Seth Stohs

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

We may want to see that based on having wanted to see an OF of Rosario, Buxton and Hicks. That was 3 CFs. But most MLB outfields don't have 3 CF. Most are happy to have 2 really good defensive outfielders. So, if they go with Rosario, Buxton and Sano, it probably wouldn't be terrible by any means. But, it's not ideal. So, I do still think there is a reasonable chance Plouffe is traded, but I don't think they're wrong in giving Sano a shot in RF. I think he can do it. A lot of people who have seen him play do.

Just like 29 other teams in baseball...

Ryan told Doogie just two days ago at the press conference that they have Meyer planning his offseason to be a reliever, not that there was much question about that role anyway at this point.

Completely agree with this. Fien was fine in the 8th innings for a couple of seasons. If he can pitch 6th and 7th innings, with May, Tonkin, maybe Meyer and Jepsen ahead of him on the depth chart, then not a problem. He can be a place holder while Chargois, Burdi, Reed, others get their final preparation in. The other thing to note is that if he doesn't make it out of spring training and gets let go, the contract isn't guaranteed. So, at $2.5 million, which I think could be up to $0.5M too high, he would then only cost like $400,000. He might also be someone they can trade and get something like a C-level prospect for.

Well, it can't be Pat Dean. I wouldn't think they would DFA Graham. My guess is that it would come from a trade. They could DFA those guys, but there's a decent chance both would be claimed. O'Rourke, John Hicks. Those guys are options for DFA as well. At the same time, Jeremy Nygaard pointed out the other day on Twitter, that they have to decide which is better. Using John Hicks as an example... He is a solid backup, #3 catcher that they can ship up and down from AAA to the big leagues for two years yet. That's probably more valuable on the 40 man roster than anyone they could pick at #17 in the Rule 5. That's kind of what they need to ask themselves.

At one time, the Winter Meetings were solely for minor league teams and leagues. Then MLB decided to coordinate their meetings at the same time and in the same place. It has been a huge event. This year’s Winter Meetings are in Nashville, Tennessee. They officially start on Monday, though most will arrive on Sunday and start having some discussions. So, what is likely on the Twins agenda for the week? Today, we’ll consider what they’ll look to do.Before we get into what the Twins checklist of needs is this offseason, here are a couple of quick reminders: 1.) The Winter Meetings host a whole bunch of meetings. That’s what they are for. Minor League leagues and owners will have meetings together. Minor League coordinators may meet together. There are committees. All kinds of meetings. Yes, GMs and agents are there and they meet in between the scheduled meetings, or they have drinks at the bar in the hotel together at the end of the day. 2.) There are going to be a ton of rumors that will come out throughout the week. Probably 95% of them will be based on very little. Team A was talking to GM who has the rights to players C, D, E, and F. So, Team A may be interested in players C, D, E and F. It’s a tough week for fans because of all the rumors. Each one piques your interest and makes you wonder how that player will help the Twins. It’s fun, but it’s hard to know what to believe. At least, until Ken Rosenthal or Jon Heyman call it official. 3.) There is so much going on. Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor will meet with media, probably also be interviewed on MLB Network or other places. The managers all meet together. There will be college graduates in suits passing out resumes to major league and minor league teams, looking for an opportunity to find a career in baseball. There is a lot going on that has nothing to do with player transactions. There will be moves made by teams during the Winter Meetings, but if the Twins come out of the meetings having not signed or traded for anybody, it doesn’t mean they didn’t accomplish anything. They will likely have a lot of meetings with GMs from other teams, looking for trade partners, laying the groundwork for deals that could happen later. The Twins will have meetings with agents as well. Agents will talk to a lot of teams about their players. Those conversations will be brought back to the players who could decide where they want to play next week, the following week or even into January. So, with all that as the background, let’s develop a checklist for the Twins at the Winter Meetings. What are they areas that they should address during the four or five days that they are in Nashville? 1) Although they have said that they will not trade Travor Plouffe, Ryan will certainly be asked about his availability by a number of teams. Of course, he’s likely talked with each of those teams already, but during this week, they’ll be able to continue those discussions, maybe even setting some parameters. And who knows, there could be a trade by the end of the week. 2) Bullpen. Terry Ryan said in his interview with Twins Daily for the Offseason GM Handbook that the bullpen would be very high up on his priority list this offseason. Does that mean signing a Tony Sipp or Antonio Bastardo for three years, or does it mean waiting until a few of those top guys are gone and the second-tier is willing to sign for more reasonable prices. The Twins are certainly going to be having discussions with the agents of some of the better free agent relievers. 3) James Shields rumors seemingly won’t go away. Who knows if there is anything to those rumors, but it would certainly take some creativity. The point of this bullet point is that Terry Ryan and his staff could consider adding a starting pitcher via trade, if it makes sense. 4) The Twins may look to trade Tommy Milone. The assumption is that by himself he wouldn’t land a top-notch prospect. Maybe they could get a couple of B- prospects for him, and that would be OK. Maybe they could package him with a minor leaguer or two and bring back something of relative significance. Right now, candidates for a starting role with the Twins in 2016 include Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Tommy Milone, Rick Nolasco, Taylor Rogers and JO Berrios. I would expect them to deal a starter, and right or wrong, Milone makes the most sense. Milone was tendered arbitration on Wednesday. Casey Fien and Eduardo Nunez were as well, and they could be traded as also. 5) The Twins do need to add an outfielder. As of today, the Twins outfield could include Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Danny Santana is in the picture, as is Oswaldo Arcia. Depending upon Plouffe, Max Kepler could also be an early-season add. If I were the Twins, I wouldn’t sign a big name, high priced outfielder. I can see them adding a Shane Robinson type of outfielder. In other words, a guy who is comfortable playing just once or twice a week. A good defender with speed, who can pinch run when necessary. This is not a high priority, but it should be addressed at some point in the offseason. 6) Rule 5 draft. It’s not the Rule V draft, it’s the Rule 5 draft. The Twins 40-man roster is currently at 40. They could DFA someone to make room so that they could make a pick. They could make a trade before Thursday to reduce the 40-man roster. They could make a pick still. However, it just doesn’t seem real likely, especially since they have the 17th pick. However, the Twins are usually active in the AAA portion of the Rule 5. Last year they added Greg Peavey and lost Matt Tomshaw. Again, it isn’t a requirement to accomplish all of these during the next week, just sometime in the offseason. Timing is a strategy. The fourth outfielder and some of the bullpen moves could likely wait until early January. Click here to view the article

It's fine. Depth is good. The contract won't be big. It'll be fine for the 7th inning. Those young guys won't start the season with the team. He's had success in the past. He was hurt last year and late the year before.

This week, Byung Ho Park came to Minnesota, agreed to a deal, and yesterday met the Twin Cities media in a press conference. Since news broke that the Twins had signed Park to a four year, $12 million contract (with a fifth-year option that could make it 5 years, $18 million) plus incentives, there have been a lot of interesting topics discussed. I think there are also quite a few misconceptions out there that I thought I would touch on briefly today and encourage more discussion.Here are a few of the misconceptions that I’ve noted in recent days. Expectations Should Be Lowered For Park Based On His Contract Should they be lowered? No. Will some lower them? Certainly. In my opinion, he is the same player whether he signed for $3 million a year, as he did, or would haive signed for $8-10 mllion a year, which was rumored. He is the same player. He will go through the same struggles as he adjusts to life in the States, playing with a new team, playing in a new league. It’s like expecting Joe Mauer would suddenly become an even better player because he signed a huge contract at age 27. Expectations based on contract are hardly ever fair. The Twins Low-Balled Park That was the first reaction of some Twins fans. It was also the reaction of many in Korea who thought he would make more coming to MLB. That showed in yesterday’s press conference when two members of Korean media started with questions about the contract. The reality is that the Twins worked within the current rules set up for players who are posted from Korea. Even Park’s agent, Alan Nero from Octagon, said that they played by the rules. He was a better player than Jung Ho Kang who signed a year earlier after putting up great numbers in Korea, and he got a little bit more than him. Was the contract fair? That could be debated. Is any contract fair when one party is negotiating solely with one other party? But that’s not the Twins fault. If anything is to blame, blame the system. We Have a Good Idea of How Productive Park Will Be Like any player, or especially any free agent, we have no idea how productive Byung Ho Park will be for the Twins in 2016 and beyond. Can we compare his stats in the KBO to the stats of Jung Ho Kang’s numbers in the KBO and then consider Kang’s number in MLB last year and assume that Park’s will be a little better than that? Sure, we can do that. Does it mean anything? Maybe, but probably not. Park could come in and put up the types of numbers that Jose Abreu did in his rookie season for the White Sox two years ago. He could run away with rookie of the year votes. He could become a fixture in the middle of a strong Twins lineup. Who knows? He could hit 40 home runs every year. Or, he could hit .185, strike out 210 times a year, and really struggle in the adjustment. I hope people are already over the misconception that we can compare Park coming to the Twins with Tsuyoshi Nishioka coming to the Twins half a decade ago. However, it is fair to say that Nishioka’s resume in Japan (in the NPB which is generally considered a better, more talented league than the KBO) was almost as impressive as Park’s in Korea. Nishioka was an All-Star, a batting champ, a gold glove winner. He had a ton of accolades. Park has been an MVP, a gold glove winner, a home run champion and more. I think this signing will be great, but clearly, time will tell. The Twins Have To Trade Trevor Plouffe Terry Ryan surprised several people yesterday at the news conference when he flatly said that he would keep the rest of the lineup intact. He said Plouffe would be his third baseman, and Miguel Sano would move to the outfield. Most have been working under an assumption that the Twins would deal Plouffe for pitching (or other talent) and clear the way for Miguel Sano to play third base. There is this thought that Miguel Sano can’t play in the outfield. He’s too big. Not fast enough. Hasn’t played the position in his life. Of those three things, only the last one is probably true. Yes, he weighed in at 268 pounds at the end of the season. Yes, that is a number that he and the Twins will need to watch closely as he moves forward. It’s likely a weight that will hold him back as he ages. But for 2016, he is a great athlete. He can get going. There are many slower outfielders out there. I mean, Oswaldo Arcia and Josh Willingham come to mind. Michael Cuddyer was not any faster than Miguel Sano is, and he was able to handle right field. The phrase “once he gets going” would likely be uttered a lot. His size isn’t the concern at this time. The fact that he hasn’t played in the outfield is a concern, but that is a concern whether he weighs 268 or 208. It will be an adjustment. He is talented and knows the game enough to catch fly balls. That’s the easy part of the position. But positioning, playing the ball off the wall, knowing where to throw, hitting the cut-off man, adjusting for slices, playing the ball hit directly over your head. Those are not easy. However, there have been a lot of infielders that have moved out to the outfield. Chipper Jones moved from third base to left field. Miguel Cabrera came up for the Marlins as a 20 year old in 2013 and played left field, a position he hadn’t played before on a World Series champion team. Last year, the Cubs played Kris Bryant in the outfield in 16 games, and Kyle Schwarber was an outfielder in the playoffs. These guys weren’t great (or even good) outfielders defensively, but it does show that winning teams can make these types of decisions. The best example, from a positive perspective, might be the Royals Alex Gordon. He was a questionable third baseman who was pushed to left field and has become a multiple Gold Glove winner. The idea of a Rosario, Buxton, Hicks outfield was very exciting for Twins fans (and Twins pitchers), but it's likely that two very good outfielders will be in the outfield. Ryan also said that the offense was a problem in 2015, and I think we would all agree, so trading Plouffe isn’t a great plan. I think we can all agree with that. The team does need to score runs and having Plouffe and Sano in a lineup gives it a better chance to do so. Plouffe Won’t Be Traded I have to add this one as well. While I believe that the Twins won’t be actively looking to deal Trevor Plouffe during the Winter Meetings next week, I don’t believe that they won’t listen to anyone who is interested. If a great package of players that can help the Twins win in 2016 and beyond is offered, it could happen. Terry Ryan shouldn’t trade Trevor Plouffe just to make room at third base for Miguel Sano. However, if he gets an offer that he can’t refuse, well, he shouldn’t refuse it. Some have even said that because of the contract that Park signed, and the fact that it was less than assumed, the Twins no longer have to trade Plouffe. The Park and Plouffe contracts are not restraining the Twins if they’re both around. They can still go out and sign a reliever or two and address other needs with both on the roster. The idea of trading Plouffe is about opening up third base for Sano and adding arms, not about money. The Winter Meetings should be interesting for Twins fans. How will it all play out? Well, I guess we’ll find out. Click here to view the article