Seth Stohs

Haha!! That's right. Not THAT Jose Abreu... But yes, that would be awesome!

Might as well kill the lead right here in the first paragraph. When the Twins announce the players that they are adding to their 40-man roster on (or before) Thursday, we will see the names Alex Meyer, Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. Will the Twins choose to add any more than those three? We’ll find out then, but for a look at who all is eligible, keep reading.Each year at this time, major league teams need to add players to their 40-man roster in order to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in early December. A year ago, the Twins added Kennys Vargas, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Logan Darnell. Who is eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft this year? Players who signed when they were less than 19-years-old in 2010 and players who were 19 or older when they signed in 2011. Of course, if they’re on the 40-man roster, they can’t be picked. The Givens As mentioned in the header, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario and Alex Meyer will all be added. Unless something completely unexpected happens in the next couple of days, their odds of being added to the 40-man roster are 100% Miguel Sano was actually signed in 2009, but since he signed in October, after the season ended, he was not eligible a year ago. He’s an elite prospect. There is no question. He will be protected. Eddie Rosario had a difficult 2014 season, much of his own doing. Even if he had not had a spectacular Arizona Fall League, he would have been a given to add. Finally, Alex Meyer may wind up being a bullpen arm, but the fact that he could become an ace if all goes well means that he also is going to be added to the roster. The Possibles There are several other options to be added. We went into much more detail in the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook, but here are some of the names that could be considered. Sean Gilmartin – I would put the odds quite high, maybe 75%, that he is added to the 40-man roster this week. Acquired from the Braves organization in the Ryan Doumit trade, the lefty put up solid numbers between New Britain and Rochester. The former first-round draft pick could be a back-of-the-rotation starter or a lefty reliever. Levi Michael – The Twins top pick in the 2011 draft has been hurt pretty much his whole career. In 2014, he returned to Ft. Myers where he played well for six weeks before fouling a ball off his foot and missing almost two months. He returned and hit very well in 15 games in New Britain. Maybe his ceiling is that of a utility infielder. Those are the types that get selected in the Rule 5. I’ll put his odds at about 50/50. Jason Wheeler – Another lefty, this 23-year-old was the Twins eighth round pick in 2011 out of Loyola Marymount. At 6-8 and about 250 pounds, Wheeler does not throw real hard, though he can hit 94 at times. However, he’s got good control of three pitches. He made starts at three different levels in 2014, including a start in Rochester. I’d put his odds at about 45% Jason Adam – The right-hander came to the Twins in the Josh Willingham deal in August. The Twins didn’t have much time to see him in the regular season so they sent him to the Arizona Fall League. He pitched to mixed results. The Twins want him to start, and he did reach AAA with the Royals as a 23-year-old. Might be worth a spot. I’ll put his odds at about 33% Niko Goodrum – Twins second round pick in 2010 has terrific tools. He was moved to third base this year after being a very good shortstop in the lowest levels. He hasn’t been able to put up the numbers, and he will soon be 23, but there is no denying the athleticism and the tools I don’t think he would be selected though because I don’t think he has a skill set that would stick in the majors. I’d put his odds at about 25% (Other first-year Rule 5 eligibles: Jose Abreu, Madison Boer, Tyler Grimes, Steven Gruver, David Hurlbut, Cole Johnson, Tyler Jones, Matt Koch, Brett Lee, Chris Mazza, Aderlin Mejia, Josue Montanez, Jeremias Pineda, Randy Rosario, Tim Shibuya, Jhon Silva, Matt Summers, Matt Tomshaw, Stephen Wickens, Corey Williams, JD Williams, Reyson Zoquiel.) Second/Third Year Eligibles There are several cases of players who go through the Rule 5 draft one year, make strides and then get added to the roster a year or two later. The following players have been eligible to be selected previously and could be again this year. (Pat Dean, Dallas Gallant, Jonatan Hinojosa, DJ Johnson, Kyle Knudson, Mike Kvasnicka, Ryan O’Rourke, Michael Quesada, Alex Wimmers) Of that list, the player who may have the best chance of being selected could be lefty Ryan O’Rourke. If you look at his overall numbers, they won’t stand out. However, when you look at what he did against left-handed hitters, it’s remarkable. In 2014, lefties hit just .103 off of him. He also had a 41:4 strikeout to walk rate against same-siders. He struggles against right-handers, but he could pitch in the big leagues now as a LOOGY. Signed Minor League Free Agents Since the World Series, the Minnesota Twins have signed many of their own six-year minor league free agents. If they sign others, those players also could be eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Two years ago, the Twins signed catcher Josmil Pinto instead of allowing him to become a six-year minor league free agent. Then in November they added him to the 40-man roster so he wasn’t exposed to the Rule 5. A few years further back, the Twins signed a pitcher to a six-year minor league free agent contract who had just started throwing a knuckleball a year or so earlier. That player was RA Dickey who was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Mariners just weeks later. (James Beresford, Mike Gonzales, Mark Hamburger, Nate Hanson, BJ Hermsen, Danny Ortiz, Jairo Rodriguez, Reynaldo Rodriguez, Adrian Salcedo, Tony Thomas) On this list, there are a couple of intriguing names. Mark Hamburger had big league time with the Rangers, served a suspension, returned to the Twins and pitched well in a variety of roles with New Britain and Rochester in 2014. That versatility could be of value to a big league club looking for arms. James Beresford just signed on to stay in the Twins organization. He has now succeeded at every level of the minor leagues. Though he played almost exclusively at second base in 2014, he can play three infield positions. A team interested in a utility infielder might be draft him. SUMMARY The Twins have 36 men on their 40-man roster right now. In other words, they can only add four more players unless they remove others from the roster. They could just add the three Givens and still make a Rule 5 pick. What do you think? Which of these players would you want to add to the 40-man roster, and at the expense of who? Click here to view the article

Correct... But, at the same time, we also have to realize that Rosario did great in 115 plate appearances in the AFL, but he was pretty bad in 370 plate appearances during the last 4 months of the regular season. So, we do need to step back and realize that Rosario isn't a finished "product."

I think Rosario goes into spring training with a chance to make the opening day roster. I think it's a small chance, but a chance. I believe that he can play at least an average big league centerfield. I think he can be well above average in left field. Obviously with Buxton in the picture, left field is much more realistic. However, Rosario can play CF and when Buxton is ready, he can move to left field without any concern. I think Rosario needed the Fall League and he did exactly what he needed to do there. I think Kepler needed the Fall League, and he did exactly what he needed to do there! Good showing for both of them, as well as for Jake Reed.

I think he moves up to Rochester, though it would be fun to see him in the lineup with Chattanooga too.

Here is video of the Eddie Rosario home run today.

The Arizona Fall League season came to a close with the championship game on Saturday, with the West Division champion Peoria Javelinas facing the East Division champion Salt River Rafters, the team for which Minnesota Twins prospects play.The teams traded haymakers inning after inning in Scottsdale, AZ, with seven total home runs and twenty-one runs scored. Eddie Rosario got the festivities started for the Rafters, launching a 1-1 pitch deep over the right field fence off Peoria starter Miguel Almonte of the Kansas City Royals for an early 1-0 lead. In his next at-bat in the third inning, Rosario brought in the the third Rafters run with a hard ground ball single to centerfield, scoring Joe Sclafini. He would end up being picked off a batter later, but the damage was done. Peoria took the lead 6-3 after scoring three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings, but the Rafters kept pace with two of their own in each of the fifth and sixth. In the bottom of the fifth, with the score 6-5, Rosario faced a tough lefty in the person of Royals farmhand Daniel Stumpf, and proceeded to drill another hard ground ball to center for his third hit in three at-bats. The Twins' Taylor Rogers came in to start the sixth inning for Salt River, and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Royals outfield prospect Bubba Starling. However, he retired the next five hitters, before Reid Redman was brought in to face Hunter Dozier, also of the Royals, to end the top of the seventh. It was the bottom half of the 7th inning when the Rafters blew the game open, and Rosario again played a large part. His double on the first pitch he saw one-hopped the right field wall, putting runners on second and third. An intentional walk brought Max Kepler to the plate. Kepler quickly fell behind 0-2, but laid off four consecutive pitches in the dirt and drew an RBI walk to score the inning's first run. He was 0-4 for the game with the walk, RBI,and run scored. With runners on first and second and two outs, after six more runs had scored in the frame, Rosario got another chance. On an 0-2 pitch, he put good wood on the ball. Unfortunately, this line drive was snared by the rightfielder to end the inning. The eighth and ninth innings were uneventful, and Rosario, Kepler, Rogers and the rest of the Twins prospects and Rafters roster celebrated the victory. Rosario finished the game 4-5 and just a triple shy of the cycle, with two runs scored and two RBI, to obviously take home (my) player of the game honors. Congratulations to Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Byron Buxton, Jason Adam, Zack Jones, Jake Reed and Taylor Rogers on their AFL Championship. Each player will receive a championship ring. It will be the second ring of the year for Kepler and Jones who were also on the Florida State League champion Ft. Myers Miracle. Click here to view the article

It was forearm... it's all good.

He was planning on being done about this time anyway. Now he can go get married and enjoying his offseason. Not that he wanted to end on a 2-21 slump, but this isn't huge news.

He said it in passing when asked if Plouffe could move to the OF when Sano is ready. He basically said, "Maybe, or Sano could move to the OF." People kind of ran with it, but in reality, they aren't looking to move Sano now.

Sure, I could put pretty much anyone out on the outfielder list as a possibility... I'll move him there when there begins to be any indication that they would do it. No thought of it yet.

Earlier in the week, we looked at the outfielders at the lowest levels of the Minnesota Twins organization. Today, we’ll review the outfielders in the upper levels. There are some very intriguing, elite outfield prospects on this list.Ft. Myers Miracle Jason Kanzler spent the majority of his season with Cedar Rapids, but he was instrumental in the Ft. Myers championship run. The 24-year-old combined to hit .282/.344/.444 (.788) with 11 doubles, nine triples and 12 home runs. He also stole 27 bases. In college, he won two Gold Glove Awards and is a tremendous defensive outfielder. Adam Brett Walker spent the full season as a 22-year-old in the Florida State League. He played in right field and is a very good athlete. He hit .246/.307/.436 (.743) with 19 doubles, 25 homers and 94 RBI. He has tremendous power and has been a very good run producer since signing as the Twins third round pick in 2012. Travis Harrison was a supplemental first round pick in 2011 out of high school in California. He turned 22 following the 2013 season. He hit .269/.361/.365 (.726) with 33 doubles and three home runs. Despite the lack of home runs, Harrison has big-time power potential. He made the move from third base to left field in 2014. Max Kepler continued to play some first base in 2014 with the Miracle. However, he also played 61 games in centerfield, 18 games in right field and eight games in left. In the AFL, he has played in right field. He missed some games early and struggled in the first half, but he really came on as the season went on. In 102 games, he hit .264/.333/.393 (.726) with 20 doubles, six triples and five home runs. He will turn 22 years old before spring training. Tyler Grimes played everywhere for the Miracle in 2014 including 12 games in centerfield and five games in right field. He moved to catcher before the 2013 season, and he also played a lot of second base. The 24-year-old hit .232/.313/.335 (.648) with 14 doubles, two triples and three home runs. New Britain Rock Cats Of course, the Twins moved their AA affiliate from New Britain to Chattanooga following the season, but we’ll leave the header as is. Byron Buxton remains the organization’s top prospect despite a long, frustrating, injury-plagued season. He played in just one game with the Rock Cats this year after rehabbing with the Miracle and got hurt in it. He returned to the AFL where he again was hurt after about three weeks of playing time. He remains as bright a prospect as there is in baseball. He just needs to get healthy this offseason and get back to developing. Eddie Rosario missed 50 games at the beginning of the season with his suspension. After a short stint in Ft. Myers, he returned to New Britain in early June and spent the rest of the season there. The 23-year-old hit .243/.386/.387 (.674) in 87 total games. He has been one of the better hitters in the Arizona Fall League while playing exclusively in the outfield. Reynaldo Rodriguez could have been a free agent again after the season, but he chose to sign back with the Twins for a third season. He made the move from first base to the outfield in 2014. It didn’t affect his bat. He hit a robust .286/.344/.510 (.854) in 126 games with New Britain. He also played ten games with Rochester. He is 28 years old. Mike Kvasnicka came to the Twins before spring training of 2013 for Gonzalo Sanudo. In 2014, he advanced to New Britain where he hit .257/.303/.400 (.703). The 25-year-old from Minnesota hit 23 doubles and ten home runs. He played 57 games in right field, 36 games in left field and even 16 games in centerfield. Tony Thomas played 27 games in left field and 12 more in right field. The 28-year-old hit .241/.302/.411 with 29 doubles, six triples and 12 home runs. He also stole 14 bases. He primarily played second base until Rosario came back to New Britain. He too could have been a free agent after the World Series, but he chose to re-sign with the Twins. Corey Wimberly joined the Twins as a minor league free agent before spring training. He played in just 72 games for the Rock Cats due to a hamstring injury and hit .252/.307/.346 (.653) with 13 doubles and five triples. The speedster also stole 17 bases. He turned 31 after the season and became a free agent. Rochester Red Wings Wilkin Ramirez returned to the Red Wings in 2014 and played in 107 games. He hit .262/.305/.368 (.672) with 23 doubles, three triples and four home runs. He turned 29 after the season and is currently a free agent. Chris Rahl came to the Twins before the 2014 season and was invited to big league camp. The 30-year-old veteran played in 104 games and hit .259/.272/.380 (.652) with 17 doubles and seven homers. He played 51 games in left field, 40 games in right field and 21 games in centerfield. He became a free agent following the season. Danny Ortiz was the Twins 4th round pick in 2008 out of Puerto Rico. He began the season in New Britain where he played in 49 games. He was promoted to Rochester for another 73 games. The 24-year-old combined to hit .285/.308/.462 (.770) with 29 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs. He has average range, but he can play all three outfield positions. He too could have become a minor league free agent after the World Series, but he quickly signed with the Twins. Minnesota Twins The one given to be playing in the Minnesota Twins outfield in 2015 is Oswaldo Arcia. The 6-0, 220 pound outfielder hit .231/.300/.452 (.752) which produced an OPS+ of 108. He added 16 doubles, three triples and 20 home runs. He strikes out a lot, doesn’t hit lefties real well, and isn’t a threat to win a Gold Glove, but he can hit the ball a long way. He’s also younger than most outfielders in the upper levels and patience will be important. Danny Santana played 71 games for the Twins in centerfield in 2014 and did fairly well considering he had played only a few games in the outfield earlier in his minor league career. He’s got good speed though the organization has made it clear that he will be given every opportunity to play shortstop in 2015. In 101 games, he hit .319/.353/.472 (.824) with 27 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs. He also stole 20 bases. Aaron Hicks has been the opening day centerfielder the last two years. In 2014, he was sent down to play in AA New Britain for about six weeks, then spent a month in Rochester before returning to the Twins in September. In 69 games with the Twins, he hit .215 with a .274 slugging percentage. He did manage to get on base 34% of the time. He’ll get another opportunity, most likely, in 2015, though maybe not in centerfield. Chris Parmelee has been up and down with the Twins since his September call-up in 2011. He was out of options. So when he did not make the opening day Twins roster, he went through waivers. He was unclaimed and went to Rochester where he played great and soon was called back to the Twins. In 87 games with the Twins, he hit .256/.307/.384 (.691) with 11 doubles and seven home runs. He played some first base. He also played 42 games in right field and 22 games in left field. He also played three games in centerfield. Jordan Schafer came to the Twins after being designated for assignment by Atlanta. In 31 games with the Twins, he hit .285/.345/.362 (.707) with five doubles, a triple and a homer. He also stole 15 bases. He plays a good left field and could be a platoon option. Chris Herrmann caught quite a bit in the minors but with the Twins he was used as a fifth outfielder. He played 13 games in left field and 12 games in right. Eduardo Nunez played 16 games in left field, and Chris Colabello played 21 games in right field. SUMMARY Oswaldo Arcia still has star potential despite some flaws. His youth and power potential mean that he should be a staple in right field for the Twins for several years. Danny Santana played centerfield for the Twins in 2014, and would be considered a building block at the position for most teams. With the Twins, he will move to shortstop. That means that the Twins have two positions that should be open in the outfield. At some time, the future involves Byron Buxton. Eddie Rosario seems to be putting himself back on the prospect map with his performance in the Arizona Fall League. Max Kepler’s second half and Fall League performances, along with his tool set, continue to make him an intriguing piece for the future. Travis Harrison and Adam Brett Walker provide serious power potential, though each has a little further to go. Previous Organizational Depth Charts: · Outfielders – Part 1 (Lower Levels) · Middle Infielders · Third Base · First Base · Catchers Click here to view the article

I would argue that the best pitch is the fastball on the outside corner and at the knees. But if you get it out over the plate (like any pitch), it's going to get hit. I have talked to several players in the organization, and there has been an effort to have some pitchers work up in the zone, to be a strikeout pitch... I don't know if that's an organizational change or shift. I don't know if that's primarily guys that throw over, say, 94-95? But there was definitely some short of discussion about this.

Christensen played all over in college, and he's played all over in his one year-plus of pro ball. I'm sure he'll continue to be used in that role.

He's such a great athlete, and there's so much talent there. The injury really hurt him last year. He likely would have spent the full season in Ft. Myers. Instead, back to Cedar Rapids, and just couldn't get it going. He'll definitely have to get to at least Ft. Myers in spring to stick.

It's certainly not as deep as when there was Young, Cuddyer, Revere, and Span in the big leagues... At that time, the organization had several other top prospect types like Benson, Parmelee, Angel Morales and Aaron Hicks... It's why I think depth is so important and having options at each level is huge because guys get hurt and primarily because it is so hard to actually get to the big leagues, much less succeed and stick.

tough to say without seeing the four highest levels. With the lowest levels, it's about tools and projectablility and there are some exciting prospects at these levels... It's just that a lot has to happen and go right just to get to the higher levels, much less to get to the big leagues.

After a busy week last week with the Minnesota Twins naming their new manager, we are returning to our look at the Twins organizational depth chart. This week, we’ll be reviewing the outfielders throughout the system. Since there are nearly fifty outfielders, I am going to split it into two parts. Today, I’ll look at that outfield depth in the Twins four lowest affiliates; Dominican League Twins, GCL Twins, Elizabethton Twins and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Later this week, I’ll discuss the players in the upper levels.Coming Soon - The Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015 will be available soon here at Twins Daily. In it, there will be much more detailed prospect profiles and much more.> Dominican Summer League Down in the DSL, there were six players that got significant time in the outfield. Looking at the statistics in the lowest levels can be quite fruitless, but it’s always interesting to get to know the names. A couple of these players could wind up coming to the States and playing in the GCL or even Elizabethton in 2015 or beyond. Francisco Hernandez led the DSL team with 31 games in centerfield. He was 18-years-old this year and in 42 games he hit .210/.369/.210. At 5-10 and 160 pounds he has very little power (no extra-base hits) and had just seven stolen bases. 18-year-old Antonio Tovar spent his second season in the DSL in 2014. The 6-0, 195 pounder was the leader in games played in left field with 32, though he played 26 games in centerfield as well. He hit .253/.381/.335 (.716) with six doubles and five triples. After going 12-13 in stolen base attempts in 2013, he went just 9-20 in 2014. He walked 41 times and struck out 35 times. Junior Amarante turned 19 before the 2014 season started. It was his third season with the DSL Twins and by far his best. He played 31 games in right field and eight games in left. He hit .287/.383/.337 (.720) with five doubles and two triples. He was also 22 of 24 in stolen base attempts. He is 5-11 and 185 pounds. Edgar Herrera is a 17-year-old from Venezuela. He played 26 games in right field and 13 games in left field. At 6-0 and 170 pounds, he hit .259/.361/.302 with two doubles and two triples. He walked 23 times and struck out 23 times, as well. Jorge Parra is 6-0 and 176 pounds. In his second DSL season, he played in 52 games and hit .260/.356/.345 (.700). He added nine doubles and three home runs. He played 19 games in left field and 15 more in right field. Luis Martinez was an 18-year-old in his first DSL season. He played in 23 games and hit .328/.443/.414 (.857) with three doubles and a home run. He also stole 14 bases and walked as much as he struck out. He played 15 games in centerfield and one in right. Gulf Coast League Tyree Davis was the Twins 37th round draft pick in 2014. The now-19-year-old played 36 games in centerfield for the GCL Twins. In 38 total games, he hit just .087/.210/.146 (.356). He went 9-103, but he had two doubles and two triples. He is a great athlete, a five-tool athlete. The graduate of Centennial High School in Compton, California, is looking to become the school’s 11th major league player and the first since Lonnie Smith retired in 1994. At 6-3 he has a lot of power potential. Amaurys Minier was the Twins top international signing in 2012. He debuted in the GCL in 2013 and went back to the GCL in 2014. He had offseason shoulder surgery, and he moved from third base to left field where he started 34 games. In 53 games, he hit .292/.405/.520 (.925) with 11 doubles, two triples and eight home runs. At 6-2 and 190 pounds, he has terrific power. He also spent a lot of time at first base. Frank Encarnacion led the GCL in games played at right field with 16, though he also played seven in left field. After a year in the DSL, he moved to the States where he played in 26 games and hit .198/.244/.235 (.479) with three doubles. 19-year-old Roberto Gonzalez is another five-tool outfielder whom the Twins drafted in 2014 (15th round) out of Orlando. He played in just 13 games due to knee surgery. In 43 at-bats, he hit .233/.313/.302 (.615) with three doubles. At 6-0 and 195 pounds, he has very good speed and a lot of power potential. He stole four bases in five attempts. He will need to be able to make more contact. Rafael Valera came to the States in 2014 after two seasons in the DSL. He played in 47 games for the GCL Twins, but he also had a couple of stints (and three games played) in Ft. Myers. With the GCL, he played eight games in right field solely and three games in right and left. He also played around the infield. He hit .254/.370/.341 (.710) with eight doubles and two triples. After four seasons in the Dominican Summer League, 21-year-old Dubal Baez finally got to move to the States. He played 40 games in the GCL and hit .281/.351/.331 (.681) with six doubles. He played 18 games in centerfield, 11 games in right field and nine games in right field. After a season in the DSL, Ariel Montesino hit .165/.233/.220 (.454) with four doubles and a triple. He also stole 10 bases. He played 13 games in left field and 10 games in right. He turned 19 since the end of the season. Elizabethton Twins Max Murphy was the Twins ninth round pick in 2014 out of Bradley. The 21-year-old Minnesotan was the Appalachian League Player of the Year and spent only 35 games with the E-Twins, but he hit .378/.483/.723 (1.206) with seven doubles, two triples and ten home runs. He then played 32 more games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels where he hit .242/.314/.395 (.709) with seven doubles and four home runs. Combined, he played 35 games in centerfield, 20 games in left field and six games in right. Tanner English was the Twins 11th round pick in 2014 out of South Carolina. He played in 32 games for the E-Twins and hit .316/.439/.474 (.913) with five doubles, two triples and three homers. He was also five for six in stolen base attempts. Despite being just 5-10 and 160 pounds, he is far from a slap-hitter. All 26 games he played defense, he played in centerfield. Austin Diemer was the Twins 26th round out of Cal State Fullerton. He played 37 games in centerfield for Elizabethton and another 18 games in left field. In 55 games, he hit .227/.305/.286 (.591) with six doubles and two homers. He stole ten bases. Jeremias Pineda spent most of the 2013 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, minus his 50-game suspension. He began 2014 in Cedar Rapids, but he was sent back down to Elizabethton where he played 58 of his 73 games. In all, he hit .224/.301/.295 (.597) with six doubles, four triples and two homers. He has good speed and stole 27 bases in 34 attempts. Trey Vavra was the Twins 33rd round pick in 2014 out of Florida Southern. He primarily played first base for the E-Twins, but he also played 13 games in left field. He hit .319/.392/.454 (.846) with 20 doubles, a triple and a home run. Cedar Rapids Kernels JD Williams advanced to Ft. Myers in the second half of 2013, but a spring training broken thumb and rehab sent him back to the Kernels. He played 52 games in left field. In 75 games total, he hit .245/.330/.383 (.713) with 19 doubles, four triples and three homers. The 23-year-old will need to get to Ft. Myers to start 2015. Zach Granite began the season in Cedar Rapids, but unfortunately the centerfielder missed time with two injuries and played in just 21 games with the Kernels. The 21-year-old hit .291/.321/.367 (.689) with two doubles and two triples for the Kernels. He is very fast and has the skill set to be a good leadoff hitter. Zach Larson began the season as the Kernels right fielder. The 20-year-old hit .265/.325/.358 (.683) with 11 doubles and a homer. Unfortunately, he dealt with a hamstring issue most of the rest of the season. Despite being a 20th round draft pick out of high school in 2012, he is a very good hitting prospect. Chad Christensen primarily played first base for the Kernels, but the versatile athlete also played 20 games in left field, ten games in right field and six games in center. The 24-year-old was the Twins 25th round pick in 2013 out of the University of Nebraska. In 127 games total with the Kernels, he hit .272/.339/.404 (.744) with 24 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs, 73 RBI, 84 runs scored and 30 stolen bases. Alex Swim had almost solely been a catcher until mid-June when he came up to the Kernels. He went on a hot streak and then he was moved out to right field to keep his bat in the lineup. He played 46 games in right field. In 63 total games, he hit .311/.352/.349 with nine doubles. SUMMARY In Part 2 of the outfield depth chart later this week, we’ll discuss players who are closer to the big leagues. However, Part 1 does show a lot of players with some big-time potential. A few have the potential to be great. Of course, at the low levels, the odds are markedly against them. Amaurys Minier and Zach Larson are arguably the two top prospects in this list. Players like Max Murphy, Chad Christensen and Tanner English have the opportunity to advance after strong showings. Players like Tyree Davis and Roberto Gonzalez have a long way to go, but they are two players that legitimately have five tools. Click here to view the article

FWIW - I agree with this as well. The parts of the article regarding looking to trade him or sign him to an extension were really just for discussion, and it's probably something that should be discussed for all players, even if likelihood of actually doing it is small. I really like the point about keeping Escobar around since there are so many questions about Santana's glove yet.

This week, the Twins named their 13th manager and we have been analyzing that decision quite thoroughly. However, it’s also important to know that free agency has started now and the business of baseball continues. So today, I want to start a series on various Twins players and what the offseason could mean for them. Today, I will start with infielder Eduardo Escobar.Background Eduardo Escobar came to the Minnesota Twins on July 28, 2012, along with Pedro Hernandez in exchange for lefty Francisco Liriano. He had been the White Sox main utility infielder that season. That is the role he played for the Twins in the first half of the 2013 season before spending part of the second half in Rochester. Escobar will turn 26 years old in early January. He comes from Venezuela and is again playing this winter for the Tigres de Aragua. 2014 Season Out of options, Escobar earned a spot on the 2014 25-man roster. However, about a month into the season, the incumbent shortstop Pedro Florimon was optioned to Rochester. Escobar took over as the regular shortstop, and he was able to keep it thanks to a breakout season. He played in 133 games which is eight games more than he had played over his three previous seasons in the big leagues. He hit .275/.315/.406 (.721) which equates to an OPS+ of 102. So, he was two percent better offensively than an average MLB player, which is very good. And, when you put it into perspective relative to other shortstops, he posted a 2.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) according to fangraphs.com. Put into another perspective, fangraphs.com also says that he was worth $12.7 million. Business of Baseball As a player who had not yet reached arbitration, Escobar made just a little big over the league minimum, approximately $510,000. After 2014, he was nearly a Super-2 guy, but he fell just short. In other words, in 2015, he will get a raise, but it will most likely be well less than $600,000. Role in 2015 At Tuesday’s press conference, it came out that the plan is still for Danny Santana to make the move in to shortstop from centerfield. In addition, Trevor Plouffe will man the hot corner, and Brian Dozier will be at second base. Combined, this would mean a return to the utility role for Eduardo Escobar in 2015. Is that the right choice? That is certainly debatable and at the heart of this article. Danny Santana came up through the minor leagues as a shortstop. There was some hope that he could potentially be a guy whose name is put in the lineup most every day for several years in a row. When he came up to the Twins early in the season, it was to play shortstop, but Escobar earned the job. With Aaron Hicks struggling again with the bat, Santana was given an opportunity to play centerfield. He didn’t give up that job. Santana hit better than anyone could have expected, well beyond the offensive numbers he racked up throughout his minor league career. Although he was not a natural outfielder and struggled with some of the fine points of the position, he played an adequate centerfield. Of course, his defensive reputation at shortstop in the minor leagues was not sterling either. One of the reasons there was a desire to move Santana from centerfield was the imminent arrival of Byron Buxton. With Buxton’s frustrating 2014 season, the likelihood of him showing up at Target Field before August or September is probably very low. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Escobar did the job at shortstop. He not only hit, but he played a very solid defensive shortstop. However, the decision to move Santana back to shortstop indicates that the Twins brass sees Escobar’s 2014 as a fluke and believe that he is more valuable to the team as a utility infielder. Was Escobar’s 2014 season a fluke? Was Santana’s 2014 season a fluke? Of course, an other factor might be who will be available this offseason in a trade or via free agency. Maybe the following question must be asked. Would the Twins be better in 2015 with Eduardo Escobar at shortstop, Danny Santana in center and a question mark in left field, or would they be better with Santana at shortstop, Escobar on the bench and question marks at two outfield positions? Equally important, what is best for the overall future of the Minnesota Twins? These are decisions to be made by Terry Ryan and his staff, including Paul Molitor, but they are interesting to consider. To Extend or not to Extend Along with considering what Escobar's role may be for 2015, there are other discussions that need to be had in the front office (and frankly, may have already been had at the organizational meetings). Should the Twins consider offering Eduardo Escobar a contract extension? Every offseason, a fun topic is whether or not there are players who should be signed to a long-term contract. Escobar won’t hit arbitration for another season. He also won’t be a free agent until after the 2018 season. So, of course there is no rush to extend him. The difficulty in this decision is that his role over those years will greatly affect his ability to make money. If he is a utility player, the top guys will make between $3-4 million per year. However, if the Twins went year-to-year, he would likely make something like $3 million over the next three years, or $4.5 million over the next four years before becoming a free agent. What dollar value would the Twins need to offer for it to make it worth their while? At the same time, if Escobar is a starter, he could make as much as $3 million in 2016 and up from there. So at this point, there is no reason for Escobar to accept an offer that would make any sense for the Twins. Assuming the Twins will move him back to a utility role, it makes much more sense to go year-to-year. To Trade or Not to Trade As we’ve noted, Escobar had a very solid season as a 25-year-old shortstop. It may have been enough for some team or teams to view him as capable of being a regular MLB shortstop. And yet, it’s clear that the Twins brass (based on them pushing him back to a utility role in 2015) believe that he is a utility infielder. There’s no shame in that. His performance in 2014 tells me that he can be one of the better utility infielders in the game. However, if the team truly believes that he may have peaked in 2014, would this not be an opportune time to reach out to teams about acquiring pitching, or another area of need, in exchange for him? What if a team offered a Double-A pitcher who is their fifth-ranked prospect and another piece? I think it might be wise for the Twins to at least explore the market for Escobar, selling him as an everyday shortstop even if they seemingly don’t believe it themselves. SUMMARY So there you have it, over 1,250 words on Eduardo Escobar. He performed very well in 2014 when given an opportunity to be an everyday shortstop. However, the team is committing to Danny Santana at that position in 2015. The first question is whether or not Escobar should be given an opportunity to be the Twins shortstop in 2015. Beyond that, should the Twins consider signing him to an extension, or should they try to deal him for pitching? Now it’s your turn. Let’s discuss Eduardo Escobar and what this offseason means for him. Click here to view the article

I believe that Vavra was the Twins minor league coordinator for a couple of years before joining the big league staff.