passion I have for this organization, the love that I have for this organization. And also wanting this organization to be a championship ball club and have a great atmosphere. That’s what I’m here for. It’s not work for me. It’s something I want to do. It’s a passion for me. Hawkins noted that he had several other similar offers, but “Once the Twins offer came, there wasn’t any other place I wanted to be. Home. Where it all started. I was very excited when I got the call about possibly joining the Twins family again.” Chief Baseball Operator Derek Falvey called it a perfect match. He said, “It became so clear that these three wanted to embed themselves in our baseball culture and be a part of the solution and actively work. There’s really no area of baseball operations that these guys aren’t going to hit. And they’re going to be resources for Thad (Levine), for me, and for the rest of the guys here to play a meaningful role in what we’re building. (It wasn’t specifically) about getting former Twins players. We want good people, people who care about the development of where we’re going as an organization. It helps greatly when you have three guys who care as deeply as these three do about the team, so this was a perfect match as we started to work down that path.” Bringing Back the Band doesn’t have to have the negative connotation that some seem to put on it. This is a case where the organization should be thrilled to bring back these three guys. They have represented the Twins organization well. They have always been appreciative of what the organization did for them and their families. All three are well known for giving back to their communities, and now are excited to give back to the Twins organization. It’s exciting that they aren’t going to be just “token” special assistants and want to be active. It’ll be interesting to see and hear how that will play out over the coming years. Click here to view the article

Two things... 1.) Can't help but wondering if MLB's statement that the Dodgers need to start paying their hundreds of millions of dollars of debt will play into this. 2.) Dave Mona said that Dozier was on the Sports Huddle this morning, and when asked, Dozier said that he still hasn't talked to Falvey and Levine. Another indication that they are trying very hard to trade him. Or maybe not.

Hopefully everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, and maybe even a long weekend from work. We are back here with our weekly Twins Winter League Report. We waited until Sunday this week so that we would have the complete weekend of games in Australia, including Sunday afternoon games (Saturday evening in the States). In some other Winter League and International news, Mike Berardino wrote that Miguel Sano would not be playing in the Dominican Winter League. Instead, he will be working out in the hopes of playing in the WBC. While not Winter League news "Dan KBO" tweeted that lefty Pat Dean has signed with the KIA Tigers in the KBO for 2017. The deal is believed to be for $900,000.Here is the update on how Twins players performed during the past week in the Winter Leagues. Several US players have returned home after their predetermined stint in the Winter Leagues. Niko Goodrum and Ryan O'Rourke returned to the United States from Venezuela. Daniel Palka played a couple of games last week before returning home from the Dominican Republic. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE Aaron Whitefield and his Brisbane Bandits played four games in Perth. In six total games since our last report, he has gone 11-25 (.440) with three doubles and five stolen bases. In eight total games this season, he is hitting .433/.469/.567 (1.035). At Perth over the weekend, he had a 3-5 game with two doubles and two stolen bases. And in his final game of the weekend, he went 5-6 with a double and three stolen bases. PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE No longer a Twins pitcher (and he hasn't been for a decade), JC Romero threw a scoreless inning on Saturday night. He has yet to give up a run in 11 outings so far. Juan Centeno played in four games during the week. He went 3-9 (.333) with two doubles, two walks and a hit by pitch. He is now hitting .200/.308/.267 (.576) with three doubles. Kennys Vargas is now hitting .180/.305/.300 (.605) with three doubles and a homer. In three games this past week, he went 2-10 (.200) with a double and three walks. JJ Fernandez played in four games last week. He went 2-7 with two walks and a double. In 17 total games, he is now hitting .229/.315/.396 (.711). Lean Marrero and Nelson Molina did not play. Dereck Rodriguez did not pitch. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Daniel Palka played his final two games in the Dominican last week. He went 0-7 with five strikeouts before returning to the States. Overall in 22 games, he hit .188/.258/.338 (.596) with three doubles and three home runs. He walked eight times and struck out 30 times. Leonardo Reginnato went a combined 0-7 in his three games played this week. That puts his overall numbers at .150/.209/.150 (.359) in 14 games. Confesor Lara threw four innings in four games this past week. He did not allow a run despite giving up six hits in the week. He struck out one. In 13 total games, he has given up just two earned runs (1.38 ERA, 0.92 WHIP). Opponents have hit just .152 off of him. Jorge Polanco made his season debut in the Dominican. He played in three games this week and went 3-11 (.283) with a triple. He walked twice and struck out twice. The Twins signed Nik Turley last month to a minor league contract. He has spent time with several major league organizations, including being on the Yankees 40-man roster a couple of years ago. He last pitched for Somerset in the independent Atlantic League. He made his first start in the Dominican this week. He went 2.1 innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk. He struck out one. VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE With free agents and players heading home, Luis Arraez is the only Twins player currently playing in Venezuela. He played in five games this week and went 7-22 (.318) with two walks. He had just one three-hit game. In 35 games, he is now hitting .376/.408/.511 (.919) with seven doubles and six triples. In about 155 plate appearances, he has just nine walks, and seven strikeouts. Please feel free to discuss any information on these players in the comments below. Click here to view the article

20-year-old Shane Carrier was the eighth round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2016 out of Fullerton College in California. In college, he hit .387 with 12 homers and 59 RBI. Following the draft, he was assigned to Elizabethton where he hit .275 with 14 doubles, six homers and 29 RBI. Carrier has a lot of power and is certainly one to watch over the coming years. He was kind enough to take some time to answer our questions.Please continue to learn more about Twins outfield prospect Shane Carrier. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Southern California, which was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Shane Carrier (SC): I was actually a Diamondbacks fan growing up. The first baseball moment that I remember was the walk-off hit against the Yankees in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. I always love watching certain players hit. Some of my favorites are Matt Holliday, Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, and Justin Upton. SS: Drafted by the Twins in the eighth round... is that about where you thought you might be selected before the draft? SC: I honestly did not know what to expect. Before the season started I was just a Juco player fighting to continue his baseball career. I just did my best to put in the work and I figured the rest would take care of itself. SS: How difficult was the decision for you to sign, knowing you had other options in front of you too? SC: Playing professional baseball is something I have worked for my entire baseball career. It was a dream come true and it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. SS: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from college to the pro game? On or off the field? SC: I would say the biggest adjustment is taking care of your body. In college we only played about three times a week. Making the adjustment from that to playing almost every day was a challenge. SS: In these early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? SC: I love to hit, so I would like to say offense is my biggest strength. SS: What were some of your focuses at Instructs? What are the things that you feel you need to improve over the offseason and going forward? SC: At Instructs I was trying to develop every part of my game. I tried to take in as much information as possible and challenge myself to apply everything that I learned. This offseason I'm also trying to develop every part of my game. Speed and agility is a major part of my game that I am focusing on this offseason. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school and amateur career? (What other sports or activities did you participate in?) SC: Living in SoCal we play baseball year round, so I really didn't have the opportunity to play any other sports in high school. SS: How did you feel about your first professional baseball season? How did you enjoy your time in Elizabethton? SC: I had an awesome experience this season. Elizabethton was a blast and it was a nice change of pace compared to where I live. SS: What are some of your plans for the offseason? Baseball training, but also what do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? SC: During the offseason I spend a lot of time training. I love being in the weight room and in the cages. Besides baseball I love to fish and golf. I am also a huge hockey fan so I plan on going to a lot of Ducks games this offseason. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? SC: I would say the coach that taught me how to grind and challenge myself was my high school coach, Joe Hoggatt. His passion for the game impacts his players in a way that can't be described. The coaching staff at Fullerton College probably impacted me the most. The head coach, Nick Fuscardo, welcomed me with open arms when I decided to come play at Fullerton after being out in Texas for my first semester of college. One of our assistants, Jason Smith, taught us all how to be students of the game and play loose. He always preached about handling adversity and to always find a way to keep moving forward. I'd say our hitting coach, Mitch Levier, had the biggest impact on my physical game. Most college coaches force their hitters to hit one way, but Mitch let us all have the freedom to be who we are. He worked with what we had and taught us a professional approach to hitting. SS: Favorite baseball movie? SC: Without a doubt, Bull Durham. Thank you to Shane Carrier for taking time to answer our questions. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. Click here to view the article

Can't hit a lick (.222, .211, .210 last three years), but he does seem to take walks and shows a little pop in the bat. But, goes to show teams will pay for defense, and in theory, Castro should get lots of borderline balls called strikes which should help the pitchers.