Seth Stohs

With all due respect, I think this is 100% inaccurate... if anything, TR may move too quickly most offseasons. The year he came back, he signed Josh Willingham and Jamey Carroll before the Winter Meetings (I think there was a third guy too). Three years ago, he traded Denard Span before the Winter Meetings and Ben Revere in the Winter Meetings. Two years ago, Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes were both signed before the winter meetings. Last year, he signed Ervin Santana at the Winter Meetings. Of course, in recent years, the Twins have had more needs. This year, they've been pretty vocal. They want one thing, LH RP. They don't have it yet. We'll see if he gets it or if not, if he'll go after a Storen or someone really good like that.

I agree... and if he can get down to 250-255 by spring training, that might be good. I saw a picture of Sano from yesterday... He looks like he's got about 10% body fat. So, even if he's at about 265 still, oh well.

Yes. NOT trading him. Proofreading is important!

Zack Jones selected by the Brewers in the 2nd round of the Rule 5 draft.

It seems like a minor trade, and it probably is in the big picture, but when the White Sox acquired 3B Brett Lawrie from the Oakland A’s on Wednesday, it spoke volumes to me. How does that trade alter my opinion on the Twins trading Trevor Plouffe? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.It was another trade that went through at baseball’s Winter Meetings. Some transactions are big. Others, not so much. But when I saw that the Oakland A’s had traded third baseman Brett Lawrie to the White Sox in exchange for RHP JB Wendelken and LH Zach Erwin, I thought it was a bit noteworthy. I did a little research, checking out the two prospects that the A’s will receive from Chicago, and it speaks volumes to why Terry Ryan has been so adamant on not trading Trevor Plouffe. JB Wendelken is a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox, but he went to the White Sox during the 2013 season. He was given an opportunity to start at High-A in 2014, but he went 7-10 with a 5.26 ERA in 27 starts. So, this year, he was moved to the bullpen and did well in AA but struggled in AAA. That’s solid for a 22-year-old. He’s a solid relief pitcher prospect, but he’s certainly not considered a top prospect. Zach Erwin was the White Sox fourth-round pick in 2015 out of Clemson. He’s got some projectability and had a nice pro debut. Between rookie league ball and Low A, he went 2-2 with a 1.34 ERA in 40.1 innings. He walked seven and struck out 30. He is also not a top prospect. Both of these guys are OK prospects, but they’re not going to pitch in the big leagues any time soon, and their upsides are considered marginal. So, what does this have to do with the Twins? Well, we entered the offseason thinking – maybe even assuming – that Terry Ryan would trade Trevor Plouffe. In the last two weeks, he has been adamant about the Twins having no plans to trade Plouffe. He said it at Byung Ho Park’s press conference, and he has reiterated it to the media gathered in Nashville this week. Maybe it was just me, but even with him saying that so strongly, I was about 50-50 on whether or not the Twins would trade their talented third baseman. After seeing what the A’s got for Lawrie, it’s pretty clear that Ryan likely didn’t get much more offered in his discussions. Do I think Trevor Plouffe is better than Brett Lawrie? Yes. No question. However, Lawrie is three-and-a-half years younger. He’s still just 25 for another month. That likely matters in trade discussion. Of course, I don’t have any information on what discussions went like when Terry Ryan took those phone calls from other GMs asking about Plouffe. We don’t know what range of player/prospect was being offered. However, I think we can make some legitimate assumptions based on what Billy Beane got from the White Sox for Brett Lawrie. As we have said all along, the Twins do not have to trade Plouffe. Miguel Sano can play in the outfield. It’ll take some learning and adjustments, but he can do it, at least for the short term. Plouffe will only make between $7.5 and $8 million in 2016 which is not an issue for the Twins’ budget. He’s got another year of arbitration-eligibility next offseason. Who knows? Maybe I’ll post this article and an hour later the Twins will have traded Plouffe. But, although I get the desire for Sano to play third base, his natural position, if the Twins only acquire a package similar to the Lawrie package, I would be very disappointed. Click here to view the article

Zack Jones is one of 6 players mentioned in the MLB Pipeline Rule 5 Preview here: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/158824232/rule-5-draft-preview-from-jim-callis

That's only in an expansion draft.

I wouldn't say that the Twins don't think Jones could get pick. I'm sure they're well aware that he could get picked. But they had to make choices, some tough choices.

On Thursday morning in Nashville, baseball’s Winter Meetings will formally conclude with the Rule 5 draft. Teams with fewer than 40 players on their 40-man roster are able to make selections. The Twins have 40 on their roster (at this time) so they will not be able to make a selection in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft without a move. However, it is possible that they could lose a player or two to another team in the draft.The Twins have the 17th pick in the Rule 5 draft based on their finish in the standings during the 2015 season. It’s really impossible to know which players will have already been taken, and Terry Ryan has said that most likely they would not take anyone. The Twins have been pretty clear that they are looking for left-handed relievers and a fourth outfielder in free agency and in trades, so if they do clear room and make a pick, those would be the two areas that they could consider. The Twins have been pretty active in the Rule 5 Draft in recent years, selecting pitchers like JR Graham, Ryan Pressly, Scott Diamond and Terry Doyle. Who typically gets selected in the Rule 5 draft? Here is a rundown of the past five MLB Rule 5 drafts? 2014 – 14 selections – 5 RHP, 4 LHP, 3 Infielders, 1 outfielder, 1 catcher 2013 – 9 selections – 4 RHP, 3 LHP, 1 infielder, 0 outfielders, 1 catcher 2012 – 15 selections – 5 RHP, 3 LHP, 5 infielders, 2 outfielders, 0 catchers 2011 – 12 selections – 5 RHP, 3 LHP, 3 infielders, 1 outfielder, 0 catchers 2010 – 19 selections – 12 RHP, 4 LHP, 3 infielders, 0 outfielders, 0 catchers 5 year – 69 selections – 31 RHP, 17 LHP, 15 infielders, 4 outfielders, 2 catchers. Of course, five years is far too small of a sample size to make any strong opinions. Pitchers accounted for 70% of Rule 5 selections over the last five years. That’s no surprise. Of the selections, nearly half of them were returned to their previous team, and another large group stayed with the drafting team after a trade. Briefly, following the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft, the AAA and AA portions of the draft will take place. The public is not able to see who is on the Rochester or Chattanooga rosters, so it’s impossible to know who might be lost or made available. There’s no way to know who the Twins could add. I’m kind of pathetic, so I’ve already made a 2016 roster projection for all of the Twins affiliates. Frankly, after the Twins re-signed James Beresford and signed infielder Buck Britton, there aren’t any obvious needs in the minor leagues. Maybe a starting pitcher who could pitch in AA or AAA. Maybe another AAA outfield type, similar to Joe Benson. So, let’s take a look again at who the Twins could possibly lose in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft. We’ll look at the above categories. Catchers Eligible: Juan Centeno, Carlos Paulino, Michael Quesada, Jairo Rodriguez It’s quite unlikely that any of these guys will be selected. Outfielders Eligible: Travis Harrison, Edgar Corcino, Joe Benson Look again at the list above. Few outfielders are left unprotected. Harrison is still just 23-years-old. He was a supplemental first-round pick in 2013. Corcino is a great athlete who spent last season in Cedar Rapids, but again, these players are unlikely to be selected. Infielders Eligible: James Beresford, Levi Michael, Buck Britton, Niko Goodrum, Bryan Haar, Dalton Hicks, Aderlin Mejia, Reynaldo Rodriguez, Logan Wade, Stephen Wickens The name to be most concerned about losing is likely Levi Michael. The former first-round pick has endured more than his fair share of injuries. However, when he has been healthy the last two years, he has been productive offensively. He’s played mostly second base, with some shortstop, so could a team stash him in the big leagues as a utility infielder? It’s possible. Niko Goodrum is young and very athletic and there are a lot of people who still believe he will grow more into his frame. His value is that he can play shortstop, and the last couple of seasons, he has played a lot of third base and center field as well as some second base. A team could take a flyer on him developing late. That team would need to be willing to keep him all year. The assumption is, and should be, that James Beresford and Buck Britton will not be taken. However, the Twins have a history of signing a guy to a minor league contract and a week later losing him to the Rule 5 draft. That was R.A. Dickey in an an unusual situation. A team looking for a utility infielder could take one of these guys too. Left-Handed Pitchers Eligible: Corey Williams, David Hurlbut, Brett Lee, Jason Wheeler, Aaron Thompson All four of these guys ended last season with a championship in Chattanooga. Wheeler was the MVP of the championship series. Hurlbut, Lee and Wheeler all were part of a terrific starting rotation. Wheeler was added to the 40-man roster last year but struggled in AAA. Williams is fully healthy and he may be a guy teams are interested in as a long-term lefty bullpen guy. Right-Handed Pitchers Zack Jones, Felix Jorge, Alex Wimmers, Luke Bard, DJ Baxendale, Alex Muren, Dereck Rodriguez, Loek Van Mil, Jose Abreu, Jason Adam, Nick Anderson, Omar Bencomo, Sam Gibbons, Miguel Gonzalez, Cole Johnson, Kuo-Hua Lo, Greg Peavey, Tim Shibuya, Matt Summers, Todd Van Steensel Everyone is talking about Zack Jones, and I would say there is a decent chance that he is selected. If anyone will does get selected, it will be the hard-throwing right-hander. Alex Wimmers and Luke Bard are former first-round picks who are available. Wimmers is already 27 and was average in the Lookouts bullpen. Bard finally was healthy in the second half of 2015 and pitched well in Cedar Rapids. He is a guy who could move fast next year. Felix Jorge is one to watch as well. He has good stuff. He’s young. He was remarkably consistent last year with Cedar Rapids. Could a team stash him in the back of a bullpen, and how would a year in the bullpen affect him long-term? Sam Gibbons was good in the second half for Cedar Rapids as well, but the Australian is probably behind Jorge in the pecking order. Could a team take a flyer on the potential of Dereck Rodriguez who has only two years on the mound under his belt? Loek Van Mil signed back with the Twins late last year. Suddenly, the 7-1, 31-year-old was throwing in the upper-90s. Could be a guy that could contribute right away. Alex Muren isn’t a name that comes up a lot when people talk about bullpen options in the Twins system. However, he is a groundball machine, and last year, he was hitting 95-97 mph with a fastball. DJ Baxendale is a guy someone could take a flyer on as a future bullpen guy. He’s got a nice slider, and the two-pitch mix could make him an effective reliever. Cole Johnson has a unique delivery. The former low-round pick had some success at the AAA level. SUMMARY A team like the Milwaukee Brewers, who have just 35 players on their 40 man roster right now, could take a couple of players. As a team that isn’t likely to win in 2016, they would be OK with using up a couple of roster spots on Rule 5 picks. Other teams that may not plan to truly compete in 2016 could stash players. So, depending upon the team and the situation, the Twins do have a handful of guys that could be taken. Below is how I would rank the top five players who could be taken tomorrow morning: 1.) Zack Jones – I’d put it at about 50-50 2.) Levi Michael – maybe 30% 3.) Corey Williams – maybe 25% 4.) Felix Jorge – maybe 25% 5.) Luke Bard – maybe 20% Of course, these are just guesses. There is really no rhyme or reason to the Rule 5 draft. It will be entertaining to listen to, and I’m sure there will be plenty of discussion with the results. Click here to view the article

Though I agree that Santana probably isn't going to be a regular big league shortstop, I think Eduardo Escobar took the job and ran with it. It's both things. Santana had all the tools. As I've said many times, I saw him play his first game in Beloit, and then saw him again the following year. He definitely has the tools. He can have amazing range and a powerful arm, but he was never able to consistently make the routine plays. So, what happened? Unfortunately nothing. No improvement over time. Frustrating for all involved, I'm sure. It's not like the Twins didn't have him taking tons of ground balls.

Posted this on Twitter this morning (I've been updating this every couple of days there):

I'm not privy to that information... But I typically don't worry about it on December 8th. Clippard, Sipp and Bastardo are still out there. And success with minor league signings and Ryan Madson from last year remind me not to get too worried about it in general. Sipp wasn't all that good until about a year and a half ago. The nature of relievers is so unpredictable. It's not like signing those big guys guarantees anything either. Signing them is as much about making the fans happy in the offseason. That said, I'd like to see them add one of those "Big 3."

Yeah, somehow when I read this, I managed to just skip an entire paragraph. My bad!

That shouldn't be controversial, and it's part of who he is and what he believes. We want people to say things and show who they are beyond baseball and then then get criticized for doing so. Whether or not that makes him grounded? I don't know, but I'm good with people discussing their faith. Good for him! And no, they don't get coached to speak about such things.

I don't think that is/was the plan.

I'm fine with two FAs, if they're good... I have pretty much no interest in the middle-of-the-pack relievers. Guys like Chad Qualls and Jason Motte and Matt Thornton ... They're as big of questino marks in my mind as Casey Fien is, so I'd prefer to give Michael Tonkin the shot at 2 months without going back and forth. I'd rather try Taylor Rogers or even Logan Darnell or Ryan O'Rourke out of the bullpen as lefty specialists. I'm not against signing free agents, but why sign bigger question marks to middling amounts when you've got other guys?

Generally I agree with the concept of bringing them up as starters and seeing what sticks, but the Twins are now in a position to win, AND they have starting pitching depth, so with someone like Rogers who could be a really good lefty reliever, I'd prefer that to a maybe 5th starter (or 6th/7th starter in AAA).

Well, very early in the morning - or late at night - it was reported that Shawn Kelley is going to sign with the Nationals.

Another reliever, Ryan Madson, got 3 years and $22 million from Oakland... and he didn't pitch from 2012-2014.

Terry Ryan and a large contingent of Minnesota Twins front office personnel are gathered in Nashville for the Winter Meetings. The goal for Ryan, and for every team, is to make his team better. We have written and discussed the topic ad nauseum in the Twins Daily pages since the end of the season. Some young Twins players will play a role in the Twins bullpen at some point in the near future. Today, I want to discuss two pitchers who I think could be prominent bullpen contributors right from the beginning of the 2016 season. There are going to be some difficult decisions next spring for Manager Paul Molitor in his second season and the helm. There are always tough decisions, but Molitor will have a lot of really quality options. When the team has needs in-season, they will have good options for replacement. You all have heard the names that some choose to joke about as getting starts in the last five years. There were three or four starting pitchers and a couple of bullpen arms at Rochester in 2015 who would have been called up quickly had this been 2012 or 2013.This isn’t 2011 through 2014 anymore. In 2015, the Twins won 83 games and were not eliminated until their 161st game. It’s about winning now while at the same time doing what’s best for the players, short-term and long-term. Let’s discuss a couple of the young pitchers and where they should fit in 2016. Trevor May May came up in the second half of 2014 and went through some struggles. In 2015, he was set to start the season in Rochester, but Ervin Santana’s suspension pushed him into the starting rotation. May pitched all right as a starter. In 16 starts (83.1 IP), he went 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. The Twins made the decision that he would move to the bullpen in the second half when Tommy Milone returned to the team from AAA. In 32 games (31.1 IP) out of the bullpen, he was 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP. His fastball velocity increased noticeably when he knew that he just needed to go an inning or two. When May was moved to the bullpen, Ryan and Molitor said that he would go to spring training in 2016 with an opportunity to start again. They have stood by that as he will go to spring training with a chance. With Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson marked in ink, and May competing with Tommy Milone, Tyler Duffey, JO Berrios and others for two rotation spots, May will have to be really good during spring to be in the rotation. Prediction: He will be in the bullpen. With a back end of the bullpen having Glen Perkins, Kevin Jepsen and May, that portion of the pen should be quite strong. In fact, we saw how strong it could be when Perkins was healthy. Taylor Rogers Rogers has been a starter all his life, in high school in Colorado, in college at Kentucky and all through his minor league career since being drafted in 2012. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2013. He’s been good the last two years as well. He was recently added to the Twins 40-man roster and worked 202 innings this year between Rochester and the Arizona Fall League. As a left-handed pitcher, he has two really good pitches against same-siders. While right-handers hit .326/.374/.457 (.831) with 28 doubles, four triples and nine home runs off him in AAA this year, he dominated left-handers. They hit just .177/.209/.193 (402) off of him. He gave up just three extra-base hits, all doubles. Reports I’ve gathered say that he has a good fastball (low-90s) and a tremendous slider. In fact, some have compared Rogers’ slider to Tyler Duffey’s curve ball. While Duffey has a fastball, curve ball and solid changeup, Rogers has not been able to turn his change into a pitch that can get right-handers off balance. If he could, he might be a mid-rotation starter, but most believe he can be a back-of-the-rotation starter, or even better out of the bullpen. Prediction: The Twins have six of seven starters ahead of Rogers, and we all know that JO Berrios is coming soon. Rogers turns 25 next week and could be a major contributor out of the Twins bullpen. In fact, Terry Ryan said Monday afternoon that Rogers would go to spring training competing for a bullpen job. They could send him back to Rochester and hope that his changeup develops so that he can be a fifth starter, or they could utilize him right away as a solid lefty reliever. Names like Tony Sipp or Antonio Bastardo might (emphasis on might) provide stability from the left side for three years, or at least parts of those three years. They’re the big names of the offseason. I have no problem with ponying up to add one name reliever that the organization feels can hold up. However, rather than bringing back middling lefties like Neal Cotts or Brian Duensing, I would recommend giving Rogers a shot. Maybe they give him a month of two in Rochester to get used to working out of the bullpen and start the season with Ryan O’Rourke or Logan Darnell (who could also work in long relief). But at some point, Rogers should be in the Twins bullpen. What does that leave the Twins with? Closer: Glen Perkins RH RP: Kevin Jepsen, Trevor May, LH RP: Free Agent LHP Two Of: Casey Fien (non-guaranteed contract), Michael Tonkin (out of options), Ryan Pressly, Alex Meyer, Ryan O’Rourke, or a second quality free agent. Long Relief: Logan Darnell And Taylor Rogers should be up soon, if not on the Opening Day roster. By May, we could see Alex Meyer, Nick Burdi and JT Chargois. That’s why I wouldn’t go out and acquire more than one reliever on a multi-year deal. From Nick’s article today, there are three relievers worth focusing on, in my opinion, Antonio Bastardo, Tony Sipp and Shawn Kelley. Don’t waste time on the others. Trust guys like Taylor Rogers, let them take off in their own careers and hopefully help the Twins move up to the next level. How do you think this all unfolds? Click here to view the article

agreed. I should elaborate. If they don't think that Buxton is ready out of spring training, I have no problem with Rosario in CF. However, I wouldn't move Rosario to accommodate Sano. It's going to be a learning experience (and not easy) for Sano whether he plays LF or RF, so let him learn and let Rosario stay in LF where he makes the most sense, covering all that ground in Target Field.

Today, we are happy to provide another Q&A with another Minnesota Twins minor leaguer and member of the 2015 draft class. Brian Olson was the Twins 34th round pick in June out of Seattle University. The catcher signed quickly and the Twins had him start in the GCL. In 17 games, he hit .273/.414/.327 (.742) with more walks than strikeouts. He was promoted to Elizabethton where he finished by hitting .333/.414/.510 (.924) with three doubles and two homers in 15 games.Since the offseason began, he got married and is now looking forward to his first full season in 2016. Before we get to the Q&A, I had the chance to talk to his college coach at Seattle University, Donny Harrel. He shared some thoughts about Brian Olson. “Brian was a two-time MVP here. Then his junior year, a pro scout told him he needed to hit with more power. That took away from what type of hitter Brian truly is, at this point, a very solid gap-to-gap hitter who uses all fields. I believe he will continue to hit and power comes with pitch recognition and a ton of at bats. There will be a time you will see the power numbers go up as well.” Harrel continued, “Brian had a tremendous work ethic. He always hustled and never let failure bring him down. His arm defensively drew a lot of pro attention because of its strength and his quick release.” There is a little background on the backstop. Enjoy the following Q&A, getting to know Twins minor league catcher Brian Olson. --------------------------------------- Seth Stohs: Growing up in Washington, can I make an assumption on who your favorite team was to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Brian Olson: I enjoyed watching the Mariners. My favorite players growing up were Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Cameron. Seth Stohs: It sounds like you played on some really good high school teams. What are some of your best memories, baseball or other activities? Brian Olson: My best baseball memory from high school was playing at Safeco Field for the State playoffs. My best personal moment was hitting a walk-off home run on the last game at our home field my senior season. Seth Stohs: You stayed near home and went to Seattle University where you played for four years. What were your best moments on the baseball team, individual or team-wise? Brian Olson: My best team moment from Seattle University baseball was playing in the WAC tournament twice. My best personal moment was hitting a walk-off home run against Utah Valley during my senior season. Seth Stohs: What was your interaction with scouts before the draft? Did you think you might be drafted? Brian Olson: I had high hopes for getting drafted and was talking to quite a few teams. Seth Stohs: The Twins took you in the 34th round. How did you find out you had been drafted? Brian Olson: I was actually hanging out with a friend watching the draft on the computer, and when my name popped up on the screen I missed it because I was busy talking to him. My scout called me and told me to check the computer. It was very exciting. Seth Stohs: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from amateur/college season to the pro game, on or off the field? Brian Olson: The biggest adjustment was handling the pitching staff because many of them don't speak English very well. Seth Stohs: In these very early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? Brian Olson: I would say my biggest strength is being able to control my emotions when I have bad games and separate my offense from defense. Seth Stohs: What are the things that you feel you need to improve over the offseason and going forward? Brian Olson: I definitely need to get bigger, stronger, and faster. Those are my main priorities currently. Seth Stohs: What are your plans for the offseason? When do you start preparing for the 2016 season, but also what do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? Brian Olson: This offseason I got married and continue to train every day. I really enjoy spending time with my twin brother Kevin. Seth Stohs: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? Brian Olson: My Dad has been the biggest influence and support in getting me to where I am today. I have a hitting coach and mentor named Brett Jaime who has been a huge part of my career for years. My coaches at Seattle University were awesome and poured a lot into me as well. Most importantly, all the glory goes to God. Seth Stohs: Favorite Baseball Movie? Brian Olson: I love the movie Angels in the Outfield. --------------------------------------- A big Thank You to Brian Olson for taking time to respond to our questions. Please feel free to ask questions in the Comments below. Click here to view the article