Seth Stohs

Wrote about him in the prospect handbook. obviously not a ton of baseball tradition there, so finding those diamond-in-the-roughs is not easy. Age isn't going to matter much with him. He throws pretty hard and hasn't probably had great instruction, so there's potential there. If nothing, else, the Twins helped grow baseball in that area and have their name there now.

Updated... I'm getting verification on the 7 from Australia and one from Germany. Thank you!

Over sixty Twins players officially reported to Major League camp about two weeks ago. Tuesday was officially Minor League report day for the Minnesota Twins. That meant another 143 players were expected to be at the Twins facilities in Ft. Myers. Twins Daily is the top site for Minnesota Twins minor league content and information on the internet. We plan to continue providing the most information on the minor leagues throughout the 2016 season. Expect daily Twins Minor League Reports as well as more of the Q&As as you saw in the offseason. We'll continue to provide awards for monthly Twins Minor League Hitter, Relief Pitcher and Starting Pitcher. And, maybe we'll add a few more twists as well.The Twins facilities have been quite busy throughout the offseason. Since the Florida Instructional was completed the Twins held a couple of strength camps for young players. Several minor leaguers (and big league players) live in Ft. Myers throughout the offseason and work out several days a week. The Twins minor league academy opened last year and was a game-changer for the Twins. It provided minor leaguers the option of arriving weeks early and having a place to live and get meals and use all of the training facilities for a minimal charge. Over the last two months, players have been gradually arriving. Last week, it was reported that over 55 players were already in camp. Before big league spring training started, Tommy Watkins led the players through their baseball activities. Since Watkins reported to big league camp, some of the other minor league coaches have also been working with players. So, what happens on report day? Well, the players come to the facilities and basically sign in on a computer. I mean, that’s the extent of the requirement, showing up. For the most part, the players arrive and they still go through another workout. So, what happens on Wednesday? It’s probably not terribly fun. The players report to the clubhouse early and each player goes through his physicals. Height and weight. Urine test. EKG. Eye tests. Ear tests. And, well, all of the things that go into a male’s physical. And likely all 143 players (maybe more) will be complete by 9-10 o’clock. And that’s not it. The players then go out on the field and get warmed up and go through a short workout. They used to all have to run a mile. Last year, I know that all of the players had to do a shuttle run. It’s quite competitive and it’s fun to watch which players have the great speed and which don’t. Some also surprise. On Thursday, the minor leaguers will hold their first official practice. There are four full fields and one half field, each full of players. Pitchers get their fill of pitcher fielding practice (PFPs). It’s just like big league camp, just a bunch more fields and a lot more bodies. They’ll work out from about 9 until noon the next three days, eat and then practice another couple of hours. Starting next week, there will be a couple of days of intrasquad games followed by games against other minor league teams in southwest Florida. I’d say you have to be there to really get a sense of just how much is happening and how well organized it is. NOTE - I will be traveling to Ft. Myers on Friday morning. I plan to go to the field in the afternoon after arriving for a little while. I am hoping to figure out Periscope and will try to provide video and give people a better sense of what’s going on at the complex. Once the rosters of the Minnesota Twins, Rochester Red Wings, Chattanooga Lookouts, Ft. Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids Kernels are set, there will undoubtedly be some releases. The rest of the players will remain in Ft. Myers in extended spring training. Those players will continue to work out most every day. In time, they will be playing games against area teams. Those players will continue to work, making sure they are ready should there be a need in Cedar Rapids or possibly in the short term with the Miracle. Those remaining could go to Elizabethton or the GCL in June. Here are some more Twins minor league notes as camp gets going: Between the players in big league camp, minor league camp and those in the Dominican Summer League, the Twins are a melting pot. Here is a breakdown of the countries in which the players are from: United States - 135Dominican Republic - 55Venezuela - 32Puerto Rico - 12Australia - 7Netherlands - 4Canada - 2South Africa - 2Germany - 1Brazil - 1Colombia - 1Curacao - 1Korea - 1Mexico - 1Moldova - 1Taiwan - 1Coaching Staffs Rochester Red Wings Manager - Mike Quade, Hitting Coach - Chad Allen, Pitching Coach - Stu Cliburn Chattanooga Lookouts Manager - Doug Mientkiewicz, Hitting Coach - Tommy Watkins, Pitching Coach - Ivan Arteaga Ft. Myers Miracle Manager - Jeff Smith, Hitting Coach - Jim Dwyer, Pitching Coach - Henry Bonilla Cedar Rapids Kernels Manager - Jake Mauer, Hitting Coach - Brian Dinkelman, Pitching Coach - JP Martinez Elizabethton Twins Manager - Ray Smith, Hitting Coach - Jeff Reed, Pitching Coach - Luis Ramirez GCL Twins Manager - Ramon Borrega, Hitting Coach - Javier Valentin, Steve Singleton, Pitching Coach - Luis Ramirez, Virgil Vasquez, Cibney Bello INJURIES Several players have been in Ft. Myers most of the offseason due to a variety of injuries. They got a few weeks off around the holidays to go home and see family and friends, but they are all excited to get back on the field. Most likely, each will start the season in extended spring training but should surface with a club during the season. RHP Fernando Romero, LHP Lewis Thorpe, LHP Onas Farfan, and RHP Brusdar Graterol are at various stages in their rehab following Tommy John surgery. Romero likely starts the season in extended, but he could move up to Cedar Rapids fairly soon. I would think Farfan and Thorpe would likely be ready in June sometime if all goes well. Graterol is likely to miss the season as he had Tommy John surgery late last summer. RHP Jason Adam, the pitcher the Twins received in the Josh WIllingham trade, had a couple of elbow surgeries last year. Neither was Tommy John surgery although Dr. James Andrews was involved. LHP Cameron Booser had a shoulder injury late last season. He will likely miss time early in the season. Infielder Aderlin Mejia has also had shoulder issues throughout the offseason. POSITION CHANGES Every year, it seems like a couple of players switch positions. We’ve seen that with guys like Dereck Rodriguez who moved from the outfield to the mound. In a previous year, Tyler Grimes was moved from the middle infield to catcher. Not too many this year, but there are a couple. Rafael Valera played a lot of second base in the second half for Cedar Rapids last year. At Instructs, he was moved to catcher which is where he’ll spend his time during spring training. Since signing as a catcher, there were always rumors of Jorge Fernandez working in the outfield at Instructs. This offseason, he is working at first base. Not really a change, but on the Ride with Reusse on Monday night, Doug Mientkiewicz said that Travis Harrison will move back to left field. He played right field a year ago with Adam Brett Walker in left. MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENTS We have heard about the many minor league free agents that the Twins signed in the offseason with an invitation to big league spring training. The Twins also signed other six-year minor league free agents who reported on Tuesday. The #MNTwins have signed RHP David Martinez. He pitched briefly for Astros in 2013 and 2014. Last year pitched in AA and AAA for the Rangers. They also signed RHP Raul Fernandez. He was on the 40-man roster for Colorado and the White Sox the last two years. Finally, they signed RHP Marcus Walden. He was on A's and Blue Jays 40-man rosters in 2014. He played indy ball in 2015. The Twins also signed infielder Leonardo Reginatto. He is a 25-year-old who split 2015 between AA/AAA with the Rays. Outfielder Keury De La Cruz, a 24-year-old outfielder, played for Red Sox AA in 2015. The Twins signed catcher Jose F. Ortiz (21) to minor league deal. He played the last two seasons in Reds Low A. Recently, they also added catcher Kevin Garcia, a 23-year-old who has been in Low A with the Blue Jays. Finally, the Twins signed 25-year-old catcher Joe Maloney who spent the last two years with Rockland in the independent Can-Am League. Last year, he hit .337/.432/.559 (.991) with 33 doubles, 14 homers. He also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts. SYSTEM RANKINGS Regardless of the national publication, the Minnesota Twins farm system is consistently in the Top 10 organizations. Usually they are in the Top 5. That comes in a year when Miguel Sano, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May and Eddie Rosario all ‘graduated’ from prospect status. The system is still quite strong. Be sure to familiarize yourself with some of the top prospects in the system. Here are our Top 20 Twins prospects: Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects For 2016 20. Jake Reed, RHP 19. Randy Rosario, LHP 18. Lewin Diaz, 1B 17. Engelb Vielma, SS 16. Taylor Rogers, LHP 15. JT Chargois, RHP 14. Jermaine Palacios, SS 13. Wander Javier, SS 12. Lewis Thorpe, LHP 11. Adam Brett Walker, OF 10. Nick Burdi, RHP 9. Kohl Stewart, RHP 8. Alex Meyer, RHP 7. Jorge Polanco, SS 6. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP 5. Tyler Jay, LHP 4. Nick Gordon, SS 3. Max Kepler, OF 2. Jose Berrios, RHP 1. Byron Buxton, OF For much more on over 150 Minnesota Twins prospects, be sure to buy the 2016 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook here. Click here to view the article

Back through the division-winning years last decade, the Twins typically would have just one, maybe two, rookies come up each year. Over the last two years, the Twins have called up a lot of young players. As much as I want to see the young players keep coming up, I want the Twins winning. So, if Nolasco is pitching well, and Berrios spends a little longer in AAA, it doesn't hurt. And, as much as I would like to see Duffey in the big leagues, he only has nine starts in MLB, so it's not like he's a grizzled veteran. If he goes to AAA, it isn't necessarily a bad thing if there are lots of pitchers doing well in front of him. That all said... pitchers are just making their 2nd starts, so it's too early to make much out of anything yet... including performances from LH RP.

I agree on both counts.

Don't expect him to be a "plus" outfielder, but he certainly can be solid. His range could improve to a little below average. Yes, he hasn't hit left-handed pitching. That was one of a few knocks. I think that Sano will and should play every day. Now, there may be days that they let Sano DH and Arcia can play RF, but there will be no platoon involving Sano. Remember, it's only like 13 plate appearances for him right now, and a couple of nice plays. Certainly encouraging, but let's see how it goes.

Yeah, we'd hate to speculate too much before the season started or be optimistic or anything.

At the end of the day, he can work out as much as he wants, but right or wrong, at this point he has to produce. He'll be a bench bat to start the season, pending injury, so that makes it even tougher to get into a rhythm. Age and potential are on his side. Playing time may not be.

It's been well reported here and elsewhere that Arcia chose not to play winter ball in Venezuela so that he could work with the Twins training staff in Ft. Myers. Pictures of him showed that he is much stronger than he was previously. We'll see what happens in season, but probably for the first time in his career, his work ethic can't be questions.

I was at that game. Sitting in the 5th row, by the Twins dugout. As Thome hit that ball, the sound from 38,000 people rang down. It was so loud. And I got a high-five from Khalid El-Amin! Thornton was so shut-down at that time, especially against lefties. That was just such a great moment! Kubel... man, you just can't help but wonder what could have been if not for that devastating knee injury in the AFL. Some interesting names from the '70s too!

My proposal for Gibson would be just to go with two-years, $10 million. Or, they could rip up his 2016 deal, make it $1 million, and then have a 3-year, $11 million. For Gibson, if he continues to improve, he still has a year of arbitration in which he can make a bunch. Also, regardless of whatever happens, he'd have $10-11 million guaranteed. For the Twins, they have control of him for three more years after this year. It gives them a little more cost certainty the next two years. It isn't a very long commitment. It allows them to see how Gibson does and how Berrios and other minor leaguers progress. And when that deal is up, they still have another year of his control either way. Eliminates some of the long-term risk. Would he take it? Not sure.

Without question, my first real hero in baseball was Kirby Puckett. Without question, Kirby Puckett was my last real baseball hero. Anyone who grew up a baseball fan in the mid-80s through the mid-90s likely had the same baseball role model as me, Kirby Puckett. Ten years ago today, Kirby Puckett passed away at the age of 45, a day after suffering a massive stroke at his home in Arizona. I’ve shared some of the below at various times in the past, but I felt like sharing my thoughts on Puckett. I’m certain, and I hope, many of you will share your memories as well.March 5, 2006, was a Sunday. I was at my house surfing the internet. Early in the afternoon, news came out the Kirby Puckett had suffered a stroke. It was a shock, one of those moments where your heart misses a beat. But all along I kept thinking, “Well, it’s Kirby Puckett. He’s going to be OK. He's got to be OK.” It wasn’t long before the tone of the reports shifted and the outlook didn’t look very good. We heard that Dan Gladden and others were traveling to Arizona. I went to work that Monday morning with a heavy heart. As soon as I got to the office, I printed off a picture of Kirby Puckett and taped it up on the overhead bin in my cubicle. Under it, another print-out had the words “Get Well, Kirby!” If I recall, Puckett passed away that morning. I read the news. The “Get Well Kirby” was replaced with “RIP, Kirby! The Greatest!” I had been blogging for about three years already at that time so people around the office knew that I was a baseball fan and a Twins fan. Before noon, I had dozens of people come to my desk and feel the need to talk about, to ask me if I had heard. I answered their questions. But it hurt. I had to leave. I just had to get out of the office. I left the office and went home. I just wanted to be alone. I don’t remember if I shed tears, but I do remember just sitting in a chair, numb. I remember asking myself how many 30-year-olds in Minnesota were feeling the same way I was. That was a rough day. -------------------------------------------------- When you’re young and you play baseball, you have to have a favorite player and a favorite team. Being from Minnesota, of course my favorite team was the Minnesota Twins. Favorite player? Well, everyone had TBS at that time, and I watched quite a few Braves games. For some reason, I never really liked the Cubs, but I loved the Braves. Claudell Washington was my first favorite player. But I was a Twins fan. My parents would take us to the Metrodome a time or two a year. We’d get there for batting practice and try to get some autographs. The Twins were on TV much less at that time, and living in the outstate, it was even more rare. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Twins games were on Midwest Sports Center (and later Fox Sports North) and we could get a large majority of the games. In 1984, I was eight years old. Kirby Puckett was called up to the Twins. He had four hits in his big league debut. I was immediately a fan. Was it because he was short and stocky, like eight-year-old me? Maybe. Was it that he was really fast and the Twins really needed a center fielder badly? I guess, but probably not likely. Was it because he had such a cool name? I think there is a lot of truth in that one. I had been collecting baseball cards since 1982 and had already learned what the numbers on the back meant and could do a lot of the math in my head. By 1984, I was reading box scores in the newspaper most every day. And now I had a name that I could look for first in the paper. Puckett CF 5 1 2 1 When I did watch him more, I just enjoyed it. He swung at pretty much everything. The pitch could be six inches off the plate, and he would swing, and usually end up getting a hit. He played so hard, and he looked like he was having a blast. I remember getting ready for school one day in 1985, Puckett’s second season. It was late April. Puckett did not hit a home run during his rookie season. On April 22, 1985, Puckett hit his first home run. I believe it was after my bedtime. The next morning, I remember sitting on the living room couch, struggling to tie my shoes. My mom came into the room and said, “Seth, did you hear? Kirby Puckett his his first home run last night!” I was so excited, but that’s what it is like for a kid’s favorite player. You remember the minutiae like sitting on the couch and looking at your mom when she walks into the room. Mom walked into the room where I was getting ready for school hundreds of times in my youth. That morning is the only one that I remember vividly. That’s what it is when you have a sports hero. A few years later, I was playing summer baseball on a team where we got real uniforms. What number did I request? 34, of course. While I wasn’t always able to get that number, I tried. When I moved up to varsity basketball as a junior, something strange happened. Home jerseys were odd numbers, and road jerseys were even numbers. My home jersey number was 55. My varsity baseball number had been five, and my high school football number became 55, so I was happy with 55. Because of that, I probably should have gone with uniform 54 on the road in basketball. No, I went with 34. ---------------------------------------------- It’s awesome when the player that you idolized as an eight-year-old becomes a great player too. That doesn’t hurt. And, Puckett was a great, great player. Think about it. As a rookie he hit .292 and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. The next year, he hit .288. And then he took off. From 1986 through 1995, he was an all-star all ten years. He won six Gold Gloves in center field and made so many of those leaping catches over the eight-foot wall. He won six Silver Slugger awards. He finished in the top 10 in AL MVP voting seven times, finishing second in 1992 and third in 1987 and 1988. Five times he had over 200 hits and led the league four times. Sure, he didn’t like walking, but advanced stats sure showed him to be great. After those first two seasons, his OPS+ never dipped below 119. Because of his physique, people would often talk about how he wouldn't age well on the field. His final two seasons were 1994 and 1995. They were his age 34 and 35 seasons. He posted OPS of .902 and .894, the third and fifth best seasons of his career. ---------------------------------------- Kirby Puckett joined a strong core of young players when he came up, and that core helped the Twins to the 1987 championship. Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, and Tim Laudner were all with the Twins already when Puckett joined them. That 1987 team was special. They were a group of guys who seemed to really gel together as a team, and build into a champion. Twins fans felt it. Twins fans even today recall that team and those players with special fondness. Brunansky was traded early in 1988. Viola won the 1988 Cy Young but in 1989 he was traded. Gary Gaetti left via free agency. However, Puckett and Hrbek were still around. So were Dan Gladden, Al Newman and Gene Larkin. They were now joined by the likes of Knoblauch, Scott Erickson and Rule 5 pick Shane Mack. Kevin Tapani and Rick Aguilera came to the Twins in the Viola trade. The Twins brought in Jack Morris, Chili Davis and Mike Pagliarulo via free agency. That team was also very special. In 1990, the Twins had the worst record in the American League. In 1991, the Twins faced the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. The Braves had finished last in the National League in 1990. The two teams produced what many call the greatest World Series of all time. Kirby Puckett played a big role in each of those World Championships. He had those shining moments that fans just can’t forget. He was fortunate that his teammates helped get the team to the position where Puckett could come up big. Consider the following: 1987 ALCS vs Detroit - He went 1-13 in the first three games of the series before going 4-11 with a homer in the final two games.1987 World Series - Through game five, Puckett was just 4-20 (.200). Then in Game 6, he went 4-4. Then he went 2-4 with a double in Game 7.1991 ALCS vs Toronto - He was 1-7 in the first two games. In games three through five, he went 8-14 with a double and two home runs.1991 World Series - Through the first five games, Puckett went 3-18 (.167). And we all remember Game 6. He had The Catch, and then he had the “We’ll see you tomorrow night” walk-off home run to send it to Game 7.Fans love the story of Puckett going into the the clubhouse before Game 6 in 1991 and telling the team that he was going to put them on his back. And then he came through. Puckett was the clear leader of those Tom Kelly championship teams. In 1987, I was in 7th grade. I remember after Game 5 thinking that the Twins were down 3-2, but they were good at home. I had hope, but it was tough. I remember Game 7. My family was watching the game upstairs on our main TV. I was down in the unfinished basement, watching on a fuzzy, snowy, black-and-white TV. By myself. I couldn’t stand to be around people. It was just too exciting. In 1991, I was a junior in high school. I mean, I remember it much, much more. I remember that feeling in my heart during Game 6. I remember the intensity of Game 7. Jack Morris was tremendous, but so was John Smoltz. Do you remember the 3-2-3 double play? Ron Gant and Kent Hrbek. Chuck Knoblauch deeking Lonnie Smith to save a run. Gene Larkin singling to deep right. Dan Gladden running home from third. Ron Gardenhire running around third base as if he were an airplane. Jack Morris summoning Gladden to and the simultaneous jump of that pile as Gladden hopped on home plate. ------------------------------------------------------------- Things ended unfortunately for Puckett. He was hit by a running Dennis Martinez pitch very late in that 1995 season. His jaw was broken and his season was over. Although that incident is not the reason, it would prove to be the final at-bat of his career. It ended his season. He came to spring training in 1996, and he was just crushing the ball. Paul Molitor had signed with the team, and Chuck Knoblauch was one of the game’s best players at that time. There was a lot of excitement. However, on March 28th, right before the start of the season, Puckett woke up unable to see out of his right eye. Soon, he was diagnosed with glaucoma. Four surgeries later and nothing more could be done. Puckett announced his retirement. At this point, I was in college. It was another moment where my eyes just might have contained some sweat. Watching the press conference and seeing tears flowing from Knoblauch and Molitor’s eyes was hard. ------------------------------------------------- Five years later, he was on the Hall of Fame ballot. In my mind, he was an easy choice to be a Hall of Famer, but until it is official you just never know. In the end, Puckett easily made it in the first ballot. Immediately I made calls to my dad and my brother. We had a trip to plan. Along with a high school friend and his dad, we went to Cooperstown for the Hall of Fame induction weekend in 2001. Being there was an amazing experience. The Museum is a bucket list thing for all baseball fans. I’m sure many of you were there too. Based on the number of fans who came from Minnesota I know some of you did. ------------------------------------------------------ Following Puckett’s Hall of Fame induction, things got bad for Puckett. News came out about his personal life that was too terrible to be ignored. There were accusations of domestic abuse. Puckett was shown to be unfaithful to his wife publicly, even though it was clear that Twins media appeared to have some knowledge of it. More and more information came out, and then there was the Frank Deford article in Sports Illustrated. The cover showed Puckett as a player and also at his current state and had the title, “The Secret Life of Kirby Puckett.” It was through that even, again in 2001, that I would never place an athlete or anyone else on a pedestal the way that I had done with Puckett. To this day, I 100% respect any athlete’s ability to play the game, but it’s hard to know what’s really going on behind closed doors. It was an important lesson for me, and it should be for others as well. Respect the player. Respect the way he plays the game and the success that he experiences. Notice and appreciate the work that the players do off the field and in the community. And just leave it at that. Imagine how Puckett might be judged now had Twitter been around at that time. ----------------------------------------------------- Kirby Puckett was my hero. Getting one of his baseball cards was always a good feeling. Watching him play the game for 12 years in a Twins uniform. If you are anywhere near my age I’m guessing the Kirby Puckett holds a special place in your heart to this day. Ten years ago today Puckett’s life came to an end. It was a day of great sadness, and a lot of soul searching. Here I am, ten year later, and thinking about Kirby Puckett still brings back great memories. He wasn’t a perfect player, but he was an all-time great. He was a Hall of Famer. He did a lot in the community. He always played hard, and he always had the big smile on his face. He had some big moments, and he led our favorite team to two World Series championships. Click here to view the article

The results of Nolasco's outing were still pretty meaningless in the big picture. Regardless of who he was facing.

He fits into the category with Pressly and Tonkin and such. He could, but after being pushed to MLB last year, and likely learning a ton, he can got back to AAA and hopefully develop more and more.

Zero reason to be concerned for the first couple of weeks, as Dante says above. A key thing, long-term, for him will be to avoid swinging at those low and away breaking pitches. That was an issue for a couple of years with Torii Hunter and Michael Cuddyer. That takes time and a lot of at bats. I'm going to be more concerned if he keeps missing fastballs down the middle of the plate like he did last year at times. My level of concern for Buxton long term is about 2.8%

Fair point. I won't worry ever about any one outing, but I feel better about Taylor Rogers clearly looking nervous and short-arming pitches and not having real good control in his inning than about Nolasco getting rocked. Though, to be fair, Nolasco was hurt a little by his RF, but even there, that ball was absolutely crushed.

Absolutely correct... They'll get a chance to work with Neil Allen and Eddie Guardado. They may meet some struggles (they will), and they can be optioned with an encouraging message of "Here's what you need to work on, and you'll be back soon." They can replace that guy with another young guy. That's what I would do. I'm not suggesting that's what the Twins will do, and of course, I don't necessarily think there isn't value in having veteran types too. It should be a mix though.

You are absolutely correct... I updated it accordingly! Thank you!

Recently, left-handed reliever Matt Thornton signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres. He was one of many left-handed relievers mentioned on this site this offseason. Meanwhile, the Twins have more than a half-dozen relief pitchers in the upper levels of the minor leagues who could be ready to contribute at some point during the 2016 season. Therein lies the struggle. Is it better to have aging veterans whose careers are clearly on the downward trajectory or youth with loads of talent but minimal (if any) big league experience? The best answer? It’s best to have players who are still in their prime with a ton of talent. However, we all know that teams are comprised of solely all-star caliber players aged 24 to 31. The real answer is that each team is going to be comprised of some veterans and some rookies. But the Twins had some tough decisions this offseason, and there will be more next offseason, and every subsequent offseason. This offseason, the bullpen was the focal point, and this very topic is at the crux of what happened, or what didn’t happen, if you prefer.Early in the offseason, Terry Ryan spoke frequently about the need to improve the bullpen, a bullpen that really struggled, especially in the second half of last season. As we got to the Winter Meetings, the focus became left-handed pitching. Yet, as the offseason continued on and now spring training has started, the Twins went without signing or trading for any MLB relief pitchers. Some can argue that the Twins accomplished some measure of addition by subtraction. They chose not to bring back free agents Blaine Boyer, Brian Duensing or Neal Cotts (each signed a minor league contract elsewhere shortly before spring training). Glen Perkins. Kevin Jepsen. Casey Fien. Probably Trevor May, as we assume he’ll be in the bullpen and not the rotation. We know it’s very possible that Ricky Nolasco or Tommy Milone, whichever is not the team’s fifth starter, will be in the bullpen. That leaves just two spots that are really open (assuming no trades, or any injuries - which of course can’t be assumed). Michael Tonkin is out of options. He will get a very long look. Many will say that he is a favorite for one more spot. I am one of them, though I do not think his roster spot is a given. So, let’s get back to the question at the top. Do we want veterans or young players with upside? 39-year-old Matt Thornton has been a high-quality left-handed reliever for a decade. He was truly great from 2008 to 2010 when he threw really hard (mid-to-upper 90s) for the White Sox. While his velocity and strikeout rates have dropped the last five years, he still had an ERA under 2.00 last year. Will that continue as he approaches 40? Maybe. Neal Cotts, Brian Duensing, Manny Parra and others fall a category or two lower than Thornton. They’re a little younger, and they have had some experience and a bit of success over the last five to six years. They are veterans, but there isn’t a lot of potential. They are sixth and seventh inning type of guys. Reading the forums of Twins Daily the last couple of years, there are many who think that those lower-leverage situations are ideal for a young pitcher with upside. Remember, between Perkins, Jepsen, May and Fien, the 8th and 9th innings are pretty well covered. If things are going well, that group could cover the 7th inning at times as well. Ricky Nolasco (if he’s in the bullpen) is the likely long reliever. Let’s not call Michael Tonkin a given yet. So, do we want those veterans for the sixth and seventh inning, or do we want youngsters in those two remaining spots in the bullpen? SEEN THEM, STILL YOUNG (RH RP) Ryan Pressly was doing well when he was injured last year. He deserves another opportunity and will pitch well. JR Graham was up due to the Rule 5 rules last year, and he has a lot of talent. Most likely, he’ll do what Pressly has done and spend plenty of time in AAA in 2016. Alex Meyer clearly has a world of talent and will likely get an opportunity at some point in 2016 and has huge upside. He’s got to throw more strikes. Tonkin himself fits into this category. YOUNG FLAMETHROWERS (RH RP) JT Chargois sure had an impressive spring debut on Thursday night. He coaxed three weak ground balls with his mid-to-upper-90s fastball, solid slurve and good change-up. He missed 2013 and 2014 due to injury, but he returned in 2015. He began in Ft. Myers, but he worked up to Chattanooga where he became the closer for the Southern League champions. Jake Reed came on with two on and one out in the 2nd on Thursday. He showed his mid-90s fastball, slider and a lot of movement. He needed a few pitches, but he got the double play. He was drafted in 2014 and dominated in two levels plus the AFL. In 2015, he jumped to AA where he struggled. After time in Ft. Myers he returned to the Lookouts, and then he pitched well in the AFL. Nick Burdi, like Chargois, can touch triple digits, and he has a strong slider too. He was terrific in the AFL, looking like he had found some control and had a great slider working. If he can continue with those pitches he will be up soon.These three are not likely to make the Opening Day roster, but all three of them could be ready within a month or two of the season. MINOR LEAGUE SIGNINGS (RH RP) The Twins signed veteran reliever Brandon Kintzler to a minor league deal. He had a couple of good years before a leg injury cost him much of his 2015 season. MINOR LEAGUE SIGNINGS (LH RP) The Twins brought back Aaron Thompson who was good for them the first four or five weeks of the season, and then struggled and went to AAA. But, he could be adequate in the short-term. The Twins signed two guys out of independent ball who won’t make the team, Dan Runzler and Buddy Boschers, but could make an impression in spring training and be an option later. The one veteran lefty reliever with an opportunity, most likely, to make the Opening Day roster is Fernando Abad. He’s just past 30, and he’s had some big league success. We’ll see. Though he is no longer on the 40-man roster, Logan Darnell could fill a left-handed reliever (or long-reliever) role out of the bullpen for the Twins in 2016. Darnell is not on the 40-man roster because the Twins signed lefty Mike Strong, who will compete for a job in Chattanooga or Rochester this spring at age 27. YOUNG LEFTIES Taylor Rogers had a rough - yes, really rough - 2016 spring debut on Thursday night. The first five batters reached, three scored, before he got the final three batters out. He even gave up back-to-back doubles to left-handers. However, of 202 lefties he faced in 2015 in AAA, he gave up just three extra-base hits (all doubles). He has a track record of dominating lefties. No, he’s never really pitched out of the bullpen, but he has the potential to be really, really good. High upside, lacking in experience. I’ll put 27-year-old Ryan O’Rourke in this category too. He spent the second half of 2015 with the Twins. He has made a career out of dominating left-handers as well. He did that with the Twins, at least until late in the season when he was used sparingly and in situations where he had to get both lefties and righties out. Mason Melotakis is potentially the left-handed equivalent to Burdi and Chargois. He missed all of 2015 but came back in Instructs hitting 97. He is a three-pitch pitcher with very nasty stuff. He really just needs to get some innings in the minors before throwing him into the big leagues. But he’s another that shouldn’t surprise us if we see him a lot in 2016. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? I mean, it’s going to mean something different to everyone. Have I mentioned Tony Sipp or Antonio Bastardo? No, because I fully understand not wanting to go three years on them. That is especially true as upside guys like Yorman Landa, Brandon Peterson and Trevor Hildenberger get closer too. I think the key points are these: The Twins have four guys at the back end of the bullpen that they can, most likely, rely upon. (Glen Perkins, Kevin Jepsen, Trevor May and Casey Fien)Michael Tonkin and Ricky Nolasco likely have the upper hand early in spring training on roster spots.The Twins could go with veteran relievers. They brought a couple in with some big league success (Fernando Abad, Brandon Kintzler). There are still a couple out there who the Twins could sign if things go poorly for the other lefties this spring (Franklyn Morales, Randy Choate, Joe Beimel). Based on the volatility of relief pitchers, any of them could be good, or bad, for the year.The Twins could choose to have their final bullpen spot or two filled by high upside pitchers that can be brought along slowly in lower-leverage situations. The fact that they have a bunch of options means that they shouldn’t be afraid to send these guys up and down from time to time throughout the season.So, who are the highest upside guys right now? In my mind, there are five guys that I would consider going with early in the season. Alex Meyer has huge upside. JT Chargois and Nick Burdi have the biggest upsides, and are both very nearly ready. Jake Reed is close to that level as well. Mason Melotakis has a huge upside, is left-handed, and now just needs to work some innings. He may not be down long. And, Taylor Rogers in a low-leverage situation where he can go 1-2 innings, or just go against left-handers, can be very good. That is list of six guys who may be ready in 2016. We thought some of them would be ready in 2015, and they weren’t. It’s possible that they won’t be again in 2016. If not, that shows bigger issues in the organization that likely need to be addressed. The talent is there, and they need to get to the big leagues. The only way to get them experience is to give them experience. That obviously starts this spring. They will take their lumps. So will veterans. So, the Twins (and fans) need to decide whether they want the lumps taken by a veteran like Matt Thornton or guys who could become the next Matt Thornton (circa 2008-2010). There is no way for the Twins (or fans) to know what the right decision is for 2016. That’s why they play the games. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE These veteran versus high-upside, unproven talent questions happen all over the place. Consider the starting rotation. In theory, it’s possible that the Twins could decide on a rotation of Santana, Hughes, Gibson, Nolasco and Milone and let Duffey and Berrios go to Rochester. Duffey is pretty solidly penciled in to the starting rotation, but Berrios has very little chance to be on the Opening Day roster. As fans, do we want the veteran like Nolasco, who has had some measure of success in the past, or do we want to see the high-upside of Berrios? Behind the plate, do we want to see the veteran in Kurt Suzuki, or would we prefer to see John Ryan Murphy get more playing time? There’s a reason that we want the Twins to go with Byron Buxton as their center fielder from Opening Day. It isn’t a certainty that he is ready right now. It’s a confidence that his upside and potential are very high. Meanwhile a certain sect of Twins fans were disappointed when Rajai Davis signed elsewhere. Signing Davis would affect a roster spot and, more important, playing time for Buxton, or Eddie Rosario, or eventually Max Kepler. Some fans even see a scenario where trading an all-star, a proven veteran and a still-just-28-year-old Brian Dozier to make room for Jorge Polanco. In 2006, we saw the Twins sign veterans Juan Castro and Tony Batista to man the left-side of the infield. By mid-June those two were gone and Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto took over, and the team took off. That’s not to say that going with a veteran is always wrong either. On the right contract, a veteran can be great. The Twins have had plenty of success with minor league free agent signings in recent years (Jared Burton, Sam Deduno, Chris Colabello, Casey Fien, etc.). They’ve had success, at least for one year with major league signings (Phil Hughes, Josh Willingham). They’ve had failures with free agent signings too (Lamb, Nolasco, etc). Unfortunately in baseball, played by people as it is, there is no way to guarantee what kind of performance you will get from any player, veteran, or rookie. In 1991, the Twins signed Jack Morris, who wasn’t very good the two previous seasons in Detroit. They could have gone with the young guy with upside, like David West or something. They signed veteran Chili Davis rather than going with someone like Paul Sorrento. A year earlier, they had traded prospects for an upper-30s Bert Blyleven, and they re-acquired a long-time veteran Roy Smalley. I guess they were bringing back the gang, right? So what is the 'right' strategy, and can the answer to that question change? In other words, was the answer different during the 90-loss seasons than in 2016 when the team is expecting to compete for a playoff berth? We are two games into spring training. Opening Day is a month away. A lot of decisions will be made. Some will prove right. Some will prove wrong. But will the philosophy be to go with veterans, or will it be to go with youth and talent? My guess is that it will be a little of both. The important thing after making those Opening Day roster decisions, will be how quickly changes will be made. Click here to view the article

Yeah, I guess I was differentiating ceiling from right now. Ceiling - no question that Berrios's ceiling is the highest. Right now - it's a maybe, but he'd have to do it.

I think Perkins is set to have a full, successful season. Obviously there's no way to know that, but he made some changes this offseason. He told me that he stayed in Florida all but around the holidays and has been working out daily with a trainer. However, he also said at the time of the extension that would be it. If the Twins picked up the option, he'd take it. Otherwise, that is is. When I talked to him one-on-one at Twins Fest, he reiterated that point. He's got a couple of daughters that are just slightly younger than mine. He said it was harder being away from them this offseason, but it's what he needed to do. That's when he stressed again that he would be done after this contract. He told me that when he came up, he talked with Brad Radke. He said, Radke could have kept pitching if he wanted, likely after a surgery, and made a lot more money. But he wanted to enjoy being a dad, and Perkins said he really took that to heart. I think that's commendable because a guy with his track record, left-handed, could stick around into his 40s if he wanted to. I think he's being truthful. Obviously he can change his mind if he wants.

I apologize for cutting your posting to just a sentence, maybe part of a sentence, but I have just one thing to add to this... That sentence is true short-term... like, right now. He right now has the highest upside of them all. I think some (maybe me?) might argue that he could be the best of them right now, or very, very soon.