Seth Stohs

Hey ya'll, I haven't spent a lot of time in the Sports Bar here, but now I feel the need to. I am a closet binge watcher. Not really, I often tweet or facebook that I am finishing one show and need a new show to binge watch. I'm at that point right now. So I need your help. Let's make this a place to share thoughts (Without giving anything away) on which shows we recommend/encourage others to watch. Of course, we all have different tastes. I mean even I have different tastes from day-to-day and who to show. I've watched shows from Friday Night Lights to Quantum Leap to Beverly Hills 90210 to Breaking Bad to Ally McBeal to The Americans to... well, there have been a lot. I pretty much refuse to pay anything, so I'm looking for shows that are free on Amazon Prime, Hulu or Netflix. I just finished Season 6 of The Walking Dead. Season 7 has had 4-5 episodes, but since I'd have to pay for them, it stinks. On my current Watch List on Hulu are Pitch, This is Us, Drunk History, Law & Order SVU, and some other weekly shows. Some are great. Some are good. If they're not very good, I probably quit watching it a ways in. For instance, The Wire was great in Season 1. Season 2 was OK. Season 3 bored me and I quit watching. The Sopranos and Six Feet Under and Big Love are three older HBO shows that I couldn't miss at all. So, what are you watching? What do you recommend? Let's share our thoughts and discuss.

By the end of this week, the Minnesota Twins will have to add players to their 40-man roster. The Twins currently have 36 players on their 40-man roster. So the Twins could add as many as four players to the roster unless they remove more players from the 40-man roster, which I assume is likely. Most likely, they will add three to four players. In the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook, we discussed many of the potential transactions that will happen throughout the offseason. Today, I’ll post the players who are most likely to be added to the Twins 40-man roster. We’ll start at #1 with the player most likely to be added, and get through the top 10. Of course, these are just my opinion, so I’d encourage and welcome your thoughts below. Image courtesy of Kim Klement, USA Today (photos of Mitch Garver and Stuart Turner) By the end of this week, the Minnesota Twins will have to add players to their 40-man roster. The Twins currently have 36 players on their 40-man roster. So the Twins could add as many as four players to the roster unless they remove more players from the 40-man roster, which I assume is likely. Most likely, they will add three to four players. In the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook, we discussed many of the potential transactions that will happen throughout the offseason. Today, I’ll post the players who are most likely to be added to the Twins 40-man roster. We’ll start at #1 with the player most likely to be added, and get through the top 10. Of course, these are just my opinion, so I’d encourage and welcome your thoughts below. Let’s get started… but first, who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected on a 40 man roster? Players signed at the age of 18 or less in 2012 (signed before end of minor league season) Players signed at the age of 19 or more in 2013 Players signed under the first two categories in previous years. A player needs to be evaluated based on 1) his talent and ceiling, and 2) his likelihood of being lost in the Rule 5 draft and kept by that team throughout the season. Here are the ten players I believe are most likely to be selected, in order of likelihood. #1 – RHP Fernando Romero The Twins, and every team in baseball, are looking for ace, power pitchers. If there’s one guy in the system who could be that, it is Fernando Romero. He missed two seasons due to Tommy John surgery and a knee surgery, but h came back in May this year and was tremendous in Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He’s got a mid-to-upper-90s fastball, a slider and a changeup. This is the easiest choice of many good choices right now. (He was my #2 Twins prospect after the season.) He signed with the Twins in November of 2011 from the Dominican Republic. #2 – C Mitch Garver Catchers are incredibly valuable too. As we know, it’s hard to find catchers that can hit and field, and Garver fits into that category. He’s always been able to hit. He was our choice for Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2014 in Cedar Rapids. In 2015, he played well in Chattanooga and in Rochester. Where he has made the biggest strides is defensively. It showed up this year in the pitch framing stats and in his caught stealing percentage. Like Romero, adding Garver to the 40-man roster is a no-brainer. He was the Twins 9th round pick in 2013 out of New Mexico. #3 – OF Daniel Palka Yes, he strikes out a ton, and he hits for tremendous power. His 35 homers between Chattanooga and Rochester in 2016 make him a pretty easy choice. He appears to be a left-handed version of Adam Brett Walker. Palka came to the Twins a year ago at this time from Arizona in exchange for Chris Herrmann. Herrmann had a terrific 2016 season for the Diamondbacks but the Twins have to feel good about the trade so far. He was Arizona’s 3rd round pick in 2013 out of Georgia Tech. #4 – RHP Felix Jorge Jorge is still just 22. He signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2010. Since a tough 2014 in Cedar Rapids, Jorge has been remarkably consistent. In 2015, he completed six innings in 19 of his 22 starts and never went less than five innings. In 14 starts for Ft. Myers in 2016, he went 9-3 with a 1.84 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. He worked six or more innings 13 out of 14 times. In 11 starts in Chattanooga, he worked six or more innings in eight of 11 starts (including his final six starts). He went at least five innings in all 25 of his starts.He has a very easy, smooth motion and delivery, but he can surprise hitters by throwing 93 at times. He throws a ton of strikes and mixes his pitches very well. He was left unprotected a year ago. If he is this time, he’ll very likely be lost. #5 – OF Zack Granite Granite was the Twins choice for 2016 Minor League Player of the Year. He was the Twins 14th round pick in 2013 out of Seton Hall. After an injury-plaqued 2014 he began 2014 in Cedar Rapids. After a month, he went to the Miracle and played all right. It was somewhat surprising when he began 2016 in Chattanooga, but he took advantage of it. He was their everyday leadoff man. He puts together terrific at bats consistently and profiles as a leadoff hitter. His 56 stolen bases led all of minor league baseball. He can play center field and has great range, though his arm (and Byron Buxton) would push him to left field. (He had a Rock Solid 2016. Here are his thoughts on the season.) #6 – SS Engelb Vielma Vielma signed with the Twins on September 8, 2011, out of Venezuela. Had he signed a week sooner, he would have been Rule 5 eligible last year. Instead, this is the first year he could be added. The rail-thin shortstop is one of the better defensive shortstops in minor league baseball. He’s got the range and a powerful arm and great instincts. He is also a leader in the infield. Will he hit? That is the question. After hitting .270 (.617) in 2015 in Ft. Myers, he hit .271 (.663) in AA Chattanooga this year. Vielma has very little power, so he will need to find a way to get on base. But his defense is his calling card. (A year ago, he did a Q&A for Twins Daily) #7 – C Stuart Turner Not all that long ago, catchers were completely defense-minded. As we know, catcher depth is very important to a team. Turner does a terrific job behind the plate, working with pitchers, calling a game and controlling the running game. He spent the last two seasons in Chattanooga. In 2015, he hit .223 (.628) and in 2016, he hit .239 (.686). He did so by increasing his power. He went from 13 to 22 doubles, and he went from four to six homers. At 6-2 and 220 pounds, Turner generally puts together quality at bats and does have the potential to hit some. But, defense is what matters most behind the plate, and Turner has that ability. He was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2013 out of Ole Miss. (Here's a Get To Know Him article on Turner from March 2014.) #8 – RH RP DJ Baxendale Baxendale was the Twins 10th round pick in 2012 out of Arkansas. He signed shortly after the Razorbacks’ College World Series run that year. He’s been a starter most of his career. After an all-star first half in Chattanooga this year, he moved up to Rochester and into their bullpen. It was at that time that he took off. As a starter in AA this year, he struck out 6.6 per nine innings. Out of the bullpen in AAA, he struck out 10.3 per nine innings. He’s got a good fastball in the low-90s and a terrific slider. With those two pitches, he could develop into a good reliever. #9 – LHP Jason Wheeler Wheeler, the Twins 8th round pick in 2011 out of Loyola Marymount, was added to the Twins 40-man roster two years ago. Late in that season, he was removed and pitched the Lookouts to the Southern League championship. That’s where he began again in 2016, but he was good for four starts and the Twins had three AAA starters already in the big leagues. Wheeler went to AAA and pitched very well. He was the International League’s starting pitcher in the AAA All-Star Game. He posted a 3.53 ERA in 145.1 innings with the Red Wings. At 6-7, Wheeler has good size. He doesn’t throw real hard, though occasionally hits 94. (Here is a Get To Know Him article on Wheeler from May 2014.) #10 – RHP Aaron Slegers Slegers is the tallest member of the Twins organization. The 6-11 right-hander has progressed at a steady pace since the Twins selected him in the 5th round of the 2013 draft out of Indiana where he was the Big 10 Pitcher of the Year. He spent a year in Cedar Rapids, a year in Ft. Myers and he spent the 2016 season in Chattanooga. With the Lookouts, he went 10-7 with a 3.41 ERA. OTHER ELIGIBLES: RHP Nick Anderson, RHP Luke Bard, OF Edgar Corcino, RHP Ryan Eades, OF JJ Fernandez, RHP Sam Gibbons, RHP Miguel Gonzalez, IF/OF Niko Goodrum, OF Travis Harrison, 1B Dalton Hicks, LHP David Hurlbut, RHP Zack Jones, 2B Levi Michael, 1B Amaurys Minier, RHP Alex Muren, RHP Brandon Peterson, RHP Williams Ramirez, RHP Dereck Rodriguez, LHP Lewis Thorpe, 2B Rafael Valera, RHP Todd Van Steensel, 2B Ryan Walker. Of that group, Lewis Thorpe is intriguing. He’s got the talent and upside, but he hasn’t pitched for two seasons. Dereck Rodriguez is certainly one to watch. He’s got upside, but despite being 23, he’s still very raw as a pitcher. Zack Jones was drafted a year ago. He’s a candidate to be selected again, though less likely than a year ago. Amaurys Minier signed a big bonus, but he hasn’t even played full-season ball yet. For me, I’d think the first six are the ones that will likely be added with Turner and Baxendale right on the bubble. Looking at it this way is interesting because it’s easy to say “I would protect (this guy) or (that guy),” but it’s hard without factoring in who would need to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room or which other guys need to be added. What do you think? How many do you think will be added? View full article

Any team's front office.

Mike Berardino chatted with catching prospect Mitch Garver down in Arizona for this article. Garver knows this is a big season for him. It's his 40-man roster decision, and the Twins new brass will be making decisions on the direction of the catcher position going forward. He's worked hard on his defense but also can hit. It's a good article. http://www.twincities.com/2016/11/14/minnesota-twins-mitch-garver-makes-his-case-behind-the-plate/

My guess is from the front office's perspective, Turner is less of a bubble guy (more likely to be added) than Baxendale, Wheeler and Jones).

Goodrum remains very intriguing. He's a great athlete. He's still very young. He does take good at bats and isn't afraid to walk. He can play all over the field, which is never a bad thing. Scouts talk about his high waistline and believe that he still will develop power. He's very strong, and his genes indicate he's going to keep getting stronger. I'm really glad they were able to re-sign him.

Not worried about walks (lack of) for Arraez. I mean, no one really worries about the actual stats of these guys, just that they're making some adjustments and getting more development at bats. He may never walk a ton, but it would be good to see more. But, he has such good contact skills. He doesn't swing and miss often.

Trey Cabbage gets spot #20. Thank you to all who voted. Hopefully this was enjoyable.

Star Tribune's Michael Rand wrote up a Q&A with Thad Levine. The two discuss Levine's sense of humor, addressing pitching and much more.

The lead in former Twins pitcher Charley Walters' article today in the Pioneer Press is on Paul Molitor and his thoughts on being open to using more analytics. He discussed lineup construction as well. There are also a ton of neat notes throughout the article. For instance, former Gophers catcher, first-round pick and Mariners Hall of Famer Dan Wilson has a son who plays for the Gophers. Former Gopher and Twins player (and current Bethel coach) Brian Raabe's son is a high school junior that the Gophers are recruiting. And lots of non-baseball notes too. http://www.twincities.com/2016/11/12/charley-walters-twins-paul-molitor-open-to-using-more-analytics/

Last night (Saturday), Daniel Palka was 1-2 with 2 walks.

Correct... but a year ago, Gonsalves was about the #6-8 prospect... But when 5 guys ahead of him (all with high ceiling potential) lose their prospect eligibility, it puts things into perspective.

I think he can. I think it's certainly worth keeping him there as long as possible. But of the people I've talked to, it's more like 50/50 for whether or not he can or will stay at short. If he does, he'll be an adequate shortstop. If not, the others say that he will be a very good second baseman.

First, thank you for your kinda words. Second, I read everything I can get my hands on regarding Twins minor leaguers, and then talk to a bunch of other people, and develop my opinions. So, they're all based on something. It's great to get the national perspective too. I always look at it like this. The top 1-3 prospects are the guys you hope can be stars, at least reliable everyday guys for several years. Prospects 3-8, you're hoping they're guys who have a solid showing in the big leagues, hopefully regulars, mid-rotation starters, strong bullpen types. Outside of that, you're hoping for guys who can help the big leauge club in some way, a bench bat, a 5th or 6th starter, a backend of the bullpen type. And you know that most prospects never become stars. In fact, most don't become regulars quality players. It'd hard. For me, I think the Top 5 guys on my list (which are the same as this list) can be regular big leaguers. The "star" quality is probably in the guys who are already up now (Berrios, Buxton, Sano, Kepler, maybe Polanco). The other thing to remember is that sometimes guys who haven't played long in the minor leagues (recently drafted, after the 1st or 2nd round), and there are always late-bloomers. A guy like Lewin Diaz (who I ranked 6th and the TD Twitter voted 19)... he's high-risk, very high reward. Trey Cabbage is a 20-something prospect, but he has a very high ceiling, but he's raw. So, there'll always be guys who make big jumps up (or down) these lists. Just because a guy ranks #39 or something doesn't mean they don't have value to the organization.

Here is your weekly update of how Twins players and prospects are performing in the Winter Leagues. With the conclusion of the World Series, several players have become free agents so these reports are a little bit smaller than they have been the last few weeks. As the Twins sign players to minor league deals, we'll keep you updated. Continue reading to see who performed well in the Winter Leagues the past week. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photo of Niko Goodrum) Here is your weekly update of how Twins players and prospects are performing in the Winter Leagues. With the conclusion of the World Series, several players have become free agents so these reports are a little bit smaller than they have been the last few weeks. As the Twins sign players to minor league deals, we'll keep you updated. Continue reading to see who performed well in the Winter Leagues the past week. Venezuelan Winter League Report Luis Arraez has been a story all year, since the 19-year-old put together an incredible season in Cedar Rapids where his .347 average led the Midwest League. He was a multi-hit game machine. He had 34 two-hit games, 13 three-hit games, three four-hit games, and a five hit game. In the first two Kernels playoff games, he had a three-hit game and a four-hit game. He's kept it up in the Winter League. Through games on Friday night, Arraez has played 27 games. He is hitting .358/.386/.519 (.905) with seven doubles and five triples. He has 15 RBI and 21 runs scored. He doesn't like to walk (6), but he also doesn't strike out (6). In the past week, he played five games. He went 13-21 (.619) with two doubles and a triple. Over his last seven games played, he has five three-hit games. He's had multiple hits in seven of his last nine games. Niko Goodrum has now played 28 games in Venezuela. He missed the first half of the 2016 season with a stress reaction in his foot, so these at bats are really good for him. He's hitting .297/.368/.450 (.818) with eight doubles, three triples and a homer in 124 plate appearances. He's struck out a fair amount (28 times), but he's also walked 13 times. In this past week, he has played in six games. He's 9-23 (.391) with a double, two triples and a home run. He had four straight games multi-hit games in the middle of the week. In one game, he was a single short of a cycle. Ryan O'Rourke's Venezuelan season started out very poorly, so it's taken some time for him to bring his season ERA down. Overall, he has a 7.82 ERA and a 1.89 WHIP in 12 games and 12.2 innings. He has made two starts. This past week, he pitched twice and made a start on Friday night. In it, he threw four shutout innings. He gave up four hits walked none and struck out three. Victor Tademo and Edwar Colina did not play during the week. Dominican Republic Winter League Report Daniel Palka was our choice for Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year. He has now played 15 games in the Dominican. He is hitting .217/.266/.367 (.632) with three doubles, two triples and nine RBI. He has walked four time and struck out 19 times. This past week, he played in four games. He had two hits in 13 at bats (.154). Both hits were doubles. Leonardo Reginnato made his Dominican debut last Friday night. In his seven games so far he is hitting .227/261/.227 (.488) with a walk and a run scored. However, in his past three games, he is 5-11 (.455). Confesor Lara has pitched nine games so far this winter. In 8.2 innings he has a 2.08 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP. Over the past week, he worked in one inning of one game. Puerto Rican Winter League Report Kennys Vargas has played in nine games already. He is hitting .188/.297/.344 (.641) with two doubles and a homer. He's got seven RBI and four runs scored. He's walked five times with eight strikeouts. In the last week, he played in five games. He had just four hits in 18 at bats (.222). He had a double, and on Friday night he hit his first home run. JJ Fernandez has also played in nine games. He is 7-29, hitting .241/.290/.483 (.773) with two doubles, a triple and a home run. In six games this past week, Fernandez is 3-18, hitting .167 with a double and a home run. Juan Centeno has played seven games so far. He is 4.28. He's hitting .143/.226/.179 (.404) with a double. This week, he went 3-14 (.214) in three games played. He hit the double and drove in both runs. Nelson Molina had just one plate appearance during the week. He drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Lean Marrero went 0-2 over the two games he played. Dereck Rodriguez is yet to give up a run in his three outings. In 6.2 innings, he gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four. He has a 0.45 WHIP. He pitched in just one inning this past week. He gave up a hit, walked one and struck one out in a scoreless inning. Please feel free to ask questions. View full article

Who else is going to pitch in Rochester next season? The big prospects most likely start at Chattanooga. That leaves Hurlbut and Wheeler in Rochester. Slegers could move up. Baxendale could start again. Berrios could start there again. I'm answering my question in a stream of consciousness, but they do need pitchers at that level. Also, those two could be solid bullpen options too.

Ervin Santana's name will be heard often in trade rumors this offseason. Mike Berardino talked to the Twins front office about the right-hander in this article. He provides consistency and innings with solid performance. I think we know he's not a true Ace or #1 starter on a strong team, but he's a solid #3... considering what a guy like Jeremy Hellickson will get this offseason, I have a hard time thinking that Santana wouldn't get more than $8-10 million per year.

Mike Berardino wrote an article on Byungho Park, noting that he was embarrassed with his first season. Also in the link, Berardino provides an update on Eddie Rosario's thumb. Also, he learned that Brian Dozier is receiving strong consideration for the WBC. Several more updates as well.

Berardino's had a main story with a few additional mini-stories and this article is one of them. He asked Scott Boras his thoughts on the Twins transition from Terry Ryan to the Falvey/Levine regime. Boras, of course, was complimentary of both, while also noting their differences. He also wrote about the coaching situation, with Falvey's thoughts on why Neil Allen was retained, and some hitting coach names to watch.

Mike Berardino has been busy, traveling to Arizona for AFL games and the GM Meetings. One article he wrote was about trading Brian Dozier. There are several reasons that trading him may not be real easy. Finding the right return for the talented 2B with 2 years and just $15 million left on his contract.

Michael Lananna wrote up the Twins Top 10 Prospects rankings. Here are his: 1) Nick Gordon 2) Stephen Gonsalves 3) Alex Kirilloff 4) Fernando Romero 5) Tyler Jay 6) Adalberto Mejia 7) Kohl Stewart 8) Felix Jorge 9) Daniel Palka 10) Travis Blankenhorn The Top 5 are the same for me... I had them: Gonsalves, Romero, Kirilloff, Gordon, Jay. Fun list.

Not really... I'd think an arm or two would be back. I can certainly see Beresford coming back. I'm sure they'd like to keep Darnell and Dean. But it'd all depend on need at that point.