Seth Stohs

Yeah, there is minimal risk in this deal for the T wins. Of course, there is the injury risk, but that's possible in every deal. If it had been a 6 year deal, I'd definitely understand the concern. I would have liked to have seen one more year or one less year, but there's not much concern here.

When the Twins announced their non-roster invites to major league spring training, Eric Farris was one of the least known players on the list to most. Sure, since you read Twins Daily, you’ve read his name quite frequently in the daily Minor League Reports the last two seasons. He came to the Twins before the 2013 season after getting big league time with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011 and 2012.I had a chance to catch up with Eric Farris in Ft. Myers for a few minutes. In high school, Farris was a very good shortstop in Arizona, good enough to be drafted in the 42nd round by the Atlanta Braves. Instead of signing, he went to Loyola Marymount. The decision proved wise as three years later, he was the fourth round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers. He signed quickly and reported to the rookie league team in Helena. He spent one year in Low-A and one year in High-A, but in 2010, he was pushed to AAA Nashville. He spent most of the next two seasons playing second base for Nashville. However, in late July of 2011, Rickie Weeks went on the disabled list. Eric Farris was summoned. On July 28, in an afternoon game at Miller Park, Farris led off the bottom of the 7th inning, pinch-hitting for former Twins pitcher LaTroy Hawkins. He grounded out to second base in his lone at-bat. His stay was brief as a couple of days later, Felipe Lopez was called up to the Brewers and Farris was sent back to Nashville. The memories remain crystal clear. According to Farris, “Like anybody would imagine, it was the best day of my life. Getting that call, just knowing that somebody likes what you do, and they need you up there. It was short-lived, but it was definitely a fun experience.” After a strong 2012 season in Nashville, Farris spent the month of September with the Brewers. He didn’t make any starts, but he played in 13 games and got nine plate appearances. He went 1-8. His one hit was a single off of Enerio Del Rosario of the Houston Astros. Regarding his 2012 stint with the Brewers, Farris said, “I was up for over a month. It was fun. Didn’t play all that much, but just the experience of being around all those veteran guys and watching the game at its highest level was amazing.” However, following the season, Farris was removed from the 40-man roster. In December, the Seattle Mariners drafted him in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 draft but let him go. Just before the 2013 season began, the Twins were able to sign the infielder to a minor league contract. He began the 2013 season with one game in New Britain before being promoted to Rochester. He began by playing second base, as he had the majority of his minor league career, but it wasn’t long before he made a shift. He played 58 games at second base and then ended the season by playing 41 games in left field. He returned to the organization for the 2014 season. “I came here (to the Twins), and I played second base pretty much the whole time. Then before you know it, I was in the outfield. Then last year in spring training I played a lot of infield, and then I ended up playing center field every day.” Of the 133 games he played in 2014 for Rochester, 117 of them were in center field. Farris is not one to complain about where he plays, or where he bats in the lineup. “You’ve just got to be ready. It doesn’t matter where I play as long as I’m in there.” For the Red Wings, Farris hit .280/.316/.356 (.672) with 23 doubles, a triple and four home runs. He also stole 16 bases. Following the season, he spent his offseason playing 53 games in Mexico. He was the three-spot hitter for Tomateros de Culiacan. He hit .309/.348/.401 (.749) with eight doubles, a triple and three home runs. He also stole 25 bases. He split his time between second base and the outfield. As important to Farris, his team won. They represented Mexico in the Carribbean Series. In six games there, he hit .304. “It was a lot of baseball, but the baseball was fun. It was exciting. The fans were great. My team did well. I think I learned a lot. It was actually a real good experience. I’m excited to maybe possibly go back. I think going there and playing there for as long as I did is going to help me prepare for the season.” Farris was quick to re-sign with the Twins organization for a third season. “I really enjoy being here. I mean, this is a good organization. I felt like there is an opportunity here. A guy in my position, that’s kind of what you’re looking for, somewhere where you will get to play and get a chance to get to the big leagues if they need you.” Here we are, less than two weeks from opening day. Farris remains in big league camp. Most likely, the 29-year-old is destined for another season in upstate New York, and if that is the case, he is going to enjoy it. “I feel blessed and happy to be here. I have fun out there. I go out there and I run around and (am) always having fun. I don’t like to let a lot bother me. I just kind of play the game and that’s what I like to do.” He has two goals for 2015. “Win. Win and get to the big leagues, and that’s it.” Farris is a guy who is easy to root for. He’s hard-working and fun-loving. He understands that his versatility is valuable to him and could be what helps get him back to the big leagues. Until then, he’s just going to enjoy playing this great game wherever a uniform is available and doing what he can to help his team win. Click here to view the article

I've asked this a couple of times on twitter, and now I'd invite Twins Daily readers to do some research, if you want... Has any 25-year-old shortstop ever posted a .275/.315/.406 (.721) with 35 doubles and 6 homers and played average or slightly better than average shortstop defense one year and not been handed the starting shortstop job by his team the following season? I feel bad for Escobar. Someone in the Twins clubhouse one day I was in there called it "The Power of the Label." Escobar has always been seen by people in the industry as a utility guy, and maybe that's what he is, but even after a strong season last year in nearly every day play, The Label still wins.

This was awesome!! A bunch of quick hitters... Now we just need to get John down on the minor league side and ask him a bunch of those questions!

I don't know, didn't ask, but I don't think it was much. Just guessing, probably low 5-digits.

Yup, a player can be traded for an agreed-upon amount of international cap space.

1.) It does happen. Not often, but it isn't rare. 2.) Yes, he probably should have. 3.) No, he's in the batter's box. (but he does have a long back swing) Reports are that Pinto has a concussion.

Hicks and Benson were five-tool prospects, but there aren't many prospects period that get to the big leagues much less have success and get there with all five tools. Baseball is pretty hard.

I didn't ask, but my sense is that it isn't just coincidental.

5 tools - to me: Hit - Could hit .290+ in the big leagues Hit for Power - could hit 20+ home runs or 35+ doubles in the big leagues. Speed - Could steal lots of bases, but this one is more than numbers. Defense - Could play very average or better defense in the big leagues Arm - Has an average or better arm. For me, it's just being able to be average in all five toolsor better. I'll agree that there are few that qualify as true 5-tool. 4 would be great!

Graham, Achter, Hamburger and Thompson for one spot. If people think Thielbar isn't a given, then that helps Thompson's case, or they could go with just one lefty. Graham helped his case today with two scoreless innings. Thompson threw two scoreless innings. Hamburger gave up one run over two innings. Achter got two outs, but then gave up a three-run homer (2 hits, 1 BB) that ended the game in Port Charlotte this afternoon. Of course, making too much of any one outing is silly, but at the end of spring, Molitor and Ryan will need to have something.

The Twins have definitely encouraged working up in the zone more in recent years. I talked to several minor league catchers who talked about working with their pitchers on getting the fastball above the hands and in to hitters. The purpose? Strikeouts. Of course, they also want them working on secondary pitches down in the zone. The two-seamer needs to run down in the zone. The slider and curveballs obviously need to be down in the zone. The changeup should certainly be down in the zone. However, if they have enough on the four-seamer to elevate it and miss bats, that is another dimension.

We hear the term "five tools" a lot, but few true five-tool talents exist in baseball. Byron Buxton certainly fits that category at this time. Nick Gordon is in that category. By the time those players get to the big leagues, will they still be considered five-tool guys, or four… maybe three? That is to be determined, of course. Today, I’m going to write about three young players who impressed me with their athleticism and talent. They aren’t household names, but who knows, maybe one or more of them will take a step forward in 2015.TYREE DAVIS Though he played shortstop through his career at Centennial High School in Compton, California, Tyree Davis moved to centerfield during his professional debut in 2014. Davis was the Twins 37th round pick in 2014. His high school team had serious potential and talent. According to Davis, one of his teammates “finished with a .600 batting average last year and stole 40 to 50 bases” and didn’t get drafted. Standing 6-2 and 185 pounds, Davis’s best tools are “my speed and defense are very strong right now.” He was clocked at 4.27 seconds from home to first a year ago. He is a switch hitter with a good approach at the plate and a smooth swing from both sides of the plate. In batting practice, he hit line drive after line drive from gap to gap, but he also has potential to add some power. His brother, Johnny Davis, is a minor leaguer in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system. In 2014, he played for the Wisconsin TimberRattlers in the Midwest League. Davis is young, and he is a raw athlete, learning more each day about the game of baseball. After signing in 2014, he played in the Gulf Coast League and hit just .087/.210/.146 with two doubles and two triples. Regarding his hopes for the 2015 season, the 19-year-old said, “This season I just want to show people that I can play better than I have in the past. Basically I want to make more contact than what I’ve recently made.” He will likely spend another summer with the Gulf Coast League Twins. ROBERTO GONZALEZ The Twins used their first-round pick in 2014 on Orlando’s Olympia High School shortstop Nick Gordon. They did not draft another high school player until the 15th round when then took another hitter from Orlando, outfielder Roberto Gonzalez from University High School. The two prep stars played against each other. When I talked to Gordon at Twins Fest, he said that Gonzalez was “a really great athlete.” When I asked if Gonzalez could be a five-tool talent, Gordon didn’t hesitate at all. He said, “Oh yeah! Oh yeah!” Like Davis and Gordon, Gonzalez has family ties in baseball. His cousin, on his father’s side, was Cardinals’ outfielder Oscar Tavares. Gonzalez was able to attend a few of Tavares’s games last year with the Cardinals, including some playoff games. He said that when he started hearing rumors about Tavares’s car accident, he called Oscar but got no answer. The family was devastated, and you can see that it is something that still affects Gonzalez. Gonzalez began his career with the GCL Twins. In just 13 games, he hit .233/.313/.302 (.615) with three doubles. He also stole four bases. Unfortunately, on a headfirst slide into second base, the shortstop landed on the back of his leg. His kneecap detached and had to be reconnected surgically with an OCD Repair. This spring, the just-turned-20-year-old is excited about spring training. Like Davis, he is likely to return to the GCL Twins after extended spring training. At 6-0 and about 200 pounds, Gonzalez runs well, though he’ll continue to gain speed as he gets further removed from his surgery. He has a strong left-handed swing and could develop more power in time. Whether he’ll hit for average will likely depend on whether he can develop a quicker swing. Defensively, he’s got good range and a very, very strong arm. In high school, he was clocked as high as 94 mph. As with Davis, Twins fans will need to be patient with Gonzalez. He has the tools that we all hope can become skills in time. EDGAR CORCINO The third possible five-tool athletic player is a little bit older than Davis and Gonzalez. Edgar Corcino is already 22-years-old. He was a 26th round draft pick in 2009 out of Puerto Rico by the Detroit Tigers. After spending three seasons in the Gulf Coast League, Corcino played all over for the Tigers in 2012. He played mostly for West Michigan (Midwest League) and Lakeland (Florida State League), but also got time in AAA Toledo. He didn’t hit much (.198/.271/.329) that year and was released. He has spent the last two seasons playing for Rockford of the independent Frontier League – the league from which the Twins have also signed RHP DJ Johnson and LHP Jose Velez in the last nine months. In 186 games over two seasons, he hit .294/.355/.452 (.807) with 30 doubles, 12 triples and 19 home runs. He also stole 19 bases. Watching him in minor league spring training, you can see his extreme athleticism. He was primarily playing left field, though he could certainly play center field too. In the past, he has played most of the infield positions as well. He is a switch-hitter with a good swing from each side. Though he is more of a speed guy, he’s got good strength and can definitely hit for extra base power. Speaking of the speed, from my observations, he was one of the fastest players in the system. In the offseason, he worked out in the same group as his good friend, JO Berrios. The Twins pitching prospect said that Corcino is a “very good athlete, very fast and strong. He works really, really hard.” Berrios continued, “He is an even better person than baseball player.” Corcino will likely need to make the Cedar Rapids roster to stick around, but with his work ethic and athleticism, it’s worth taking the chance. Tyree Davis, Roberto Gonzalez and Edgar Corcino were three great athletes I saw at Twins minor league spring training. Each has tremendous talent and athleticism, but they will need a lot of time and patience. That said, athleticism is a good place to start. Hopefully over time their great tools will become great baseball skills. Click here to view the article

Stauffer's options are certainly up. They could try to trade him.

Berardino wrote about Tyler Grimes' story today: http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_27752023/twins-prospect-tyler-grimes-still-figuring-out-if

Uh oh... another Alex Meyer/Randy Johnson comp....

Meyer and Berrios are kind of one and the same. Both have good confidence. Meyer doesn't post stuff on Twitter and Facebook, but he know he's good. They're both also very humble, very good people. Meyer will be at AAA. Berrios is likely going to start at AA.

It has now been two weeks since I put together my second Twins Opening Day roster projection, so it is time for Version 3.0. Since the second version of the projection, I have spent about a week in Ft. Myers, and we've been keeping up with Nick's daily reports. There weren't a lot of positions up for grabs, so today, we'll try to look at the possible scenarios as we are just over two weeks from opening day.When a player becomes a “given” for the roster (in my opinion), I will highlight the player’s name in red. Trades and signings can happen at any time between now and opening day, but that just means that even “givens” can change. We will also be able to learn, over time, what it is that Paul Molitor will look for from his roster. Feel free to discuss below. Catchers (2): Kurt Suzuki, Josmil Pinto Kurt Suzuki is the clear-cut starter and deservedly so after last year. I still believe that Josmil Pinto is the front-runner to be the backup catcher to start the season. He missed the first week of games with a quad injury, but since his return, he has hit, and he even threw out a would-be base stealer the other day. If he is the backup, my sense is that there are some veteran starters that he would not work with. Chris Herrmann has been one of the better offensive performers this spring. He's hit for average and has several extra base hits. Defensively, he does a nice job behind the plate. Although he can play elsewhere, he wants the coaches to know that he wants to be a catcher. Infielders (7): Kennys Vargas, Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Danny Santana, Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez Two weeks ago, I wrote here that I thought Eduardo Nunez was a given to make the roster. Though I still feel that he is the heavy favorite for the 25th man spot, I feel that Chris Herrmann and his defensive versatility is also a strong candidate for the spot. Nunez has played third base, shortstop and second base this spring, and we saw him in left field and right field in 2014. Herrmann has played left field, first base and caught this spring, but we know he can play right field as well, and could play third base and center field in a pinch. Nunez bats right-handed. Herrmann bats left-handed. Nunez is out of options. Herrmann has one option remaining. Outfielders (4): Oswaldo Arcia, Torii Hunter, Jordan Schafer, Aaron Hicks The corner outfield spots are secured, and we know that Jordan Schafer will get a roster spot as well. I still believe that Aaron Hicks is the heavy favorite to be the starting center fielder, but he has an option remaining and there are other options. Here are the scenarios as I see them. #1 - Aaron Hicks is the starter. Jordan Schafer is the fourth outfielder #2 - Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson platoon in center field with the other being the fourth outfielder. #3 - Eddie Rosario is the starter. Jordan Schafer is the fourth outfielder. I think that #3 is the least likely and expect Rosario to be optioned shortly. As I noted above, I think #1 is the most likely scenario. However, #2 is also possible, especially after we learned this week that Robinson has an opt-out on April 2. Of course, he would need to be added to the 40-man roster to make the team. Starting Pitchers (5): Phil Hughes, Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco, Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone Pending any injury scenario, the first four are givens. I believe that Tommy Milone is getting really close to securing the fifth starter job. That said, Mike Pelfrey has pitched quite well this spring and Trevor May is a little behind (due to illness the first week of spring) but could still get the job. The Twins used Alex Meyer's first option on Friday morning, sending him to minor league camp. Bullpen (7): Glen Perkins, Casey Fien, Brian Duensing, Tim Stauffer, Caleb Thielbar, Mike Pelfrey, JR Graham. The first five on the above list are givens. I continue to believe that Mike Pelfrey will get a bullpen spot, especially with how well he is pitching this spring. The real question, in my opinion, is the final bullpen spot. I'll continue to keep JR Graham there. He has an explosive arm and as long as he remains healthy, he has a chance to be a very good reliever. He's also got enough upside that they might want to try to keep him around even if he doesn't have a big role in 2015. The other options on the 40-man roster are AJ Achter, Michael Tonkin and Ryan Pressly. There is a case made for each of them, though Pressly has struggled at times this spring. I think that Tonkin would be the favorite if the Twins do decide to either send Graham back to Atlanta or work out a trade with the team. What are your thoughts? Not much change in this version from the previous one, though within the next week we should learn much more about some of the roster spots. What does your roster look like one month from opening day? Click here to view the article

The Twins just announced that Alex Meyer has been optioned to Rochester.

Good stuff... I notice the Mauer Chevrolet t-shirt in one of your pictures... I have to say that when I was there last week, I saw a TON of them. Were they give away shirts or what? Anyone else notice how many of those were around?

This sentence, and the whole paragraph are such important points. I've wanted to say that but NIck is such a good writer, he finds the way to say it well. The comps to Sam Deduno... Sure, Deduno made starts, but he was out of options and they needed to see what they had in him - and then decided to DFA him. I don't know about others, but I think that Meyer has a lot more potential than Deduno, so that comparison should stop. Meyer - assuming he is sent down - is in his first option year. I know people worry about age a ton. I prefer to worry about potential and reaching it and doing what is best for the individual. Meyer is close. We'll see him this year, but this concern about his age when he is so unique just needs to stop.

I don't know the right answer on Pelfrey, but Ervin Santana has been a good pitcher for a long time.