Seth Stohs

I really like Aaron Hicks. Spent at least 20 minutes chatting with him in the locker room on the final weekend. Great kid. But, I still like the trade. Hicks had 6 great weeks in 3 seasons in the big leagues. I hope he does take off in New York. But I still like the trade. Sure, the Twins could have gone out and spent on good backup catchers where you know what you're going to get. But instead, he went aggressive and got a 24-year-old who is a backup because Brian McCann is their catcher. He was available because Gary Sanchez is also about ready. If Murphy can be an average major league catcher, and I think that's very reasonable, he can start and the team can have him for 5 years before free agency. Worst case, he's a solid major league backup. Best case, he's a slightly better than average starting catcher, which has a ton of value. There are several good backup catchers on that list above, but none are terrific by any means.

I agree with Thrylos (Yikes!)... I think it was a numbers game. There's no way they would have added Cole Johnson ahead of Zack Jones, so I can't agree with a couple of those names, but I do agree that it was numbers.

It was cool to see him get called up last year by the Pirates... good for him. Still just 26.

I was on my phone, so I didn't give it a whole lot of thought. I could add Tonkin, Pressly, Graham... I'd add that - again, as much as I like Zack - he was demoted from Chattanooga to Ft. Myers in the 2nd half, and unlike Burdi, Reed and Johnson (DJ), he didn't come back for the playoffs. We can't just ignore the walk rate. At the end of the day, they had to make some 40 man roster choices... unfortunately Zack (And several others) were left off. Zack got taken.

Now, whether a person agrees with the decision to protect Dean or Jones is one thing, but I don't think it's at all fair to say that they don't have a plan. That makes it sound like they just picked names out of a hate to decide who to protect. From my understanding of the organizational meetings following the season, there is often heated debate on every player from the big leagues to the GCL (maybe even the DSL). They didn't take adding Dean or leaving Jones off lightly. Maybe there are factors that we haven't considered. Let's also remember that with his control issues (and other things), it's very possible that either Jones comes back to the organization in spring, or they acquire some other prospect to let the Brewers keep him.

With all due respect, I think this is 100% inaccurate... if anything, TR may move too quickly most offseasons. The year he came back, he signed Josh Willingham and Jamey Carroll before the Winter Meetings (I think there was a third guy too). Three years ago, he traded Denard Span before the Winter Meetings and Ben Revere in the Winter Meetings. Two years ago, Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes were both signed before the winter meetings. Last year, he signed Ervin Santana at the Winter Meetings. Of course, in recent years, the Twins have had more needs. This year, they've been pretty vocal. They want one thing, LH RP. They don't have it yet. We'll see if he gets it or if not, if he'll go after a Storen or someone really good like that.

I never said it was time to give up on Jones.

I like Zach. He's a good guy and a pitcher with some upside. But consider this, how many hard throwing right-handed relievers are ahead of him in the pecking order right now. make a list. Jepsen, May, Meyer, Chargois, Burdi, Reed, ... And Landa throws harder with better control.

I agree... and if he can get down to 250-255 by spring training, that might be good. I saw a picture of Sano from yesterday... He looks like he's got about 10% body fat. So, even if he's at about 265 still, oh well.

Yes. NOT trading him. Proofreading is important!

Tony Sipp will re-sign with the Astros. Believed to be 3 years, $18 million.

Milwaukee selected the hard-throwing right-hander in the 2nd round of the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft this morning. It was no surprise to anyone, including the Twins. Jones was a Southern League All Star in the first half of 2015, but he really struggled in the 2nd half and ended the year in Ft. Myers. The Brewers had just 35 on their 40 man roster, so they made two picks. He could stick with them as the Brewers have needs. Minor League portion starting now.

Zack Jones selected by the Brewers in the 2nd round of the Rule 5 draft.

It seems like a minor trade, and it probably is in the big picture, but when the White Sox acquired 3B Brett Lawrie from the Oakland A’s on Wednesday, it spoke volumes to me. How does that trade alter my opinion on the Twins trading Trevor Plouffe? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out. Image courtesy of Brace Hemmelgarn, USA Today (2013) It seems like a minor trade, and it probably is in the big picture, but when the White Sox acquired 3B Brett Lawrie from the Oakland A’s on Wednesday, it spoke volumes to me. How does that trade alter my opinion on the Twins trading Trevor Plouffe? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out. It was another trade that went through at baseball’s Winter Meetings. Some transactions are big. Others, not so much. But when I saw that the Oakland A’s had traded third baseman Brett Lawrie to the White Sox in exchange for RHP JB Wendelken and LH Zach Erwin, I thought it was a bit noteworthy. I did a little research, checking out the two prospects that the A’s will receive from Chicago, and it speaks volumes to why Terry Ryan has been so adamant on not trading Trevor Plouffe. JB Wendelken is a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox, but he went to the White Sox during the 2013 season. He was given an opportunity to start at High-A in 2014, but he went 7-10 with a 5.26 ERA in 27 starts. So, this year, he was moved to the bullpen and did well in AA but struggled in AAA. That’s solid for a 22-year-old. He’s a solid relief pitcher prospect, but he’s certainly not considered a top prospect. Zach Erwin was the White Sox fourth-round pick in 2015 out of Clemson. He’s got some projectability and had a nice pro debut. Between rookie league ball and Low A, he went 2-2 with a 1.34 ERA in 40.1 innings. He walked seven and struck out 30. He is also not a top prospect. Both of these guys are OK prospects, but they’re not going to pitch in the big leagues any time soon, and their upsides are considered marginal. So, what does this have to do with the Twins? Well, we entered the offseason thinking – maybe even assuming – that Terry Ryan would trade Trevor Plouffe. In the last two weeks, he has been adamant about the Twins having no plans to trade Plouffe. He said it at Byung Ho Park’s press conference, and he has reiterated it to the media gathered in Nashville this week. Maybe it was just me, but even with him saying that so strongly, I was about 50-50 on whether or not the Twins would trade their talented third baseman. After seeing what the A’s got for Lawrie, it’s pretty clear that Ryan likely didn’t get much more offered in his discussions. Do I think Trevor Plouffe is better than Brett Lawrie? Yes. No question. However, Lawrie is three-and-a-half years younger. He’s still just 25 for another month. That likely matters in trade discussion. Of course, I don’t have any information on what discussions went like when Terry Ryan took those phone calls from other GMs asking about Plouffe. We don’t know what range of player/prospect was being offered. However, I think we can make some legitimate assumptions based on what Billy Beane got from the White Sox for Brett Lawrie. As we have said all along, the Twins do not have to trade Plouffe. Miguel Sano can play in the outfield. It’ll take some learning and adjustments, but he can do it, at least for the short term. Plouffe will only make between $7.5 and $8 million in 2016 which is not an issue for the Twins’ budget. He’s got another year of arbitration-eligibility next offseason. Who knows? Maybe I’ll post this article and an hour later the Twins will have traded Plouffe. But, although I get the desire for Sano to play third base, his natural position, if the Twins only acquire a package similar to the Lawrie package, I would be very disappointed. View full article

Things have been quiet on the Twins front in terms of transactions so far this week at the Winter Meetings. That isn't surprising as they don't have as many needs as they typically do. In fact, if you look at my Winter Meetings Preview from last Friday, I said that if they didn't make a move in the Winter Meetings, it wasn't a big deal. The meetings are for meetings. That said, as we get to the last day of the Winter Meetings, it isn't unusual for the Twins to make some moves on this day. Just last year, after the Rule 5 draft, the Twins announced the signing of Ervin Santana. It was just after the Rule 5 draft that the Twins announced trading Ben Revere a few years ago. So, as executives are packing up, they may take advantage of their final moments together to finalize some things. Feel free to use this thread to discuss any rumors or deals from around MLB today. (Use the Rule 5 Draft threads to discuss that event)

Zack Jones is one of 6 players mentioned in the MLB Pipeline Rule 5 Preview here: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/158824232/rule-5-draft-preview-from-jim-callis

That's only in an expansion draft.

I wouldn't say that the Twins don't think Jones could get pick. I'm sure they're well aware that he could get picked. But they had to make choices, some tough choices.

Between Beresford and Britton, I think the Twins now have their minor league rosters pretty well filled... They could add in the minor league rule 5 tomorrow, or depth is good.

From my Winter Meetings preview last week: They don't have a ton of needs. There are still lefty relievers available. There are still outfielders available. The Winter Meetings are fun and some big things happen... but coming out of it without any moves isn't earth-shattering. Still two months before spring training.

On Thursday morning in Nashville, baseball’s Winter Meetings will formally conclude with the Rule 5 draft. Teams with fewer than 40 players on their 40-man roster are able to make selections. The Twins have 40 on their roster (at this time) so they will not be able to make a selection in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft without a move. However, it is possible that they could lose a player or two to another team in the draft. Image courtesy of Kelly McGlohon (Photo of Levi Michael) On Thursday morning in Nashville, baseball’s Winter Meetings will formally conclude with the Rule 5 draft. Teams with fewer than 40 players on their 40-man roster are able to make selections. The Twins have 40 on their roster (at this time) so they will not be able to make a selection in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft without a move. However, it is possible that they could lose a player or two to another team in the draft. The Twins have the 17th pick in the Rule 5 draft based on their finish in the standings during the 2015 season. It’s really impossible to know which players will have already been taken, and Terry Ryan has said that most likely they would not take anyone. The Twins have been pretty clear that they are looking for left-handed relievers and a fourth outfielder in free agency and in trades, so if they do clear room and make a pick, those would be the two areas that they could consider. The Twins have been pretty active in the Rule 5 Draft in recent years, selecting pitchers like JR Graham, Ryan Pressly, Scott Diamond and Terry Doyle. Who typically gets selected in the Rule 5 draft? Here is a rundown of the past five MLB Rule 5 drafts? 2014 – 14 selections – 5 RHP, 4 LHP, 3 Infielders, 1 outfielder, 1 catcher 2013 – 9 selections – 4 RHP, 3 LHP, 1 infielder, 0 outfielders, 1 catcher 2012 – 15 selections – 5 RHP, 3 LHP, 5 infielders, 2 outfielders, 0 catchers 2011 – 12 selections – 5 RHP, 3 LHP, 3 infielders, 1 outfielder, 0 catchers 2010 – 19 selections – 12 RHP, 4 LHP, 3 infielders, 0 outfielders, 0 catchers 5 year – 69 selections – 31 RHP, 17 LHP, 15 infielders, 4 outfielders, 2 catchers. Of course, five years is far too small of a sample size to make any strong opinions. Pitchers accounted for 70% of Rule 5 selections over the last five years. That’s no surprise. Of the selections, nearly half of them were returned to their previous team, and another large group stayed with the drafting team after a trade. Briefly, following the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft, the AAA and AA portions of the draft will take place. The public is not able to see who is on the Rochester or Chattanooga rosters, so it’s impossible to know who might be lost or made available. There’s no way to know who the Twins could add. I’m kind of pathetic, so I’ve already made a 2016 roster projection for all of the Twins affiliates. Frankly, after the Twins re-signed James Beresford and signed infielder Buck Britton, there aren’t any obvious needs in the minor leagues. Maybe a starting pitcher who could pitch in AA or AAA. Maybe another AAA outfield type, similar to Joe Benson. So, let’s take a look again at who the Twins could possibly lose in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft. We’ll look at the above categories. Catchers Eligible: Juan Centeno, Carlos Paulino, Michael Quesada, Jairo Rodriguez It’s quite unlikely that any of these guys will be selected. Outfielders Eligible: Travis Harrison, Edgar Corcino, Joe Benson Look again at the list above. Few outfielders are left unprotected. Harrison is still just 23-years-old. He was a supplemental first-round pick in 2013. Corcino is a great athlete who spent last season in Cedar Rapids, but again, these players are unlikely to be selected. Infielders Eligible: James Beresford, Levi Michael, Buck Britton, Niko Goodrum, Bryan Haar, Dalton Hicks, Aderlin Mejia, Reynaldo Rodriguez, Logan Wade, Stephen Wickens The name to be most concerned about losing is likely Levi Michael. The former first-round pick has endured more than his fair share of injuries. However, when he has been healthy the last two years, he has been productive offensively. He’s played mostly second base, with some shortstop, so could a team stash him in the big leagues as a utility infielder? It’s possible. Niko Goodrum is young and very athletic and there are a lot of people who still believe he will grow more into his frame. His value is that he can play shortstop, and the last couple of seasons, he has played a lot of third base and center field as well as some second base. A team could take a flyer on him developing late. That team would need to be willing to keep him all year. The assumption is, and should be, that James Beresford and Buck Britton will not be taken. However, the Twins have a history of signing a guy to a minor league contract and a week later losing him to the Rule 5 draft. That was R.A. Dickey in an an unusual situation. A team looking for a utility infielder could take one of these guys too. Left-Handed Pitchers Eligible: Corey Williams, David Hurlbut, Brett Lee, Jason Wheeler, Aaron Thompson All four of these guys ended last season with a championship in Chattanooga. Wheeler was the MVP of the championship series. Hurlbut, Lee and Wheeler all were part of a terrific starting rotation. Wheeler was added to the 40-man roster last year but struggled in AAA. Williams is fully healthy and he may be a guy teams are interested in as a long-term lefty bullpen guy. Right-Handed Pitchers Zack Jones, Felix Jorge, Alex Wimmers, Luke Bard, DJ Baxendale, Alex Muren, Dereck Rodriguez, Loek Van Mil, Jose Abreu, Jason Adam, Nick Anderson, Omar Bencomo, Sam Gibbons, Miguel Gonzalez, Cole Johnson, Kuo-Hua Lo, Greg Peavey, Tim Shibuya, Matt Summers, Todd Van Steensel Everyone is talking about Zack Jones, and I would say there is a decent chance that he is selected. If anyone will does get selected, it will be the hard-throwing right-hander. Alex Wimmers and Luke Bard are former first-round picks who are available. Wimmers is already 27 and was average in the Lookouts bullpen. Bard finally was healthy in the second half of 2015 and pitched well in Cedar Rapids. He is a guy who could move fast next year. Felix Jorge is one to watch as well. He has good stuff. He’s young. He was remarkably consistent last year with Cedar Rapids. Could a team stash him in the back of a bullpen, and how would a year in the bullpen affect him long-term? Sam Gibbons was good in the second half for Cedar Rapids as well, but the Australian is probably behind Jorge in the pecking order. Could a team take a flyer on the potential of Dereck Rodriguez who has only two years on the mound under his belt? Loek Van Mil signed back with the Twins late last year. Suddenly, the 7-1, 31-year-old was throwing in the upper-90s. Could be a guy that could contribute right away. Alex Muren isn’t a name that comes up a lot when people talk about bullpen options in the Twins system. However, he is a groundball machine, and last year, he was hitting 95-97 mph with a fastball. DJ Baxendale is a guy someone could take a flyer on as a future bullpen guy. He’s got a nice slider, and the two-pitch mix could make him an effective reliever. Cole Johnson has a unique delivery. The former low-round pick had some success at the AAA level. SUMMARY A team like the Milwaukee Brewers, who have just 35 players on their 40 man roster right now, could take a couple of players. As a team that isn’t likely to win in 2016, they would be OK with using up a couple of roster spots on Rule 5 picks. Other teams that may not plan to truly compete in 2016 could stash players. So, depending upon the team and the situation, the Twins do have a handful of guys that could be taken. Below is how I would rank the top five players who could be taken tomorrow morning: 1.) Zack Jones – I’d put it at about 50-50 2.) Levi Michael – maybe 30% 3.) Corey Williams – maybe 25% 4.) Felix Jorge – maybe 25% 5.) Luke Bard – maybe 20% Of course, these are just guesses. There is really no rhyme or reason to the Rule 5 draft. It will be entertaining to listen to, and I’m sure there will be plenty of discussion with the results. View full article

Per the below tweet from LaVelle E Neal, the Twins say they are not trading Ricky Nolasco. That's fair, but I think Nick's response to that tweet may be more accurate:

Adam Lind heading from Milwaukee to Seattle.