Seth Stohs

There is zero reason to believe that he can't get back to being a quality, upper-half-of-the-rotation guy as early as sometime in 2017. Is it likely? I don't know. Hard to guess based on the surgery and track record. But it'd be completely inaccurate to flat-out say that it can't happen... And man, would it be nice!

Born in Puerto Rico, Edgar Corcino was drafted in 2009 by the Detroit Tigers. In 2012, he played at four different levels, including a handful of games at AAA. However, after the season he was released. He spent two seasons in independent leagues. Before the 2015 season, Corcino signed with the Twins. He began the season at extended spring training before spending the final four months of the season in Cedar Rapids. Last year, he began in Ft. Myers, but after a slow start, he came on strong and by midseason, he was promoted to Chattanooga. Overall, he hit .273/.337/.420 (.757) with 20 doubles, 11 triples and eight homers in 124 games. He also stole seven bases, and he is a tremendous outfielder at all three positions. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photos of Edgar Corcino) Born in Puerto Rico, Edgar Corcino was drafted in 2009 by the Detroit Tigers. In 2012, he played at four different levels, including a handful of games at AAA. However, after the season he was released. He spent two seasons in independent leagues. Before the 2015 season, Corcino signed with the Twins. He began the season at extended spring training before spending the final four months of the season in Cedar Rapids. Last year, he began in Ft. Myers, but after a slow start, he came on strong and by midseason, he was promoted to Chattanooga. Overall, he hit .273/.337/.420 (.757) with 20 doubles, 11 triples and eight homers in 124 games. He also stole seven bases, and he is a tremendous outfielder at all three positions. It’s been a busy offseason for Corcino, but fortunately, he was willing and able to take some of his time and answer some questions for us at Twins Daily. So, let’s get to know a little more about Edgar. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Puerto Rico, who was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Edgar Corcino (EC): Growing up, I was a big Red Sox fan!! And my favorite players were David Wright and Evan Longoria because I used to be third baseman.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? EC: I used to play a couple sports like basketball and volleyball in high school, but wasn't really good at it! And some of my better memories were going to the tryouts and workouts for MLB teams. That was pretty exciting!!SS: You had just turned 17 when the Tigers drafted you in the 26th round in 2009. How difficult was the decision for you to sign, or did you have other options other than signing? EC: Yeah, it was really hard for me because all I wanted to do was play baseball. But I was really young, and I had the chance to go to school, but that wasn't my first option. Hopefully, we made a good deal with Detroit and I was able to sign!!SS: What was the experience for you in the Tigers organization for four years? You spent three years in the rookie leagues, and then in 2012 you played everywhere from Low-A to High-A to AAA. EC: It was a great experience playing for the Tigers. I made really good friends and learn a lot. My last year there was kind of weird, but pretty exciting, as well being able to played at AAA level was great!!SS: After the Tigers let you go, you played for two seasons in independent leagues. How did that opportunity come for you and did you enjoy playing in that league? EC: Well, this will sound kind of weird, but during those two years, I had a rough time in my life. But at the same time, it was the best thing that ever happened to me!! I learned things to really help how to be consistent.SS: How did you come to sign with the Twins? What was it about the Twins that helped you decide to sign with them? EC: Actually the Twins were the only team that to gave me the chance to play in affiliated baseball again, and I really appreciate the opportunity.SS: You’ve worked out with Jose Berrios in the offseasons and you’re good friends. How long have you known each other, and what was it like seeing him make the big leagues last year, reaching his dreams? EC: Yeah, I had the privilege to work out next to a great person. We have known each other over five years. When I heard the (news) that he got called up, I got really excited!!SS: What would you say are your best traits on or off the baseball field? EC: I will say my personality and my good sense of humor.SS: What areas of your game are you working to improve in the offseason? EC: I been working to improve my stealing and adding a little more power!!!SS: What was the adjustment like from playing in Cedar Rapids, to playing in Ft. Myers, to playing in Chattanooga? As you move up each level, do you see big differences in the pitching? EC: Yeah! You can tell there is a difference at each level you go, but you’ve got to make your adjustments!!SS: What do you do in the offseason as you prepare for the 2017 baseball seasons? EC: During this offseason, I had been focusing on my mobility. I know if I gain more mobility, I will be able to get better on my swing and defense as well!!SS: What are some of the things you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? EC: I love spending time with my family, especially my wife, and help people to get better!!SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? EC: First, I want to thank Jesus Christ, my lord and my savior. Without him, I wouldn't be here. My wife, she has been a big part on my career. My family. Josue Lionel "Build and Safe Sport Trainer." He's the person who's been the key in my career, my trainer and mentor since I was 12 years old. I really thank him for being such an important part of my career. And last but also important, my agent Hector Gomez. True example of how an agent should be!! He never let me down, even when my career looked like it was about to end!!SS: Favorite baseball movie? EC: My favorite baseball movie is Major League.A HUGE Thank you for Edgar Corcino for taking time to answer our questions, in his second language, and doing a great job. Please feel free to ask questions and leave comments below. View full article

Went out on a limb on that one, huh? I like Granite. Great kid. Great attitude and I love his approach at the plate. He needs some time at AAA though, and someone with his talent shouldn't be sitting on the bench as a 4th outfielder. He needs time in AAA. I assume John Ryan Murphy will be the backup catcher to start the season, though I think he, Gimenez and Garver probably go in on pretty equal footing. I put Vielma as my Twins SS if the Twins had dealt Dozier, but I'd be shocked. I'm certain they'd go out and get Erick Aybar or someone like that.

Dustin Morse took a couple of pictures from the site: Good to see that Miguel Sano was there:

I get wanting to do the draft for interest, at least in the first group. My problem is then like 25-30 guys (out of 150+) get drafted. I get that the lesser-known prospects might have less interest, but they still deserve a thread. And markos, there's no reason that information from the daily reports can't transfer over to their prospect page. In fact, it should, especially if they have a home run, or a multi-hit game, or throw a quality start or something. And, there should be a bunch more on all the players, local news paper articles, video, etc.

Dave St. Peter and Andy MacPhail stood with many people from the Dominican baseball leagues and MLB to unveil their new baseball academy in Boca Chica. We had head from Darren Wolfson that Thad Levine was also there, along with the likes of Ervin Santana, Danny Santana and Jorge Polanco. Here is the press release followed by a tweet showing how cool and well down the academy is. Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies Debut Dominican Republic Baseball Academy The Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies announced today the completion of their new shared baseball academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, with a grand opening celebration held at the site. The $18 million, 85,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility is housed on 45 acres. Prospects for both teams will reside and train at the academy, participate in an education program and take part in a cultural development program. Attendees at today’s celebration included Danilo Diaz (Minister of Sports); Ricardo Noboa (Commissioner of Dominican Baseball); Juan Francisco Puello Herrera (President of Caribbean Baseball Federation); Orlando Diaz (President of Dominican Summer League); Leonardo Matos Berrido (President of Dominican Winter League); Winston Llenas (President of Aguilas Baseball Club); Kim Ng (Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations, Major League Baseball); Rafael Perez (Director of Dominican Republic Operations, Major League Baseball) and executive leadership from both the Twins and Phillies. The event was emceed by Yancen Pujols (Sports Editor, Periodico El Caribe). “The Minnesota Twins are proud to be in partnership with the Philadelphia Phillies organization on the development of this state-of-the-art player complex in the Dominican Republic,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “We are grateful to so many dedicated staff and partners who have helped make this academy a reality. The vision for this facility is rooted in the personal and physical development of our players. Clearly, the Dominican Republic is a vital source for talent and a community of great importance to our respective organizations.” “Today is an exciting day for the Phillies and the Twins and for the future of our respective franchises,” said Phillies President Andy MacPhail. “This new facility allows both teams to provide on-field training and development, off-the-field cultural development and educational advancement, all of which are vital to becoming a successful baseball player in the United States.” Each side of the academy includes three full-sized fields, bullpen mounds, agility field, covered batting cages, dormitory space for up to 78 prospects, dining hall, weight room, training room, video coaching room and three classrooms for English language and Spanish instruction in multiple high school level topics. Additionally, the Twins and Phillies will share a kitchen facility, an auditorium consisting of 98 theater-style seats and a maintenance building. As an added element to the unveiling of the joint academy, the Twins and Phillies have made a financial contribution to show their commitment and thanks to the great neighboring community. These funds will purchase “team kits” that will be given to local under-resourced teams from “Fundacion ENED.” Pitch In For Baseball has assisted in purchasing, packaging and shipping all the kits to the DR. https://twitter.com/Twins/status/821381516588617730

Twins minor league outfielder Tanner English has always been a star on the baseball field. Like many in professional baseball, he was a great high school player. Following his career at St. James High School in Murrell Island, South Carolina, he was drafted in the 13th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. After a lot of deep thought and long nights, English decided to stay in-state and attend the University of South Carolina. Following three seasons there, the Twins used their 11th-round pick to take the speedy center fielder. Image courtesy of Linwood Ferguson (photo of Tanner English) Twins minor league outfielder Tanner English has always been a star on the baseball field. Like many in professional baseball, he was a great high school player. Following his career at St. James High School in Murrell Island, South Carolina, he was drafted in the 13th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. After a lot of deep thought and long nights, English decided to stay in-state and attend the University of South Carolina. Following three seasons there, the Twins used their 11th-round pick to take the speedy center fielder. His talent and athleticism helped him get to the point where he began his 2016 season with the Ft. Myers Miracle. English can now see clearly a path to further success, and maybe even a major league career. “I’ve been blessed with some natural abilities that I can thank the good Lord for, and my parents, but I think that everything’s caught up with me.” English continued, “I think I’ve been performing enough my entire life to get to the point where I was, but to advance my game any more, I needed to put myself into the best position I could.” When English was in grade school, he started wearing reading glasses. In middle school, he was encouraged to start wearing contacts. “It didn’t work. So I gave up on it. The rest of high school, and even in college, I tried hundreds of pairs of contacts, and none have ever worked, for whatever reason. Maybe I’m a diva.” English said his eyesight, without enhancement, was around 20/50. Not terrible, but certainly not near 20/20. Eyesight is crucial for a baseball player. Hall of Famer Ted Williams was found to have 20/10 vision. Tony Gwynn also tested at 20/10. 20/8 is said to be “perfect” vision. From a recent San Diego Union-Tribune article, “Optometrist David Kirschen, of Brea, who specializes in studying the eyesight of athletes to achieve optimal sports performance, says the average major league baseball player’s vision is 20/12 and 3.9 percent have 20/8 eyesight.” English had been encouraged to get contacts in his physicals with the Twins too. About two weeks into the Miracle season, Twins minor league field coordinator Joel Lepel asked English how his contacts were treating him. English again reported that he wasn’t wearing them. That turned into a conversation with English, Lepel and Twins minor league director Brad Steil. A couple of days later, English had Lasik surgery. English reports, “Now I’m reading the 20/10 line in some cases and can read the 20/15 line easily.” The plan was to miss three weeks of the season. By doctor’s orders, he wasn’t supposed to do anything for the first two weeks. Then just one more week of rehab to get his legs back under him and get a few at-bats, and he was to head back to the Miracle lineup. Or, that’s what was supposed to happen. “I played one (game). Got my second one. The last inning of that second game is when I hurt my ankle. That three week time frame turned into another eight weeks. That was not fun at all!” Can you imagine the frustration? English struggled with the decision to miss three weeks for the Lasik surgery but decided it was in his best interest. He knew that injury was part of the game, but it obviously isn’t what any competitive player wants. “It was going stir-crazy. I was in my walking boot for five weeks, and I had to rehab for another three weeks.” He continued, “I was seeing the ball like I had never seen it before. So I was chomping at the bit to get back on the field, and then I got hurt. That’s what happens in baseball. Everything happens for a reason. I don’t really know what that reason was, I’m just trusting the good Lord’s plan and taking things as they come.” He returned to the Miracle in early August and played in just 22 games with the Miracle. After missing so much time, he was behind the curve, but despite hitting .247, he got on base 36% of the time. And that’s the type of offensive weapon that he is. “I would like to be that table setter guy. No matter if I got a hit, if I walk, if I get hit by a pitch. Shoot, if I hit the ball and the shortstop makes an error. I want to get on base because I know that once I am on first base, we have a good chance of scoring one run. And in a lot of games, one run goes a long way. Once I get on first, I know that I can steal second. I could get to second base on a passed ball and score on a base hit. A couple of times this year, I scored on base hits from first base. I’m pretty confident that if I get on, I can help the team out and put a run on the board. That’s my goal every at-bat. It changes a bit here and there, like if a runner is on second base. Same thing if a runner’s at third base. I’m not expected to be driving in runs all the time. There’re other guys in the lineup expected to do that. I’m paid to get on base and score run. That’s what I’m trying to do.” It may seem easy, but it is a realization that each player needs to come to. They need to grow and mature as a player and a person to realize the type of player they need to be. It is a process. “I think that’s half the battle. I battled with myself when I was a little bit younger. In high school, I was able to hit the ball over the fence. When I got to college, it was an adjustment I had to make, and I’d still be swinging too big. Then when I got into pro ball, my eyes started opening up. I realized it more every day. We also play more, so I can see it. It took me awhile to realize it, but when I did, it helped my game out a lot.” When the calendar turned to September, English had another surprise, though this one was positive. “We were coming back from Jupiter. It was about 1:00 a.m. When I hit the bus, I put my headphones on. and I find my happy place and I’m out. Smitty (Miracle manager Jeff Smith) walked up and shook my leg. I opened my eyes real groggy. He’s like, ‘Hey, just got a call. Buxton got moved up, and you’re going to New York in the morning. You’re going to fly into Rochester in the morning.’” Great news for Tanner, of course, though he did have a quick phone call to make. “My parents had just crossed the state line to get into Florida to come watch me play my last few games. I called my dad and said, ‘I’ve got some really bad news. I guess it could be good news. I just got moved up to Rochester, so you guys have to turn around and go home.’ They had to drive all the way back. That phone call was cool. I didn’t sleep that whole night.” English wasn’t completely sure what he was going to do with the Red Wings, but he was excited for the opportunity, even if it was only five days. “I thought I was just going up there to fill a spot in case somebody got hurt and needed a backup outfielder. I didn’t know that at the time they only had two outfielders on the roster and needed a center fielder. I went up there and met with (Rochester manager Mike) Quade. I said, ‘Hey, I’m Tanner. Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me.’ He said, “OK. Here’s the signs. You’re hitting ninth tonight and playing center field.’ I wasn’t expecting that, so I had to prepare for that. It was awesome.” After going 0-6 in his first two games, English ended the season by going 5-11 with a double and a couple of stolen bases over the final three games. “I wasn’t really going up there trying to impress anybody. I was just trying to go up there and have fun and really enjoy the experience. I ended up playing really well. I think having that mentality of just go enjoy it, it’s baseball, don’t put any extra pressure on yourself. I think that helped me the most. It’d be really easy to get thrown into that situation and get really tight and try to do too much. I’m glad I didn’t do that. I’m glad I took it pitch-by-pitch and played with a smile on my face. I know that might sound silly, but I just thoroughly enjoyed myself. The weather was beautiful. The fans were great. It was a really fun experience. And the guys were really great, they were all really good to me.” He also was in the clubhouse when Mike Quade informed the Red Wings that James Beresford was heading to the big leagues. “Being able to see how all the guys reacted to James Beresford getting called up. It was a really cool experience. It was a really fun experience for me to see those guys get called up and be like, I’m right here. It’s really motivating. It was a good time man.” The regular season was over. Combined, with Ft. Myers, rehab appearances in the GCL and the late-season stint with the Red Wings, he played in a total of just 41 games. He was an ideal candidate to send to the Arizona Fall League for some additional experience. We’ll discuss the Arizona Fall League experience, what he was hoping for in the Fall League, how he felt about it and more later in the week with additional thoughts of Tanner English. View full article

Hey everyone, We wanted to get people thinking about this right away. The first few years at Twins Daily, we held an Adopt-A-Prospect in which readers were encouraged to 'adopt' a prospect or two fro the system and start a thread on that player. That person was then responsible for posting updates, highlights of big games, awards, newspaper stories from their towns, and anything else. Last year, we didn't run anything officially though some of you took it on yourself. If we want to give it a shot, a real shot to work this year, we need to plan it. What do people want to see from it? Who would be interested in reading the information keeping up with the forums? Here's what I'd like to see, but feel free to share your thoughts. 1.) Encourage and have threads on all minor leaguers. It bugged me that there would be stories on minor leaguers, things that would have fit perfectly into what we'd like to know about players. How do we get more participation? 2.) We had a lot of people adopt players and then they go quiet. That's frustrating too. If we're going to do this for 2017, we need help. We need to discuss it now and prepare. Do we continue the adoption process? Do we have groups of people help get a roster done? Should we start these threads now, listing all players? What do you think?

He'll be a minor league free agent after the season, so if he doesn't make it, it'd be surprising to see him come back. Some decent talent in this list. I have Stashak maybe 15 spots higher. I'd have Wells, Vasquez and Wiel just about the same, both just outside the Top 50. I have Wheeler down a bit further. I think I put Stashak as a 2017 Sleeper.

Tough to do with Castro around, but the reports I got on Garver - while researching for the Prospect Handbook - were glowing, both offensively and defensively...

This one surprised me a little this morning. The Twins released RHP Sam Gibbons. He had a difficult 2016, but he was very good in 2017. From his Facebook page: "Nothing can prepare you for the phone call that you never want to receive. Sadly I received it over the weekend, letting me know that I had been released by the Minnesota Twins."

The 2017 Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Twins Winter Caravan stops in more than 40 communities throughout Twins Territory between Monday, January 16 and Wednesday, January 25. The Twins Winter Caravan is one of the longest running and most extensive offseason team caravans in professional sports. It features teams of current and former players visiting schools, hospitals, corporations and service clubs during the day with a traditional "hot stove" program each evening. Twins Winter Caravan tours will be led by members of the Treasure Island Baseball Network and Fox Sports North broadcast teams including Bert Blyleven, Dick Bremer, Dan Gladden, Cory Provus and Kris Atteberry. 2017 Twins Winter Caravan routes and personalities are below (schedule and players are subject to change). Specific times and locations within those communities will be announced in the coming weeks on this page. Check the below link to see if the Twins Winter Caravan will be near your town. We'd love to read stories from the event. Was the program good? Did any questions get asked/answered that were interesting? Did you get to meet or talk to anyone? Share your stories here. http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/community/winter-caravan/

BRIAN DOZIER RANKED 8TH ON MLB NETWORK’S TOP 10 SECOND BASEMEN RIGHT NOW! January 16, 2017 – Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier was ranked 8th on MLB Network’s Top 10 Second Basemen Right Now! program yesterday. Dozier finished one spot ahead of the Rays’ Logan Forsythe and one spot behind the Rockies’ DJ LeMahieu. Taking into account player performance over several seasons with an emphasis on 2016, a number of offensive and defensive metric, both advanced and traditional, and projected performance for the upcoming season, MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now! series ranks the top players at each position heading into the 2017 season. An embeddable video recap of Dozier’s ranking, along with the complete ranking, listed below, can be seen here: Top 10 Second Basemen Right Now! 1. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros 2. Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners 3. Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals 4. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox 5. Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers 6. Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians 7. DJ LeMahieu, Colorado Rockies 8. Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins 9. Logan Forsythe, Tampa Bay Rays 10. Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs Now in its seventh season, MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now! series is hosted by Brian Kenny with contributing analysis from MLB Network on-air personalities, Boston Red Sox senior advisor of baseball operations and renowned sabermetrician Bill James, President of SABR Vince Gennaro and MLB.com analyst Mike Petriello. The rankings will continue next Sunday, January 22 with MLB’s top ten starting pitchers unveiled at 9:00 p.m. ET, featuring analysis from MLB Network’s John Smoltz, and the top ten left fielders at 10:00 p.m. ET, with analysis from MLB Network’s Eric Byrnes. About MLB Network: MLB Network is the ultimate television destination for baseball fans, featuring the multiple Emmy Award-winning MLB Tonight, live regular season and Postseason game telecasts, original programming, highlights, and insights and analysis. MLB Network debuted on January 1, 2009 in a record-setting 50 million homes, is currently distributed in approximately 68 million homes throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, and is available for live, authenticated streaming via MLB.com At Bat and MLBNetwork.com. For more information and to find MLB Network in your area, go to www.MLBNetwork.com.

Not even a little bit...

Was told that Jairo will be a coach in the Dominican Summer League. Great place to start for him!

Last night in Venezuela, catcher Jairo Rodriguez announced that he was retiring from Aragua and from playing for the Twins. He also noted that he will be a coach in the Twins minor leagues. Could be in the DSL, or the GCL. Or really anywhere. Jeff Smith worked with minor league catchers during the spring, so maybe Jairo will kind of take over that role.

San Diego

Held another Twins Twitter/Periscope session today for about 20 minutes. Lots of questions! https://twitter.com/SethTweets/status/819982494288281600

Kevin Kiermeier's are worth like 5-6 WAR, and if Buxton provides a little more offense than him, that's a very valuable player. No one ever said he would put up the numbers that Trout has. Some said (and I saw both at the level) that he was a better prospect than Trout in Low A because he had better tools. Sure. But that doesn't mean anyone should have thought that he would be another Trout. If you get a 5-6 WAR guy with the #2 pick in a draft, that's pretty rare and a positive. Sano's terrible year still had him hitting 25 homers and he missed 6 weeks. I'm not sure what to make of him, but he can be a 3-5 WAR guy just with his bat. I think the pressure is on him a bit. Rosario isn't in the same level of prospect. To give up or make any real opinion on Berrios after like 10 starts makes little sense. But, most prospect people saw him as a #3 type of starter that could reach up and be a #2 at times. I don't think that's unrealistic. Plus, they'd still have dozier and santana and then you hope for better health and improvement out of a young bullpen. We'll see how the Falvey/Levine regime does with player development. I'd say that the Ryan group (since Brad Steil took over) has shown a pretty strong ability to get guys to the big leagues. Few prospects come up and dominate, so I'm far from being willing to give up on them. If Vegas were to put the odds of the Twins winning 72.5 games in 2017, what would people take? I said between 70 and 75.

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

I have 17 guys that I think could be released after spring training, particularly if they don't start at a certain level. I have another dozen that could be after EST if they don't get to CR before then. That's the unfortunate business side of the game. Irby was pretty solid in Cedar Rapids in April and May but then got hurt again and finally recovered.

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

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