Seth Stohs

Part of it might be ranking relievers lower than starters... not as a rule, but generally speaking. As much as I believe in Landa and think it was wise to add him to the 40-man roster, I'd like to see him stay healthy for more than a half-season at a time. So, I couldn't put him ahead of the guys I included, but he's definitely immensely talented. Rosario could probably be higher than where I have him based purely on stuff and potential. I kind of like where I have him though. Now going into a full season post Tommy John, hopefully he can make a big leap.

Does willowy mean small? Because he's like 6-3, 225... I'll attach a photo of him from yesterday. I think he's a big guy, very, very strong. He told me last year that he was at 220 and wants to get to 240. (Josh Hamilton's size when he was really good)

I was surprised with how high I had him. I'm notorious for ranking relievers lower than most, so to have him at 7 (and Chargois at 11, etc.) says something. Big fastball. Terrific slider. He looked like a different pitcher in the AFL, throwing strikes with both pitches . IF he can keep doing that, he'll be up quick. I think demotions from AA to High-A is probably not very unusual at all. Many say that AA is where college relievers will find their true test. It's a big jump. Just last year, Burdi, Jake Reed, Zack Jones and DJ Johnson all started at AA And moved back down to Hi-A. But, sometimes those struggles and maybe getting humbled a little bit is a positive thing long-term in their development.

Yes it's probably completely unfair to rank Park with them, but my criteria has always been "has rookie eligibility." The tough part about ranking him, for me, is that there is so little to compare to. With most other minor leaguers, there is a ton of information available and I can go back through the last dozen years and try to think of similar players and all that. Well there just isn't a lot of history in the league with hitters from Korea. Park has the power and hte strikeouts, so he could be Sano-like, or he could be AB Walker-like. Kang is the only hitter that's come to the States from the KBO, and he was pretty good, but he was a different type of player, so... I guess we'll see.

Do you have a link, please? Thanks!

As I wrote last week, there are national Top 100 lists out, and there are national and local Top 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 prospect lists out there. Each September, following the Minor League season, I run a preliminary Top 50 Twins Prospect ranking. Then we spend three months researching and writing the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, and in there, I submit my “official” top 30 list. Since that book has now been out for six or seven weeks, I’ll post my Top 30 Twins prospect rankings publically. (for those who didn’t get a paperbackor electronic copyhere yet) Next week, we’ll start the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospect list which will be based on the thoughts of Twins Daily writers and contributors. As I wrote about in the What To Make Of All These Prospect Rankings article last week, we all have our own personal thoughts and rankings, but the Twins Daily list will bring them all together.With that, let’s start looking at my personal Top 30 prospect rankings for 2016, starting at #30. I’ll include a tweet-length comment on each player and then show if and where that prospect ranks on Baseball America’s (31), MLB.com’s (30), Keith Law’s (10) and John Sickels’ (20) Twins prospect rankings. ----------------------------------------------------------- #30 - Travis Harrison - OF - 23 Supplemental first-round pick in 2011, seems like he’s been around forever, but he’ll be just 23 throughout the 2016 season. Home run power hasn’t come yet, but the potential remains. Baseball America: NR, MLB.com: 19, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: 16 #29 - Brian Navarreto - C - 21 I know I’m out on a limb here because he hasn’t hit at all yet, but he’s got the size, strength and swing to be a good hitter. Defensively, he is tremendous. Powerful arm. Baseball America: NR, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #28 - Aaron Slegers - RHP - 23 He has the height, though he tops out at maybe 92. He’s got a good pitch mix and remarkable control. How he does in 2016 in Chattanooga will determine a lot. Back-of-rotation potential. Baseball America: NR, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #27 - Fernando Romero - RHP - 21 Had Tommy John surgery in May of 2014. Missed all of 2015, but rumors out of Instructional League had him throwing in the upper 90s again. Still young, he has big potential as starter. Baseball America: 29, MLB.com: 20, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #26 - Trey Cabbage - 3B - 18 (Q&A) A tremendous athlete, he signed with the Twins instead of playing for his home state U. of Tennessee. He had a back injury and missed time in 2016, but a smooth swing and power potential. Baseball America: NR, MLB.com: 15, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #25 - Daniel Palka - OF/1B -24 Palka came to the Twins in November in exchange for Chris Herrmann. The Georgia Tech alum has a good combination of power and speed, but he also strikes out a lot. Will go to AA. Baseball America: NR, MLB.com: 30, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #24 - Mitch Garver - C - 25 (Q&A) Former ninth-round senior sign, Garver was our hitter of the year in 2014. He got off to a very slow start in Ft. Myers but ended strong, including in the AFL. Much improved defense. Baseball America: NR, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #23 - Stuart Turner - C - 24 Another season with offensive numbers that don’t look good and somewhat hide a solid second half. Has the size and plate approach to be a better hitter. Defensive reputation and work with pitchers is legit. Baseball America: 16, MLB.com: 17, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: 14 #22 - Felix Jorge - RHP - 22 Aside from JO Berrios, no other starting pitcher in the Twins system was as consistently good in 2015. Was a given to go at least six innings. Three pitches with a low-90s fastball and youth. Baseball America: 24, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #21 - Jermaine Palacios - SS - 19 His US debut was remarkable. He began in the GCL and hit his way up to Elizabethton where he continued to impress with the bat. Defense wasn’t good, but has a chance to be an OK shortstop. Baseball America: 19, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: 12 #20 - Travis Blankenhorn - 3B - 19 (Q&A) Like Cabbage, Blankenhorn was a tremendous high school athlete whose best sport is baseball. Gave up scholarship to Kentucky to sign as Twins 3rd-round pick. Quickly moved to E-Town. Baseball America: 26, MLB.com: 16, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #19 - Randy Rosario - LHP - 21 (Q&A) Returned from Tommy John surgery midseason. Though his numbers weren’t great in Cedar Rapids, his stuff returned. Hit 97, good pitch mix. Could start. Often compared to Francisco Liriano. Baseball America: 22, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #18 - Jake Reed - RHP - 23 Strong-armed reliever had a frustrating 2016 season after skipping High-A. Sent down to Miracle and did well before returning to Lookouts for playoff run. Another strong AFL performance. Hits mid-90s and gets a ton of movement on fastball and slider. Baseball America: 20, MLB.com: 18, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #17 - Taylor Rogers - LHP - 25 Minor league starting pitcher of the year in 2013 at Ft. Myers, his first full minor league minor league season. Moved up one level each year. Solid starter in Rochester. Dominated lefties. Struggled against righties. Has a legit chance to break camp with Twins as lefty reliever. Baseball America: 14, MLB.com: 13, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #16 - Wander Javier - SS - 17 Previously, I didn’t rank players until they played in the GCL, but the Twins gave Javier $4 million, so he’s someone worth watching. Has all the tools and the size to grow. Could develop power in time, but will need patience as he’s very raw. Most believe he can stick at shortstop. Baseball America: 11, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #15 - Engelb Vielma - SS - 21 (Q&A) Diminutive, thin shortstop likely won’t accumulate many extra base hits, but his strong singles-hitting performance in the 2016 second half give hope that he can grow as a hitter as he gains strength. He is remarkable defensively, one of the best in minor league baseball. If he can hit at all, he’ll have a long MLB career. Baseball America: 18, MLB.com: 22, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #14 - Alex Meyer - RHP - 26 Rough 2015 season after being one of the best starting pitchers in the International League in 2014. He needed an offseason to regroup and many believe that he can. He’s likely to get another shot as a starter, but the bullpen may be where the future will find him. Still throws hard. Still has a sharp slider. With any control, he can get back to 2014 form. Baseball America: 12, MLB.com: 8, Keith Law: 10, John Sickels: 11 #13 - Lewis Thorpe - LHP - 20 Near the end of spring training a year ago, Lewis Thorpe had Tommy John surgery. Last week, he made his return to a mound for the first time and said things felt great. He could return to game action by June. When healthy, he has a 92-94 mph fastball, a good curve ball and change-up and a real understanding of what he wants and needs to do. Baseball America: 13, MLB.com: 14, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: 13 #12 - JT Chargois - RHP - 25 (Story) Chargois missed all of 2013 and 2014 due to injuries resulting in Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in 2015 with a fastball that frequently hit triple-digits. He also has a sharp slurve and a good change-up. He was added to the 40-man roster and has a good chance to debut with the Twins in 2016. Baseball America: 15, MLB.com: 11, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: 15 #11 - Kohl Stewart - RHP - 21 He may not strike many out, but he gives up very little hard contact. He gets a ton of ground balls. He has the pitches. He is very inconsistent and his fastball can range from 90 to 96 mph. He has a good breaking ball and a change-up, though they also are inconsistent. He has a chance to move up my rankings a lot in 2016 as things all come together. Baseball America: 8, MLB.com: 7, Keith Law: 4, John Sickels: 9 #10 - Adam Brett Walker - OF - 24 (Q&A) Power. Yes, it’s true that his power potential is just as high as Miguel Sano. He does have a knack for coming through in big situations. He strikes out a ton. While he walked more in 2015, he also struck out more. Defensively, he is not strong. His arm is certainly questionable. He has one really strong tool, and development of the other tools will determine his MLB future. Baseball America: 17, MLB.com: 10, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: 8 #9 - Tyler Jay - LHP - 21 The Twins will have Jay start in 2016 after getting his feet wet in the Miracle bullpen after signing. His floor appears to be a dominant left-handed reliever with the best slider in the organization but his value as the #6 pick in the 2015 draft is much higher if he can be a starter in the big leagues. Most believe he could help Twins in bullpen in 2016, but they will need to develop a good strategy on how to get him to the big leagues as a starter, which will take longer. Baseball America: 5, MLB.com: 3, Keith Law: 5, John Sickels: 5 #8 - Jorge Polanco - SS/2B - 22 Signed as a 16-year-old for his great hands and defense at shortstop, Polanco has turned himself into a potentially very good overall hitter. However, now the only real question remaining on Polanco is whether or not he can play enough defense. He really struggled at shortstop the last couple of seasons and some wonder if he can play well enough at second base. His bat is MLB ready now though. Baseball America: 6, MLB.com: 4, Keith Law: 6, John Sickels: 6 #7 - Nick Burdi - RHP - 23 We thought we would see Burdi in the big leagues in 2015, and that maybe wasn’t fair. He really struggled the first half of the season in AA, with control and command. He went down to Ft. Myers and turned things around. He returned late to Chattanooga where he did great setting up Chargois in Lookouts championship run. Dominated in Arizona. Showed better control and a strong fastball (98-101) to go with a really sharp slider. Huge potential. Baseball America: 10, MLB.com: 12, Keith Law: 9, John Sickels: 10 #6 - Stephen Gonsalves - LHP - 21 (Q&A) After making eight starts for Cedar Rapids at the end of 2014, he returned to the Kernels for nine more starts to start the 2015 season. He dominated. It took him a few starts to adjust to the Florida State League, but overall he put together some very strong numbers. He has the size and the pitch mix, and has added a pitch in the offseason which should help him. Very smart, confident pitcher who should pitch at two levels in 2016 again. Baseball America: 9, MLB.com: 9, Keith Law: 8, John Sickels: 7 #5 - Byung Ho Park - 1B/DH - 29 He’s 29, and it will be very interesting to see how he transitions to MLB from the KBO. Park hit 105 home runs over the last two season in Korea. He will primarily DH and get time at first base. He will strike out a lot, but that power potential is legit. He’s got good size and strength and works hard. He has been in Ft. Myers since Twins Fest, working every day. Baseball America: 7, MLB.com: NR, Keith Law: NR, John Sickels: NR #4 - Nick Gordon - SS - 20 Gordon really struggled from mid-April through mid-May. However, from May 22nd through the rest of the season (84 games), he hit .299/.361/.399 (.760). For a 19-year-old in his first full-season league, that’s pretty impressive (league OPS was .682). Didn’t display a lot of power, but that potential is there as he grows. Defensively, I think he is well above average and can stick at shortstop. Good hands, good range and a strong arm. Baseball America: 4, MLB.com: 5, Keith Law: 7, John Sickels: 4 #3 - Max Kepler - OF/1B - 23 Max Kepler has always had the tools. In 2015, those tools turned into skills. He hit for average. He walked more than he struck out. He hit for some doubles power and he showed more home run power late in the season and in the Lookouts playoff run. He took a more aggressive approach, including the leg kick. Defensively, he’s above average in the corners and can adequately play center field as well. Was the Southern League MVP and made his big league debut in 2015. He really does have five-tool potential. Baseball America: 3, MLB.com: 6, Keith Law: 3, John Sickels: 3 Photo of Max Kepler by William Parmeter. #2 - Jose Berrios - RHP - 21 It was another spectacular season for Berrios in 2015. He started the Futures Game for the second straight year. He began the season in Chattanooga before spending the second half in Rochester. He gave up ten runs in his first two starts but generally dominated at both levels. He led minor league baseball in strikeouts and increased his innings count. He has great control and three above average pitches. There are some legit concerns, but there is a good chance that he’s the Twins top pitcher for years to come. Baseball America: 2, MLB.com: 2, Keith Law: 2, John Sickels: 2 #1 - Byron Buxton - RHP - 22 Yup, he struggled mightily in his big league debut in 2015. He wasn’t ready. It’s that simple. After missing most of the 2014 season he began 2015 in Chattanooga. His numbers were OK, but he was remarkably inconsistent. He would have two terrible weeks followed by ten amazing games. That would be followed with three rough weeks before two strong weeks. In mid-June, the Twins needed a center fielder and despite knowing he wasn’t ready, the Twins called him up. Unfortunately, he got hurt and missed six weeks. He hit in all 12 games in played on rehab in Rochester, though he didn’t make a lot of hard contact. He returned to the Twins but played sparingly in September. Despite the struggles, nothing changes in a scouting report for Buxton. All of the tools are there. The speed and defense are legitimately elite and make him valuable even if he doesn’t hit. But, he will likely hit pretty well and even show some power, as he did in September when he hit two long home runs. It will be interesting to see how Buxton performs in spring training. Not so much the statistics, but in my mind, it will be all about the quality of his at-bats, specifically his pitch recognition. Baseball America: 1, MLB.com: 1, Keith Law: 1, John Sickels: 1 --------------------------------------------------------------- So there you have it. I know many choose not to include Byung Ho Park or Wander Javier in prospect rankings. That’s fine. The following players would comprise the Honorable Mention category, the next 14 (in alphabetical order): Luke Bard, Lewin Diaz, Ryan Eades, Tanner English, Sam Gibbons,Trevor Hildenberger, Yorman Landa, Mason Melotakis, Amaurys Minier, Brandon Peterson, Johan Quezada, LaMonte Wade, Lachlan Wells. Huascar Ynoa. Feel free to discuss. I know there are a few guys that many won’t have in their top 30s. I know there are a few guys that I rank higher (and lower) than others. Feel free to ask me any questions. I’ll try to respond as I have time. Again, next week, we will start our 2016 Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospect rankings! Click here to view the article

Just posted this on Twitter... but Jose Berrios and Francisco Lindor have been life-long friends in Puerto Rico. The two (along with Javier Baez) held their event for kids in December. In a story I did back then, Berrios said of the two, "We played Little League since (we were) 5 to 6 years old. We are friends. We are family." So... how much fun is it going to be watching Berrios facing Lindor 4-6 times a season for (hopefully) the next decade?!

They're fun... and give us something to talk about...

Can you even imagine?? (I can imagine them doing it, so it's not out of the realm of possibility) What if he and Berrios both are pitching great in late April... Drop two and bring two in? The forums here would be going crazy!

In that situation though, I'd sure like having an outfielder on the bench that can play some defense too. If Buxton is down, I think we think that Santana would start with Rosario in left and Sano in right. Now, of course Rosario can go play CF and Arcia can go into LF, but if you're protecting a 1-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, I'd rather go with Rosario, Mastro/Benson, Sano than keep Arcia and Sano out there with Rosario (in a case where Santana was pinch-hit for or something). You'd still have the backup catcher and infielder on the roster. That said... I don't envision one of those three making it to start the season, though I wouldn't rule it out.

I don't know/think that Sweeney can really play CF... I feel like he's depth if they are able to trade Arcia and there would be an injury. Benson, I definitely like that signing. Depth in the minors is important. He can play a really good CF... And, you're right... if he's improved his ability to accept failure and be a role player, he can provide some value to a team.

I don't necessarily agree. I went back and forth about whether or not to go with one or two lefties, but Nolasco's going to be on the team. I'd be surprised if they traded him. I think he'll be given a legit shot at a rotation spot. I also don't think they'd flat-out release him in spring training. So, reality forced my hand on that one. And, to be honest, I don't have a problem with given Nolasco every opportunity. It's his career. He was hurt. I hate to go to the well too much, but my mantra more and more is... "Let's let it play out and see what happens." If he's in the bullpen, there are so many "failed" starters who become really good relievers... Why can't a guy who was once a pretty good starter become at least a good reliever? I don't know if he will, but I have no problem with trying it.

I can see both of those scenarios happening, though I do believe that Tonkin would be claimed, though if he cleared, that would be great. I do believe that Buxton will be given every opportunity to win the CF job out of spring training. It's very clear that's what everyone (except probably Santana) wants. And, I think Berrios will be up sooner than that.

He'll likely get plenty of save chances, but Perkins is the closer. There's really no competition for that in spring training. If Perk struggles, sure, it'll come up then.

No it doesn't. Early in the offseason, Jeremy Nygaard considered this... Unless he's kept in the minors until like late July, having him up has no affect at all on his service time. (assuming he stays up for good when he does come up)

Sano can get a start a week at DH or 3B or 1B with Park, Plouffe or Mauer getting a day off. Or, Arcia can DH. It wouldn't be a ton, and may not be as consistent, but he'd get some chances. Like any backup.

I was going to say the opposite on Jay. I think his floor is dominant, late-inning left-handed reliever. His ceiling is #2 starter... Stewart's floor is MLB reliever. Ceiling is frontline starter... Of course, without further improvement, High-A ball could be their floor, but I think that might be a little negative.

About a month ago, I posted an article asking Where Are We Now in which I tried to project the Twins Opening Day roster. Not a lot has happened since then, but being at Twins Fest, trying to read between the lines of notes and quotes from players and front office personnel, I thought it would be good to try one more pre-spring training Roster Projection. We'll update this periodically throughout spring training.In the last month, since the first Roster Projection, the Twins claimed LHP Mike Strong and DFAd LHP Logan Darnell (who cleared waivers and remains in the organization). They added Carlos Quentin on a minor league deal. Twins pitchers and catchers report this weekend so now is the time to see how things look as spring training starts. It can’t come soon enough. Enough with the rumors and the sarcastic comments about the lack of activity. It is time to discuss what is really (almost) happening on the baseball field, not what is (or isn’t, if you prefer) going on in the front office and on the transaction pages. Let’s start with the hitters and then get to the pitchers: HITTERS Catcher (2) - Kurt Suzuki/John Ryan Murphy - No change here. Suzuki and Murphy will be the two catchers in the big leagues to start the season, barring injury. The Twins will want to keep Suzuki under 385 at-bats so that his 2017 option doesn’t get picked up. Ideally these two split playing time 50/50 early in the season and in time Murphy takes over more playing time. Depth: John Hicks will go to Rochester as the team’s #3 catcher, called up as needed if there is an injury. Beyond that Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver likely spend at least the first half of the 2016 season in Chattanooga, hoping to show they can contribute in some role in 2017. Designated Hitter (1) - Byung Ho Park - There are a ton of intriguing Twins stories in 2016, and Byung Ho Park’s transition to MLB pitching is certainly one of them. No question that he has huge power potential, but he will also likely strike out a ton. He will also get time at first base. First Base (1) - Joe Mauer - There have been several articleson Twins Daily in the last couple of days on Mauer’s comments regarding blurred vision due to his concussion. He has done eye exercises and will try hitting with sunglasses. Can his production jump back up from league average (overall) to league average first baseman? We shall find out. That would be a big improvement. Depth: Kennys Vargas goes to AAA where he plays every day and becomes depth at first base and DH. Second Base (1) - Brian Dozier - No question here. Dozier earned his spot on the 2015 All-Star team and even homered in his one plate appearance. What kind of numbers would he put up if he put together a full season like his last two first halves? Still just 28, that is certainly possible. Depth: Jorge Polanco and James Beresford will both be at Rochester and both can play second base. Polanco is the better bat while Beresford can provide singles and better defense. Third Base (1) - Trevor Plouffe - Those who watched the Twins five years ago still likely aren’t completely confident in saying that Plouffe is one of the best defensive third basemen in the league. He also has the ability to hit 20+ homers and drive in some runs in the middle of the lineup. Many of us are still surprised he's in a Twins uniform, but it’s not a bad thing to have his production in the lineup. Depth: The Twins can move Sano to third base once a week, or if Plouffe were to get hurt. Shortstop (1) - Eduardo Escobar - After hitting really well the last two seasons after being named the Twins starting shortstop, he finally will enter the season as the Twins Opening Day shortstop. How will he handle it? Will the doubles just keep coming? He’s had to overcome the perception that he’s “just a utility player” so hopefully he runs with this opportunity. Depth: Danny Santana and Jorge Polanco are options at shortstop if Escobar misses any time. Left Field (1) - Eddie Rosario - There are several questions in the Twins outfield, so Rosario could potentially play center field. However, with his range, patrolling the large area of left field is perfect. He showed off his arm no matter where he played. Offensively, he played well in his rookie season. However, he will have a lot to prove in 2016. Can he get his on-base percentage over .300? That will be the one stat I’ll be watching. Center Field (1) - Byron Buxton - Two things are apparent based on comments from Twins Fest. First, the Twins really, really want Byron Buxton to show up to spring training ready to take over center field starting Opening Day. Secondly, Buxton will not just be handed the job. In my opinion, it won’t be so much about stats, but it will likely be about his ability to take good plate appearances, lay off sliders down and away, etc. If Buxton goes to AAA, Danny Santana likely is the center fielder to start the season. Right Field (1) - Miguel Sano - My personal concern about Miguel Sano’s ability to play an adequate right field is very low. With his athleticism and instincts, he will catch what he gets to. He isn’t going to have great range, and there are worries in my mind about him knowing where to make the routine throws, angles, etc. Let’s be honest, this is about getting him out in the field to keep him in better shape. His bat is what will carry him. Depth: Max Kepler will likely be the outfielder called up if there is an injury to any of the three starters. Kepler will go to Rochester and play every day. The Twins will not call him up to sit on the bench. If he’s not quite ready right away, then we could see Joe Benson, Darin Mastroianni or Ryan Sweeney. Who knows? Maybe suddenly Carlos Quentin will go back to 2007 form and get a shot. Yeah, probably not. Bench (4) - Backup Catcher, Eduardo Nunez, Oswaldo Arcia, Danny Santana - Santana, Nunez and Arcia are out of options. Santana is an outfielder now, but he can also play both middle infield spots. Nunez can play each infield position and also both corner outfield spots. Arcia has that power potential. Used appropriately - versus right-handed pitching, playing little defense - he can provide value off the bench, or take on a more prominent role is he is able to take off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PITCHERS STARTING PITCHERS Starter 1/2/3 - Ervin Santana/Phil Hughes/Kyle Gibson - While the Twins like to say that everyone is competing for a job in 2016, it’s clear that, sans injury, these three are going to be in the starting rotation. Gibson was their pitcher of the year in 2015. He came in at eight percent above average and was more consistent than he was in 2014. Santana missed the first half of the season and after a slow start ended the season strong. Hughes’ 2015 season wasn’t good. He knows it. However, his 2014 season was tremendous. If healthy hopefully he can be closer to 2014. Starter 4 - Tyler Duffey - As I’ve said, if it was up to me, Duffey’s name would be in ink in the 2016 rotation. He’s got absolutely nothing to prove in AAA anymore. After one bad start, he and his remarkable curve ball provided some of the team’s best starts down the stretch. Starter 5 - Tommy Milone - Milone is often overlooked because he isn’t blessed with a big fastball. However he has put together a real solid career. If he is your team’s fifth starter, your team can be pretty solid. When he has command, he gets a lot of weak contact. Though he doesn’t throw hard, he is able to miss enough bats. Depth: Ricky Nolasco will go to spring training as a starter. He’s at the point where he won’t be handed anything, even with his contract. However, if he can return to his pre-Twins form, he should in a rotation, whether it’s the Twins or somewhere else. Trevor May also is said to be going to spring training with a chance to be a starter. With the bullpen as full of question marks as it is, odds are the May will be in the 'pen. JO Berrios is the one we all want to see in the big leagues. With the aforementioned depth, it’s likely that Berrios will start the season in AAA. The Twins could keep Berrios down in the minor leagues for 12 or 13 days like the Cubs did with Kris Bryant last year. That would allow them to keep him under team control for an extra year. The Twins typically have not worried about that, frequently opening the season with top prospects. However, Berrios will likely have to be perfect, or near-perfect, to head north with the Twins to start the season. I guess I wouldn’t be surprised if he does. BULLPEN Closer (1) - Glen Perkins - The three-time All-Star, who has closed out wins for the American League the last two season, has struggled in the second half the last two seasons. He’s been working out in Ft. Myers - working with the Twins training staff - most of the offseason instead of staying in Minnesota and hopes that will help keep him healthy throughout the season. Right-Handed Relievers (5) - Kevin Jepsen, Trevor May, Casey Fien, Michael Tonkin, Ricky Nolasco - Jepsen came to the Twins at the July trade deadline and did a terrific job in eighth and ninth inning situations. He’s back and can become a free agent following the season. May showed signs that he can be a dominant late-inning reliever and will likely be there again. Fien was offered arbitration, and while his contract isn’t guaranteed, he will likely fill a seventh inning role again, a role he’s succeeded in when healthy. Michael Tonkin is out of options, so he’s a favorite to get a roster spot, but it’s going to be tight. He will have to earn a job. And, I’ve got Nolasco here because there may be an injury to someone else, or he’ll get a spot somewhere. Who knows? Maybe he can do well in the bullpen. Left-Handed Relievers (1) - Fernando Abad - I’m sure the ideal situation would be they have a second lefty reliever to set up Perkins, but at the end of the day, the Twins need to put out the best bullpen that they can. Maybe that means just one lefty in middle relief. Abad was signed to a minor league contract and, in my opinion, is very likely to make the big league club (at least as of today) unless he has a terrible spring. DEPTH - As Nick wrote last week in his bullpen battles article, there is quite a bit of depth. From inside the organization, former Rule 5 picks Ryan Pressly and JR Graham will likely be in AAA (though if the Twins were to start the season with 13 pitchers, Pressly has a good chance). Alex Meyer had ups and downs after his move to the bullpen last year, but it would be silly to give up on him. Brandon Kintzler has pitched a lot of games and a lot of innings over the last six seasons in Milwaukee. He was hurt last year, so he came in on a minor league contract. If the Twins want to go with a true situational lefty, Ryan O’Rourke certainly fits the bill. Do they need a second left-hander? As Nick has pointed out several weeks ago, there remain some veteran left-handed relievers available via free agency. Of the nine pitchers he mentioned in the article, just two have signed in the last month. Their asking price has certainly come down. Guys like Neal Cotts, Franklyn Morales and Matt Thornton are likely available now for minor league contracts with a minimal $1.5 to $2 million base salary when they make the team. What Terry Ryan and his staff (and Twins fans) need to determine is whether getting experienced, aging relievers will be better for the team than the younger players with talent like Taylor Rogers and eventually Mason Melotakis or even Corey Williams. JT Chargois is one of the young, talented, hard-throwing relievers who is on the 40-man roster. Therefore, a very strong camp and he would make an impression, maybe even make the team. If not, he and Nick Burdi and Jake Reed all head to the minors and wait their calls. Guys like Trevor Hildenberger and Brandon Peterson are certainly worth watching early in the season too. --------------------------------------------------------- So there you have my just-as-spring-training-is-about-to-start Roster Projection. I don’t think there’s anything too earth shattering, but it is wise to go into spring training with a sense of what you would do and what you think the Twins might do. We always talk about how spring training stats mean so little in the regular season. It is interesting to think of which jobs are up for grabs and how those roster spots will be determined. Where are we now? This is a team with a lot of potential. No surprise of course as the Twins have had one of the stronger minor league systems for several years. Those players started coming up in 2014 and 2015. There are several more that will be up here in 2016 and 2017. So, how much of 2016 is about development, and how much is it about playing the players throughout the season that they feel give them the best chance to win at any given time? Ideally, of course, it’s both. That’s why having depth is going to be important. Teams go through far more than 25 players in any given season. There are question marks heading into spring training. There are questions at two to four bullpen spots, depending upon your opinion and perspective. There is the question of when JO Berrios will arrive, and what it will mean for the rest of the rotation. Will Phil Hughes or Danny Santana or Joe Mauer have bounce-back seasons? And, probably most important, how will the young guys adjust. Will Byron Buxton make the adjustments to become a solid major league hitter which, with his speed and defense, will make him elite? Will Miguel Sano cut down some on the strikeouts and continue what he started in 2015, or will the league make some adjustments (as they did in September)? Will Tyler Duffey prove those final eight starts are what he can be? How will Byung Ho Park’s transition to MLB go? Like every single team in major league baseball, the Twins have questions. And frankly, those questions can only be answered on the field. Next Monday, it all gets started. Click here to view the article

I'd have to think that the secondary market for the Sano bobblehead will be significantly more sought after than Hunter's.

I'd have no problem with Duensing, Morales. Cotts, Parra, Thornton... They're all pretty much the same. Solid vets... but again, Twins need to decide whether their experience is better than the upside of the likes of Rogers, Melotakis (in a couple of months), etc. Austin Jackson would be fine, but they'd have to pay him enough to be a starter, and he shouldn't, unless Buxton is sent down, but again, we want Buxton up soon. Jackson wouldn't want to come here, as much as we would probably love to see him. I think a Drew Stubbs would be more realistic. Stopgap in CF. Like Benson, a very good defensive centerfielder... he just strikes out a lot. I'd be fine with the Greg Holland type of signing, but again, I don't think it makes a ton of sense. By the time he gets healthy, he'll be 31-32 and a question mark. Hopefully enough questions will get answered in the Twins bullpen this season. This is a good list, to see all the names like that...

Thanks, twinssouth... I wish I could get to Chattanooga because you're right, that is a very telling level for prospects. Even in Cedar Rapids, you can start to see talent levels and the elite talent rise to the top. I saw that with Trout, and with Sano and Buxton. Rosario was close to that level then too.

Injuries can't be predicted... I mean, we can almost say that injury can be expected for most players at some point... maybe health can't be predicted. But when going into prospect rankings, I don't know the right amount of weight to put on injury risk. Before Kyle Gibson was hurt, he was ranked 1, 2 or 3 in the system. He had Tommy John, and I don't think that really should affect his prospect status a whole lot ... I maybe dropped him to 4 or 5, but only because a few other guys moved up. I have Lewis Thorpe and Fernando Romero approximately where I had them a year ago.

Regarding O'Rourke, when he was brought up, he was used pretty much only against lefties, except in blowouts, and he pitched really well against them. Once they acquired Cotts as the 2nd lefty, O'Rourke was used sparingly, and just in blowouts, and he really struggled because he was facing mostly right-handers. They would just give him the ninth. So, I don't think looking at his overall numbers is too important. (at least in determining if he can be a LOOGY)