Seth Stohs

I think they've had such a focus on pitching in the last 2-3 drafts. Also, They have Mauer, Park, Sano, Plouffe and probably others who can play 1B. I'd say, unless you get a great, great hitter, might as well wait. Get the athletes, hope a couple can stick at SS or CF and move the rest around.

Morneau won a batting title in his 3rd year back from a concussion. That's where Mauer will be in 2016, third season. And, why object to numbers? They're just numbers.

Vargas was never much of a prospect for a reason - several reasons - offensively or defensively. He can get a hold of one at times. We may have seen his peak in that final two months of 2014. But just 25, no reason to just drop him. Good depth.

Realistic season from Mauer is probably .300/.375/.450 (.825) with 40 doubles and 12-15 HR. He'll continue to likely be rested more because of his age and legs. More likely... .280/.355/.415 (.770) with 35 doubles and 10 homers.

He should probably have been included here. I included him with the corner outfielders, but he did play quite a bit of first base. He'll be in Chattanooga, so he'll be in that mix.

Very kind of you to say! Thank you! If others want to share their comments/thoughts on the Prospect Handbook, that would be great!

Yesterday, I began posting my thoughts on the 2016 Twins Roster Projections by considering the catchers in the Twins organization. Today, we move from behind the plate to first base. The Twins first baseman is set through the 2018 season, and with Byung Ho Park signed through 2019 (with an option for 2020), it’s possible the Twins have their first baseman set for the next five years.If anything goes off of plan, who are some of the options to fill in at first base in the coming years, and are there any prospects with the potential to be impact players down the line? Read on and see what you think, and then let’s discuss below in the comments. MAJOR LEAGUES Joe Mauer enters his third season as the Twins first baseman. The last two years have been frustrating for the St. Paul native. In his first ten seasons, Mauer caught. He was a six-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger, a three-time Gold Glove winner, a three-time batting champ and the 2009 MVP. In those ten years, he combined to hit .323/.405/.468 (.873), an OPS 35% better than the average player. His last two seasons, he hit a combined .270/.348/.376 (.715), the OPS is just 1% better than average. Defensively, most of his metric would call him an average or slightly better than average first baseman. Byung Ho Park will be the primary DH, though he was a Gold Glove winner at first base in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). He will likely get some time at first base as well. We have learned that the Gold Glove in Korea is more of an offensive award. The Twins brought Park in for his bat. In the last two years, he has hit a combined 105 homers and driven in 270 runs. Over his last four seasons in the KBO, his OPS were .954, 1.039, 1.119, and 1.150. He will turn 30 in May. There is likely to be a learning curve early in his season. MINOR LEAGUES Rochester Red Wings Kennys Vargas is kind of the odd man out with the signing of Park. He is a first baseman and a DH. Vargas came up from AA on August 1st of 2014 and hit ten doubles and nine homers in 53 games, mostly as the Twins cleanup hitter and DH. 2015 was a frustrating season for the slugger. He began the season in the big leagues. He was sent down to AA. He came back up, but at the end of June, he was sent back to AA, and Miguel Sano was called up. Vargas played well the rest of the way and moved to AAA and came back to the Twins in September. In 58 total games, he hit .240/.277/.349 (.626) with four doubles and five homers. There were rumors about him being sold to Korea, but that would make little sense. He’s still just 25 years old and has an option year remaining. With injury possibilities, and the possibility of Park needing a little time in the minor leagues, having depth will be important. Vargas can also be an intimidating bench bat, due to his size. Reynaldo Rodriguez is 29 years old and 2016 will mark his 11th professional season. After spending time in the Red Sox and Yankees, this will be his fourth in the organization. It will be the first time he has an invitation to big league spring training. In Rochester in 2015, he hit .255/.307/.446 (.753) with 34 doubles, 16 homers and 80 RBI. Chattanooga Lookouts Dalton Hicks was the Twins 17th round pick in 2012 out of Central Florida. He was in AA with the Lookouts in 2015. In fact, he was our choice for Hitter of the Month in April. However, he was hurt most of the rest of the season. He spent it in Ft. Myers rehabbing. He did return to the Lookouts late in the season. He will be 26 years old at the start of the 2016 season. In 2013, he led minor league baseball in RBI with 110 (1 more than teammate Adam Brett Walker). At 6-5 and nearly 250 pounds, Hicks has good power. Bryan Haar was the Twins 34th round pick in 2012 out of the University of San Diego where he played third base before moving to first base to accommodate a third baseman named Kris Bryant. At 6-3 and 220 pounds, Haar is a good athlete with some pop in his bat. He played in just 68 games in Ft. Myers in 2015, largely due to injury. Ft. Myers Miracle Trey Vavra played less than two months of the 2015 season, but he was very good with the Kernels. In fact, when he was hurt in late May, he was leading (or top three) the organization in most offensive categories. However, he suffered an ankle injury that later was determined to be a broken bone in his foot. He had surgery and missed the rest of the season. He has spent this offseason playing for the Melbourne Aces in the ABL, alongside his brother Tanner and playing for his father, Joe. It was an opportunity for him to make up some at bats. Assuming he gets to spring training and 100%, he should be pushed to Ft. Myers. Minnesotan Blake Schmit will also likely be given an opportunity to start the year with the Miracle. A late-round pick in 2014 out of Maryland, Schmit began 2013 in EST. He moved up to Cedar Rapids, but he was hit in the face with a pitch and missed a couple of months. He returned in a utility role for the Miracle. He can play all four infield spots. Cedar Rapids Kernels Zander Wiel will turn 23 next week. He played for three years at Vanderbilt. Last year, he hit .316/.406/.571 (.977) with 19 doubles and 15 homers. The Twins took him in the 12th round and he signed following the College World Series. Wiel is a very good athlete, tall and strong. After signing, he played in just a couple of games before being hit in the hand with a pitch. He missed a month. He is an advanced hitter and should jump straight to Cedar Rapids. Amaurys Minier was the Twins big international signing in 2012. He signed for about $1.5 million. He spent 2013 and 2014 in the GCL and improved his OPS from .707 to .925. He began 2015 in the GCL, but just two games before moving up to Elizabethton. The only reason for that is because he was again hurt late in spring training and rehabbed through extended spring training. He hit just .194/.279/.280 (.559) with nine doubles and two homers in E-Town. Don’t be surprised if he starts in EST again, but he should spend time in Cedar Rapids. Extended Spring Training In July of 2013, the Twins big international signing was outfielder/first baseman Lewin Diaz. His body type is often compared to David Ortiz and Ryan Howard, so first base was always the place he would most likely play. He spent 2014 in the Dominican Summer League. He came to the States in 2015. He played in 33 games for the GCL and hit .261/.354/.369 (.724) with seven doubles and a homer. He moved up to Elizabethton for the final 14 games and hit just .167 but hit three home runs. Power will be his game. He is most likely to spend the year in Elizabethton. Kolton Kendrick was the Twins eighth round pick in 2015 out of high school. He was regarded as the most powerful high school bat in the draft, compared to the likes of Mark McGwire and Josh Hamilton by Baseball America. He’ll strike out a bit, and may not hit for real high average, but his power potential is great. Unfortunately, after signing, he came down with mono and played just 24 games. He hit .200/.371/.271 (.642) with three doubles and a triple while regaining strength. He will go to extended spring training and could go either to Elizabethton or stay in the GCL. SUMMARY Joe Mauer is the first baseman. Byung Ho Park is the designated hitter. They can flip-flop once or twice a week as needed. If either gets hurt, Kennys Vargas is just Rochester away. In the lower levels, there is a lot of big power potential. Hopefully Dalton Hicks and Trey Vavra can return to their early 2015, pre-injury forms. Zander Wiel has power potential. Amaurys Minier, Lewin Diaz and Kolton Kendrick are all very raw, but have very big power potential. First Base Prospect Rankings: Byung Ho Park,Lewin DiazAmaurys MinierKolton KendrickTrey Vavra Click here to view the article

I always enjoy prospect lists... They're fun to debate... For instance... you have Jay at #3. I have him at #9... I can say you have him too high... you can tell me I have him too low. Ha! There's no way I could have Jay ahead of Kepler. I considered Kepler for #2 but went with Berrios again. 1-3 (Buxton, Berrios and Kepler, are all elite in my mind. I think Gordon is close to a Top 50 guy as well. I have Rogers at about 17-18 because as a starter, he's a #5... but as a reliever, he could be good, more than just a LOOGY. That's valuable. So, in that case, it might be the case where you rank him a little high and I rank him a little low. Mine is also a little different because I included Park and Javier as well. Good list!

Uffdah, I'll have to give that some thought... I know Chargois had an interesting mustache at times last year. We'll have to check.

If I had a ballot, these ten players would be checked: Barry Bonds, Rogers Clemens, Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Mussina, Tim Raines, Mike Piazza, Gary Sheffield, Curt Schilling, Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell. I feel that there is a great case to be made for, but because I'm limited to ten, I can't put them ahead of others: Nomar Garciaparra, Trevor Hoffman, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Sammy Sosa I think these guys will get in: Griffey is an easy choice. Piazza should finally get in. And I think Raines will be right there, very close to 75% Could go either way.

Throughout the offseason, we have posted several Q&As with Twins minor league players in an attempt to help our readers get to know the people beyond the box scores and stat lines. Today, we have an interview with outfielder Roberto Gonzalez, a young player and a very good athlete.From the 2016 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook: “Scouting Report: The Twins selected Nick Gordon with the 5th overall pick in the 2014 draft out of high school in Orlando. The Twins didn’t draft another prep player until the 15th round when they took another great athlete, Roberto Gonzalez, from Orlando. Gordon called Gonzalez a great athlete and when asked if Gonzalez could be a five-tool talent, he immediately responded, “Oh yeah!” In 2014 in the GCL, Gonzalez played just 13 games before breaking his kneecap and missing the rest of the season. He is a hard worker. He has good speed and profiles more in the corner outfield. He is a good outfielder with a strong arm. He has a strong left-handed swing which could develop some power. Former Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras, who passed away in October of 2014, was a cousin of Gonzalez.” Recently, Gonzalez answered several questions for us. Continue reading to learn more about this very talented, young prospect in the Twins system. ------------------------------------------------------ Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Orlando, who was your favorite team to follow, and who were some of your favorite players? Roberto Gonzalez (RG): Growing up in Orlando was a big change for me, especially moving from New York when I was 7. While I was in Florida, my two favorite players to watch were Ken Griffey and Hanley Ramirez. I never really did have a team, but if I did have a team, it would probably be the Marlins because of Hanley. SS: What were some of your favorite high school memories, from baseball or other activities you were involved in? RG: Some of my favorite high school memories are when I had to travel for all the showcases and all of the workouts. It was a very humbling experience. Probably one of my favorite memories was hitting at Safeco Park and going to watch my very first Minnesota Twins game. SS: Drafted by the Twins in the 15th round in 2014. Is that about where you thought you might be selected coming into the draft? RG: I honestly thought I would go high, but to me it didn't matter. I just wanted to have an opportunity to play and show my talent. SS: What were your thoughts when you heard your name called by the Twins? RG: When I was drafted by the Twins, I had a lot of thoughts going through my head. It was so surreal when you hear your name being called no matter where you are in the rounds. You just have that huge weight lifted off of your shoulders, and I couldn't wait to get started. SS: You spent the end of your 2014 season rehabbing an injury. How frustrating was it for you to have signed and then not be able to play? RG: It was very frustrating. It was also more of a mental game than a physical game. Physically, I knew I would recover, but mentally it discourages you because you start to think how many at-bats you missed and also how many other opportunities you are missing out on. SS: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from high school or amateur ball to the pro game? On or off the field? RG: There weren't any major adjustments, just probably being away from home for a long period of time without going back was the biggest adjustment I had to make. SS: How would you describe yourself as a player? What are your strengths at this time? RG: I would describe myself as a little of an undeveloped player. I have all the tools, I just need to put it together. My biggest strength is being able to put the ball in play. SS: What are the things that you feel you need to improve over the offseason and going forward? RG: There's not just one thing I need to improve. I need to improve on everything as a whole to continue to become a better baseball player. SS: How has your offseason been? (Have you started your baseball training, but also what do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball?) RG: I never really had an offseason. Just because the game is over doesn't mean I don't need to continue working hard but the time I do spend off I spend it with family and my girlfriend enjoying the time that I do get to spend with them when I am home. SS: Can you talk a little bit about Oscar Taveras and the relationship the two of you had, and how he has impacted you on and off the field? RG: Oscar was like a role model to me. Whenever I had questions about the game or life in general, he was always there for me. Practicing with him, and just being around him, made me want to do so much better. Even if he is not here, I still can feel him here with me every step of the way. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? RG: Mostly my parents got me to where I am. Also my neighbor Frank Fields, who gave me the best opportunity to meet Ken Griffey Jr. and learn from his ways as well. SS: Favorite Baseball Movie? RG: My favorite baseball movie would have to be The Sandlot with Squints and Wendy Peffercorn! That was one of my favorite parts of the movie. -------------------------------------------------------------- In a follow up, Roberto insists that he has not tried Squints’ move on Wendy Peffercorn. Gonzalez is likely to remain in extended spring training, but he should move up to Elizabethton when their season starts in June. Thank you very much to Roberto Gonzalez for taking time to answer our questions. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. Click here to view the article

By the way... #UtahBuyTheBook... HA!

They move him around to keep his bat in the lineup. Catchers just can't, don't catch every day, so it keeps him in the lineup.

I can also confirm the "Seth is Tired" part.

I've watched Turner hit quite a bit over the last couple of years. He has the strength and the approach at the plate that I believe he can be a good hitter. Maybe never a great hitter, but I think he should be able to hold his own. Will he? We'll see.

We're good at that... There are like 8 catchers in the history of baseball who have done what Mauer did for as long as he did. But yes, I 100% believe that defense is vital behind the plate. I also believe that the things that really matter for a catcher behind the plate aren't measured. Caught Stealing Percentage is nice. Pitch Framing can be OK. But I think that working with a pitcher during and especially before a game is crucial. Developing that relationship. Gaining that trust. Calling a good game and being able to adapt quickly in-game to what is and isn't working for a pitcher. Talking to a few people, both Turner and Garver are really good at that. Pitchers love throwing to both of them and working with both of them.

Big league spring training starts in a little over a month. Rosters throughout the organization are starting to come together. As you likely would expect, I have my 2016 Twins Roster Projections document already set up. Today, I’ll start sharing my roster projections by looking at the catching position throughout the system.As always, there are a lot of catchers. There are two to four catchers listed at each level. A lot of catchers are needed during spring training, and then during extended spring training. Depth is also important as catchers get hurt. We’ve seen concussions and other injuries throughout the system. Catcher is a key position in any organization. MAJOR LEAGUES Kurt Suzuki is the incumbent. 2016 will be his tenth in the big leagues. He is coming off of a frustrating 2015 season in which he hit just .240/.296/.314 (.610). He threw out just 15% of the 94 would-be base stealers. The Twins traded Chris Herrmann to Arizona. Eric Fryer signed a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. Josmil Pinto was claimed by the San Diego Padres when the Twins took him off of their 40-man roster. (He was since DFAd by San Diego and claimed by Milwaukee.) The day after trading Herrmann, Terry Ryan traded Aaron Hicks to the Yankees in exchange for 24-year-old catcher John Ryan Murphy. He has played in 115 games for the Yankees, backing up Brian McCann, over the last three seasons. Over that time, he has hit .267/.311/.374 (.685). In 67 games in 2015, he hit .277/.327/.406 (.734). He threw out 28% of base runners. The Twins claimed John Hicks from Seattle shortly before the Winter Meetings. The 26-year-old appears to be an adequate offensive player. He has thrown out at least 38% of would-be base stealers in each of his five professional seasons. MINOR LEAGUES Before we get to the minor league catchers, a quick reminder that you can now pick up the 2016 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook in paperback or eBook version. With the 142 pages, you will be able to learn much more about each of the players mentioned below. Please consider picking up a copy. Or, you can order five or more copies and get 20% off print books by using the promo code, JANBULK20. It expires on Wednesday. ORDER NOW: 2016 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (paperback, $15.99) ORDER NOW: 2016 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (eBook, $10.99) To learn more about all of the prospects in the Twins organization, make sure to order the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. The 2016 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook goes in-depth and provides player bios, scouting reports, statistics and much more on almost 160 Twins minor leaguers. From Abreu to Young, learn more about some of the Future Minnesota Twins. Rochester Red Wings Hicks will likely be the primary catcher in Rochester. 26-year-old Juan Centeno played 14 games with the Mets in 2013 and 2014, and another ten games with the Brewers in 2015. The Twins signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training. He’s solid behind the plate. In 2013, he threw out 56% of base stealers. That number was 25% in 2015. Carlos Paulino split time between Chattanooga and Rochester a year ago. The 26-year-old has a strong arm and a little pop in his bat. Chattanooga Lookouts The catching situation in Chattanooga could be very interesting early in the season. Two very good prospects, Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver, could both start there. Turner was the Twins third-round pick in 2013 out of Ole Miss. He spent the 2015 season with the Lookouts and hit .223/.322/.306 (.628) with 18 extra base hits. Known for his all-around defensive game, he threw out 39% of base stealers last year. He hit .171 in 12 games in the Arizona Fall League. He hit better in the second half. He was pushed right to Ft. Myers in his first full season. I think it mght benefit Turner to spend another half-season with the Lookouts to continue to work on his offensive game. He just turned 24 a week ago. Garver was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2013 out of New Mexico. He was our choice for Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2014 at Cedar Rapids. He struggled a bit, especially early, with the bat in 2015 in Ft. Myers. Defensively, he has made big improvements and last year threw out 38% of base stealers. He played in 12 games in the AFL and hit .317 (.916 OPS). He will turn 25 in a little over a week. Alex Swim was a late-round pick in 2013 out of Elon University. He hit .311 in Cedar Rapids in 2014, and last year, he hit .311 in Ft. Myers. He can catch and has a strong arm, but he’ll play a lot at 1B and RF as well as DH. The Twins signed independent league All-Star Joe Maloney as well. The 25-year-old hit .337/.432/.559 (.991) with 33 doubles and 14 homers for Rockland in the Can Am League. He’ll compete for a spot with the Lookouts. Ft. Myers Miracle Brian Navarreto (21) was the Twins sixth-round pick in 2013 out of high school in Florida. At 6-4 and 230 pounds, he is a big target and has a very strong arm behind the plate. In 86 game in Cedar Rapids last year, he threw out 56% of baserunners, just below the remarkable 59% of would-be base stealers the year before in E-Town. To this point, he has not hit as a professional. He hit .217/.256/.281 (.537). As a 24-year-old in Cedar Rapids in 2015, Brett Doe hit .246/.300/.321 (.621) with 11 doubles and three homers. He got eight games with Ft. Myers as well and that’s where he should spend 2016. Doe is solid behind the plate. At Baylor he played all over the place, including some shortstop. Alex Real was the Twins 24th round pick in 2014 out of New Mexico where he was a teammate of Mitch Garver. Real’s 2015 was delayed due to a 50-game suspension. He returned and played 64 games for the Kernels. He hit .261/.322/.383 (.704) with 11 doubles, four triples and three homers. He can catch, but he can also play first base and DH. Cedar Rapids Kernels Jorge Fernandez was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2013 out of high school in Puerto Rico. He is a very good athlete and there is frequent talk about him being moved to the outfield. He actually played two games in right field in 2015. He also played more first base than catcher in 2015. In 56 games, he hit .215/.268/.341 (.610) with 14 doubles, two triples and three homers. He didn’t throw out a base runner in 2015. He could return to the Kernels, but he may not be catching as much going forward. Rainis Silva is a 19-year-old from Venezuela. He played 32 games in Elizabethton after getting into 11 games with Cedar Rapids earlier in the season. He should move up to Cedar Rapids in 2016. He’s a good glove, strong-armed backstop who continues to grow his game. 20-year-old Rafael Valera joined the Kernels in the middle of their season. He played in 62 games, mostly at second base, and hit .283/.378/.338 (.716) with ten doubles and a triple. He went to Instructional League to work on catching, a position he has not played to this point. Jose Ortiz was signed last month as a free agent after being released by the Reds organization. He has played a combined 82 games for Dayton in the Midwest League over the past two seasons. He hit .198 and .199 in those seasons. He’ll likely get a shot to play for the Kernels. 2015 College Draft Picks There are several catchers selected by the Twins in the later rounds of the 2015 draft who will compete for spots with the Kernels. It’s likely several of them will begin the season at extended spring training, awaiting an opportunity. Brian Olson (34th round) was the best hitter of the bunch in his debut season. In 32 games between the GCL and E-Town, he hit .302/.414/.415 (.829) with four doubles and two homers. He threw out 9 of 14 base runners (64%). AJ Murray was the team’s 14th round pick out of Georgia Tech. He went right to Elizabethton where he hit .264/.366/.409 (.774) with 11 doubles and four homers in 51 games. He threw out 32% of base runners. Bryant Hayman went undrafted after four years at Valdosta State. In 33 GCL games, he hit .222/.322/.394 (.716) with seven doubles, two triples and two homers. Likely at least two of those three will go to extended spring training. Kerby Camacho and Lean Marrero, two high school catchers from Puerto Rico, will certainly be in EST and likely play in the GCL. Camacho was suspended for 60 games for PED use. 19-year-old Robert Molina hit .235/.289/.294 (.583) with four doubles and a homer in 37 games in the GCL. He could move up to Elizabethton. SUMMARY I would fully expect Suzuki and Murphy to split time early in the 2016 season. I think that within a couple of months, Murphy will begin to see more playing time. Murphy is young and can be a league average catcher. He could be the catcher of the future. Eric Fryer has been the #3 catcher the last couple of years, able to come up and go down. There was risk as he wasn’t kept on the 40-man roster. That role could be filled by Hicks who has two years of options remaining. The top prospects remain Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver. In reality, one of them could be ready for a big league spot sometime in 2017. It is a big year for both of them. It’s pretty clear that the Twins have made a concerted effort to improve their catcher defense. You can see that throughout the system. Catcher is, and should be, a defense-first position. However, as we all know, a catcher also needs to be able to hit a little bit to provide much value. Catcher Prospect Rankings Stuart Turner,Mitch Garver,Brian Navarreto,Rainis Silva,John Hicks. Click here to view the article

Tough question... I mean, he had his surgery a little earlier in the year than Randy Rosario and he was back with Cedar Rapids by mid-June (without looking). I would think that'd be the same plan for Thorpe. Most of me thinks Cedar Rapids, but if he's throwing well in EST, maybe they'd keep him in FM.

I'm pretty sure this was the intent of him not playing in Venezuela and working out in Ft. Myers. The hope is the Arcia got humbled in 2015 and will work hard in the offseason to try to put that past him. The guy his 20 big league homers just a year ago and is only 25. Still has potential to be a solid major league if used appropriately.

Nope, the Twins have said all along that Arcia was going to stay in Ft. Myers and work out there this offseason.

All depends on your definition of Breakout. To me a breakout player is a guy to kind of come out of nowhere to be a top prospect. For me, Randy Rosario is that guy probably. If it's who I think will be the team's #1 prospect going into 2017, I'll agree with Nick Gordon.