Seth Stohs

There appear to be two very separate points in this article... 1.) Gardy and Molitor are the same, which you acknowledge later isn't actually true. 2.) The Twins need an ace. That has nothing to do with the managerial situation.

My opinion is that there would be vitriol no matter who they hired. If they would have hired Lovullo, there would have been a huge group that would have been upset that the team lost a great baseball mind in Molitor..

But that's my point... We don't know if the process was a joke or not. Maybe it was. However, you don't just string Lovullo and Mientkiewicz along, and you don't just bring in 5-6 guys just to chat. All we have to go on is the fact that they took their time, they talked to a lot of people, and at the end of the day, the favorite probably still got it. The point is that you can't just say that because Molitor ended up with the job doesn't mean that the process was a joke, and assuming that doesn't seem particularly fair.

Sometimes the obvious choice can also be the right choice.

We're all experts, huh? For me, I was very much intrigued by Torey Lovullo. He would have been a good choice. I was intrigued by Doug Mientkiewicz, but I think that I've backed off from that. That said, if he had been given the job, I think he would have been just fine. Meanwhile, I didn't want Molitor to be the next manager, in large part because I didn't like that he was brought on last year knowing that he was the likely favorite to take over. It just didn't feel right. Can we criticize the Twins, Terry Ryan, etc? Sure. Four straight 90 loss seasons is well into the realm of criticizable. However, bashing the Twins or Molitor for Molitor being named the next manager (IF that is where this goes) seems a little silly. It's unfortunate and it takes away from Molitor. He has a ton of qualifications that make him the right choice and instead of noting and pointing out those, we choose to be negative about it. In reality, it didn't matter who they picked. DId it? THere would have been people complaining about Terry Ryan picking the wrong guy. It's too bad.

No kidding. We really want to thank Steve for going down there and taking time to write up these interviews and share them with us. Though, knowing Steve, spending three days watching baseball in the sun and talking to ball players probably doesn't seem too bad to him! Safe travels home today!!

Proof that SD Buhr is in Arizona??? He was sitting in the 3rd row behind the plate during several of the innings tonight. View the picture here:

Reported first as the shoulder at Twins Daily...

I can't imagine there is a manager in baseball that would go into the season thinking that. (No, not even the great Joe Maddon)

He's the President of the Twins, so of course the Brand is what matters to him... He's also a very smart person. He knows that the Brand is better when the team wins baseball games. But he also is in charge of so many other parts besides the on-field stuff. He fully understands that the on-field stuff is the biggest, most important piece. He deals with the Brand... Terry Ryan deals with the baseball part of that.

In the last couple of weeks, we went around the infield looking at the Twins organizational depth. Today, we’ll take a look at the catchers from the big leagues to the rookie leagues, and even the Dominican Summer League.Major Leagues Joe Mauer moved from the position a year ago. The Twins signed Kurt Suzuki, and he was an All-Star in 2014. The 30-year-old hit .288/.345/.383 (.727) with 34 doubles, three homers and 61 RBI. The veteran signed a two-year extension on July 31. 25-year-old Josmil Pinto started the season as the backup catcher. He spent more time as the team’s DH, but he did catch 25 games. He struggled in every aspect defensively including allowing 20 runners to steal a base without throwing any out. In 57 games with the Twins, he hit .219/.315/.391 (.705) with eight doubles and seven homers. In 60 games in Rochester, he hit .279/.376/.457 (.833) with 17 doubles and six homers. There he threw out 18% of would-be base stealers. His bat will keep him on the 40 man roster. When Pinto was sent to Rochester, Eric Fryer came up. In 36 games in Rochester, he hit .252/.323/.333 (.656) with seven doubles, but he did a terrific job behind the plate and also threw out 44% of base stealers. With the Twins, he threw out just one of 17, but his work with pitchers continued to be praised and his athleticism helps him do well behind the plate. In 81 big league plate appearances, he hit .213/.272/.307 (.578) with four doubles and a homer. He is likely to remain on the 40 man roster. Chris Herrmann caught just one inning with the Twins as he was used for his defense in the corner outfield positions. In Rochester, he caught 26 games and threw out 38% of base stealers. He hit .304/.373/.505 (.878) with 18 doubles, four triples and a homer in 60 games. In the big leagues, he hit just .213/.253/.253 (.506) with three doubles. He is likely at risk to be removed from the 40 man roster. Minor Leagues 25-year-old Dan Rohlfing spent the season in Rochester. He caught 58 games and threw out 39% of base stealers. He hit .205/.307/.311 (.618) with 17 doubles and two home runs. He is a very good athlete and spent time at first base and in both corner outfield positions. He even pitched twice. Kyle Knudson (26) was behind the plate for 82 of New Britain’s games in 2014. He is a very strong defensive catcher. He has good mobility and a strong arm, plus he works very well with pitchers. He threw out 30% of would-be base stealers. He hit .215/.265/.279 (.544) with 16 doubles. Matt Koch was the other catcher for the Rock Cats. The 25-year-old is known for his offense rather than his defense, but his bat struggled with the move to AA. He hit .212/.304/.281 with nine doubles and two homers. He caught 64 games in New Britain and made good strides defensively. He threw out 34% of base stealers. Jairo Rodriguez split his 2014 season between Ft. Myers and New Britain. With the Miracle, he caught 29 games and threw out 21% of base stealers. He also caught seven games in New Britain and threw out 20%. Rodriguez is from Venezuela and is very respected for his work behind the plate. He recently re-signed with the Twins as a minor league free agent. Stuart Turner was the Twins third round pick in 2013 out of Ole Miss where he won the Johnny Bench Award as the top collegiate catcher. He is viewed as a great defensive catcher. He calls a good game and receives the ball well. He threw out 32% of base stealers in 92 games. The 22-year-old was invited to big league spring training and then jumped straight to the Miracle. In 93 games, he hit .249/.322/.375 (.698) with 16 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. Tyler Grimes (23) made the move to full-time catcher in 2013 in Cedar Rapids and performed well. In 2014 with the Miracle, he played all over the diamond, including 19 games behind the plate. He is a good catcher and has a very strong arm. He threw out 31% of base stealers. In 79 games total, he hit .232/.313/.335 (.648) with 14 doubles, two triples and three homers. Mitch Garver was the runner-up to Turner for the 2013 Johnny Bench Award. The Twins made him their ninth round pick that year. He was sent to Cedar Rapids where he had a terrific season. In fact, he was my choice for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. In 120 games, he hit .298/.399/.481 (.880) with 29 doubles, 16 homers and 79 RBI. Behind the plate, he was also very good. He calls a good game and did a nice job working with some young pitchers. He threw out 32% of base stealers in the 63 games he caught. Michael Quesada caught 53 games for the Kernels. He is a good catcher, very athletic and able to block the ball in the dirt very well. He has a strong, accurate arm and threw out 31% of base stealers. The 24 year old hit .205/.288/.330 (.618) with 13 doubles and four homers. Alex Swim began the season in extended spring training and played in a couple of games for Ft. Myers when needed. In one game behind the plate with the Miracle, he threw out the one runner who tried to steal against him. The 23-year-old moved up to Cedar Rapids in mid-June. With the Kernels, he caught 12 games and threw out 14% of base stealers. He hit though and to keep him in the lineup he was moved to right field. In 64 games, he hit .311/.351/.349 (.700) with nine doubles. At Instructional League, he still did some catching. Brian Navarreto (19) was the Twins sixth round pick in 2013 out of high school in Florida. At 6-3 and 230 pounds, he reminds many of the Royals’ Salvador Perez. Behind the plate, he is a big target and he has a very strong arm. In 27 games behind the plate, he threw out a remarkable 59% of would-be base stealers. In 31 games total, he hit .194/.241/.370 (.612) with eight doubles and three home runs. He has incredible power and has a chance to be very good. Jorge Fernandez was the Twins seventh round pick in 2013 out of high school in Puerto Rico. He is a very good athlete and there is frequently talk about him being moved to the outfield. In didn’t happen in 2014. The 20-year-old caught 22 games for Elizabethton and threw out 38% of base stealers. Offensively, he hit .321/.361/.440 (.802) with six doubles, two triples and a homer. 24-year-old Brett Doe was the Twins 38th round pick in 2014 out of Baylor. In 21 games at Elizabethton, he threw out 35% of base stealers. He hit .207/.313/.345 (.658) with three doubles, a triple and a home run. Alex Real was the Twins 24th round pick in 2014 out of New Mexico where he was a teammate of Mitch Garver. With the E-Twins, he DH’d 15 times and caught 12 times. He threw out 23% of base runners. In 96 plate appearances, he hit .284/.323/.375 (.698) with five doubles and a home run. 20-year-Jarrard Poteete was the Twins 19th round pick this year out of Connors State. He caught 24 games and threw out 41% of base stealers. At the plate, he hit .220/.292/.303 (.594) with six doubles and a home run though it is believed that he will hit. Rainis Silva is a 18-year-old from Venezuela. In 41 games in the GCL, he hit .270/.294/.342 (.636) with nine doubles and a triple. To keep him in the lineup, he played ten games at first base. He caught 24 games and threw out 39% of would-be base stealers. He is young and has some to learn, but he has a very strong arm. Joel Polanco (21) caught 13 games for the GCL Twins. He threw out four of seven base stealers (57%). He also played 16 games at first base and DH’d three times. In 32 games, he hit .248/.296/.350 (.646) with six doubles and two homers. Gabriel Ojeda was the Twins 27th round pick in 2014 out of high school in Puerto Rico. As an 18-year-old, he caught just seven games. He played in 25 games total and hit .169/.263/.197 (.460) with two doubles. Down in the DSL, Robert Molina (17) caught 41 games. He threw out 35% of base stealers. He hit .206/.313/.284 (.597) with seven doubles and two triples. Jhonathan Alvarez was 18, and he caught in 31 games. He threw out 48% of would-be base stealers. He hit .211/.344/.239 (.582) with a double and a triple. Carlos Martinez was a known international prospect from Panama. In 2014, his fourth year in the DSL, he was moved from the infield to catcher. He caught in seven games and threw out five of 14 base stealers (36%). In ten total games, he hit .182/.349/.303 (.652) with a double and a homer. In his four seasons, he has hit a combined .190/.309/.260. SUMMARY Kurt Suzuki will be the primary catcher on Opening Day 2015. His backup may be Eric Fryer, but it is also possible that Josmil Pinto will again be in the role. Stuart Turner remains the top catching prospect in the Twins organization. He should get another spring training invite and move up to Chattanooga to start the 2015 season. Mitch Garver was the hitter of the year in the organization (in my opinion) and did a nice job behind the plate. He should move up to Ft. Myers and hopefully get to Chattanooga sometime during the season. He should also receive an invite to big league camp. Brian Navarreto has a long ways to go, but he also has the biggest upside in the group. Click here to view the article

Never knew that CC was available, but now I will be sure to ALWAYS have it on!!

This is a tremendous article. Great questions and he did a great job responding. I'm sure it was nice for him to see a familiar media face there as well! I liked all of his answers, but it's fun to get things like the Mauer information as well. He's definitely one to watch. He says he follows everyone, but he doesn't follow me!! Ha!

My assumption is that if the Twins payroll is 50% of revenues, a large chunk of the other 50% is things like salaries for front office, and the hundreds/thousands of non-player personnel (scouts, accountants, sales staff, marketing group, etc.). I assume all of those people get paid too. I assume that travel (for the team personnel, but also scouts, etc.) get included in there.

Charley Walters is funny. He was actually with the Twins for a part of his life, but his Twins "notes" are always so far behind everyone else. The Mientkiewicz to Chattanooga thing came out about a month ago in an interview with Patrick Reusse on 1500ESPN. He didn't say it, but he was certainly dancing around it enough to make it pretty clear that if he wasn't the Twins manager, he would be moving up. Definitely just some bad luck for Buxton. I hope they don't try to stop him from diving in the outfield.

good questions. Keep them coming!

Tremendous point!

I almost assume that Eddie Rosario will replace Byron Buxton in the Fall Stars game. And yeah, it's never been about who is performing for the first four weeks of the AFL.

When I read reports about Levi Michael, I read them and thought that his upside was Nick Punto. I think Nick Punto was vastly underrated as a Twins utility infielder. His defense was terrific at three infield positions and he took a lot of pitches and walked a lot. However, in my opinion, you don't take a future utility infielder in the first round. That said, I didn't have a huge issue with it because the Twins system needed middle infielders. He was the 30th pick, and I recall Keith Law ranked him as something like the 14th best player in the whole draft. He was very young for his draft class, so I thought that would be a good thing. To be fair, he wasn't healthy his first two years. He also probably should have started in Cedar Rapids rather than Ft. Myers. Let's hope that 2014 was a start to something good. He's still just 23. Maybe he can become a utility infielder in the big leagues after all.

I probably should have included him, but the sentence likely would have read something like "Rosario still got into 18 games at second base in 2014, though it appears he will be moving back to the outfield full time."

For years, the Twins had a string of uncertainty in the middle infield. Since the days of Cristian Guzman and Luis Rivas, the Twins have not been able to develop a strong middle infield combination. The Twins appear to have a second baseman to build around and hope that they have found a shortstop for the next several years. How does the rest of the organization look in the middle infield?Let’s take a look. Major Leagues Brian Dozier took another step forward in 2014. He became a 20/20 player, hitting 23 homers and stealing 21 bases. He added 33 doubles while hitting .242/.345/.416 and playing his solid defense up the middle. He may be a candidate for a long-term extension to buy out some arbitration and free agent years this offseason. The season began with Pedro Florimon at shortstop, but he just didn’t hit and was sent down to Rochester. At season’s end, he was Designated for Assignment and claimed by the Washington Nationals. Fortunately, Eduardo Escobar was around, and he was up to the challenge. Still just 25, Escobar has been deemed a utility infielder, but given this opportunity, he really stepped up. In 133 games, he hit .275/.315/.406 (.721) with 35 doubles. He also solidified the position defensively. The Twins acquired Eduardo Nunez from the Yankees early in the season in exchange for Miguel Sulburan. He hit .250/.271/.382 (.654) with 15 extra base hits in 72 games. He played all over the diamond and fit the utility role. What will the new manager and the front office do with Danny Santana? The 23-year-old was a shortstop throughout his minor league career, other than 23 games in centerfield between 2009 and 2012. He was called up to the Twins because of a need at shortstop, but he ended up giving the Twins their centerfielder where he held his own. Offensively, he surprised by hitting .319/.353/.472 (.824) with 27 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs. He also stole 20 bases in 24 attempts. The plan appears to be to move him back to shortstop in 2015. He had 32 errors at the position in New Britain in 2013, but who knows what surprised Santana might have in for us in 2015. Minor Leagues Doug Bernier got into seven games for the Twins in September after a strong season in Rochester. He hit .280/.348/.396 (.744) with 25 doubles and six homers in 124 games with the Red Wings. He played 66 games at shortstop, 44 games at third base, 14 games at second base, five games in right field and seven games in left field. Bernier was removed from the 40 man roster and is now a free agent. James Beresford was the everyday second baseman for the Red Wings, playing 128 games at the position. He certainly can play on the left side of the infield as well. In 131 games, he hit .276/.323/.351 (.674) with 28 doubles. He’s one of the better gloves in the organization. He is again a minor league free agent. Jorge Polanco made the move full-time to shortstop in 2014 after spending more time at second base earlier in his career. He played 123 games at shortstop and just ten at second base. He had a lot of errors, but those numbers decreased as the season went along. Offensively, he hit .288/.353/.395 (.748) with 23 doubles, six triples and seven home runs between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He also had 17 stolen bases. He also came up to the Twins twice during the season just because he was on the 40-man roster. He had a double and a triple (and two walks) in six at bats. Tony Thomas was an Eastern League All Star. The 27-year-old came to the Twins as a free agent before the 2014 season. He played 53 games at second base. He played 33 games at shortstop and 39 games in the outfield. Overall, he hit .241/.302/.411 (.712) with 29 doubles, six triples and 12 homers. He stole 14 bases. He recently resigned with the Twins on another minor league contract for the 2015 season. Levi Michael started to put things together in 2014. He was hitting well in Ft. Myers when he fouled a ball off of his foot. He came back two months later and soon after moved up to New Britain where he hit .340 in 15 games. Overall, he hit .313/.389/.387 (.776) with 14 extra base hits in 65 games. He stole ten bases. He played almost exclusively at second base, though he did play three games at shortstop as well. He would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he is not added to the 40 man roster in November. Stephen Wickens played 30 games at second base and three games at shortstop for the Rock Cats. He mostly played third base. In 72 overall games, he hit .242/.296/.301 (.598) with ten extra base hits. After playing shortstop through his earlier years, the Twins moved Niko Goodrum to third base. However, he did still play 26 games at shortstop. The 22-year-old hit .249/.337/.336 (.672) with 19 doubles, five triples and three home runs. He also stole 35 bases in 39 attempts. He is a good defensive shortstop with good range and a strong arm. After Levi Michael moved up to AA, Tyler Grimes got the playing time at second base, including in the Miracle playoff run. He played 34 games at second base, caught 19 games, played centerfield 12 games, third base five times, right field five times and left field four times. In 79 games, he hit .232/.313/.335 (.648) with 14 doubles and three home runs. Aderlin Mejia began the season as the starting shortstop in New Britain, but by the end of April, he was back in Ft. Myers. Overall, he played 45 games at second base and 39 games at shortstop. He also played 19 games at third base. In 110 games, he hit .273/.360/.318 (.678) with 15 doubles. He also stole 25 bases. Engelb Vielma spent the first half of the 2014 season as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League. He held his own. Defensively, he is remarkable, with soft hands, good range and a very strong arm. Though he is still wire-thin, he was able to hit .266/.313/.323 (.636) with 13 doubles, four triples and a home run. If he can gain more strength, he could be one to watch. Ryan Walker began the season on the disabled list. When he returned, he played 39 games at second base and 31 games at shortstop. Like Vielma, he is rail thin but quick and plays very good defense. In 76 games, he hit .239/.296/.299 (.595) with eight doubles and four triples. Tanner Vavra was the Twins 30th round pick in 2013. He spent 2014 with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The 24-year-old played in 81 games and hit .258/.345/.326 (.671) with 14 doubles, a triple and a home run. He played 63 games at second base and was the DH in his other games. Logan Wade began the season with the Kernels but a shoulder injury cost him a couple of months. He really struggled offensively in his rehab stint with the GCL Twins but started hitting a bit again when he returned to Cedar Rapids. In 85 games, the 22-year-old hit .221/.263/.356 (.619) with 14 doubles, four triples and seven home runs. The Australian also played for his country in exhibition games against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks when the teams began their season Down Under. Jonatan Hinojosa played mostly third base in 2014. He did play ten games for the Kernels at second base and one at shortstop. He certainly profiles more as a middle infielder, with great speed and quickness, and a strong arm. In 52 games, he hit .291/.332/.390 (.722) with three doubles, six triples and one home run. Nick Gordon was the Twins top pick in 2014 out of his Orlando high school. At 18, he spent the season with Elizabethton where he hit .294/.333/.366 (.699) in 57 games. He added six doubles, four triples and a home run. He played a solid shortstop in 49 games. He has all the tools and should make the jump to Cedar Rapids to start 2014. 12th round pick and Minnesota native Pat Kelly played 39 games at second base for Elizabethton after three years at the University of Nebraska. He hit .242/.290/.313 (.602) with seven doubles and a triple in just 138 plate appearances. Will Hurt was the team’s 16th round pick in 2012 out of high school. After two seasons in the GCL, he moved up to Elizabethton where he played 25 game at second base. He hit .235/.303/.235 (.538). He has great speed and a very good glove. He’s got the arm to play shortstop as well. Blake Schmidt is another Minnesota native. He was the Twins 26th round pick in 2014 out of the University of Maryland. The 22-year-old played in just 22 games (19 at SS, 3 at 3B) and hit .162/.250/.176 (.426) with a double. Joel Ramirez played the most games at shortstop for the GCL Twins in 2014. The 20-year-old played 25 games at the position as well as eight games at second base. He hit .176/.268/.194 (.463) with two doubles. He has good speed and stole ten bases. Manuel Guzman played 23 games at shortstop and another 21 games at second base. The 19-year-old is very fast and has great range. In 47 games in the GCL, he hit .283/.385/.345 (.729) with five doubles and two triples. Nelson Molina was the Twins 11th round pick out of Puerto Rico in 2013. The 19-year-old returned to the GCL and played all over the diamond. He played 18 games at third base and 14 games at shortstop. He played all of the other positions with the exception of catcher and centerfield. In 45 games, he hit .243/.305/.287 (.591) with three triples. Rafael Valera is another guy who played all over the diamond. He played 22 games at second base and 16 games at third base. He also played 14 combined games between all three outfield positions. The 19-year-old was also the guy who moved up to the Ft. Myers Miracle when they had a need. In 50 total games, he hit .245/.360/.333 (.693) with nine doubles and two triples. Down in the Dominican Summer League, 17-year-old Emmanuel Morel played 52 of his 55 games at shortstop. He hit .240/.332/.304 (.636) with two doubles, three triples and a homer. Jorge Andrade played 33 games at second base for the DSL Twins. In 51 total games, the 19-year-old hit .287/.388/.408 (.796) with five doubles and eight triples. He also stole 22 bases. Luis Arraez played 31 games as a 17 year old in the DSL. 25 of those games were at second base, with three games at shortstop. He hit .348/.433/.400 (.833) with six doubles. Gabriel Ynfante played 39 games for the DSL Twins. The 19-year-old played 15 games at second base, ten games at third base and five games at shortstop. He hit .226/.419/.304 (.724) with seven doubles and one triple. SUMMARY The Twins should feel very good about their big league middle infield. Brian Dozier will be second baseman, and either Eduardo Escobar or Danny Santana will be playing at shortstop. Beyond that, there is some talent. Jorge Polanco and Levi Michael took a step forward in 2014. Engelb Vielma certainly put himself on the prospect map. Nick Gordon will be a Top 100 prospect in baseball and, although we’ll need to be patient, he has big potential. Click here to view the article

Don't forget... "and SHOULD not"

Some nice performances. Hopefully Buxton has shaken off the rust and can end strong. Rosario continues to impress. Kepler had a nice week. Jake Reed continues to pitch great. Jones had a bout with wildness in one outing, but he's on the right path.