Seth Stohs

I still think it's silly that Cesar Tovar isn't a Twins Hall of Famer, and Dave Goltz is probably under-appreciated as well.

My assumption is that no teams had a Spanish-speaking interpreter, where that was his sole job. I mean, there are always players that do interpreting (like Colabello), and usually coaches, but I don't think any teams had full-time interpreters.

He and his wife were impressive. It's a good program. Hopefully they can save some lives.

Ha! Maybe we can get Bonnes to post the scavenger hung on here somewhere.

That may or may not be true... but announcing Sano was going to the outfield, at least at the time, we seemed to think that was a ploy to try to improve the trade return for Plouffe. Maybe it wasn't right from the start. No way to really know.

I had no less than three people say that the only disappointing thing was that Parker wasn't there so they could buy you a beer. A couple said they missed the podcast!

The question came up. I didn't include his response in the article, but it certainly fits within his laid back, California mind set. First he was just asked generally about the arbitration process and how much he was involved in it this year. When asked specifically about the idea of a multi-year deal being discussed, he said:

I guessed about that after the Winter Meetings, particularly after seeing that the A's got so little for Brett Lawrie... http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins/how-brett-lawries-trade-altered-my-thinking-r4316 I do believe that, especially after seeing the market for 3B this winter, they let Plouffe know that he was staying.

I thought it was great. It's too bad that illness struck Pavano's family, so he wasn't able to make it, but Pagliarulo was terrific. Laudner was a lot better than I expected. The venue was great. Any feedback from those who were there would be much appreciated! We're love to hear your thoughts.

When the Minnesota Twins 2015 season came to an end after a three-game sweep at the hands of the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals, many fans (here at Twins Daily and all over) immediately started looking to 2016. One common assumption made by most was that Trevor Plouffe would be traded in an attempt to open up third base for Miguel Sano. On Friday night at Twins Fest, Plouffe was still in a Twins uniform. Literally. He was wearing one of the new, red Twins Friday night uniforms just like all of the other Twins players at the event. He walked into an office, ready to be interviewed by a couple of beat writers, a television station and a Twins Daily writer. On the desk in that office was the 2015 Kansas City Royals media guide. Plouffe was the first to see it. He immediately flipped it, over and said “I can’t look at that!”Asked if he had looked back at the Twins 2015 season and was happy with what happened, Plouffe gave it some thought before saying, “I don’t know if ‘happy’ is the right word. We made good strides. I think we’re on the right path.” He continued, “We’re not going to be happy until we reach the postseason. We played better than we have the last four years, but that’s not saying much. We’re not resting on that. We’re not saying we had a good year so let’s take it easy. We tasted it but we want to get to the playoffs. We saw Kansas City win the World Series, and we know we’re just as good a team as they are. That’s what we want to do. The only way we’re going to be happy after the season is winning the final game.” Plouffe, who just last week became the sixth and final Twins arbitration-eligible player to agree to terms, said that he has found his offseason providing him with a lot of happiness. “This offseason has been good. It’s been different having a six-month-old son at home. That’s a big change for me. I have my Dad Strength now!” Trevor Plouffe always enjoys coming to Twins Fest. It’s fun being with teammates and meeting the fans. It also means that spring training is right around the corner. This year’s Twins Fest found Plouffe with a bit of a heavy heart. “I've been gone (from his wife Olivia and son Teddy) for 24 hours now, and I just can’t stand it. There’s just something in my heart that’s missing. It’s really weird and it’s a feeling that I haven’t had before. Everything people tell you about it (becoming a parent) is true. I heard it was the hardest thing and also the most fulfilling thing and it’s true. Some days it’s really hard, but it’s been a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to spring training, bring him to the clubhouse. and doing all that stuff.” The perception of Plouffe has always been that he is California Cool, laid back. Early in his career, some saw that as a negative. When he performs in big situations, his calm can be seen as a positive. This offseason, Plouffe’s calm demeanor likely kept him from worrying about potentially being traded. 2016 will be his 13th season in the Minnesota Twins organization. Rumors were constant early in the offseason, especially after the Twins won the bid for Korean slugger Byung Ho Park. With Park set to be the Twins primary DH and Joe Mauer at first base, third base seemed a logical position for Miguel Sano following his strong rookie showing. Where did that leave Plouffe? Many, this article’s author included, wondered aloud if trading Plouffe made the most sense for the team. We will never know if Twins GM Terry Ryan had any phone calls with other teams regarding the services of Plouffe. We aren’t going to find out what type of package of players he may have been offered in exchange for Plouffe. At Twins Fest, Terry Ryan said that at no point this offseason was Plouffe available to other teams. In fact, he pointed out how important it was to keep Plouffe. He said on numerous occasions that “we only scored 690 runs last year (actually 696). We needed to add bats, not subtract.” That was the message that Plouffe heard all offseason from the Twins GM and from his manager, Paul Molitor. “They were always adamant, and they wanted to let me know that I was going to be here. For me, it was nice to know. Gives you a little stability. Can’t control any of the rumors. He continued, “I just went about my offseason as I always do. From the end of the season on, I was always told I’d be here. Moli was very adamant about that. I never heard anything different.” For what it’s worth, Plouffe believes that Miguel Sano can handle the duties of a right fielder just fine. Plouffe said, “I think he can. I think if he commits to it and really wants to be a good outfielder, I think he can. I know he’s a big guy. Everyone knows he’s a big guy. He walks in the room and you think ‘Dang, that’s a big guy.’ But, he’s athletic and he’s young, and obviously he’s got a great arm. I think he profiles just fine in right.” Former Twins third baseman Corey Koskie was a guest for a segment of a 1500 ESPN radio show on Sunday morning. He was asked how he was able to so greatly improve his defense at third base and how Trevor Plouffe has been able to make the drastic improvements too. Koskie pointed out that the Twins draft character. They draft players that they know will work hard and do what they can to improve and do what they can to help the team. Plouffe certainly fits that mold. The Twins Daily writer in the room asked Plouffe if there was something that he wanted to focus on during his offseason. Plouffe said, “That’s a great question.” The Twins Daily writer pumped his fist and whispered, “Yes!” (No really, he did.) Fortunately for said Twins Daily writer, Plouffe smiled, gave it some thought and said, “I always try to work on my lateral movement. At third base, it’s important for range. It’s something I focused on. We did some different stuff with our workouts this offseason, a lot of movement stuff, so hopefully that translates into increased range.” He also gives a ton of credit to a few people for working with him extensively on his defensive game and his confidence. He specifically gave former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and current manager Paul Molitor credit for continually working with him. He also says that third base coach Gene Glynn has been great for him. “Gene he’s been very good for me. He’s so positive. He tells me stuff like I can win a Gold Glove which I don’t know if I can, but he tells me that. It pumps me up. He’s very optimistic. He’s just helped me so much.” Plouffe is proud of the progress he has made, and more important, continues to make with his glove at the hot corner. “I know I’ve improved, but I think there’s still room for more improvement. I like the fact that I've been able to show people that if you work hard, you can get better even at my age.” The 29-year-old said, “Baseball age, I’m kind of old. Getting old, at least.” “Yeah, getting old all right!” Thought the Twins Daily writer who can’t even remember being 29 anymore. 2016 will be Plouffe’s seventh in the big leagues. He’s had some good success with the organization. He has accumulated 6.4 bWAR over the past two seasons, and 8.2 bWAR over the past three seasons. Can he be a leader on the 2016 team? Is it something that he would want to be for this team after the retirement of Torii Hunter? “I don’t think you just snap your fingers and say, ‘Hey I’m the leader on the team.’ You have to earn that. You have to show up and act like that. I plan on working as hard as I ever have. Hopefully people pick up on that and want to join me.” The best part about Twins Fest is that it is a good reminder that in less than a month, pitchers and catchers will report. A few days later, the Twins will hold their first full workouts. And in one month, the Twins will play their first spring game. Plouffe is excited for the 2016 season and believes that the Twins can have a strong offense. “I think we have a lot of potential to put up some runs. We have a pretty solid lineup throughout. At the bottom of the lineup, we’re going to have Rosario and Escobar and those two swing the bat pretty well. I think staying healthy will be key for us. I think if we can stay healthy, we’re going to put up some runs.” Plouffe played 156 games in 2016, the most of his career by 16 games. If he can stay healthy, he will again be productive in the middle of the Twins lineup. Most important, he’s where he wants to be, and he has a goal of topping the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central and getting the Twins to the playoffs. As the session with the media came to an end, Plouffe grabbed the now-upside-down Royals media guide and said, “We’ve got to get rid of this” as he tossed it in the garbage. Click here to view the article

Jerr, I was sitting with several of the media members, & I was worried that I would be the one that would have his eyes watering. That was a very emotional interview, press conference. There were so many Twins fans there. What was amazing to me was how strong his wife was. It reminded me of Harmon Killebrew swife speaking at his memorial service. Really amazing!

It was Lipitor... and he fully admitted that not taking it was not a smart decision.

Very true. Carew talked about how he was in very good shape and had no warning signs before this happened. It can happen to anyone, any time.

“I lost my life twice that day.” In front of a large crowd of Twins fans, media and friends, Rod Carew sat in front of people and told the story of his life-changing heart attack back in September. He went out to hit some golf balls by himself. He hit the first one, right down the middle, of course. But suddenly he felt a strong burning in his chest. He got in the cart and rushed back to the clubhouse where he laid on the floor and asked someone to call for immediate help. Paramedics twice had to shock him back to life. He said that he either saw his daughter Michelle, who passed away several years ago from leukemia, or another guardian angel because he came back.He said that, along with his wife Rhonda, wanted to keep it quiet for awhile. Then came the Sports Illustrated story. It was an opportunity for Carew to teach, to instruct again. In fact, former big leaguer Clyde Wright talked to Carew recently and told him that after reading Carew’s story, he went and had his heart check. Doctors found 97% blockage and soon after Wright had quadruple bypass surgery. One life saved. This morning at Twins Fest, Carew begged the crowd, “Please. Please! Go get your hearts checked because you never know.” And now Carew and his wife, along with the Minnesota Twins, the Los Angeles Angels, the Baseball Hall of Fame and others are working together to hopefully save more lives. They announced The Heart of 29 campaign. The year-long program is designed to “ to raise funds for the American Heart Association, as well as raise awareness for heart disease and heart failure. The Heart of 29 campaign honors the Carews' wish to assist the American Heart Association following the Baseball Hall of Famer's recent, major heart attack and subsequent surgery.” Carew said the low point was being just like a little baby. Crying. Needing a diaper. Unable to sit up by himself. He lost 30 pounds during the procedures but says that he has now put 27 back in, and he’s back to 187 pounds. He continues to need to carry a couple of batteries connected to his heart as he walks. At night, he is essentially plugged in to a wall. He is now up to two miles a day walking, “at my wife’s insistence.” On May 14th at Target Field, The Twins Cities Heart Walk will take place. It is the largest fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Carew will be on hand, leading the way. (More information to come.) The Twins are debuting their red jerseys this year at Friday home games. On April 13th, the first Friday, the Twins will wear a Heart of 29 patch to honor Carew and the campaign. Also on those Friday nights, fans will be able to purchase lower level Field Box ticket and receive a special Heart of 29 Rod Carew red Twins jersey. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit the American Heart Association. Tickets will be available for purchase through a special online ticket link beginning in late February. Carew said that baseball and the baseball community, especially the Twins organization, have been on his mind throughout his recovery. He’s received many calls from people through all his walks of life. Another goal for Carew was to be in uniform at spring training. He told the crowd when asked, “Oh, I’ll be at spring training!” He is anxious to work with Byron Buxton on bunting and base stealing. Carew wants to teach. He wants to help where he can help. And the Heart of 29 campaign is another way he can help, just like he helped people learn more about leukemia all those years ago. As much as Carew wants to be just a ‘normal’ guy and live a ‘normal’ life, he feels that obligation to help people. It’s quite commendable. It was great to see him at Twins Fest again. It’s great that he’s been able to overcome his heart attack, and he and his wife anxiously await a possible heart transplant. I’d be remiss if I didn’t echo his key point. “Get your heart checked. Please!” For much more information on the Heart of 29 campaign and the American Heart Association, please click here. Click here to view the article

We heard about Pavano backing out yesterday (Friday) morning. Several members of his family are sick, so he wasn't able to make it. We immediately worked with the Twins on this, and quickly 1991 World Series champ Mike Pagliarulo agreed to take Pavano's spot.

Last night was the Diamond Awards. On Friday afternoon, the Twins hosted their media luncheon. Terry Ryan gave a baseball message which was followed by Dave St. Peter providing a business update. The final thing St. Peter announced was that two people would be inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2016, Torii Hunter and John Gordon.Hunter was announced first. The Twins decided, maybe based upon no one being voted in last year, to remove any waiting period before a player could be voted for their Hall of Fame. That decision was announced after Hunter announced his retirement last November. Hunter returned to the Twins in 2015 for his final season after spending parts of 1997 through 2007 in a Twins uniform. Hunter sits well inside the Top 10 Twins players in most offensive categories including doubles, home runs, RBI and stolen bases. He went to five All Star games as a member of the Twins. There is no question that Torii Hunter is a "first-ballot" Twins Hall of Famer after his Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers and work throughout the community. St. Peter mentioned that Dan Gladden and Cesar Tovar finished second and third in the voting, respectively. This was also a year in which a veteran's committee held a vote. They voted in long-time radio voice John Gordon to the Hall of Fame. Gordon came to the Twins in 1987 after serving in many broadcasting roles in the big leagues and the minor leagues. He was with the Yankees before coming to the Twins. He worked with Herb Carneal for a few seasons before taking over the #1 radio spot which he held until his retirement following the 2011 season. The Twins radio booth, which is inside the Herb Carneal Press Box, is named for Gordon. He was most famous for this "Touch 'Em All" home run call. Former Twins President Jerry Bell finished second in the veteran's (non-player) voting. Hunter and Gordon will be the 27th and 28th members of the Twins Hall of Fame. They will be inducted in separate ceremonies on the same weekend, July 16-17. Hunter will be inducted on the 16th with Gordon the following day. Other notes from media luncheon: Danny Santana will move to the outfield as well. He may get some time still in the infield.The Twins will have two translators. One will speak Korean and work with the Twins and Park. One will be a Spanish interpreter which is something MLB is requiring for all teams.The Twins will operate in a new facility in the Dominican starting (likely) in September. They'll work with the Philadelphia Phillies.Dave St. Peter pointed out that Glen Perkins just completed his ninth Twins Winter Caravan, which is really good, "But he has a ways to go to catch Tony Oliva who just finished his 56th caravan."Rod Carew will be here tomorrow. He will be interviewed in the Puckett Atrium in the morning and then meet with the media. He and the Twins will be making an announcement about a new program they'll be working with.The Twins have already sold 1.2 million tickets for 2016. They are hoping to surpass 2.3 million. Over 90% renewed.The Twins aren't going to have a ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the 1991 World Series championship though it will be a theme throughout the season. It is also the 25th anniversary of the Twins Community Fund which will also be talked about a lot.There will be 11 spring training games televised on FSN. 14 games will be on the radio.Bert Blyleven is set to do another 100 games in 2016.For fan safety, based on requirements by MLB, the Twins will have 6-7 feet of netting over both dugouts. They will also be replacing the netting behind home plate with higher transparency netting for better visibility. He acknowledged that it has been a controversial topic.If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'm sure I missed several things. Twins Fest starts tonight and opening day tickets go on sale at 4. Click here to view the article

It really is an amazing event and if people can, I definitely recommend it.

Berrios is as humble a person as I've ever met for someone who has so much confidence.

Last night was a special night at Target Field. For the 11th straight year, the Baseball Writers, the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota worked together with the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center to present the Diamond Awards. Now when we think of the Diamond Awards, we think of things like the Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the various awards handed out to the Twins. And that’ what they are. The night was about celebrating the 2015 season. It was about handing out the hardware to the very deserving recipients.However, on a bigger level, it’s about celebrating baseball and philanthropy. The event sets out to raise money for the University of Minnesota’s innovative research and patient care focused on ALS, ataxia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. A lot of tremendous work has been done by the doctors and nurses and research personnel over the years. The Twins and this event have raised millions of dollars over these 11 years. Progress has been made, but as they are quick to point out, much more needs to be done. In a feeble attempt to tie that greatly important research to the game of baseball and the Minnesota Twins, I think that Brian Dozier said it best. He told the crowd gathered in the Legends Club that 2015 was a good year. He said that was “a better year, but it’s not where we want to get. We’ve got work to do.” Along with celebrating 2015, the event also allowed discussion of 2016. There was a segment of the program where emcee Cory Provus invited GM Terry Ryan and Manager Paul Molitor to come to the stage and discuss 2016. Those same sentiments were echoed again. 2015 was a good year, but we need to be better in 2016. Molitor said, “We set the bar higher last year. There will be higher expectations this year, and that’s OK.” Later, Provus brought Dozier back to the stage along with Korean slugger Byung Ho Park. Through his interpreter Jay, Park talked about the adjustments he will need to make, but more important, he talked about how it has always been his dream to play over here and he is incredibly excited to get things started next month at spring training. When Provus asked Park if he can dance, no interpreter was needed. Park immediately smiled shook his head and said, “No!” The evening started with Minor League Director Brad Steil presenting the Jim Rantz Award for Minor League Pitcher of the Year. It was the second straight year that Berrios was the recipient of the award, and deservedly so. Berrios, as you would expect made if very clear that his goals for 2016 remain high. For someone so confident, he remains humble, giving all the credit to God and saying that he will patiently wait for that call. Mike Radcliff presented the Sherry Robertson Award for Minor League Player of the Year. As we learned yesterday Kepler was unable to attend because he was sick. He hopes to make it to Target Field later in the weekend for part of Twins Fest. Asked about comparisons physically to former MVP Justin Morneau, Radcliff said, “That is certainly the story we tell when telling Mr. Pohlad that we’re spending some of his money on a 16 year old!” The crowd laughed. Scout humor is great! The Kirby Puckett Award for Alumni Community Service was presented to Julio Becquer. He played for the Senators and came to Minnesota with the Twins in 1961. He retired after the 1963 season. For 30 years, he worked with the Twins Youth Clinics, working 30-50 clinics a year. I remember seeing him still working in the kid zones. He played in just 58 games for the Twins (57 in 1961, and one pinch-running appearance in 1963), but his impact in the community has been amazing. He spoke about how much he enjoyed working with the kids. He also talked about how he’s been retired from baseball for over 50 years which he said can’t be right because the 84-year-old said,”I still look good!” Tony Watson, Pittsburgh Pirates lefty reliever took home the Dick Siebert Award for Upper Midwest Player of the Year. He is from a small town north of Des Moines. He played in the 2014 All-Star game at Target Field and in 2015 he went 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA out of the Pirates pen. He wasn’t in attendance, but he spoke with great gratitude for the honor, especially considering some of the Hall of Fame names who have won the award. Likewise Aaron Hicks wasn’t in attendance. He won the Charles O. Johnson Award for Most Improved Twins player. In a video, he thanked the writers. He also thanked the organization for giving him opportunities and showing patience. Craig Anderson was presented the Play Ball! Minnesota Terry Ryan Award for being a Friend of the Game. He has been coaching baseball at Pine Island High School for 40 years. He also has been a director of summer baseball there. He has twice served as president of the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association and a meber of their advisory board since 1994. And much more. Brian Dozier was presented with the Carl R. Pohlad Award for Outstanding Community Service. Jim Pohlad pulled out a list of all that Dozier and his wife Renae do in the community and it was extensive. He provides many tickets to National Guard members through his Dozier’s Heroes program. He also talked a little about working with Amigos for Christ, the organization he and his wife work with when they travel to Central America and help build schools and provide clean water systems. Torii Hunter was presented with two awards. He was named the Bob Allison Award winner for Twins Leadership. He also won the Mike Augustin Media Good Guy Award for the fourth time. As you can imagine, his speech and time on stage was good for a lot of laughs, but he also said a lot of very good things. He talked about his relationship with the media, and he talked about how he and Mike Berardino are good now. In fact he said that they’re probably going to go skinny dipping together sometime. (Note - I talked to Mike afterward, and he denied that report!) Hunter was also asked who the leader will be in 2016. He talked about the qualities of a leader, and how a leader must first serve before he can lead. He talked about how leadership can’t and shouldn’t be forced. He then said that he spent a lot of time talking with Brian Dozier throughout the season last year and that he can and will be a strong leader. The winner of the Jim Kaat Award for Twins Defensive Player of the Year was Eddie Rosario. The outfielder was terrific wherever he played and talked about throwing runners out. He was unable to answer whether he enjoyed hitting a home run or throwing out a runner at home plate more. When asked about his debut, and the first pitch home run off of Scott Kazmir, Rosario made the crowd laugh and cheer. He said “Ever since I was a little boy, I wanted to play in the major leagues. Since then I’ve always told myself that when I get there, I would swing at the first pitch.” Kyle Gibson won the Joseph W. Haynes Award as Twins Pitcher of the Year. He talked about being out on the caravan and kids telling him they would want to hit against him and that he couldn’t strike them out. He said he told them “Yeah, but I bet I can get you to hit a ground ball!” Always humble, Gibson talked about needing to continue to improve. When asked about his dancing and whether he was the team’s worst dancer, he said, “No! (Mike) Pelfrey was by far the worst dancer, but I was right down there at the bottom. You can ask my wife. I’m a really bad dancer.” Miguel Sano was also presented with two awards. He was named the Bill Boni Award winner as the Twins Most Outstanding Rookie. He also won the Calvin R. Griffith Award for Most Valuable Twin. He talked a lot about how happy he was when he finally got that call, and how it was a dream come true. Provus talked about his first big league hit, and whether we’ll all remember that - as big as he is - that his first hit was an infield single. The final award of the evening was presented by Patrick Reusse. Tom Kelly was given the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award. Reusse talked about his first - and only - home run in his career as a Twins player. He spoke of his coaching and managerial career, obviously highlighting those Twins championships in 1987 and 1991. He talked about all the really bad pitching he managed for the next eight seasons and how he didn’t leave the team then. He talked about how the team started getting good and competing again before he turned the team over to Ron Gardenhire ready to compete. He also talked about the opportunities that Kelly had to manage other teams, but that he turned them down. He has been helpful to Gardenhire and now Paul Molitor, not only instructing at spring training and in the minor leagues, but when they have needs. It’s obviously a well-deserved recognition. Kelly, as you would expect, told stories and made people laugh. His theme when talking about the 2016 season, or any season, was that he - or now Molitor - sure look a lot smarter when the players, and specifically the pitchers, are good! But again, the evening is about baseball, but also about philanthropy. It’s an opportunity to raise money for the University of Minnesota’s Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center (BAARC). As noted, there has been progress. How can you help? Well, if you want to make a gift or volunteer your time, you can visit give.umn.edu/neuro to learn more about the University of Minnesota’s resarch on brain, nerv, and muscular disorders, and to find out how you can help. You can also check out the Diamond Awards website for more. It was a tremendous night at Target Field. I spent the evening with my dad and my brother. We had a good meal and talked to a lot of people. We learned a bit about some of the great research that the University of Minnesota is doing. We heard from a lot of terrific Twins players and personnel. We laughed and enjoyed an evening thinking about baseball. Speaking of thinking about baseball, Twins Fest starts tonight at Target Field and goes throughout the weekend. It is a great opportunity to see Target Field, and parts of Target Field that you have not previously seen. It’s a chance to rub elbows and interact with Twins players. It’s a chance to be in a place and talk about baseball with hundred of other Twins fans. It’s also an event in which funds raised go to the Twins Community Fund which does really terrific things throughout Twins Territory. Finally, Cory Provus emceed the event last night and did a terrific job. Dick Bremer emceed all of the previous Diamond Awards but was unable to attend this time. Bremer’s mother-in-law passed away a couple of days ago. So we certainly send out best wishes and thoughts to the Bremer family. Click here to view the article

I'm guessing Tommy John surgeons make a bit of money. The Twins have been hit hard, with probably every organization. Though at least the minor leaguers end up doing them in the Twin Cities, not Ft. Myers.

We finished looking at the roster projections through the Minnesota Twins hitters from the big leagues to the extended spring training rosters last week. We projected the starting pitchers on Tuesday. Today we conclude the roster projections by looking at the relief pitchers in the Twins organization. Of course, signings or trades can change these projections, so they are as of right now. There may be injuries around spring training, so these are certainly subject to change. It can be very difficult to project rosters for bullpens. First, with all of the minor league signings, there are too many pitchers for roster spots. There may be some releases, or the Disabled Lists can be used rather liberally. Finally, starters who don’t make starting rotations can be moved to the bullpen. But we’ll attempt this.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 Glen Perkins, Kevin Jepsen, Trevor May, Casey Fien, Fernando Abad, Ricky Nolasco, Michael Tonkin Arguably the biggest area of concern for the big league club as we look to the 2016. Quite possibly the biggest question mark heading into spring training. When healthy, Glen Perkins has proven to be one of the better relievers in all of baseball. Can he stay healthy for the full season? Kevin Jepsen came to the Twins at the deadline, and he became the most reliable option for the Twins bullpen. Can he continue at that level? Trevor May certainly has the stuff and the demeanor to be a bullpen guy, but is that his role for good going forward? However, in this group of three, the Twins have the makings of a very dominant back-end of the bullpen. When healthy, Casey Fien has been good in the bullpen for the Twins but he hasn’t been healthy the last season and a half. Only 20% of his arbitration contract isn’t guaranteed. So, he’ll need to be ready right in spring training. Michael Tonkin has been very good in AAA the last several years. He has been called up to the Twins many time. He is now out of options. Does that guarantee him a job? Not necessarily. Fernando Abad is a very intriguing minor league signing as Parker noted yesterday. He has the ability to be good, but last year he was very non-good. Can it completely be blamed on tipping pitches? And then there is Ricky Nolasco. If he has a strong camp, could he start? If not, how will he respond physically, mentally and emotionally to being in the bullpen? Other Contenders: Taylor Rogers, Aaron Thompson, Brandon Kintzler MINOR LEAGUES Rochester Red Wings Ryan Pressly, Brandon Kintzler, Alex Meyer, JR Graham, Ryan O’Rourke, Aaron Thompson, Alex Wimmers, Cole Johnson Others: Jason Adam, Dan Runzler, David Martinez As usual, AAA players tend to be pretty familiar names. Most of them have some time in the big leagues, maybe even more. Ryan Pressly was pitching well for the Twins when his season came to an end with injury. He’ll certainly compete for a big league job in spring training. So will veteran Brandon Kintzler who has spent several big league seasons with the Brewers' big league bullpen. He was hurt and missed much of the 2015 season. The Twins signed him on a minor league deal. JR Graham spent all of 2015 with the Twins, but that’s because he had to or the Twins would have likely lost him to Atlanta thanks to Rule 5 rules. He’ll likely head to AAA to start the season as Pressly did a year ago, but get an opportunity to work his way back. Alex Meyer made the move to the bullpen, saw a quick debut in late June and struggled, but he did end fairly strong and we should see plenty of him in 2016 as well. Ryan O’Rourke made his debut in 2015 and showed that he can get left-handers out. He’s a good guy to have around and will also get a shot out of spring training. If used correctly, he has a lot of value. Aaron Thompson was the surprise name from last spring training but he earned an Opening Day spot. After a strong first five weeks, he really struggled for the next six weeks before being sent down. He was DFAd but re-signed with the Twins this offseason. All of these could very well see big league time. Chattanooga Lookouts Nick Burdi, Jake Reed, JT Chargois, Brandon Peterson, Trevor Hildenberger, Corey Williams, Mason Melotakis, Alex Muren Others: Tim Shibuya, Brian Gilbert, Luke Westphal, Todd Van Steensel, Marcus Walden, Buddy Boshers, Raul Fernandez, Matt Summers. There will be some serious talent starting the season in the Lookouts bullpen, and several of these could move up to AAA and even the big leagues relatively quickly. Burdi and Reed started 2015 with the Lookouts but struggled and went back to Ft. Myers. They both ended the season with a Southern League championship and then an Arizona Fall League championship. For both, if they have control, they could move up quick. Hildenberger was also on that AFL roster. He was our Minor League Reliever of the Year. He began in Cedar Rapids before moving up to the Miracle. Peterson was our reliever of the year in 2014. He was just as good in 2015 between the Miracle and the Lookouts. Corey Williams and Mason Melotakis are two hard-throwing southpaws. Both missed a season after Tommy John surgery. Williams missed 2014 and returned in June. Melotakis missed all of 2015 but rumors from Ft. Myers had him hitting 97 mph at Instructs, so he’ll be at about 19 months since surgery by opening day, so he could be ready much sooner. You also obviously noticed that there are lots of pitchers in that “Other” category. Trying to predict bullpens in the minor leagues is pretty much impossible. The “Others” group has some strong talent in it. Summers throws 95+. Boshers has a big league spring training invite. Shibuya stayed healthy and pitched at three levels.Van Steensel has put up terrific numbers the last two years. These guys should be on rosters. The point of this paragraph is two-fold. First and foremost, I would expect that there will be a lot of pitchers in the upper levels who start the season on the “Disabled List” ready to contribute at the AA or AAA level when someone is hurt or promoted. Ft. Myers Miracle Nick Anderson, Luke Bard, Yorman Landa, Michael Cederoth, Randy LeBlanc, Mike Theofanopoulos, Zach Tillery, Jared Wilson, Cameron Booser Few knew the name Yorman Landa before he was added to the Twins 40-man roster in November - unless you follow Twins Daily, of course. Fully healthy, he reaches into the upper-90s. Speaking of finally healthy, Luke Bard was healthy in 2015.He put together a solid season. He throws hard and has sharp secondary stuff. I think he takes off in 2016. Nick Anderson is 25, from Brainerd and Mayville State, and the Twins signed him late last year out of the independent leagues. He was the Kernels closer through their playoff run. Cederoth started for the Kernels last year, but it may be time for him to move to the bullpen.Cameron Booser, like Cederoth, can hit 99 regularly. Booser is a lefty and his season ended with shoulder surgery. LeBlanc and Tillery pitched well as long-relievers and starters for the 2015 Kernels. Cedar Rapids Kernels Kuo-Hua Lo, Miles Nordgren, Logan Lombana, Jose Abreu, Anthony McIver, Alex Robinson, Tyler Stirewalt After three years in E-Town (Where he was the Appy League reliever of the year last year), Kuo-Hua Lo will move up to the Kernels. Nordgren saw a little time with the Kernels, in the bullpen, Alex Robinson was the Twins 5th round pick out of Maryland last year. The lefty has hit 96 at times. If he has any control, he can dominate.. Logan Lombana (25th) and Anthony McIver (15th) were 2015 draft picks out of college. They ate a lot of innings out of the bullpen for Elizabethton in 2015. Stirewalt was drafted as an athlete who could throw 95. He played football in college before moving to baseball full time. He returned in 2015 from Tommy John surgery. Extended Spring Training Johan Quezada, Max Cordy, Nate Gercken, Miguel Gonzalez, Andrew Vasquez, Hector Lujan, Callan Pearce, Brandon Poulson, Vadim Balam, Luis Hernandez, Onas Farfan Johan Quezada came out of nowhere. He is now 6-8 and throws 100. He grew and got stronger. Poulson was the interesting signing by the Twins following the 2014 draft. He throws hard but the Twins kept him in EST in 2015to continue trying to get him some semblance of control. Farfan missed 2015 due to Tommy John but he should be ready for the start of this season. There are some intriguing, hard-throwing pitchers on this list who could surface in Elizabethton (or maybe even Cedar Rapids) in 2016. SUMMARY There certainly are question marks going into Twins Fest weekend with the Twins bullpen makeup. I do still - naive as it may be - expect the Twins to make another move for a reliever before spring training. There also is some talent at the back end of the bullpen and there is plenty of depth in the upper levels. The Lookouts bullpen is full of high-ceiling reliever options who have a couple of questions to answer but could debut in 2016. Relief Pitcher Rankings: Nick Burdi,JT Chargois,Alex Meyer,Jake Reed,Mason MelotakisTherein completes our look at the 2016 Minnesota Twins Roster Projections. If you missed any of the parts, see the list below: Catchers First Basemen Middle Infielders Third Basemen Outfielders (Upper Levels) Outfielders (Lower Levels) Starting Pitchers Feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article