Seth Stohs

For me, he's got a couple of options left... he's got good, dominating AAA numbers. I'm willing to give him more time... but if he's on a bubble rather than being a given, I'm ok with that.

Kintzler's a given. As much as we want to see certain guys, sometimes it's best for their development ot get some AAA time and sometimes more AAA time. They're all different. Hildenberger, Reed, Burdi... we like to think they're all close, and they may be, but Reed has a month in AAA... Burdi missed nearly the full season, and Hildenberger missed hte last month with an elbow problem. It's good to have guys. No one thinks Kintzler is more than what he is just because he got some saves and did a nice job in the second half, but the stuff, movement, ground balls and the fact that he was healthy mean that he can be a solid reliever for longer. And, at most he'll cost like $2 million. That's nothing. And, it's low enough that if he struggles or if 3-4 of those young guys prove ready, they can let him go.

Baseball America posted its report card for the Minnesota Twins 2016 draft. It talks about Best Hitter, Best Power, Best Defense, Best Fastball, Best Secondary Pitches and so much more. It's a fun read put together by one of my favorites, JJ Cooper. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/2016-draft-report-card-minnesota-twins/#vI4YG66PUsvpwPHq.97

They have to be added back to the 40-man roster sometime before the Rule 5 draft (late November, or there may be an earlier date for that). But yes, they have to be added back.

I would (personally) probably tender him a contract. The Twins need all the pitching they can get. Santiago's a back-end of the rotation guy but it's not like the Twins have had a ton of great options in recent years. As we've seen, the young guys come up and sometimes need to go back and forth a few times, and in a (probable) losing season in 2017, I'd rather have Santiago take his lumps than someone like Gonsalves get pushed up too fast and possibly mess up his long-term development. But who knows who Falvey would bring in to establish his starting five. No one is sure what to expect at this point.

It's a fine line because players added to the 40-man roster in November can't come off the 40-man roster until around spring training. That's why you don't see many teams filling out their roster but also keep some question marks on there too. If they sign a free agent, those players can come off the 40-man roster then.

Without looking, I would think most teams would have 19-22 pitchers on their 40-man rosters.

On Monday the Minnesota Twins announced that five players had been outrighted to AAA Rochester. Tommy Milone has already said he has become a free agent. Andrew Albers and Pat Dean can also become free agents following the completion of the World Series as minor league free agents. The Twins could re-sign them, if they choose to do so. There are a lot decisions the Twins front office needs to make. Many of those decisions will likely wait until after the World Series because that is when Derek Falvey officially takes over as the Twins Chief of Baseball Operations. There are a lot of decisions to be made. Who will take over as the general manager, or could Falvey keep Rob Antony on the job on an interim basis for the time being, or maybe even for the 2017 season? What about other front office personnel? We’re told that the coaching staff is in limbo as we await the arrival of Falvey. But for today, I want to focus on players and the 40-man roster. And after reading today’s article, we are going to want your thoughts and opinions on who should be added. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel, USA Today On Monday the Minnesota Twins announced that five players had been outrighted to AAA Rochester. Tommy Milone has already said he has become a free agent. Andrew Albers and Pat Dean can also become free agents following the completion of the World Series as minor league free agents. The Twins could re-sign them, if they choose to do so. There are a lot decisions the Twins front office needs to make. Many of those decisions will likely wait until after the World Series because that is when Derek Falvey officially takes over as the Twins Chief of Baseball Operations. There are a lot of decisions to be made. Who will take over as the general manager, or could Falvey keep Rob Antony on the job on an interim basis for the time being, or maybe even for the 2017 season? What about other front office personnel? We’re told that the coaching staff is in limbo as we await the arrival of Falvey. But for today, I want to focus on players and the 40-man roster. And after reading today’s article, we are going to want your thoughts and opinions on who should be added. Even with Tommy Milone being outrighted and electing free agency, the Twins have six arbitration-eligible players, including four pitchers. There are other articles on this topic for debate and there will be more in the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook. (Coming soon!). Kyle Gibson Brandon Kintzler Ryan Pressly Hector Santiago Just one player currently on the 40-man roster will automatically become a free agent after the World Series. That player is catcher Kurt Suzuki. There are three players who are currently on the 60-day disabled list: Phil Hughes, Glen Perkins and Danny Santana. These players will need to be added back to the 40-man roster before the Rule 5 draft. So the Twins officially have 35 players on their 40-man roster, but with those three added back, there really are 38 spots accounted for. So I want to look at the current 38 players on the 40-man roster. How many of them are "givens" to remain on the roster? Any of the arbitration-eligibles? Who are the guys on the proverbial roster bubble? For this, we are going to assume no trades for now. It is, of course, possible that the Twins make a trade or two before the Winter Meetings which may affect this as well. THE GIVENS Jose Berrios - Despite his struggles, he is a given to remain on the roster. He is a very important fixture in the Twins future. JT Chargois - He struggled early in his MLB career. However, he figured things out in September and the hope is that he will be a reliable man at the back-end of the Twins bullpen. Tyler Duffey - Again, tough season for the right-hander after he ended 2015 as the Twins best starter. Long-term, can he be a starter, or should he be in the bullpen? That will play itself out, but it’s clear he’s got enough stuff - in the two pitches he has - to at least be a solid reliever. Phil Hughes - He’s got the contract. He’s coming off an injury. He is going to remain on the roster. Pat Light - The numbers in the big leagues have been really non-good. Despite Trackman verifying that he was hitting 100 in Rochester, we didn’t see that in the big leagues. He was hit hard and struggled with secondary pitches. There’s a reason he was available in a trade for Fernando Abad. But there’s still upside here. Trevor May - Starter or bullpen? To be determined, but he’s a given to remain on the roster. Has really good stuff. Can be a dominant reliever, or a mid-rotation starter. We’ll see which. Adalberto Mejia - Acquired in July for Eduardo Nunez, Mejia was in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects at mid-season. The left-hander made one appearance with the Twins in August before being shut down. He has a chance to be a solid mid-rotation starter. Mason Melotakis - He is essentially one year behind JT Chargois in terms of recovery and return from Tommy John surgery. He got through his first year back, and should be used and developed in 2017 similarly to Chargois was in 2016. Too talented. Glen Perkins - He’s untradeable due to recovery from shoulder injury. He has a contract. If healthy, he can be a terrific reliever in the late innings for the Twins, even if he’s 90% of what he was during his three straight All-Star seasons. Taylor Rogers - He was an easy choice to add to the 40-man roster last year at the time, and he proved the Twins correct by having a very nice rookie season in 2016. It was his first work out of the bullpen, so there’s a good chance he could continue to improve in the role going forward. Ervin Santana - He was the Twins pitcher of the year in 2016, and it was an easy choice. Could he be traded this offseason? Sure. There are eleven pitchers who are "givens" to be on the Twins 40-man roster. In addition, of the arbitration-eligible pitchers, it is my opinion that Kyle Gibson, Ryan Pressly and Brandon Kintzler are givens to be offered arbitration. I’d probably put Hector Santiago as more of a 50/50 selection. Here are the pitchers remaining on the 40-man roster who remain question marks for the roster at this point. Remember, room still needs to be made on the roster for players who need to be added to the 40-man roster or potentially lost to the Rule 5 draft. Of the below names, the front office will need to determine if they prefer to keep the current guy or go with a potential Rule 5 selection. There are a lot of difficult decisions. ON THE BUBBLE Buddy Boshers - A nice story in 2016, he pitched well in AAA and - with the exception of just a couple of appearances - in the big leagues. Left-handed. His improved breaking pitches have to be evaluated to determine if he’s worth a roster spot. Ryan O’Rourke - See Boshers, Buddy. O’Rourke made a concerted effort to improve his numbers against right-handed hitters to make himself more valuable on a roster. However, he was removed from the 40-man roster early in the season, but he did well in AAA and earned his way back on the roster. Randy Rosario - Another left-hander. He has a chance to start, which is what he did the first three-plus months of the season in Ft. Myers. He moved to the bullpen, and that’s where he is pitching in the Arizona Fall League. 2016 was his first full season back from Tommy John. He’s got terrific stuff and potential, but lack of strikeouts make him a question mark. Yorman Landa - In the Florida State League All-Star game, he threw several pitches over 100 mph, and that’s what he can do. However, he didn’t pitch after mid-July because of a shoulder injury, an injury he has missed significant time with before. Michael Tonkin - Simply put, his AAA dominance has not translated to the big leagues in his four years of opportunities. There are certainly times that he showed his upside, but for the most part he really struggled. Alex Wimmers - Former first-round pick who earned an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues the final six weeks of the season. Aside from two consecutive appearances in which he walked a combined six batters, he was very good. But what will the new regime think? POTENTIAL 40-MAN ROSTER ADDS Real quickly, here is an incomplete list of pitchers who would need to be added to the Twins 40-man roster or risk being lost in the Rule 5 draft (with my thoughts on likelihood of them being added): Fernando Romero - GIVEN Felix Jorge - HIGHLY LIKELY DJ Baxendale - BUBBLE Lewis Thorpe - BUBBLE Jason Wheeler - BUBBLE Zack Jones - BUBBLE Ryan Eades - UNLIKELY Williams Ramirez - UNLIKELY So there you have it, a crib sheet review of the pitchers on the Minnesota Twins current 40 (or 38?)-man roster. As I see it, there are 11 easy choices to keep on the roster. There are four pitchers who are arbitration-eligible. In my opinion, three of them are givens. There are six pitchers that I believe are on the 40-man roster bubble. And there are several pitchers who need to be considered for addition to the 40-man roster. Tomorrow, I'll do the same thing with the 16 hitters currently on the Twins 40-man roster. For now, discuss your thoughts on the above as well as what you would do. Or, if you prefer, if you were asked to provide Derek Falvey with your roster recommendations, what would you present? View full article

In his career, Harmon Killebrew was an All-Star 11 times. Six times he finished in the Top 5 in American League MVP, and he was the MVP in 1969. He was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1984. As we’ve pointed out the last couple of days, Killebrew was an elite power hitter in Minnesota Twins and MLB history. As we’ve also pointed out, Killebrew might has been an even better person than baseball player. When he passed away in 2011, the Twins announced that they would announce a winner of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service from each of the Twins four full-season affiliates. This week, we’ve been profiling all four of the 2016 Harmon Killebrew Award recipients this week. Today, we’ll write about the Twins Killebrew recipient of the Chattanooga Lookouts, lefty David Hurlbut. If you missed one earlier this week, check out the winners here: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: David Hurlbut Rochester Red Wings: Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013 Image courtesy of Chattanooga Lookouts (at Camp Signal, David Hurlbut in center, Jake Reed on the right) In his career, Harmon Killebrew was an All-Star 11 times. Six times he finished in the Top 5 in American League MVP, and he was the MVP in 1969. He was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1984. As we’ve pointed out the last couple of days, Killebrew was an elite power hitter in Minnesota Twins and MLB history. As we’ve also pointed out, Killebrew might has been an even better person than baseball player. When he passed away in 2011, the Twins announced that they would announce a winner of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service from each of the Twins four full-season affiliates. This week, we’ve been profiling all four of the 2016 Harmon Killebrew Award recipients this week. Today, we’ll write about the Twins Killebrew recipient of the Chattanooga Lookouts, lefty David Hurlbut. If you missed one earlier this week, check out the winners here: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: David Hurlbut Rochester Red Wings: Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013 David Hurlbut has been in the Twins organization for a long time, since he signed in 2011 as the team’s 28th round pick in the 2011 draft out of Cal State-Fullerton. The team actually drafted him two years earlier out of junior college. Hurlbut has moved up the Twins ladder slowly, but consistently. He spent a year-and-a-half in the Midwest League and then again in the Florida State League. He pitched out of the bullpen and found much more success as a starter. In 2013, he posted a 2.82 ERA. In 2014, he posted a 2.20 ERA. In 2015 he went 11-7 with a 3.18 ERA, mostly in Chattanooga (though he made one start in Ft. Myers and one start in Rochester). Hurlbut returned to the Lookouts for the 2016 season. He went 7-7 with a 3.51 ERA. He moved up to Rochester for five late-season starts. Of his season, he said, “I feel that my season went well. I'm always working on perfecting my craft with the tools I have been given. I'm not satisfied by any means, but I take pride in knowing that I step on the pitcher's mound ready to work every day. I have already started working towards next season, and plan to come into spring training ready to go!” But Hurlbut was also valuable throughout the season in the community of Chattanooga. He was excited to learn he had been named the Lookouts recipient of the Killebrew Award. Hurlbut said, ““The award is important to me, but not as important the actual community service. It feels good to be recognized.” He stayed busy on the days he didn’t pitch. He frequently was involved in team events around the Chattanooga area. “We were able to go children's hospitals and special-needs schools to go spend time with kids. We did our best to put a smile on their faces, and gave out souvenirs to as many kids as we could. The Lookouts did a good job supporting the volunteers with whatever we needed to make sure we could try and make their day a little bit better.” According to Dan Kopf, the Lookouts Public & Media Relations Manager, the Lookouts did many activities around the community throughout the season. “This year the Lookouts did a variety of events in the community including hospital visits, trips to schools and a visit to a camp for children and adults with disabilities. David participated in several of our trips including our visit to the Erlanger's Children Hospital and the trip to Camp Signal.” It was at Camp Signal where Hurlbut made a strong a strong impression on many, including Kopf. “Along with Looie the Lookouts’ mascot and fellow Lookouts players Jake Reed and Ryan Walker, David helped make the Camp Signal appearance one of the best we've had. During that time, David met one of the campers named Ben who loved playing the guitar. Afterwards, the players visited Ben who played some songs on his guitar. Ben sounded great, but the guitar was missing a string. After we left, David went to purchase a brand new guitar for Ben and the camp.” Hurlbut spent some time in Venezuela last winter. He made four starts and went 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA (1 earned run in 21 innings). This winter, he is staying home to focus on getting into shape for next season. He will continue to drive toward his goal of pitching in the big leagues. He also will continue to be a leader in the communities in which he lives and works. “I will continue to volunteer as often as I can, as many of my teammates will do as well. We, as an organization and team, have the ability to go out into the communities we play in and give back. I think it is important to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to help people in any way we can.” View full article

May start needing some names. Who should be on the ballots?

I'm a big fan of the Diamond Awards... If people get a chance, it is an event worth going to at least once... Plus, the work done is terrific.

This morning, the Twins announced the Baseball Writers of America's Twin Cities Chapter award winners. The Diamond Awards will be presented January 26, 2017. Brian Dozier wins three awards (MVP, Most Improved, Leadership). Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN — The Minnesota Twins announced today the recipients of the Diamond Awards, their annual awards for the 2016 season based on voting conducted by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. In addition, the Twins and the BBWAA announced plans for the twelfth annual Diamond Awards, which will be held Thursday, January 26, 2017 at Target Field and will benefit research, education and care in brain, nerve and muscle disorders at the University of Minnesota. Second baseman Brian Dozier is the winner of the Calvin R. Griffith Award (the Twins first owner) given to the Most Valuable Twin along with the Charles O. Johnson Award (former Minneapolis Star Tribune Sports Editor) given to the Twins Most Improved Player, and the Bob Allison Award (former Twins Player) given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field. Dozier set an American League record by hitting 40 home runs as a second baseman in 2016. He finished the season leading the Twins in games (155), hits (165), runs (104), doubles (35), home runs (42), RBI (99), and OPS (.886), and was second in walks (61), triples (5), and stolen bases (18). Right-handed pitcher Ervin Santana is the winner of the Joseph W. Haynes Award (former Twins Executive Vice President) given to the Twins Pitcher of the Year. Santana started a team-high 30 games this season, posting a 3.38 ERA while leading the team with 149 strikeouts and 181.1 innings pitched. Santana ranked tenth in the American League in ERA. Outfielder Max Kepler is the winner of the Bill Boni Award (former St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press Executive Sports Editor) given to the Twins Most Outstanding Rookie. Kepler led all American League rookies in walks (42), was second in RBI (63), and third in home runs (17). Kepler also set a Twins rookie single-game record with seven RBI July 2 vs. Texas. Outfielder Byron Buxton is the winner of the Jim Kaat Award (former Twins pitcher) for Twins Defensive Player of the Year. Buxton played in 92 games, all as the Twins centerfielder. Buxton committed just four errors in 249 total chances. San Diego Padres’ left-handed pitcher Brad Hand is the winner of the Dick Siebert Award (former University of Minnesota Baseball Coach) given to the Upper Midwest Player of the Year. Hand, who graduated from Chaska High School in Chaska, MN, went 4-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 82 appearances for the Padres this season. He was drafted by Miami in the second round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft and is the fifth non-Twin to win the award in the past 11 seasons. Former Twins Executive Vice President & General Manager Terry Ryan is the winner of the of the Mike Augustin “Media Good Guy” Award (former Pioneer Press Sports Writer). Ryan was originally named the Twins fourth General Manager in 1994 and has been a part of the Twins organization since 1972, when he was drafted by Minnesota out of Parker High School in Janesville, WI. Shortstop Eduardo Escobar is the winner of the Carl R. Pohlad Community Service Award. Escobar appeared in 105 games, posting a .236 (83-for-352) batting average with 14 doubles, two triples and six home runs. In Venezuela, Escobar has created a foundation to give children in need access to food, clothing and sporting equipment. He also hosts on baseball clinics for youth. In Minneapolis, Escobar has created a ticket program to give free tickets to Spanish-speaking students at Twin Cities schools. Students from these schools attend Twins games and meet Escobar prior to the game. In addition, Rod Carew, who will be celebrating 40 years since his historic 1977 season in 2017, will be given the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award. Carew remains active with the Twins organization and much like the most recent winner, Tony Oliva (2013), Rod continues to serve as a franchise ambassador. Carew will join Herb Carneal (2006), Tom Mee (2007), Carl Pohlad (2008), Jerry Bell (2009), Bert Blyleven (2010), John Gordon (2011), Jim Rantz (2012) and Oliva as the only recipients of the award. The twelfth annual Diamond Awards dinner, which will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2017 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Target Field, will honor the 2016 BBWAA award recipients as well as the winners of the Sherry Robertson Award (Zack Granite) for the Twins Minor League Player of the Year, the Jim Rantz Award (Stephen Gonsalves) for the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the Kirby Puckett Alumni Community Service Award (Jim “Mudcat” Grant). All proceeds from the event will benefit the University of Minnesota’s innovative research and patient care focused on ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), ataxia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Along with the award winners, current and former Twins players and coaches are scheduled to appear at the event. Corporate sponsorship opportunities, tables and individual tickets are now available. For more information on the event visit minnesotadiamondawards.org or call (612) 626-4951.

Like Sano, Kepler, Polanco, Minier, Diaz, Ynoa, Javier... Ryan/Twins current front office did all of those things with the exception of trading someone like Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia successfully.

Eight times in his career Harmon Killebrew hit 40 or more home runs. In 2016, Brian Dozier became the only other player in Minnesota Twins history to top the 40 home run mark. Killebrew led the American League in home runs six times. He also led the league in walks four times. Those of you reading a site dedicated to Minnesota Twins baseball know how great Harmon Killebrew was as a player. For many, it took his death in 2011 to realize the person he was. Yesterday, we wrote about the Cedar Rapids recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award. For more on the award, click here. Today we want to highlight the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service recipient for the Ft. Myers Miracle, Trey Vavra. Vavra was the Twins 33rd-round pick in 2014 out of Florida Southern. He hit 20 doubles for Elizabethton that summer. In 2015, he moved up to Cedar Rapids. He was hitting .346/.406/.538 (.944) through 42 games with the Kernels before his season came to an unfortunate end due to an ankle injury and subsequent surgery. He spent last offseason playing in Melbourne, Australia. He was a member of the Melbourne Aces where he played with his older brother Tanner who was the Miracle recipient of the Killebrew Award in 2015 and the Cedar Rapids recipient in 2014. The siblings played for their father, Joe, a long-time Twins coach. ---------------------------------------------------------- Learn much more about Trey Vavra in this Twins Daily Get To Know ‘Em article from last year. ---------------------------------------------------------- Vavra played in 125 games in 2016 for the Miracle. Overall, he hit .230/.316/.326 (.642) with 17 doubles and eight home runs. He was a Florida State League All-Star and, at season’s end, was named the Miracle recipient of the Killebrew Award. We’ll be profiling all four of the 2016 Harmon Killebrew Award recipients this week. If you missed one, Check out the winners here: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: Rochester Red Wings: Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013, Image courtesy of Seth Stohs Eight times in his career Harmon Killebrew hit 40 or more home runs. In 2016, Brian Dozier became the only other player in Minnesota Twins history to top the 40 home run mark. Killebrew led the American League in home runs six times. He also led the league in walks four times. Those of you reading a site dedicated to Minnesota Twins baseball know how great Harmon Killebrew was as a player. For many, it took his death in 2011 to realize the person he was. Yesterday, we wrote about the Cedar Rapids recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award. For more on the award, click here. Today we want to highlight the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service recipient for the Ft. Myers Miracle, Trey Vavra. Vavra was the Twins 33rd-round pick in 2014 out of Florida Southern. He hit 20 doubles for Elizabethton that summer. In 2015, he moved up to Cedar Rapids. He was hitting .346/.406/.538 (.944) through 42 games with the Kernels before his season came to an unfortunate end due to an ankle injury and subsequent surgery. He spent last offseason playing in Melbourne, Australia. He was a member of the Melbourne Aces where he played with his older brother Tanner who was the Miracle recipient of the Killebrew Award in 2015 and the Cedar Rapids recipient in 2014. The siblings played for their father, Joe, a long-time Twins coach. ---------------------------------------------------------- Learn much more about Trey Vavra in this Twins Daily Get To Know ‘Em article from last year. ---------------------------------------------------------- Vavra played in 125 games in 2016 for the Miracle. Overall, he hit .230/.316/.326 (.642) with 17 doubles and eight home runs. He was a Florida State League All-Star and, at season’s end, was named the Miracle recipient of the Killebrew Award. We’ll be profiling all four of the 2016 Harmon Killebrew Award recipients this week. If you missed one, Check out the winners here: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: Rochester Red Wings: Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013, The award means a lot to Vavra. “The award was great to receive. I am truly lucky to have received it! I never met Mr. Killebrew, but his reputation is something I definitely remember and take seriously.” He continued, “Great to have an award with such a highly-regarded name.” The Ft. Myers Miracle organization does a tremendous job reaching out and staying very active in southwest Florida. Steve Gliner is the Miracle’s COO. He explained, “Having our players and staff involved in the Southwest Florida community is one of the best ways we can give back to the region that has supported the Miracle so well over the last 25 seasons. In the case of our players, we get requests for all kinds of community involvement including visiting schools and hospitals, helping kids learn the game of baseball via small camps and clinics, and having a presence at community events all throughout the year. The Minnesota Twins do a fantastic job of encouraging players to become involved in the communities in which they play. This helps us get great participation from the players and field staff all throughout the season. It means a great deal to us to be able to give back each season and throughout the year.” Vavra was quite active throughout the season. “I ‘worked’ primarily with the Boys and Girls club and Keep On Playing in Fort Myers. We did camps every month, followed with a point of emphasis on several topics like teamwork, perseverance, honesty, etc. Marnie Schneider coordinated that and she is great at explaining everything we did! Also did things with the handicapped, helped out with kids camps, and read to kids/played catch with at the Sanibel library.” Marnie Schneider is the director of Keep on Playing. Of Vavra’s presence at the clinics, she was quite impressed. “Trey is a man with a super big heart, who's full of grace. Keep On Playing was fortunate to have Trey participate in each of our baseball clinics this season. Trey made such a positive impact with the kids we work with, and he was always the last one to leave our clinics, always making sure that, even if we were way over time, the kids all had a chance to play baseball and learn something. The kids all gravitate to Trey, and he is able to communicate his love for baseball through his involvement and care. Being a professional athlete is a responsibility that Trey clearly cherishes, and he understands the job comes with responsibilities. He hits it way out of the park every time, not only when he's at bat, but when he's volunteering his time which he does so effortlessly. He makes us all want to be better. That's what a pro he is!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVL7IR2Ijo&feature=youtu.be Gliner said of the Miracle’s choice of Vavra as its Killebrew Award recipient, “Trey was a clear choice to represent the Miracle for the Killebrew Award. Trey would always volunteer his time for any community appearance we had on the calendar. When he attended these events, he was always personable and willing to help and participate in any way. He shows tremendous leadership when he shows up to an appearance. He would always immediately jump in and take charge by asking what was needed, and then take the ball and run with it. There was not an event that he would say no to.” Vavra said he is not going to play winter ball this year. He has a plan for his offseason. “I plan on working, training, and getting my lower half as strong and quick as it was before I got injured.” The Florida State League can be grueling for the players. The heat and humidity has a tendency to wear out players over the course of the season. It’s very rigorous physically, but can be equally difficult mentally. Yet through it all, Vavra was willing to volunteer his time and energy to helping youth in any way he could. Gliner added, “The impact he had on the kids was just awesome to witness firsthand.” We’ll give the final word to Marnie Schneider. “I know that Trey has influenced more than a few kids who only watched football before. He turned them into huge baseball, Twins, and Miracle fans!! Trey, simply put, is a star and exactly what we want our role models to be!” View full article

I'm not against an international draft at all, but I would want to see the details before judging it. I do think it would help keep teams on an even playing field (yes, as much as the current mlb draft does due to loopholes). Don't forget that it was Houston who has done the most with their allotted funds in recent drafts. I'd be curious how the MLB 'academies' would be set up. Do people have to 'enroll' there and if they suddenly aren't viewed as a 'prospect' anymore, what happens? Which countries would be included, and which wouldn't be? No way Japan or Taiwan or Korea agree to being involved in this. Australia would probably, but I don't know. I'd look at all of the international signings (that fit under the current rules) stack up. HOw many $2+ million signing bonuses? HOw many $1 million? How many $500K, etc? I'd use that to help set up the "slotting" amounts. I would want to make sure that the next system is better for players than it currently is. If there are ten rounds, like they mentioned, that's 300 draft players -99.9% of whom would certainly sign. I'd want to make sure that the 300th player drafted makes a good amount. I don't know if that's $100K like the MLB's tenth round slot. I would also make sure that it's a hard slot so that there aren't the shenanigans. There also needs to be an agreement on what to allow for players not drafted. Do they get $10K? Are they any amount from $1 to whatever the 300th player gets? I do think there can be a way to do this that would be most fair. I don't think there is a perfect system. I know right now it is far from it. This is not an easy discussion by any means.

Well put, and I completely agree.

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Likely you've heard about or maybe even watched video of the Derek Falvey at the 2013 SABR convention, but Mike Berardino watched it and put Falvey's words into several categories. He discusses his thoughts on various topics from scouting to development to analytics to prospects and roles of coaches and scouts and so much more. This is really an interesting read: http://www.twincities.com/2016/10/18/minnesota-twins-derek-falvey-in-his-own-words/

Three new articles on Wild Xtra today. Check them out and add some comments.

Yeah, in my mind, he was a lefty/long reliever type... borderline.

I've got a hand-written roster sheet in a notebook... Dean was among 8 players who fit into roster spots 37-44 (after making decisions on Arbitration guys and adding necessary 40-man roster types). Very borderline.

11 All-Star appearances. 573 home runs. An American League MVP. Enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Harmon Killebrew was an all-time great on the baseball field. Yet most people who met the man said that his on-field accomplishments pale in comparison to the man he was off the baseball field and in his community. When Killebrew passed away, the Minnesota Twins announced that one player from each of their four full-season affiliates would be the recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award for community service. At the time, Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil said, “In partnership with our minor league affiliates, we encourage our players to be active in their community and emphasize the importance of having a positive impact in society beyond the playing field. In the minor leagues, our players take part in all kinds of activities, including school reading programs, hospital visits, working with disabled youth, and youth baseball clinics. These experiences help our players understand responsibility, compassion, and giving back. Ultimately it helps them mature and grow as people.” The 2016 Harmon Killebrew Award recipient for Cedar Rapids is Nelson Molina.Throughout the week, we’ll write about the winners for the Twins other affiliates. Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Chattanooga Lookouts: Rochester Red Wings: Image courtesy of Seth Stohs 11 All-Star appearances. 573 home runs. An American League MVP. Enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Harmon Killebrew was an all-time great on the baseball field. Yet most people who met the man said that his on-field accomplishments pale in comparison to the man he was off the baseball field and in his community. When Killebrew passed away, the Minnesota Twins announced that one player from each of their four full-season affiliates would be the recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award for community service. At the time, Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil said, “In partnership with our minor league affiliates, we encourage our players to be active in their community and emphasize the importance of having a positive impact in society beyond the playing field. In the minor leagues, our players take part in all kinds of activities, including school reading programs, hospital visits, working with disabled youth, and youth baseball clinics. These experiences help our players understand responsibility, compassion, and giving back. Ultimately it helps them mature and grow as people.” The 2016 Harmon Killebrew Award recipient for Cedar Rapids is Nelson Molina.Throughout the week, we’ll write about the winners for the Twins other affiliates. Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Chattanooga Lookouts: Rochester Red Wings: Nelson Molina began the 2016 season in extended spring training. However, before the end of April, he was playing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He had a very nice season and was arguably one of the most improved prospects in the Twins system. ----------------------------- For more information on Nelson Molina, Get To Know Him in this article from May. ----------------------------- In 94 games for the Kernels, he hit .300/.374/.381 (.755) with 15 doubles, three triples and two home runs. He primarily played third base. Due to injuries, he played his natural position, shortstop, during the Kernels playoff run. At season’s end, Twins Daily named him as a Twins Minor League All-Star. Of his 2016 season, Molina said, “ I feel great. I feel really happy about it. I worked really hard in the past offseason to prepare myself physically and mentally to have a great season and accomplish all the goals. Also the opportunity of helping my team to make the playoffs and have a great season as a group, it's an amazing feeling. We became a family during the year.” He was equally impressive off the field with the Kernels, and for it he was recognized as the Kernels recipient of the Killebrew Award for Community Service. Ryne George is the Kernels’ Community Relations Manager. He said, “Player appearances were evenly spread out this year for the Cedar Rapids Kernels players so at first it was a little tough to choose the Harmon Killebrew Award winner out of a great group of guys. Looking back through the over 40 player appearances we did this year, Nelson Molina kept standing out to me.” On a board in the Kernels clubhouse, there is a sign-up sheet where players are able to volunteer to go to schools and read with kids. Every time I have been there, the list has been filled. George continued, “In his first two days of being in Cedar Rapids Nelson volunteered to go along with me to visit two schools for our Summer Reading Program. English is not his first language so to volunteer to stand in front of 400 kids, talk to the kids about the importance of reading and then to read a goofy book showed me that Nelson loved giving back to the community.” Molina really relishes the opportunities to work in the communities, especially with kids. He said, “To win the Harmon Killebrew Award for community service means a lot to me because I always love to help the people one way or the other. It is something that I’ve liked to do since I was a child. Now I have the opportunity to do community service with the Twins organization. I really enjoy it a lot, so to be recognized for doing that is really special for me.” Molina was quite active. “In Cedar Rapids this year, I did different types of outings like visiting different schools and read books to the kids, visit summer camps, and play different sports with the kids. We do baseball clinics at the stadium with a lot of kids, teaching them the primary things about baseball. I also went to talk to a softball team about the game, discipline and the importance of chemistry in a team.” That was an event that stood out to George too. “My favorite appearance Nelson did was his visit to a girls softball team with ages ranging from 8 to 14 years old. He is very active in youth baseball back in his home country of Puerto Rico and even sponsors a club! I knew he would be a great influence on the girls, and he did not disappoint. Nelson met with the team and talked to them about leadership, teamwork, the importance of practice and how that translates into the real world outside of sports. After the appearance, I heard nothing but great things from the parents and coaches from the softball club. The girls really took what Nelson talked about to heart and it really brought that team together.” While Molina was drafted by the Twins two years after Harmon Killebrew passed away, he knows how important Killebrew is in the Twins history. Molina hopes to build off of a solid 2016 season. “In this offseason, I’ve got a really good plan to get myself bigger and stronger and gain speed. I also am going to play winter ball to get more experience as a ball player." George concluded with the following, “It was a pleasure to work with Nelson this year and I wish him the best of luck in his career. He has a bright future on and off the field!” View full article