Seth Stohs

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.

Most signing bonuses include the Twins paying for college tuition. High school draft picks usually get 4-5 years paid, and some international signings do as well (this is the first one I had actually heard).

In 2012, the Minnesota Twins drafted several college relief pitchers with the idea that some would get the opportunity to start. Tyler Duffey has been the success story of that strategy to this point. Others have been hurt or returned to the bullpen, but Duffey was one of the better minor league pitchers in the Twins organization in 2014. He was invited to big league spring training this year and has a good chance of surfacing with the Twins in 2015.The Houston native stayed home and attended Rice University. There, he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. In 2012, his junior season, he was co-closer with JT Chargois (who the Twins drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft). “If he played first base, or he made a lot of throws, they’d call me in. If I was getting loose, they said ‘You take the 8th and JT will take the 9th.’ It just depended upon the situation. If we needed his bat or something, they wouldn’t mess with him. It was fun though. It wasn’t really a competition, but we kind of fed off each other a bit like I did with Tony Cingrani (now with the Cincinnati Reds) the year before. We had the same kind of role. I’d be the 8th and he’d be the 9th. We’d have strikeout competitions. It was fun.” That June, the Twins used their fifth round pick to select Duffey. He was sent to Elizabethton where the Twins chose to have him work out of the bullpen. As expected, he dominated the Appalachian League. In 19 innings, he walked two and struck out 27 batters. He made the transition to starting in 2013. “Except for a summer when I went to the Cape and somebody got sick and I made a couple of starts, but other than that, I was a closer/second inning panic guy to come in and throw four innings.” He began the season in Cedar Rapids where he made nine starts. In his first start, he threw the first seven innings of a no-hitter. After nine starts, he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he made nine more starts before being ending the season in the Miracle bullpen to keep his innings down. He worked 121 innings in all. He began the 2014 season with the Miracle, but after just four starts (and a 3-0 record), he advanced to New Britain. There he made 18 starts and went 8-3. He ended last season with three starts for Rochester and went 2-0. Overall, in 149.1 innings, he went 13-3 with a 3.68 ERA. He walked 30 and struck out 113. He was happy with his season. “I exceeded all of my own expectations. I was just hoping to get to AA a little bit at the end of the season, just get a taste of that. But I’ve always been told to take advantage of the opportunities that you’re given. That’s all I really tried to do, and it really worked out for me.” Although he has made the transition to starting successfully, it has been a process for him. A starter has to pitch and think differently than a relief pitcher. He said, “Initially, I was trying to strike everybody out, but I realize that the less pitches you throw, the more innings you can throw. If I need a strikeout or try to get a strikeout, I will.” To be able to do that successfully, Duffey had to adapt a bit. “I’ve gotten better with my sinker as I’ve become a starter and I’ve used that a lot. I try to get ground balls. Not trying to strike everybody out is the only transition I made. Instead of worrying about that-- OK, get a guy out in less than three pitches. That’s something they’ve preached since I’ve been here. On or off in three or less, so I try to follow that. I try to go deep in games. That’s any starters’ goal, I think, to give your team a chance to win. That’s my goal at the end of the day.” Duffey has a four-pitch mix. As he explains, “I throw a four-seam and a two-seam which I throw a majority of the two-seam, to try to get ground balls or whatever happens with it. My curveball is, I consider it my best pitch. I relied on it in college. My change-up, I’ve messed with a couple of them, but I’ve been throwing one since I’ve been down here that I feel good about.” In late December, Duffey’s phone rang with some news. “I got a call from (minor league director) Brad (Steil), and he said, ‘Hey Terry’s on the phone. We wanted to talk to you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I’m getting traded’ because I wasn’t expecting anything. Then he told me ‘great season, I’d like for you to come out (to Ft. Myers for big league spring training).” Obviously I was pretty excited about that. It’s was kind of a big deal.” He received the phone call while he was at the airport to get on a flight to Mexico with his fiance’s family. “I waited until I got there because I knew it was going to be a long phone call. Got there and called my grandmother and my dad. It was exciting.” Getting the opportunity to be a non-roster invitee is exciting for a prospect. It’s an opportunity to work with the big league coaches and have them see what he is about. “I’ve talked to Neil Allen and Eddie Guardado and just pick their brains on stuff that they know that I should know in the future. I think that’s the main reason guys like me are here, just to learn how to do it, and from there, hopefully, apply it to yourself.” However, Duffey was also able to learn from the veteran pitchers in the clubhouse. “I try and watch how guys carry themselves. I’ve got a routine that I’ve learned, but I’ve been starting for two years and there’s guys who have been doing it for 10, 15 years, or did it for 15, 20 years. They know a little more about the game than I ever will. So, I just try to pick up things here and there, just listen.” He continued, “Just being here is kind of crazy. Seeing guys that I watched growing up playing baseball. Watching TV, I saw highlights of Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter, it’s just like… and they’re right down the locker room from me. I can talk to them.” Soon after chatting with me, Duffey was called into manager Paul Molitor’s office and informed that he was being sent back to minor league camp, but he enjoyed the opportunity and learned a lot. The reality is that Tyler Duffey could make his major league debut as early as 2015. “It’d be pretty surreal. Getting that chance, that’s one out of a million. 1% guys who get drafted get a chance. I probably can’t put it into words, but it’d be pretty exciting.” Most likely, Duffey will return to AA, this time in Chattanooga, to make a few starts before returning to Rochester. So, what are his goals for 2015? “Stay healthy and give my team a chance to win. Wherever I end up, I end up. It’s not really up to me at this point. I just hope that, wherever I go, I want to pitch and hope that good things happen. That’s really all I can hope for.” --------- Regarding his college teammate JT Chargois, Duffey said, “If he’s healthy, he’s got really good stuff. I haven’t seen him throw, but I heard in Instructs, he was throwing 100 mph which I don’t doubt because he works really hard at everything he does. He’s got really good stuff. We were co-closers together, so I saw him throw pretty much every day. For everybody’s sake, I want him to be healthy, to have fun playing baseball. He’s been down here for I think almost two years, with rehab and surgery and then rehab again. That’s not fun for anybody. I just hope that he gets a chance to play a full season and let’s see what he can do.” Click here to view the article

I agree completely. International signings are always interesting.

In my opinion, that isn't the issue at all. It isn't something that the Twins have typically worried about. Parmelee, Mauer... they've started many players, even pitchers, right on Opening Day. That said, if waiting 2-3 weeks to bring a guy up gives them a 7th season, it's smart.

They're separated into Work Groups, but as players get moved down from big league camp, some players move down. So, Buxton is probably working with Work Group 1 (AAA), but when guys like Danny Ortiz and Eric Farris or Shane Robinson, or whoever get sent down, he'll move to Work Group 2... and again, that basically means Chattanooga. That said, even the final group of work group charts isn't the official rosters either.