Seth Stohs

That's the prospect side of it, and why he wasn't in my Top 50 prospect lists either. However, he has the ability to play 4 infield positions and 3 outfield position and a great athlete. His role in the big leagues, should he get there, is utility player. I don't worry about age at all in that scenario. Can definitely still be a productive big league player, and sometimes those types come up at 27 and have 5-10 year careers.

Slight exaggeration, but if Hughes isn't one of the 12 best pitchers in spring, should they send him down? Unfortunately, there are more factors into such things that just on-field performance.

Like I've probably had to say dozens of times already in the last 3-4 months, it's going to take me a while to say that one right for awhile!!

Regarding my saying that there may be about a 10% chance of Alex Meyer being in the rotation to start the season, here are my thoughts. I think that Milone and May will likely have about 45% chances each... I do think Pelfrey's going to the bullpen, though I guess I should have given him a couple of percent too.

Oh geez... yes, they did and I'm an idiot... Polanco's, I believe, was in June, and May's was in August... You are correct.

For what Rosario was allegedly suspended for previously, being on the 40-man roster means he no longer can be tested for that. I think there is about 5% chance he makes the team out of spring training. Maybe a spring training injury could make it happen, but very little chance he makes the Opening Day roster. That said, I do think he comes up at some point this year.

The Three mentioned in the article are the only ones who made their MLB debut in 2014. (Santana, Vargas, Achter)

Welcome to 2015! For a baseball player, one of life’s greatest moments is getting that call that you have been promoted to the big leagues. Several Twins received that call in 2014. Today, I thought it would be fun to consider which Twins players could get that call and make 2015 a very memorable year for them.On May 3, Aaron Hicks was on the 7-day concussion list. Danny Santana was called up from Rochester where he had only played in 24 games, all at shortstop. The club was ready to send shortstop Pedro Florimon to the minor leagues. However, given the struggles of Hicks and the attempts to play Eduardo Escobar in centerfield, it wasn’t long before Santana was the team’s leadoff hitter and centerfielder. He was 23 and far outperformed his minor league track record with the bat. He goes into the 2015 season looking to avoid a sophomore slump while moving back in to shortstop. On July 31, the Twins traded Sam Fuld to the A’s for Tommy Milone. Earlier, the Twins had traded DH Kendrys Morales to the Mariners. Soon after, the Twins announced that 1B/DH Kennys Vargas had been called up from AA New Britain to take Fuld’s spot on the roster. He turned 24 on August 1st, the same day on which he made his big league debut. Weeks earlier, Vargas had played in the Futures Game at Target Field. He was in a major slump with the Rock Cats, but came up and immediately provided the Twins with a power bat in the middle of the lineup. He hit 10 doubles and nine home runs in 53 games with the Twins. AJ Achter was the Twins 46th round pick in 2010 out of Michigan State. Since moving to the bullpen full time in 2012, he has been the most consistent performer of any reliever in the Twins system. When the Red Wings 2014 playoff dreams were dashed on the second-to-last day of the season, Achter found out that he would be heading to Target Field to debut with the Twins. He posted a 3.27 ERA in 11 innings over seven games. He picked up his first MLB win in Detroit against the team he followed as a child. UPDATE - Note that LHP Logan Darnell, RHP Yohan Pino and infielder Jorge Polanco also made their major league debuts in 2014. So, which Twins prospects could get that all-important call in 2015 to join the Minnesota Twins? Obviously being on the 40-man roster makes it easier for a player to be called up. However, adding a player to the 40-man roster is rarely an issue when needed. (Note: the percentage shown is the percentage chance that the player reaches the big leagues in 2015, in my opinion) 40-Man Roster Options JR Graham (51%) – As a Rule 5 pick, the Twins will need to keep Graham on the 40-man roster or offer him back to Atlanta. Few Rule 5 picks stay with the team that drafts them and Graham certainly has some things to prove, but with his skill set and talent, they may choose to keep him around anyway. And, there is some small chance that the Twins will be able to work out a trade to keep Graham in the system. Alex Meyer (99.999%) – Meyer is going to debut with the Twins in 2014. No question. When will he get that opportunity? That is the question. I think the odds of him starting the season in the Twins starting rotation is very low, maybe 10% However, there is a decent chance that he starts the season in the Twins bullpen, maybe as much as a 30% chance. It won’t be long before he gets the call and starts contributing in the big leagues. Miguel Sano (90%) – After missing all of 2014, it is going to take Sano time to shake off the rust. No doubt, that will take some time, and we will need to be patient. I expect that he will be up around July and certainly for September. Eddie Rosario (78%) – After a disappointing 2014 season, for various reasons, Rosario performed very well in the Arizona Fall League. He has made the move back to full-time outfielder. He’s got parts of his game he will need to continue to work on and improve, but he could surface as an option if the centerfield situation doesn’t play out well early in the season. He should certainly be in line for a September call-up and get time in left field as well. Max Kepler (10%) – Kepler had a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League as well. I think there’s a decent chance that he will return to Ft. Myers for the start of the 2015 season before moving up to New Britain. If things go very well, he could get a September call-up. Fortunately, he has three option years remaining so the Twins can afford to be patient and let his performance catch up to his tools. Jason Wheeler (15%) – Four members of the Twins Opening Day starting rotation are set. Tommy Milone, Mike Pelfrey, Trevor May and Alex Meyer will all be given a shot at the fifth starter job. However, over the course of the season, other starters may be needed as well. Wheeler made 13 starts back in Ft. Myers. He made one start in Rochester, but has posted a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts at New Britain too. He still has room for improvement, but he’s definitely worth watching. Not on the 40-Man Roster Byron Buxton (51%) – Had he not missed so much time in 2014 due to injury, Buxton likely would have debuted with the Twins at age 20. Unfortunately, like Sano, Buxton is going to need to shake off some rust while at the same time moving up to Double-A. Expect that things won’t come easy at the start for the uber-talented outfielder. Even if he struggles, he remains one of baseball’s best prospects. That said, I think he figures things out quickly, and if healthy, he could be wearing a Twins uniform in August. Because he doesn’t need to be added to the Twins 40-man roster until after the 2016 season, it makes no sense to call him up for just September. Might as well save the roster spot and call him up in May 2016. Nick Burdi (75%) – The Twins drafted Burdi in June out of Louisville. The flame-thrower sits in the upper-90s and often hits triple-digits. Early in the year, he was throwing sliders in the low-90s. Relievers can move up more quickly than other positions, but a review of fast-moving relievers is a mix-mash of success and failure. I think it’ll be hard to keep Burdi, who will be 22 throughout the season, from Target Field. Taylor Rogers (21%) – Rogers just turned 24 in December and learned that he had been invited to big league spring training. After a slow start in 2014 in New Britain, he pitched very well the rest of the season and was selected to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. The lefty throws 92-94 with a good slider and has the makeup to be good. He will be a solid big league starter at some point in his career. Tyler Duffey (20%) – Like Rogers, Duffey was drafted out of college in 2012, just turned 24 and just learned that he too will be reporting to Twins big league spring training in February. He pitched well at three levels in 2014, from Ft. Myers to Rochester. Duffey was a part-time closer at Rice (with JT Chargois) but has been primarily used as a starter with the Twins. He touches mid-90s as a starter and gets a lot of grounders. Out of the bullpen, he can reach 97. JO Berrios (19%) – Berrios has very good stuff and really took major strides in 2014. As a 19-year-old, he pitched at Ft. Myers, New Britain and finished the season with a start in Rochester. That said, he has just nine starts above A-ball, so we might need to slow our timeline expectations. That said, there is no questioning his work ethic and his makeup. He is going to pitch for a long time in the big leagues, and he’s going to be successful. Will he get his first opportunity in 2015? Jake Reed (15%) – Reed was the fourth straight college pitcher drafted by the Twins in June. The fifth-round pick from Oregon threw 31 professional innings between Elizabethton (four games) and Cedar Rapids (16 games) and gave up just one earned run (0.29 ERA). He gave up just 11 hits, walked three and struck out 39 batters. He then went to the Arizona Fall League and continued to pitch well. He could move quickly. Zack Jones (15%) – Jones missed most of 2014 because of an aneurysm near his right shoulder followed by blood clots in his leg. He returned at the very end of the season to Ft. Myers and closed out their championship run. He was back to hitting 97 mph by season’s end. He didn’t give up runs in the AFL, though his control was not good. His control will determine his big league opportunity and success. If he can throw strikes, he can be very good. James Beresford (10%) – Doug Bernier, a similar player to Beresford, has received a call up each of the past two seasons. Beresford is a 26 year old who has been in the organization for a decade. Last year was his first full season in AAA and he played second base each day. He has a very good glove and if Brian Dozier were to require time on the disabled list, don’t be surprised if the Australian gets a call. Others (5%) – There are, of course, several others who we could see promoted to the Twins in the right circumstances. Reasons could include injuries, trades or performance. Ryan O’Rourke is devastating against left-handed hitters and could be called upon if a LOOGY is needed. Danny Ortiz could be a fourth outfielder option if needed. Jason Adam and Adrian Salcedo are guys who could debut in 2014 if arms are needed. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Levi Michael get a September call-up. Who else could make their MLB debut with the Twins in 2015? Are there players you think are more or less likely than the percentages that I gave them? Click here to view the article

I'm excited to see how the Vikings Journal site does with new content every day throughout the offseason, following the combine and the draft and mini-camps and all that. It should do very well.

I think we're all eagerly anticipating that and how it will effect the Twins Daily site... I'd like to think page views and discussion goes up, but I also know there are a lot of people who prefer to complain in comments than cheer... so it'll be very interesting.

As we celebrate the end of 2014 and anticipate the hope of another new year, we thought it would be fun to take a look at the busiest days here at Twins Daily. Which days created the most discussion and the highest traffic? Enjoy the following review of the Top 5 busiest days at Twins Daily. Twins Daily hopes that you have had a prosperous 2014 and would like to wish you and your families all the best in 2015!#5 Busiest Traffic Day at Twins Daily – December 11, 2014 We knew it would be a busy day. In fact, I took a day off of work in anticipation of a busy day. Of course, there were other reasons for that decision as well, including putting the finishing touches on the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015 (which was completed at about midnight that night). On the site, the day started with a very interesting look at payroll from Jon Marthaler. $200 Million Is The New $100 Million discussed the changes in baseball’s revenue streams and how teams, including the Twins, needed to adapt. As you would expect with any payroll discussion, there were plenty of opinions shared. That morning was also the final day of the Winter Meetings which means it was time for the Rule 5 Draft. There was plenty of discussion on players that the Twins could potentially lose or add in the Major League portion. The Twins used the fifth pick of the Rule 5 to select right-handed pitcher J.R. Graham from the Atlanta Braves. Several picks later, the New York Mets drafted lefty Sean Gilmartin from the Twins. In the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft, the Twins picked up right-hander Greg Peavey from the Mets organization. Unfortunately, the team also lost lefty Matt Tomshaw to the Marlins. However, that wasn’t the last news of the day. Less than two hours after the completion of the Rule 5 draft, it came out that the Twins had agreed to a four year contract with right-handed veteran Ervin Santana. Nick wrote about how the signing showed a shift in the Twins mindset. Parker wrote about what we should expect from Santana. #4 Busiest Traffic Day at Twins Daily – September 29, 2014 It was a day that many Twins fans and Twins Daily commenters had been waiting a couple of years for. A day after the 2014 season concluded, the Twins announced that Manager Ron Gardenhire had been fired. The press conference was certainly interesting and unusual as both Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire. Soon after, we started discussing the potential managerial candidates. The perceived Twins loyalty could not overcome four straight losing seasons from the Twins. Both the Gleeman and the Geek podcast and the Twins Hangouts podcast had special shows to discuss this move. It took a month, and a lot of interviews and rumors, before the Twins decided to hire Paul Molitor as the next Twins Manager. #3 Busiest Traffic Day at Twins Daily – June 5, 2014 The draft is one of the busiest times of the year for the Twins. Jeremy Nygaard is the most knowledgeable draft expert of anyone not in the Twins organization. He wrote a series of articles leading up to the draft on several topics. Twins Daily writers also profiled ten potential players that the Twins could have drafted with the fifth overall pick. It all led to the first day of the draft. The last couple of days, the draft has been broken into three days. On the first day, it is just rounds one and two and it starts in the evening. However, the Twins Daily MLB Draft Day 1 Thread got the conversation going throughout the day. Finally, with the fifth overall pick, the Twins took the player most assumed that they would select. The Twins drafted Nick Gordon, a shortstop from Orlando with great bloodlines and tool set. In the second round, the Twins drafted Nick Burdi, the flame-throwing closer from Louisville whose team was in the College World Series. The Twins had drafted Burdi three years earlier out of high school but were unable to sign him them. #2 Busiest Traffic Day at Twins Daily – July 31, 2014 When your team loses 90 games four straight seasons, you know that the July trade deadline will be a busy time. There were several rumors throughout the day that were discussed. In the morning, the Twins traded outfielder Sam Fuld to Oakland in exchange for left-hander Tommy Milone. Ironically, the Twins had claimed Fuld off of waivers earlier in the season when he had been DFAd by the A’s. He had played well in his time with the Twins. The A’s made several deals around the deadline, including trading outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to Boston. They needed an outfielder and Fuld made a lot of sense. In return, the Twins received Milone who had pitched well the last three seasons with the A’s and yet found himself in AAA due to a numbers crunch in the A’s rotation. As a side-note in the article, it was mentioned that there were rumblings that Kennys Vargas would be promoted from Double-A New Britain. The other big topic of the day revolved around All Star catcher Kurt Suzuki. He had signed a one-year deal with the Twins before the season. At the deadline, the Twins had to decide if they were going to trade him while his value was high. Instead, the Twins extended Suzuki for two years and $12 million with an option for a third year. #1 Busiest Traffic Day at Twins Daily – June 6, 2014 The Twins were about to start a series at Target Field against the Houston Astros. Sean Gilmartin also pitched well again for the Rochester Red Wings. However, those articles weren’t the big draw of the day. The first day of the MLB draft is a busy day at Twins Daily, but since the draft is later in the day on Day 1, Day 2 is actually an even busier day. A more in-depth story on Nick Gordon called Beyond the Bloodlines was written. Sure, Gordon’s father Tom was a big league pitcher for two decades, and his brother Dee was an All Star in 2014, but Nick Gordon has an incredible tool set and is very talented and isn’t in the same mold as either of his family members. The Twins also made their 3rd round through 10th round draft picks on Day 2. The discussion revolved around the fact that each of these picks was from college and also that they were drafting a lot of relief pitchers after selecting Burdi in the 2nd round. Of course, since then, we learned more about Michael Cederoth and his high-90s fastball. The Twins had him starting games for Elizabethton. And, at this point, Jake Reed looks like an absolute steal in the 5th round. Though it ranked just outside the top 10 busiest days of the year, Day 3 of the draft also was quite busy. That day, the Twins drafted 30 players (Rounds 11 through 40) and announced that they were signing DH Kendrys Morales now that he would not cost a draft pick. Later in the day, one of our favorite Twins Daily contributors, AJ Pettersen, announced that he was Moving On from baseball as a player. As you now know, he has been hired to coach the varsity baseball team at Chanhassen high school starting in 2015. (By the way, if you have read the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015 already, I’m sure you enjoyed his article in it about finding joy in all things) There you have it, the Twins Daily Top 5 Busiest Days of 2014. I’m sure this brings back some memories. What were your favorite memories and story lines of 2014? Click here to view the article

Pretty sure he didn't, in any way, compare them as ballplayers at this time.

Turner likely isn't going to be a great hitter, but he can be an every day player. I really like Garver too. He is solid behind the plate and can hit a bit too. Both have things to work on, but both have good potential.

I don't think it's 'fair' that Escobar isn't handed the starting shortstop job, but it is probably the right thing to do. Probably. That said, I wouldn't have any problem with them doing what you suggest.

I was at probably his fifth start. Talked to him and Arteaga after the game. He made an adjustment and added 2-3 mph and had better control. He struggled with control mightily but the strikeouts are encouraging. He's just outside my top ten too but it was more about concern about the elbow. He's very young and has a long way to go but he's very intriguing!

About 4-6 years ago, I really liked the idea of the Twins signing Stauffer to a minor league deal. He's from the Rochester area, but he has always been a really good AAA pitcher. He also had that high draft pick pedigree. I like the strikeout per inning that he was able to do last year, and I like that he's a ground ball guy. I don't mind this signing. Definitely not exciting, but he can take either Burton's or Swarzak's spot.

He went home for the holidays and was feeling well at that time. Obviously there's no way to know how he'll respond in the spring or in game competition. Ervin Santana is an example of a guy who had the same injury and never had TJ surgery. So, we shall see what happens.

The weather has nothing to do with it, I woudln't think. It would be more about getting some at bats in a league where he has had some success in an attempt to shake off rust. I mean, honestly I wouldn't be upset if they chose to send him to the Miracle for 3-4 weeks to start the season.

I try to be careful about such things... when writing the articles on the players of the year for the prospect handbook, I did ask Brad Steil about that. What made them successful in 2014, and what do they need to continue improving upon to keep moving up the ladder. It is a very individual, person-by-person thing. They're not afraid to answer it, even if not fully.

On Monday, the Minnesota Twins locked up starter Phil Hughes through the 2019 season with a three-year contract extension. As the New Year approaches, it is interesting to look at where the Twins are by position for 2015 and the future. Let’s take a quick look.FOR STARTERS, THE STARTERS Let’s start with the starting pitching as that is obviously where the Twins have spent the most money and where they have the biggest need for improvement. These first three are locked up for at least the next three seasons. Hughes was one of baseball’s best starting pitchers in 2014. Terry Ryan not only spoke on Monday of his work on the mound, but he likes his youth and his makeup as well. Enough to essentially tear up the two years and $16 million he had left on his contract and give him a new five year, $58 million contract. While those are big numbers, the 28-year-old could have made much more than that had he been a free agent this offseason. Less than two weeks ago, the Twins signed Ervin Santana to a four year deal that includes an option for 2019. He just turned 32, but he has been solid MLB pitcher for a decade, many of those years in the American League. Last offseason, the Twins made a huge splash in free agency with the acquisition of free agent starter Ricky Nolasco. He had a rough 2014 season, but he has enough of a track record to believe that he will be better in 2015. The Twins and their fans hope so as he is signed through the 2017 season with an option for 2018. Mike Pelfrey is also back for 2015, though he may be best suited for the bullpen at this point. Tommy Milone is first-year arbitration-eligible this year and could make up to $2.8 million. The others on this list will be under team control for at least the next five years. Kyle Gibson had a decent first full season in the big leagues and looks to improve under the tutelage of new pitching coach Neil Allen. Trevor May had some control problems in his MLB debut late last year, but he overcame that and was much better. Alex Meyer and Jason Wheeler are starters who were added to the Twins 40-man roster last month and could get an opportunity in 2015 and beyond. JO Berrios had a breakout season in the minor leagues. Meanwhile, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey will come to big league camp this year too, looking to make a good impression after their strong 2014 seasons. SUMMARY: Hughes was ace-like in 2014. Hopefully he can maintain some of that form and Santana and Nolasco will be able to earn their contracts the next few seasons. The success of the Twins in the future, however, will very much be dependent upon this next wave of internal, minor league options. At least a couple of them will need to advance to the Twins in the near future and show what they are made of. Then the next wave, which includes the likes of Kohl Stewart, Lewis Thorpe and Stephen Gonsalves can come in after that. THE BULLPEN Glen Perkins signed a contract extension last spring training that keeps him in Minnesota for the next three years, with an option for a fourth. He doesn’t want to go anywhere, and the terms of his contract make it bearable even if he isn’t the closer. Brian Duensing’s in his final year of arbitration. Casey Fien is in his first. There are young guys like Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Pressly, Logan Darnell and Michael Tonkin who have seen big league time and could be part of the future. Meanwhile, the Twins have stockpiled many hard-throwers in the draft the last three years and some of those guys could surface in 2015. That list is headlined by 2014 2nd round pick Nick Burdi, but it also includes Zack Jones, Jake Reed, JT Chargois (after missing two seasons, he was hitting 99 in instructs), Mason Melotakis (who will likely miss much of 2015 after Tommy John surgery), Todd Van Steensel and several others. Of course, minor league starters often become big league relievers and can be very successful in that role. THE HITTERS Let’s start behind the plate where Kurt Suzuki is locked up for the next two years, with a third-year option. I don’t know that I’d expect him to be an All-Star, but he is a solid backstop. Josmil Pinto may never be great behind the plate, but his bat should make him an option for the backup role. In time, the favorite to be the next starting catcher for the Twins is likely Stuart Turner who spent 2014 in Ft. Myers. However, don’t think that Mitch Garver can’t eventually take that title and that job as well. Joe Mauer is signed for four more years, through the 2018 season. He will be the team’s first baseman. Kennys Vargas, if needed, can play there as well though DH is his best role (same with Pinto). Brian Dozier is under team control for another four seasons. One year away from arbitration, Dozier is a candidate for an extension this offseason or next. In a league with names like Cano, Pedroia, Zobrist, Kinsler and Altuve, Dozier was nearly an All-Star in 2014 and will hopefully continue to improve. Trevor Plouffe put together his best season in 2014, both offensively and defensively. He enters his second (of four) arbitration season. He is an extension candidate, though there is the looming presence of Miguel Sano lurking, as it was last year. Sano missed the 2014 season after Tommy John surgery. He will need to shake off some rust in spring training and likely starting in AA, but if he can do that, the sky is the limit for him. Will he move Plouffe out of the hot corner, or could it be the Sano is the one to switch positions? That will be a fun story to follow in 2015. Eduardo Escobar put up numbers, offensively and defensively, in 2014 that should give him the opening day shortstop job. However, that job at this point is being pushed toward Danny Santana, with Escobar likely in a utility role. Santana was terrific with the bat in 2014, his rookie season, and didn’t embarrass himself in center field, a position he had played about 20 times in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Jorge Polanco is also in the shortstop picture and should spend much of the 2015 season in Chattanooga. He also is an option at second base. Nick Gordon is just 19 and likely will spend the full season in Cedar Rapids. Oswaldo Arcia is making room for Torii Hunter (who is on a one-year contract) by moving from right field to left field. That is going to be scary defensively. I’m still holding out hope that in spring training they’ll decide that Hunter should try left field and keep Arcia in right. Neither is really a good option for Twins pitchers. Fortunately, both have something in their bats. Hunter can fit in the lineup anywhere and be productive. Arcia, despite his struggles against left-handers and avoiding strikeouts, has so much power potential that it is scary. He could take off in 2015. Center field remains the question. Aaron Hicks has been the opening day starter the last two years, and that hasn’t gone real well. That said, he plays solid defense and he has an ability to get on base at a good clip. Jordan Schafer appears a lock for the opening day roster, but will it be as the everyday centerfielder, in a platoon split with Hicks, or as the fourth outfielder? If Hicks begins the season in Rochester, minor league signee Shane Robinson has the ability to be a platoon option in centerfield. His game is similar to Schafer’s:speed and defense. Defense will be a key in center since there won’t be a lot of range in the corners. Of course, the possibility exists that Danny Santana could spend another season in center field with Escobar at shortstop. Eddie Rosario had a tough 2014, but redeemed himself with a strong showing in the 7-week Arizona Fall League. He could start at AA or AAA. He’ll need to work on his plate discipline, but he may not be far off. Byron Buxton will be at big league camp again in 2015 after a lost 2014 season. It was one injury after another for one of baseball’s best prospects. Again, he will likely need to shake off some rust in Chattanooga to start the season, but a quick start could mean a quick promotion if he’s ready. Adam Walker, Max Kepler and Travis Harrison should all get to AA in 2015, each filled with promise. The major league coaching staff will have a new look in 2015, and new minor league coaching assignments have been given as well. Seemingly, the only thing the Twins need to yet decide is who their new minor league hitting coordinator will be. The holidays are upon us. We certainly want to thank all of the Twins Daily readers and commenters for a fun 2014 season on the site. Hopefully 2015 will bring us many more positive things to discuss on these pages. The Twins Caravan is just three weeks away. Twins Fest is just a month from now. And then in mid-February, the players will start their treks down to Ft. Myers for spring training. It really isn’t that far away. We’ll all just try to stay warm in the Hot Stove a little longer! Click here to view the article

Yeah, he's from Naples. Berardino mentioned that a month or so ago... not sure how he found that out.