Seth Stohs

The following story was originally published in January, in my Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012. The day after the 2011 season ended, I named the SethSpeaks.net Twins Minor League Player of the Year (Brian Dozier), the Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year (Liam Hendriks) and the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year (Andrew Albers). For my book, I was fortunate to get in contact with all three of those players and interviewed each of them for a story. Over the weekend, it became official that Liam Hendriks had made the Twins Opening Day starter. He will make his 2012 debut on Sunday against the Orioles. I thought it would be fun, and timely, to post the Liam Hendriks article here. (If you want to read the Dozier and/or Albers article, and read over 160 player profiles of Twins minor leaguers and much more, you can order a paperback book here, or you can get an electronic version here.) Here is the story on Hendriks: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: LiamHendriks.jpg For the second straight year, Liam Hendriks was the choice for the SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Year award. And for his efforts, he received a September call-up to the Twins. “Without a doubt, it was fantastic. I mean, that’s the reason that I came over to America. I’m living the dream at the moment.” The Twins went to Australia and signed Hendriks in February of 2007. After signing, he came to the States and pitched for the GCL Twins. He made ten starts and went 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA. In 44 innings, he walked 11 and struck out 52. However, he had to miss the entire 2008 season due to injury. It wasn’t his first injury. “I’ve had injuries even before I signed. I mean, I signed just after having my second knee surgery. I had my first knee surgery in 2006. It was a week before I was to go to Mexico with the Under-17 Australian team, so that was probably the hardest for me. The next one (happened) during a tournament in Australia, the biggest tournament in Australia for my age group, the under-18 national tournament. It was the semi-finals. I came in to close, and I was meant to start, in the playoff game and hurt my knee on the mound.” In 2008, the injury was a little different. “I had a pinched nerve in my spine, and it was my ulnar nerve. It ran all the way through my shoulder, down past my elbow and to my fingers. I was pitching with it, but every now and then, I would tilt my neck and would feel a shooting, like pins and needles. I didn’t think anything of it. One day, I was pitching and it just started to burn. That’s when I finally said something. I had surgery the last day of the season, in early September. I had surgery and six weeks later, I was back and playing for the Perth Heat.” Hendriks was frustrated by missing the full season, but he made the best of it and put it in proper, optimistic perspective. “It was definitely tough not being able to play that year, but if I had played, I wouldn’t have been able to win a championship with the Perth Heat. I wouldn’t have been able to go to the World Baseball Classic or play for the Australian team in the World Cup in Italy. Without being injured, I wouldn’t have been able to do those things.” Few Twins fans knew his name when he was selected to the Australian team for the World Baseball Classic. He began the 2009 season in Extended Spring Training before making three starts for the Elizabethton Twins. In 17 innings, he walked just one and struck out 13. He went 2-0 and opponents hit just .271. He was promoted to Beloit where he made 11 starts. He went 3-5 with a 3.51 ERA. In 66.2 innings, he walked 15 and struck out 62. He successfully made his return from surgery. Hendriks returned to Beloit to start the 2010 season. There, he made six starts and was 2-1 with a 1.32 ERA. In 34 innings, he gave up just 16 hits, walked four and struck out 39. Opponents hit just .138 against him. He advanced to Ft. Myers and made 13 appearances (12 starts). He went 6-3 with a 1.93 ERA. In 74.2 innings, he gave up 63 hits, walked eight and struck out 66. Opponents hit just .225 off of him. It was his first full season, and he pitched 108.2 innings with a 1.74 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. Included in his season highlights was his selection to represent Australia and the Twins for the World Team at the Futures Game in Anaheim. Unfortunately, he needed an emergency appendectomy and was forced to miss a month. When 2011 began, the assumption was that Hendriks would go back to Ft. Myers for another ten starts before moving up to New Britain. Instead, he began the 2011 season in the Rock Cats rotation. He certainly proved himself ready and capable by going 8-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 16 games (15 starts). In 90 innings with the team, he gave up 85 hits, walked 18 and struck out 81. He was selected to pitch in the Eastern League All Star game. He was also selected to participate in the 2011 Futures Game for the second straight year, and this time he was able to play in the game. Following the All-Star games, he was promoted to Triple-A Rochester where he experienced ups and downs on the mound for the first time in his career. In his first three games, he gave up eight runs in 19.2 innings. He then had back-to-back clunkers. He gave up eight runs (7 earned) on eight hits in just two innings against Norfolk. That was followed by a game in which he gave up six earned runs on six hits in just five innings. However, he rebounded well. In his final four starts, he gave up just four runs in 22.2 innings. In those four game he gave up no walks and struck out 17. That was really the story of his time with the Red Wings. In 49.1 innings, he walked just three batters and struck out 30. Think about that. In 139.1 innings total in 2011, Hendriks struck out 111 and walked just 21 batters. And then he thought his 2011 season was over. There were times in which he was hoping and almost expecting a call up. “I had a little bit of a feeling that I might be (promoted), but then Kyle Waldrop had been called up about 30 to 45 minutes before me. In my mind, I thought, ‘OK, obviously they’re taking him, and that’s it. I’m done for the year. I actually sent my girlfriend back to Ft. Myers. I was putting my bags on the bus for an eight hour trip to Pawtucket. As I got back, one of the clubbies came up and said Chief (Rochester manager Tom Nieto) wants to talk to you. He came in and said, ‘You’re not going on the bus to Pawtucket. You’re going up to Minnesota and you leave tomorrow!’” “It was definitely very exciting! The first thing I did was call my girlfriend. She was happy, but she was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to get on another flight?!’” She didn’t mind. At all! Hendriks came to the big leagues on Labor Day. The Twins had a double header against the Chicago White Sox. “I was lucky. I was able to pick the brain of some of the older guys and see what the White Sox lineup had to offer.” What were his recollections of his first start and some of his big league firsts? “I tried not to get overwhelmed. It was definitely cool walking out on the field, walking out to the bullpen. I liked the fact that I threw to Rene Rivera, who I’d thrown to before, so that definitely made it a lot easier.” “As I was warming up, they announced that I was making my debut and would be going up against Jake Peavy. As they said that, he (Peavy) leaned over the fence and said, ‘Good Luck! Don’t get nervous, and go out there and give ‘em hell!’ It was really cool of him to do that, and it gave me a lot of confidence.” Juan Pierre was the White Sox leadoff hitter that game. “I remember the first two pitches because the balls are a little bit different from the big leagues to the minor leagues. Usually I’ve got a good grip on the ball, but I think I was nervous. Well, obviously I was nervous! The first two pitches were up and away. The third pitch was also up and away but at least it was in the strike zone and he put it in play. We had him played pretty well and Rene Tosoni took the catch in left field.” “And then the strikeout, all I remember was getting ahead of a guy. I can’t remember if I shook off or not, but I knew that the curveball was the pitch I wanted to throw. I was able to get it low and in, and luckily, he swung and Rene (Rivera) did a great job of catching the ball on the bounce.” Hendriks is very proud of his Australian roots and how baseball has taken a bit step forward in the past decade. He knows that he is the 31st Australian to play in the big leagues. He understands the intricacies of the game. He has the pitches to be very successful in the big leagues. He has great control of a fastball that is thrown between 88 and 93 mph with some movement. He also has a slider, a curveball and a changeup. “I was lucky because when I was younger, I didn’t throw very hard, so I had to throw strikes. I was able to keep it up and as I started throwing harder it stuck with me which is always good. I can locate most (of my pitches) pretty well. I think my changeup is my best pitch, but at times, it is the slider, and every now and then, it’s even the curve ball. I’ve got the pitches so if one isn’t working, I can hopefully fall back on another one.” “Philosophy-wise, just get ahead. You look at the averages up 0-2, rather than down 2-0. As soon as you get ahead, it makes the hitters sweat a little bit. Most of the time, guys aren’t going to hit you hard.” Teammates and analysts talk about his competitive fire and his very high baseball intelligence. He understands how to pitch. He also understands the value of being able to field his position. “I take a lot of pride in my defense. I remember when I went to the Australian baseball academy, reaction balls were hit straight at us from about 35 feet away. That definitely helped me a lot. I was almost signed by the Angels as a 3B/LF. I’ve always been able to field a little bit, but I couldn’t hit, so 3B/LF was out for me. I always pride myself on my defense, and I get quite angry at myself if there’s a ball that I think that I can get that I don’t. Defense is a big thing for me because, even when I was in the big leagues, I was able to save two or three base hits, so that could have changed a lot of games for the worse.” It has been a meteoric rise through the Twins farm system the past two years. In the 2010 and 2011 seasons, he pitched in Beloit (Low A), Ft. Myers (High-A), New Britain (AA), Rochester (AAA) and with the Twins (MLB). “Every now and then, I’ll think back and think that this takes guys six to eight years to do at times. And I’ve gone from Low A in my first full season in pro ball to the major leagues in two years. I look at it that way and think, ‘Oh Wow! That doesn’t happen often, especially to guys who were signed or drafted out of high school like myself.” “As I was saying to Luke Hughes, the stars had to align for me to get the call up this year. Luckily enough they did, and hopefully I’ve opened up some eyes up there. I’m hoping to head to spring training and open some more.” “There’s a high chance I’ll go back to Triple-A, and there’s a small chance I’ll start with Minnesota. At the same point, I’m just going to work as hard as I can in the offseason to try to get into the best physical shape that I can. For the first time, Hendriks stayed in the States following the season. He worked out throughout the offseason at the Twins facilities in Ft. Myers with Twins strength trainer, Perry Castellano. There is no question that Liam Hendriks has big league stuff. He also has all of those intangibles that often allow pitchers to be really good. Had the Twins not been so injury-plagued in 2011, we probably would not have seen Hendriks yet. He now has a sense for what it is to be a big leaguer. He most likely will head to Rochester with a better understanding of what it takes to be successful, and when he gets another opportunity (and he will), he will be prepared. --- Any thoughts? Download attachment: MN Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 Cover.jpg Click here to view the article

The Twins lost on Saturday to David Price and the Rays by a score of 5-1. The positive for the Twins was that they were able to turn five double plays in the game. In other words, it could have been worse. They will try today to avoid the sweep. Trevor May returned to the mound for the Red Wings after missing almost a month. JO Berrios made his second start for New Britain and was tremendous. A couple streaks came to their ends. Continue reading to see what happened in the Twins minor leagues on Saturday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Norfolk 4 Box Score Trevor May returned to the mound for the first time in almost a month. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits and a walk in three innings. Mark Hamburger came on and threw two shutout innings, walking one. Edgar Ibarra pitched a scoreless sixth inning. However, in the 7th frame, he gave up a single and a walk before being replaced by AJ Achter. Achter issued a walk to load the bases. He got a pop up for the first out, but then he walked another batter to force in a run. The next batter hit a two-run single to make the score 4-0. Achter got the next two outs. In that inning, Chris Herrmann had to leave the game after being hit by a foul tip on his right hand. Deolis Guerra struck out two in a perfect eighth inning. James Beresford went 2-4 with his 17th double. He drove in both the team's runs. He now has a seven-game hitting streak and he has two hits in each of his last four games. Chris Rahl also had two hits. It was the team's seventh straight road loss. They are now 20-29 on the road (and 34-18 at home). 18 of their next 24 games will be on the road. ROCK CATS REVIEW Game 1 - New Britain 0, Reading 1 Box Score JO Berrios made his second AA start for the Rock Cats on Saturday. He had given up five runs in five innings in his debut. His previous appearance was his one-inning start for the World Team in the Futures Game on Sunday. On this day, he was at his finest. He gave up just one run on four hits in six innings (in the sixth inning). He didn't walk any, though he hit one, and he struck out five. However, due to lack of offensive support, he falls to 0-2. The Rock Cats had just three hits. Eddie Rosario went 1-2 with a walk. Game 2 - New Britain 2, Reading 3 Box Score http://twinsdaily.co...263&stc=1Taylor Rogers made his first start since pitching an inning in the Eastern League All-Star game. He went just four innings and gave up one run on five hits. He didn't walk any and struck out one. Dan Turpen came in and was charged with an unearned run. He walked two and struck out three. Cole Johnson falls to 1-6 after giving up one run on three hits and a walk in 0.2 innings. Brandon Waring went 2-2 with his ninth home run. He was also hit by a pitch. Kennys Vargas went 2-3 with his 14th double. Eddie Rosario went 2-4. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Daytona 3 Box Score DJ Baxendale pitched well and improved to 4-1. In seven innings he gave up three runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out seven. Madison Boer walked two and struck out three in 1.2 innings. Steven Gruver came on and struck out the one batter he faced to record his second save of the season. Travis Harrison went 3-5. Mike Gonzales was 2-5 with three RBI. Adam Walker and Aderlin Mejia each doubled for the tenth time this season. Max Kepler went 1-1 with three walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Lake County 3 Box Score With Jeremy Nygaard in attendance, the hitting streaks of Alex Swim (14) and Jason Kanzler (7) came to an end. I'm certain there is no correlation. However, the Kernels won for the fourth straight time and for the ninth time in their last ten games. Lewis Thorpe started and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. He struck out six. Chris Mazza came in and gave up one run on four hits over 2.1 innings. He struck out two. Hudson Boyd gave up a single in 1.1 scoreless innings. Nick Burdi came in for the ninth inning to protect a 4-3 lead. He struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning for his second save. Engelb Vielma went 2-4. Chad Christensen hit his sixth triple. Mitch Garver drove in two runs. Tanner Vavra reached all three times, twice on walks and was also hit by a pitch. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton, Burlington Box Score The game was rained out. The teams will play two games on Sunday. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 1, GCL Red Sox 10 Box Score The Twins were held to just three hits. Amaurys Minier, Ariel Montesino and Jack Barrie each had a single. Levi Michael went 0-2 with a walk while playing shortstop again. Onesimo Hernandez gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits in four innings. He walked two and struck out five. In 1.1 innings, Callan Pearce was charged with four runs on two hits, three walks and a hit batter. He struck out three. Eduardo Del Rosario was charged with two unearned runs on two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. He struck out two. Zach Hayden gave up an unearned run in his inning. He struck out two. Seth Wagner pitched a scoreless, perfect inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – DJ Baxendale, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brandon Waring, New Britain Rock Cats SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (5:05 CST) – Logan Darnell New Britain @ Reading (12:35 CST) – Jason Wheeler Brevard County @ Ft. Myers (3:05 CST) – Tim Shibuya Ft. Wayne @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) - Ryan Eades Burlington @ Elizabethton (DH @ 4:00 CST) – Derrick Penilla, Michael Cederoth GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

You have now read about the June Starting Pitcher of the Month and the June Hitter of the Month. Today, I'll be posting the June Relief Pitcher of the Month. As has been the case with the previous "awards", there are a lot of good candidates this month. Relief pitchers often are taken for granted as they are not really noticed unless they have a bad game. So, it's only fair that we recognize them when they do pitch well. Let's start with the Honorable Mentions. HONORABLE MENTION Aaron Thompson - Rochester - 11 G, 10.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 11 K, 0-0, 0.90 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .171 OBA.Mason Melotakis - Ft. Myers - 8 G, 12.2 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 14 K, 1-0, 1.42 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, .200 OBA.Brandon Peterson - Ft. Myers- 9 G, 12.2 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 20 K, 1-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .234 OBA.Let's get to the Top 5: #5 - Todd Van Steensel - Cedar Rapids - 10 G, 11.2 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 15 K, 0-0, 4 Saves, 1.54 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, .175 OBA. In my mind, the return of Van Steensel is one of the better stories in the organization this year. He was a starter for Elizabethton just a few seasons ago, but he was let go. He's been playing in Australia and other places, but he re-signed with the Twins before spring training this year. He has been a different pitcher. He is now a reliever. He has the funky, high leg-kick, the goggles and he throws harder. He had a terrific month in Cedar Rapids and has now been promoted to Ft. Myers. #4 - Ryan O'Rourke - New Britain - 9 G, 5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 12 K, 0-0, 3.38 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, .111 OBA. I remember seeing O'Rourke starting for Beloit back in 2011. He was animated and intense, but my overriding thought was "This guy could be a LOOGY (left-handed one-out guy) in the big leagues right now!" Well, it hasn't happened in the big leagues yet for him, but it is the role he has for New Britain. Consider this... from May 24 through June 27, he pitched six innings over 11 games. He faced 19 batters. He gave up one hit and struck out 15. His slider is legit and he throws hard enough that he can pitch to lefties in the big leagues now, I'm convinced. #3 - Lester Oliveros - New Britain/Rochester - 9 G, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 13 K, 1-0, 5 Saves, 0.87 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, .135 OBA. Oliveros has been on this list in previous months and finally was promoted to Rochester. The hard-thrower came to the organization from Detroit in the Delmon Young trade. He missed most of 2013 with Tommy John surgery after debuting with the Twins in 2012. He's back, and he's throwing hard. He's missing bats and opponents are not hitting him hard. He's not on the 40 man roster, but if he succeeds in Rochester, he'll get another opportunity. #2 - Edgar Ibarra - Rochester - 8 G, 14.1 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 10 K, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, .157 OBA. The left-hander was tremendous in 2013, splitting the season between New Britain and Rochester. It was an easy decision, I'd think, to add him to the Twins 40 man roster after the season. The left-hander throws hard (touching 95) with a nasty slider. He can fight control issues at times, but he has a chance to contribute to the Twins at some point yet this year. Some very good performances, but this month's Minnesota Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month, like this month's other winners, was a fairly easy choice and one you've read about before. http://twinsdaily.co...ntid=8164&stc=1 #1 - AJ Achter - Rochester - 7 G, 14.0 IP, 4 H, 8 BB, 14 K, 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, .091 OBA. Seriously, I am thinking that this award should just be the AJ Achter award. He was my choice for Twins minor league reliever of the year in 2012. In 2013, he was terrific in New Britain and Rochester. This year, he has been tremendous. He was recognized last week as the Red Wings lone All Star this year. He actually had back-to-back games earlier in the month in which he walked most of his hitters. Generally, he has great control, works fast, has four pitches and yet isn't hit very hard. He doesn't sit at 95. He sits 90-92 and can touch 94, but he has other pitches that have worked. He is not on the 40 man roster, but like others above, he has earned an opportunity. Hard to believe that we are more than three months into the minor league season. There are two months to go. We will continue to dive into the minor leagues here at Twins Daily. Please feel free to share your thoughts on anything. Click here to view the article

A fan/writer in the stands at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids was watching a group of six or seven Kernels players working in the batting cage on bunting for hits. It was five hours before game time. Manager Jake Mauer was observing. Twins minor league hitting coordinator Bill Springman was feeding the pitching machine. Hitting coach Tommy Watkins was joyfully encouraging the players, but the 34-year-old former Twins infielder put his money where his mouth was. He took a regular spot in the group and managed to bunt the ball three feet in from the third base foul line every time. Only twice did he bunt the ball elsewhere, and those were the two times he pushed a bunt to within two feet of the first base line. Download attachment: Watkins2014e.jpg all Tommy Watkins photos by Steve Buhr All the while, Watkins exuding passion for the game, encouraging the players to work but be sure to have fun as they’re doing it. As his friend and Kernels manager Jake Mauer said, “I wish these guys would have had a chance to see him play, the energy and how he went about his business, and just his overall attitude to the game. It’s the reason he got there, without a doubt.” Watkins’ career path has been rather non-traditional. That he became a big leaguers, even if just for two weeks, is remarkable. He grew up in Ft. Myers where baseball can be played all year long. However, it wasn't his lone priority growing up. Watkins said, "There is a lot of baseball in Florida, but I played football in high school, so I never got a chance to play year round like a lot of people do. I played football and I had a job. I worked in the summer. So I never played in the fall or the summer. I just played during the (high school) baseball season. I actually got a chance my senior year to play in a couple of tournament games, maybe a weekend or two. Now they go every weekend and play all the time. Definitely I think the people in Florida take advantage of being able to play baseball year round." On the gridiron, Watkins said he played wide receiver and linebacker, "two positions that don't go together." The Twins used their 38th round pick in June of 1998 on the infielder. He recalled, "I didn't hear much about it. I really didn't have any offers to go to college. I ended up getting a call the day of the draft in school. I had in my mind that I wanted to sign. I thought that's what I wanted to do." He signed just a couple of days later. "I didn't know much about minor league baseball when I signed. I thought I was going to Minnesota. Little did I know... " Little did he know the journey he was about to embark on. It began with two seasons in the Gulf Coast League. In 2000, he moved up to Elizabethton, Tennessee. In 2001, he was a 21 year old playing for Quad Cities in the Midwest League. He spent two full seasons with the Ft. Myers Miracle. He spent 2004 and 2005 with the New Britain Rock Cats. He began 2006 back in New Britain before getting a callup to Rochester in mid-June. He became a very popular personality wherever he played. Download attachment: Watkins2014c.jpg Morrie Silver, who is in the Red Wings front office was happy to talk about Tommy Watkins, "Tommy was known as The Mayor in Rochester. His efforts in the community were truly unbelievable. Besides his countless Little League visits, I remember Tommy coming into our front offices here in Rochester and getting on the phone to sell tickets after bringing our staff Dunkin' Donuts. Tommy cared for everyone in Rochester. It didn't matter who you were. He treated everyone like he was the most important person there. Tommy comes to Thanksgiving at my house and he just brings a different vibe to Rochester. It's truly amazing. When he had his shoulder surgery, he stayed at our house and still did everything he could in the community. Tommy Watkins is a one of a kind. He's the kind of person that doesn't come around." Similar stories about Watkins are told everywhere he has played or coached. He spent 2007 with the Red Wings. In early August, he made a phone call to his dad. He recalled, "I wasn't struggling, but I wasn't feeling right at the plate. 'I'm never going to get a chance.' He said 'Just keep playing and having fun.'" The Red Wings were in Syracuse, and GM Terry Ryan happened to be in town. Watkins and most of his teammates were at the batting cage taking some cuts before the game. The team's trainer came to the cage with a message for the players. They had a team meeting right away. As Watkins tells it, "We used to try to have one once a month. We had a meeting a couple of days before." They picked up the baseballs and headed to the clubhouse where the manager spoke. As Watkins continued, "Stan (Cliburn), our manager, was talking to everybody about baseball and how time flies. He remembered Barry Bonds in winter ball or something and he had just hit his 650th home run the night before. Terry Ryan's in town, and he's got something he'd like to say to you guys." Watkins continued to recount the story, "So Terry started talking to us about the Twins organization and how they like to promote from within. He said that Brian Buscher was going going on the DL, and one of you guys is going to the big leagues. It felt like an hour before he said it. So when he said it, my heart just kind of sank. He said, 'Tommy Watkins, you're going to the big leagues.' Everybody in the clubhouse started screaming and yelling and clapping. They all came over and I was just bawling, crying." Players started yelling, "Speech!" Watkins acknowledged, "I can't! I couldn't say anything." Terry Ryan came over to Watkins to congratulate him but also to tell him he wasn't getting called up just to be a big story. "Terry came over and said 'Congratulations, and it'll probably be a big story, you've been in the minor leagues forever. You're going up there to help the team, not to be a story. Don't worry about BP. Get out of here. Go call your dad, your mom and tell them.' So, I called my dad and my mom. I called them both." This conversation with his father was a little different than the one several days earlier. His father said, "WHAT? You're doing what?" Ten years in the minor leagues. All those stops. Dream fulfilled. In fact, he contributed to the team. After pinch-hitting in his debut, and going 0-3 two days later against the Angels, he made a start on August 15th in Seattle. He went 2-4. His first hit came off of Jarrod Washburn. "It was the first pitch. It was up. It was my second at-bat. Fastball up, and I hit it to centerfield." He went on to start the next six games at third base and had at least one hit in each of them. Unfortunately, an injury put him on the disabled list and ended his season. In his nine games, he went 10-28 and hit .357/.438/.357 (.795). He didn't get back to the big leagues again, but he knew what he wanted to do after his playing career. "I played two more years after that year in AAA. The playing time went down a lot. I always knew when I got done playing that I wanted to coach. So, I think it was an easy transition for me to go from player to coach. I knew if I ever got the chance to coach third base, I would. I ended up going down to Florida in August and helped Jake out with the GCL. At night, I would go over to the Florida State League games. So I was doing both of those things for a month. I really got to see another part of the baseball. I still enjoyed it. It was still fun to go to the park." So his learning continued. "I did the Instructional League that year. I left Florida and went to Arizona for scout school (where I) learned how to scout and write reports. I went back and finished Instructional League and then they offered me the job, hitting coach in Beloit." Tommy Watkins is now in his fifth season as the Twins Low-A Midwest League hitting coach. The first three years were in Beloit, and the last two have been in Cedar Rapids. Download attachment: Watkins2014b.jpg The last two years, he has coached with Jake Mauer. Mauer said, "Tommy keeps it simple. He doesn't try to overload guys with complex terms and really complicate things. He really keeps things simple. He works more on approach. A lot of these guys have ability, no doubt. It's how you approach it, and how you're going to be able to use that ability that is going to make the difference." There are many difficulties in being a minor league hitting coach. The job has many roles, starting with hitting. Here are some of his thoughts on his role. Batting Stance: "Everybody is different. We try to stick to some basic things like getting your foot down on time, reading a pitch and reacting to it. Try to keep it simple. I think the main thing is making sure they're on time. Everybody has a different batting stance. Everybody's hands are different, but when the hands are ready to fire, they should be in a similar position. Just making sure they get to that position, being on time and they recognize the pitch." Approach: "I like to talk a lot about approach too. How do you approach different guys. Lefties down and away, you don't want to pull the ball, that kind of stuff. We get into mechanics a little, but it's the mental side too." When it comes to scouting, Watkins says things are getting better: "We'll get a lot of what they throw in different counts and stuff like that. What they throw for strikes and balls. We play a lot of these guys a lot. If a guy gets up in the bullpen, we'll say, he's got this and this, tries to do this to me." Motivational: "I try to be motivational. That's the way I played. I had to play like that, with a lot of energy. You try to get the guys to have a little of energy. It's fun to win. When you win, there should be a lot of energy, and I think we're getting to that point." Watkins and Mauer have been long-time friends. As Watkins said, "We played together for five years. We used to room together a lot. He used to boss me around then, and he's still doing it again. We've become good friends over the years. I was actually in his wedding in 2008. I was still playing. He had started coaching. We've been good friends for a long time." He also has a lot of respect for the Kernels' manager. "He does a good job of trusting his coaching staff and letting his staff work. Same thing with Ivan (Arteaga) and Gary Lucas last year. He'd tell them, you're the pitching coach. You spend the most time with them. They're your guys. He does the same with me. If he wants to work with somebody, I never have a problem with that. I trust him to do whatever. He's the boss anyway. I trust him to do whatever he's got to do." The respect is mutual as Mauer described Watkins as a coach. "Tommy's a baseball guy. He's been around it a long time. He's very prepared for what he does. In the offseason, they'll send him down to the Dominican where they'll have him work with the kids. Tommy has been very valuable hitting guy, and he's going to be a really good manager someday too." When asked how he evaluates himself at the end of the year, he noted that it had to be more than simply about the statistics. "It's not stats-based. I'll look at the stats a little bit. I saw we were in the top six in hitting. It's knowing that I did my job in trying to get every guy better, which is good for me. We may not be in the top of hitting, or the top of fielding, but maybe our record's not as good. If you know you left everything out there and you gave it your all, just like a player, when the season's over, when you're career's over, you don't want to be like, I wish I would have done this. I wish I would have done that." In doing so, Watkins has become more prepared each season. He wants to continue to improve. As you would expect, he has big goals. "I'd love to coach in the big leagues. Manage. Coach first base, coach third base. Whatever it may be. It's something that I've always wanted to do, whether it's as a player or a coach." It is a realistic goal. He has earned everyone's respect over time. He's certainly a guy to continue to root for. [/hr]The Twins hung on to beat Cleveland on Monday so today you can get a half-price large or extra-large pizza at PapaJohns.com by using the code 'TWINSWIN'. Click here to view the article

The Twins two-game winning streak came to an end on Friday night with a 4-1 loss at the hands of lefty Matt Harrison and the Texas Rangers. Anthony Swarzak gave up four runs in seven innings. He was seeing-eye-singled to death in the 4th when the Rangers started swinging at Swarzak’s first pitch and scored three times. Ian Kinsler added a little insurance with a solo home in the 7th. For the first time this season, the Twins scored first in this game. Josh Willingham scored on a screaming liner to left off the bat of Danny Valencia. Ryan Doumit had two hits in the game. Josh Willingham had a single, a walk and was hit by a pitch. Jared Burton and Matt Maloney each threw a strong inning in relief. The Twins will get to see Yu Darvish on Saturday at noon. Nick Blackburn will be making his second start of the homestand. Liam Hendriks will pitch on Sunday. There were plenty of highlights in the Twins minor league system on Friday night despite going just 2-2 on the night. Here is a look at the night in the minors. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 3, PAWTUCKET 4 Cole DeVries was terrific in his second start of the season. The right-hander from Eden Prairie gave up only an unearned run over the first five innings. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struckout four. Carlos Gutierrez came in and walked the first batter he faced and then hit the second batter. After a line out, a passed ball and a wild pitch, he gave up a three-run homer to mega-prospect Will Middlebrooks. Gutierrez then left the game alongside a trainer. Casey Fien came in and gave up just one hit in 2.1 scoreless innings. In the ninth, Brendan Wise gave up three hits and got two outs. Tyler Robertson came in with the bases loaded and struckout the next two batters to leave the score 4-3 going to the bottom of the 9th. Unfortunately, the Red Wings were unable to score. Michael Hollimon led the offense. He went 2-4 with his first double and his first home run of the young season. When Brian Dozier hit a double in his first at bat, it extended his hit streak to eight games. INJURY NOTES – Rene Tosoni was put on the 7-day Disabled List on Friday night. Another transaction is expected on Saturday (my guess is that Wilkin Ramirez will come off the DL). I will update this place when I learn more about Carlos Gutierrez. NEW BRITAIN 6, NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 The Rock Cats got a good start, good bullpen work and plenty of offense to beat New Hampshire on Friday night. Steve Hirschfeld made his second start of the young season. He threw five shutout innings and gave up just four hits and two walks. He struckout four. Luis Perdomo gave up one run on four hits over the next two innings. He struckout two. Lester Oliveros struckout two in his scoreless frame, and Daniel Turpen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Chris Herrmann went 3-5 with his second and third doubles. Chris Colabello was 2-3 with his first double, first homer and four RBI. Aaron Hicks was 1-3 with a walk. Pedro Florimon was 2-4. FT. MYERS MIRACLE 2, BRADENTON 3 (10 innings) For the third time in just over a week, the Miracle went to extra innings. In this game, they were on the losing end. This game was about the pitching matchup. The Miracle sent BJ Hermsen to the mound against the Pirates’ Jameson Taillon. Taillon gave up just one run in five innings. Hermsen was even better. He threw six shutout innings, allowing just two hits. He walked three and struckout three. He left with a one run lead. Matt Hauser came in and pitched a scoreless seventh. Unfortunately, he gave up a two-run homer in the 8th that put the Miracle down a run. Caleb Thielbar got out of the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth. Offensively, the Miracle had just four hits. Angel Morales was 2-4 and drove in the first run of the game. Jairo Perez hit his second double. Lance Ray’s second home run gave the Miracle a 2-1 lead. It was 2-2 going to the tenth. Thielbar remained in the game. He gave up a double. The next batter bunted, but Thielbar threw the ball away for an error which ended the game. Fun Note – Hermsen has now thrown 11 innings this season without allowing a run. BELOIT 5, CLINTON 2 The Snappers made their fair share of errors, but they used some Clinton walks and poor defense to take a lead in the 8th and held on. Tim Shibuya was very good in his second start as well. He gave up two unearned runs on three hits in five innings. He walked two and struckout four. Matthew Tomshaw struckout two in two scoreless innings. Then Corey Williams duplicated Tomshaw with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings. Danny Ortiz led the offense going 3-5. Jairo Rodriguez went 1-3 with a walk, a double and two RBI. Jhonathan Goncalves was 1-3 with two walks and a stolen base. Tyler Grimes hit his fourth double. Not-So-Fun Note - The uber-talented Beloit infield of the Snappers (Rhodes, Rosario, Grimes and Sano) each committed an error in this game. --- Players of the Day for Friday, April 13, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Chris Herrmann Download attachment: ChrisHerrmann.jpg Pitcher of the Day – BJ Hermsen Download attachment: BJHermsen.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Saturday, April 14, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Lehigh Valley – RHP Sam Deduno New Britain @ New Hampshire – LHP Logan Darnell Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton – RHP Adrian Salcedo (vs Gerrit Cole) Beloit @ Clinton – LHP Jason Wheeler --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

On Wednesday, I posted a Q&A with Ryan Walker, a minor league infielder who the Twins drafted in the 2013 draft. Today I'm posting another Q&A with a Twins prospect. Brian Gilbert was the Twins 7th round pick in 2013 out of Seton Hall University. He spent time as a starter his first two seasons, but he became a strong prospect his junior season when he was the team's closer. After signing, he spent time with Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. Combined, he posted a 0.78 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP. He also struck out 14 while walking just one.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: Brian Gilbert.jpg Enjoy today's interview with Brian Gilbert, and feel free to discuss and ask questions in the comments below. ---------------- Twins Daily (TD): Growing up in New Jersey, who was your favorite team, and who were some of your favorite players to watch? Brian Gilbert (BG): Being from New Jersey you'd think I'd be a Yankees, Mets or Phillies fan. Not me. I was a Red Sox fan. I really enjoyed watching Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz throughout the years. TD: What are your best memories from your high school baseball days? Did you play other sports? BG: Winning back to back Group IV State Championships at Toms River High School North and breaking the single season HR and slugging percentage records my senior year. I only focused on baseball in high school. TD: Talk about your decision to go to Seton Hall. Were you recruited elsewhere too? BG: After visiting other schools, walking on to Seton Hall’s campus I just felt a sense of comfort right away, seeing the history and how beautiful the campus is and meeting the coaches, walking around the baseball field and knowing I could be a part of such a historic program. It just seemed like the perfect fit. Schools such as Oral Roberts, Fordham and a few others were recruiting me but none were as appealing as Seton Hall University. TD: What were your best memories/moments from your college playing days? BG: My freshman year I was in the starting rotation. We had an up and down season but ended up winning the Big East Championship and advancing to a regional. My junior year and final season I was the team's closer and had the most games finished in the Big East, along with being selected 3rd Team All Big East. TD: As the draft approached, were you seeing or talking to more scouts? Did you have much conversation with any Twins scouts? BG: With the draft approaching I was in contact with numerous scouts. The Twins came in the picture late. That's when scout John Wilson invited me to a pre-draft workout and going to the workout turned out to be one of my best decisions. John Wilson and the Twins ended up taking me in the 7th round. TD: When the Twins took you in the 7th round, where were you and what was that experience like? (Was that about where you were expecting to be picked?) BG: I was at home with my family when I was selected. It had to be the most anxious I have ever been in my life waiting for that phone call. Between rounds 4-8 is what we were expecting so everything worked out great. TD: What was the adjustment to pro baseball like for you? (In E-Town, and then with the move up to Cedar Rapids) BG: The adjustment wasn't too bad especially since I had my teammate from school, Zachary Granite. I adjusted quickly with the situation and it was a sense of relief knowing that baseball is my job now. I kept my same mentality pitching from school to E-Town up to Cedar Rapids and that led to success. Being promoted from E-Town to Cedar Rapids was a great feeling, along with a confidence boost. TD: I've read and been told that you have a "closer's mentality." What does that mean to you, and would you say it is accurate? BG: Having those words next to my name is a great sight to see because I want nothing more than to be a major league closer. And yes, I would say that's accurate because I love when the pressure is on and I have to get the last three outs of the game. TD: I've also heard that you could be a starter, at least early in your pro career. What are your thoughts on starting versus being a reliever? Do you have a preference? BG: I've started, and I've closed. To be honest, I feel that I am more valuable as a reliever. I like the adrenaline rush from being a reliever. I like the high pressure situation at the end of the game, and I really like pitching with full-out, maximum effort. I definitely prefer relieving especially with my personality and my mentality. TD: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? BG: My parents, grandparents, friends, teammates, coaches, everyone along the way has helped me in some way whether it was baseball-related or not. TD: Outside of baseball, what do you enjoy doing? Hobbies, etc? BG: Outside of baseball, I enjoy fishing, crabbing, cooking, music and movies. TD: As spring training is now just a couple of months away, what are you most anxious and excited about? BG: I'm anxious to just start pitching in game situations again and prove myself to my coaches and teammates. I'm excited to meet other players and coaches I have not met before and learn from them and take in as much information and helpful tips as I can. TD: Have you set any goals for yourself for the 2014 season? BG: My main goal is to compete to the best of my ability and help win ball games for my team. As far as individual goals, my main individual goal is to stay confident and stay positive if/when I struggle and come across some adversity. I believe if I do that the numbers will be what I want them to be. TD: Favorite Baseball movie? BG: Even though I rooted for the Red Sox, my favorite baseball movie is 61*. TD: What is one thing about yourself that you would want Twins fans to know? BG: I was one win away from playing in the Little League World Series when I was 12 with Toms River Little League in 2005. ---------------- Thanks for reading, and thank you to Brian Gilbert for taking the time to answer our questions. He's got a chance to move up the Twins ladder quickly if he is in the bullpen. Click here to view the article

I recently got my newest issue of Entertainment Weekly. It was the Fall TV preview issue. As I was flipping through the pages to see what shows spark my interest, some of them made me start thinking about the Twins season, and how the Twins have played in September. Yes, I acknowledge that that makes me kind of sad, but you can understand, I’m sure. Below you’ll find some of the TV shows and how they got me thinking about the Minnesota Twins. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It seems everyone has caught on to the Breaking Bad phenomenon. I was late to the game. About two months ago, I was able to pick up Seasons One through Five, and I started watching. I’m now several episodes into Season 4, and trying my best not to read on Twitter what’s going on this season with Walt and Jesse and the gang. Download attachment: Breaking Bad.jpg For the Twins, things have been Breaking Bad! While the Twins fought to stay afloat until recently, things have not been good since they lost the third game of a series in Houston. They have won just twice in their last 11 games. More recently, they have lost five of their last six, and by a combined score of 52-12. They have been brutal at Target Field and are in serious need of some Home Improvement! The silver lining is that, if the season were to end today, the Twins would pick fifth in the 2014 MLB Draft. It is definitely a Grimm situation for the hometown nine. Reading the comments on sites like Twins Daily, and maybe more importantly, seeing the declining attendance numbers at Target Field tells me that there are a bunch of Mad Men in Twins' fandom these days. It’s certainly A Different World from what we experienced through most of the last decade. Gardy, and the Twins announcers, often speak about sending out The A-Team to face teams in playoff contention, but it is hard to find an A-Team right now, especially with Joe Mauer out of the lineup. Of course, after three straight horrific seasons by the Twins, some fans are looking for a Revolution. That’s not exactly how the Twins tend to work. They are an organization that strongly believes in building from within, both on the field and in the front office. All in the Family, one might say. There will be change. However, most likely, there will be little change in the front office. Then, you’ve got people like me who are Raising Hope by touting the strong Twins' farm system. However, caution must always follow optimism, especially when it comes to minor league prospects. As good and as much hype as prospects get, there is always a chance they don’t become what you think they can become. They don’t always continue to develop as you think they will. One perfect example of this Arrested Development is last night’s starter, Liam Hendriks. Last night, the Australian right-hander was unable to get out of the first inning against the White Sox. Hendriks was a guy who flew through that Twins farm system. I ranked him as high as #3 in my Twins prospect rankings. Why? He was tremendous in the minor leagues. He pitched well in Beloit and Ft. Myers in 2010. He pitched very well in New Britain and Rochester in 2011. In fact, he got a September call up that season out of necessity. But it was more than that. Reports on Hendriks were that he had a fastball that hit 92 mph with movement. That he had a very good changeup and a good curveball. At times in his 30 starts with the Twins, he has shown all of those things. Let’s not forget the game he lost 1-0 to Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. The talent is there. The pitches are there. For some reason, it just has not come together. I guess you could say that Rick Anderson is the X-Factor when it comes to Twins pitchers. He often gets blamed when pitchers don’t become what we think that they should become. He gets roasted when a young pitcher struggles with the Twins and then succeeds when he goes elsewhere, even though that could just as easily be a byproduct of more experience, maturity and other variables. But how much did Anderson have to work with in 2013? He certainly did help Sam Deduno and over his years he has as many, if not more, successes than failures. Hendriks is one of several players on the Twins roster they will need to determine if they will Love It or List It? It will be another interesting offseason for the Twins, and there are some 40 man roster decisions that will not be easy. Who will come off of the 40 man roster? Hendriks joins a list of possibilities that includes (but not limited to) Andrew Albers, Cole De Vries, BJ Hermsen, Shairon Martis, Eric Fryer, Doug Bernier, Chris Colabello, Wilkin Ramirez and Clete Thomas. They will also have to determine if they will offer arbitration to the likes of Brian Duensing, Josh Roenicke, Anthony Swarzak and Trevor Plouffe. Some of that will be determined by their thoughts on the most interesting Person of Interest in the organization, Miguel Sano. Will the Twins brass be willing to let him be the Opening Day third baseman in 2014? Should they? But he is certainly not the only person whose development will factor into 2014 planning. Many may want an Extreme Makeover, but consider how many high-level prospects the team needs to open spaces for in 2014. Consider the following: Aaron Hicks – He was given the right to compete for the Opening Day centerfield job in 2013, and he won that spring training contest in the most recent example of why spring training numbers mean nothing. He struggled in his time with the Twins and was allowed to struggle beyond anything I’ve seen before. When he was finally sent down to Rochester, he lost time due to three separate injuries. He did not receive a September call up and says he will not play winter ball in Puerto Rico. What is his status going into 2014? One thing for certain is that Twins fans should not give up on him. Though Byron Buxton is near, Hicks can still be a long-term fixture in the Twins outfield. Trevor Plouffe – He has really struggled at third base at times, and his offense has been quite inconsistent. Miguel Sano is very close, and reports indicate that his defense is better than Plouffe’s at the hot corner already. What do they do with Plouffe? Can he become a Super Utility player who plays all over? Eddie Rosario – Like Sano, Rosario has been a fast mover in the Twins system. He started in Ft. Myers and then hit well in New Britain. He won’t be ready for Opening Day, but do not be surprised if he is with the Twins by mid-season. Will it be at second base, or has Brian Dozier cemented himself there? Rosario certainly could be an outfielder as well. Alex Meyer – This might be the biggest piece to the puzzle. He missed nearly three months of the 2013 season with a shoulder injury. When he returned, he was throwing 100 mph with a nasty curveball. He is the Ace that the Twins and their fans have been looking for, if he continues to develop and improve. He too could be up by June. Trevor May – 2014 will be his final option season. After a solid, but unspectacular second season in AA, May needs to show something in 2014 if he wants to remain a starter, otherwise, he’ll go to the bullpen, where he can still be a valuable pitcher. Josmil Pinto – Can Pinto be an everyday catcher? Can he hit, and can he field/throw enough for the team to feel comfortable moving Joe Mauer to another position at least half the time. He certainly has made a strong first impression with his September performance. Chris Herrmann has shown his value is his versatility, with his ability to play the corner outfield spots well and be solid behind the plate. Michael Tonkin – He was tremendous in the minor leagues until he got his first promotion to the Twins. Since that time, he has really struggled. He may be gassed, but he’ll have to show something to put himself into position to be on the Twins opening day roster next season. No question, however, he will be up with the team at some point in 2014. Byron Buxton – He is the best prospect in baseball, and he can do it all. He should start the 2014 season in New Britain, and as I’ve been saying since I saw him in Cedar Rapids in April, he could be with the Twins by July (yes, of 2014). He is that good. He will come to big league spring training, not necessarily to win a starting job, but he can make an strong impression. It won’t be long.Imagine a Twins outfield in September that includes Aaron Hicks, Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario. That group could cover the vast, Green Acres of Target Field’s outfield. Oswaldo Arcia can spell them and be the primary DH. Miguel Sano at third base with Joe Mauer getting a lot of time at first base. Trevor Plouffe can spell Mauer at 1B when he catches. Josmil Pinto can be behind the plate half the time as well. Brian Dozier has certainly bought himself some time at second base with a strong glove and enough bat to be excited about. Pedro Florimon’s glove is so good that his bat could be better hidden if the rest of the lineup hits. Alex Meyer and Trevor May should be in the rotation by that time, and who knows who else will step up and contribute. This September has been and likely will continue to be tough to watch over the final 13 games. If you follow me on Twitter, you noticed that I spent a lot of time watching Cheaper by the Dozen 2 during the Twins game. I’m not proud of that, though it is an excellent movie!! Cheers to those of you who made it through the entire game (something you may not be proud of?)! At this point in the 2014 season, in the final month, it should be a very interesting time to be watching the Twins of the future play. At that point, we could live in our own Fantasy Island and dream of Happy Days. Good Times! Click here to view the article

Since Opening Day of the minor league season, we have been doing daily Twins Minor League Reports here at Twins Daily. Each day, we were following the Rochester Red Wings, the New Britain Rock Cats, the Ft. Myers Miracle and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Meanwhile, many Twins minor leaguers have been in Ft. Myers, working out and playing in extended spring training. Later this week, those players – along with signed 2014 draft picks – will begin their official seasons. The Elizabethton Twins (Advanced Rookie) open on Thursday while the Gulf Coast League Twins (Rookie) start on Friday afternoon. Today, we’ll take a look at the Elizabethton Twins roster as their season begins. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the Gulf Coast League roster. Note that these are very brief bios, so feel free to ask any questions you would like. Download attachment: S Gonsalves.jpg The Starting Pitchers Stephen Gonsalves – The Twins 4th round pick in 2013 pitched really well last year for the GCL Twins and the E-Twins in his professional debut. He combined to post a 0.95 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 28.1 innings. He walked 11 and struck out 39. If I’m being honest, I’m shocked that he isn’t in Cedar Rapids, and I expect he’ll perform well again. Sam Gibbons – The 20-year-old Australian has pitched in the GCL each of the last two seasons. Chih-Wei Hu – The stocky, 20-year-old from Taiwan went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA last year with the GCL Twins. He walked eight and struck out 39 in 36.2 innings. Felix Jorge – A year ago, Jorge went 2-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 starts for the E-Twins. In 61 innings, he walked 18 and struck out 72. He began this season in Cedar Rapids, but went 2-5 with a 9.00 ERA in 12 games for the Kernels. In 39 innings, he walked 20 and struck out 23 before being sent back to EST. Derrick Penilla – The 22-year-old lefty was the Twins 15th round pick a year ago. He pitched for the GCL Twins a year ago. He began this season at EST but was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he pitched in just seven games before heading back down. Mike Cederoth – Cederoth is the hard-throwing third round pick from San Diego State. He signed just last week. He pitched primarily out of the bullpen where his 98 mph fastball plays well. He has had opportunities to start in college, but his downfall has been his control. The Twins are going to give him a chance to start. The Relief Pitchers Cameron Booser – He signed after the 2013 draft after not being drafted. He pitched in just three games at the end of the GCL season. Reports from spring training indicate that the 6-3, 225 pound lefty throws really hard. Sam Clay – The Twins 4th round pick this year out of Georgia Tech. Some think he may be able to start at some point, but he’ll likely continue to work out of the bullpen for the E-Twins this summer. Andro Cutura – He was the Twins 7th round pick this season out of Southeastern Louisiana University. CK Irby – Irby was the Twins 10th round pick just last year out of Samford University. He pitched in ten games last year for the E-Twins. Randy LeBlanc – LeBlanc was the Twins 10th round pick this year from Tulane University. He was a fourth-year, redshirt junior. Kuo Hua Lo – Lo pitched for the E-Twins a year ago. In 38 innings, he walked 14 and struck out 34 in 38 innings. He was 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA. The right-hander from Taiwan is 21 years old. Dereck Rodriguez – The Twins selected Ivan Rodriguez’s son with their 6th pick in the 2011 draft out of high school. After hitting .216/.279/.336 (.615) over three years in the rookie leagues, he has been moved to pitcher where the hope is his strong right-arm will be able to get hitters out. Keaton Steele – He was the Twins 8th round pick this year out of the University of Missouri, which has been a hot bed for big league pitchers in the last half-dozen years. Catchers Brett Doe – Doe was the Twins 38th round pick this year out of Baylor University. Brian Navaretto – Navaretto was the Twins 6th round pick last year out of high school in Jacksonville, Florida. The 6-4, 220 pound (at least), 19-year-old hit .226/.318/.365 (.683) with ten doubles and three homers with the GCL Twins last year. He is quite impressive in spring training and has a ceiling of Salvador Perez. Alex Real – He was the Braves 48th round pick out of high school. He went to the University of New Mexico where he was a teammate of Kernels' catcher Mitch Garver. Real played first base and DH his first two years as Garver caught. He caught this year. The Twins selected him with their 24th round pick this year. INFIELDERS Nick Gordon – The Twins top pick will begin his professional career with Elizabethton. This is not a typical Twins move as even Kohl Stewart and Byron Buxton began their careers with the GCL. It will be interesting how Gordon adapts to professional ball, wood bats and life away from his family. Don’t worry at all about the stats, but it is very exciting to see him get started. Jonatan Hinojosa – He is a 21 year old who spent three seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He spent last season in the GCL where he hit .236/.310/.336. He began this season at EST but was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he played one game before being suspended for 50 games. His suspension continues. Will Hurt – Hurt was drafted in the 16th round in 2012 out of Lexington High School, the same school Ben Revere went to. He has spent the last two seasons in the GCL. Last year, he hit .342 but had a .387 OBP as he walked 16 times and struck out 17 times. He’s a speed guy who can play both middle infield positions. Pat Kelly – Kelly was the Twins 12th round pick out of the University of Nebraska. The Red Wings, MN, native had a solid three-year career with the Cornhuskers. He should play a lot of second base. Tyler Mautner – Mautner was the Twins 14th round pick this year out of the University of Buffalo, the same school as Kernels outfielder Jason Kanzler. The third baseman is believed to have good power. Blake Schmidt – Another Eden Prairie native, Schmidt was the Twins 26th round pick after three years at the University of Maryland. Trev Vavra – He was the Twins 33rd round pick this year out of Florida Southern University. As you know, he is the son of Twins third base coach, Joe, and the brother of Kernels second baseman, Tanner. OUTFIELDERS Dutch Deol – Deol was the Cardinals 17th round pick out of high school in 2011. He has spent the last three years in the rookie leagues and was hurt most of last year. He hit .152/.245/.230 over those three years and the Cardinals let him go. He’s a good athlete so the Twins took a shot, signing him to a free agent contract. Austin Diemer – He was the Twins 28th round pick after his career as a centerfielder at Cal State-Fullerton. He is a good athlete. Max Murphy – Another Minnesota native, Murphy was the Twins 9th round pick this year out of Bradley University. Another guy drafted as a centerfielder, he will get a chance to play around the outfield. He is from Robbinsdale, MN. DISABLED LIST Josh Burris – RHP JT Chargois – RHP Jorge Fernandez – C Carson Goldsmith – RHP Jake Proctor – OF Tyler Stirewalt – RHP Ryan Tufts – OF Click here to view the article

In a move that is rather surprising, Twins Daily has learned the 2012 first-round draft pick Byron Buxton and supplemental first-round pick Jose (J.O.) Berrios have been promoted to short-season Elizabethton. Buxton, an 18-year-old outfielder from rural Georgia, was the #2 overall pick in this June's draft. He signed a $6 million signing bonus and reported to Ft. Myers. He missed about ten days with a hamstring injury, but has been playing well of late. In 27 games with the GCL Twins, Buxton is 19-88, hitting .216/.324/.466 (.789). He has four doubles, three triples, four home runs and 14 RBI. He has also stolen 14 bases. Berrios, an 18-year-old right-hander from Puerto Rico, was the first of two supplemental first round picks the Twins had in the 2012 draft. He has been terrific for the GCL Twins. In eight games, he has thrown 16.2 innings. He has given up just seven hits, walked three and struckout 27 baters. He is 1-0 with four saves and a 1.08 ERA. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Buxton and Berrios will join the Twins other second-round pick in Elizabethton. Right-hander Luke Bard also recently started pitching for the E-Twins after signing and doing some rehab work in the GCL. Also, the two Twins supplemental draft picks from the 2011 draft, 3B Travis Harrison and RHP Hudson Boyd are playing for the E-Twins. The Elizabethton Twins find themselves in a familiar place a top the Appalachian League West Division. They are currently 29-14 and 5 1/2 games ahead of Johnson City and Greeneville. Download attachment: Byron_BuxtonCard.jpg Download attachment: Jose_BerriosCard.jpg (Check out this site for more "Cards" of top 2012 draft picks) Click here to view the article

On Thursday night, the short-season Elizabethton Twins opened their season with a win in Greeneville. This afternoon, the Gulf Coast League Twins begin their schedule. Today, I’ll be taking a look and trying to familiarize Twins Daily readers with these young players. The GCL squad is always an interesting mix of players from all over the world and with all kinds of experiences and backgrounds. This season is no different. There are some 17 year olds who signed internationally a year ago, and there are some 22 year olds who just finished their fourth year of college baseball. Some of these players will work their way up to Elizabethton later in the season. Maybe next year a couple of them will work their way up to full season Cedar Rapids. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Download attachment: NelsonMolina.jpg Nelson Molina The Pitchers Mat Batts – The Twins drafted former Baseball America intern in the 17th round this month out of UNC-Wilmington. He will not use Batts to earn his pay in baseball. Instead he will use his left arm, which may not hit 90 on a radar gun, but can throw three pitches. He went 6-3 with a 2.69 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 15 starts. In 103.2 innings, he walked just 18 and struck out 105. Eddie Del Rosario – Eddie Del Rosario made his professional debut last summer in the Dominican Summer League. In 44.1 innings, the right-hander gave up just 22 hits. He also walked 25 while striking out 30. The now 19-year-old went 2-3 with a 2.03 ERA. Brandon Easton –The Twins drafted Easton in the 24th round last year as a left-handed pitcher out of Lakeland Community College. There, he played a lot of first base, but at 6-5, he profiled more as a pitcher. He throws hard, but he’s still learning to pitch. Last year in the GCL, he went 1-3 with a 7.45 ERA and a 1.97 WHIP. In 19.1 innings, he gave up 25 hits, walked 13 and struck out 11. Onas Farfan –The Twins took Farfan in the 21st round this year out of Ridgewater College which is in Willmar/Hutchinson. The Venezuelan moved to Minnesota when he was 16 to live with relatives. It is being pointed out that he was the first player drafted out of the Minneapolis RBI program. He is left-handed, hits 91 and made a name for himself with an impressive showing in the Northwoods League in 2013. Miguel Gonzalez – The 19-year-old right-hander pitched in 20 games out of the bullpen last year in the GCL. In 25.2 innings, he gave up just 20 hits, walked nine and struck out 33. He went 0-0 with three saves and a 1.05 ERA and a WHIP of 1.13. Josh Guyer – The Twins signed the right-hander out of Australia in 2012. Last year, he made his professional debut with the GCL team. He went 1-2 with a 5.30 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP in just 18.2 innings. He gave up 18 hits, walked 13 and struck out 22. Zach Hayden – 23rd round 2013, U South Carolina – Zach Hayden was the Twins 23rd round pick out of the University of South Carolina, in Aiken, S.C. Last year he pitched just nine innings in the GCL. He went 1-0 and didn’t give up a run. He walked five and struck out six. Onesimo Hernandez – Though Hernandez is already 22, 2013 was his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. In 46 innings, the right-hander gave up 48 hits, walked 17 and struck out 32. he was 2-3 with a 4.11 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Trev Hildenberger – He was the Twins 22nd round pick just this year out of Cal-Berkley. He was the team’s closer and pitched in 28 games. In 47.2 innings, he gave up 41 hits, walked 11 and struck out 48. He went 3-3 with 10 saves with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Wilfredy Loranzo – The 19-year-old righty made his pro debut last year in the DSL. He went 3-4 with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 51 innings, he gave up just 21 hits. He walked 27 but struck out 62. Miles Nordgren – Nordgren was the Twins 23rd round pick this year out of Birmingham Southern. He was 8-2 with a 1.37 ERA in 78.2 innings. He walked just 11 and struck out 62. Callan Pearce – The Twins signed Pearce from Australia last year when he was just 16. 2014 will be his professional debut. Alexis Tapia – Tapia spent 2013 as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. The right-hander went 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA with a 0.87 WHIP. In 42 innings, he issued just five walks while striking out 31. Mike Thoefanopoulos – If nothing else, the Twins 30th round pick will make things difficult for Twins writers and bloggers. The left-hander went to the University of California at Berkley. He went 7-27 (.259) with a home run as a hitter for the Golden Bears this season. In 25.1 innings on the mound, he gave up 29 hits, walked 11 and struck out 24. Zack Tillery – Zack Tillery is a hard-throwing, right-handed reliever the Twins drafted out of Florida Gulf Coast this year in the 13th round. He hit .314/.388/.476 (.864) with 17 extra base hits, but he was drafted as a pitcher. He pitched 35.2 innings and gave up 39 hits, walked 14 and struck out 28. Seth Wagner – Wagner was the Twins 39th round pick a year ago after his high school career in Pennsylvania. The lefty signed fairly late and pitched 10.2 innings over six games in the GCL. He gave up only five hits, but he walked seven while striking out eight. Reyson Zoquiel – Zoquiel is a left-hander who throws hard. In 2013, he made his US debut in the GCL after two seasons in the DSL. He worked just 14 innings, in large part due to control issues. He gave up 17 hits and 17 walks leading to his 2.49 WHIP. The Catchers Gabriel Ojeda – Ojeda was the Twins 27th round pick this year out of high school in Puerto Rico. A young but strong, athletic catcher. He has an average arm, but has put up some very good pop times. Offensively, he could develop some power. Jarrard Poteete – Poteete was the Twins 19th round pick this year out of Connors State College (a junior college). He hit .390/.481/.538 (1.019) with 15 doubles, a triple and four home runs. Rainis Silva – Silva, who is just 18 years old, made his professional debut last summer in the DSL. He hit just .223/.289/.250 (.539) with four doubles. He has a strong arm. The Infielders Jack Barrie – The Twins signed the lumbering 18-year-old from Australia late last year. He certainly has a lot of power potential. Manuel Guzman – In 2013, Guzman was an 18 year old making his pro debut in the DSL. He hit .291/.392/.378 (.770) with four doubles, three triples and a home run. He stole 12 bases. It should be noted as well that he walked 23 times while striking out 19 times. Nelson Molina – A year ago, Molina was the Twins 11th round pick out of high school in Puerto Rico. It was a tough debut with the bat as he hit just .110/.178/.119 (.297) with one double. However, at 6-3 and 175 pounds, he has a chance to grow. Defensively, the belief is that he can be a big league shortstop, though he will also play some second base. He compares favorably, in my mind, with Engelb Vielma. Ariel Montesino – A year ago, Montesino was a 17 year old making his pro debut in the DSL. He hit .270/.393/.419 (.812) with two doubles, three triples and a home run. He also stole eight bases. Joel Ramirez – Last year was Ramirez’s first year in the DSL. He hit .252/.394/.315 (.709) with seven doubles and a triple. He also stole 20 bases. Although he played around the infield, he was mostly at shortstop. Rafael Valera – Valera has spent each of the past two years in the DSL. As an 18-year-old last year, he hit .262/.420/.315 (.736) with five doubles and two triples. He stole 19 bases. He played all over the infield and outfield, but primarily at third base. Ruar Verkerk – He was signed last offseason as a 16 year old from Netherlands. He's now 17 and will likely play mostly at third base. The Outfielders Dubal Baez – After spending four seasons in the DSL, the 21-year-old Baez will make his debut in the US with the GCL Twins. Last year, he hit .335/.447/.396 (.844) with eight doubles and a triple. He also stole 27 bases. He primarily played in center field, but also got time in the middle infield. Tyree Davis – Davis was the Twins 37th round pick earlier this month of out high school in Compton, California. A great athlete with speed, Davis fits the profile of toolsy, athletic type. He is a switch-hitter who can play a good centerfield. Frank Encarnacion – Last year in the DSL, Encarnacion hit .267/.344/.422 (.766) with 13 doubles, a triple and two home runs. The 18-year-old played all three outfield positions, mostly in left field. He’s one of those rare players who bats right-handed and throws left-handed. Roberto Gonzalez – This toolsy outfielder from Orlando was the Twins 15th round pick this year. He has very good speed and can play good defense. Depending on how many of his tools become skills, he is certainly one to watch. Amaurys Minier – Just 18, Minier made his US debut last year in the GCL. He hit .214/.252/.455 (.707) with five doubles, two triples and six home runs. He played third base. This spring, he had shoulder surgery so he missed a lot of time. That is likely part of the reason that he is back in the GCL, and may be part of why he is now in the outfield. Disabled List Jose Abreu – 21, RHP Damian Defrank – 18, RHP Leonel Zazueta – 19, RHP Jhon Silva – 21, RHP (After three years as an outfielder in the DSL, he was moved to pitcher last year. This is his US debut.) Joel Polanco – 21, C/1B Click here to view the article

Happy New Year’s Eve, Twins Daily!! Hopefully you have enjoyed our first year at Twins Daily and that we can continue to make strides and improve our Twins coverage. Your feedback is always welcome. Enjoy your New Year’s Eve, but don’t forget to be safe! Today, we are bringing you another 12 Questions interview. Austin Malinowski was the Twins 16th round pick in 2011 after he was named the Minnesota High School Player of the Year. He played for Centennial High School in Circle Pines, MN, and had committed to play for the University of Arizona. On the final day he could, he reached an agreement and signed with the Twins. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: AustinMalinowski2.jpg Too late to play in 2011, his debut came in 2012 with the Gulf Coast League Twins. They lefty pitched well. He went 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA. In 31.2 innings, he gave up 35 hits, walked 11 and struckout 32 batters. He made six starts and came out of the bullpen five times, but he is definitely viewed as a starting pitcher. He just turned 19 one month ago and is certainly one to watch as he develops and moves up the farm system. Recently, Malinowski took the time to answer some questions for Twins Daily. Enjoy, and please feel free to ask questions in the comments below. 12 QUESTIONS WITH… Austin Malinowski Twins Daily (TD): Growing up in Minnesota, should we pretty easily assume who your favorite team was? Who were some of your favorite players? Austin Malinowski (AM): Of course my favorite team was the Twins. But some of my favorite Twins were Johan and Torii Hunter. TD: Tell us about your high school career (baseball and/or other extra-curriculars). AM: In high school, I played 3 sports (football, basketball and baseball). Other than that I didn't have much time for anything else because I also played legion ball for 3 summers. Download attachment: AustinMalinowski.jpg TD: The Twins drafted you in the 16th round in 2011. You had committed to Arizona, but signed with the Twins. How difficult was that decision to sign with the hometown team rather than play at a southern college program? How many times did you change your mind? AM: I still think about my decision to sign sometimes. They have a great program, and I always wanted to go to a big time school. When they won the national championship last year, I knew I could have played a big role on that team, but I'm in the position they want to be in already. Signing was the right choice. TD: What were you hearing before the draft? Were you expecting to go around where you did, and did you have much communication with Twins scouts before that? AM: Honestly, I was hearing I would actually go in the top ten rounds. So when I dropped to the 16th, it was a little surprising. But I did a Twins showcase and they attended quite a few of my games before the draft so I knew they were looking at me. TD: After signing, your first real experience came on the Instructional League in Ft. Myers. What did you learn right away that fall? AM: I learned that pro ball was much more difficult than anything I had done before. I struggled for the first time in a long time so I learned how to pitch rather then throw like I did before. TD: You pitched in the GCL in 2012. How would you describe your adjustment to pro baseball and what did you learn from that first season? AM: The pro season is so long. I think that is the biggest difference and challenge for me. Staying healthy and consistent over a long season is tough. I had to grow up quickly mentally because if I didn't pro ball wouldn't be too kind. I just had to mature on the field. TD: I assume you’ll be at Twins Fest signing autographs again this year. Had you been to Twins Fest previously, and what was your impression of that event as a member of the Twins organization? AM: Yes, I will be at Twins Fest. I was invited there last year, and I thought it was really cool. So many Twins fans are supporters of the young minor leaguers as well as the big league stars. Great fans. TD: I believe you came back to Minnesota for the offseason. As you begin to workout and throw in preparation for the 2013 season, what is your routine? AM: Well starting after the New Year, I’ll be throwing every day at Augsburg. I’ll wake up early, drive down there, and get my throwing and some conditioning done. Drive back home and work out at the YMCA near me. Go home, eat lunch, and relax. TD: Looking to 2013, what are some of your goals? Are there certain statistics or numbers that you look at the judge yourself? AM: Some of my goals are to improve my mental toughness every day. This will help everything else. But I would like to at least play for E-Town. I would love to finish the year in Cedar Rapids. Two biggest stats for me are WHIP and ERA so it's important I keep those two low. That will help the team I'm on and obviously help me make a name for myself. TD: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career as a baseball player? AM: First of all, my dad was the one who helped me get started playing and my high school coach Lynn Buehner and my legion coach Rollie Goertzen was a huge influence on me. But during my pro career, Eric Rasmussen and Henry Bonilla have helped me improve a lot. TD: How would you describe yourself as a pitcher? If you were a scout, what would the report be? AM: I'm a pitcher who doesn't want to get beat throwing off-speed stuff. I have a good 2-seam fastball that moves a lot. My slider and changeup are good out pitches but can be inconsistent. 3/4 arm slot. I just like to challenge guys and try to get quick outs. Thank you to Austin! We definitely appreciate the time he spent to respond. As I said above, he is certainly a prospect worth watching the next couple of years as he develops. Click here to view the article

It was a busy, long weekend, but it was a tremendous opportunity. I traveled from the tip-top of Minnesota, down to the Twin Cities on Saturday. I then spent all day Monday driving back home. One has a lot of opportunity to think while driving more than seven hours each direction, so I thought I would put together a quick Stream of Consciousness blog for today. I encourage you to leave your thoughts on All-Star festivities below. So bear with me. I’ll cover a lot of topics, and hopefully you enjoy this potentially chaotic format. Download attachment: FanFest.jpg I’ll start with my thoughts on being down at the All-Star Sunday festivities and go from there. But to wake up on Sunday morning and see my name in a byline in the Pioneer Press was pretty cool! I was asked to write an article on the Three Twins Prospects in the Futures Game, so that was pretty neat! My daughter, along with my brother and sister, and I went to the Minneapolis Convention Center on Sunday morning for All-Star Fan Fest. As I mentioned on the podcast portion of the Gleeman and the Geek podcast, it reminded me a lot of going to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. There were about 400,000 square feet of baseball events and displays. It was as if you just needed to walk around and see everything, and then take a step back to think about what you wanted to do, what you wanted to look at. Sure, it would have been great to spend more time in several of the areas, but with an 8-year-old girl, being in one place for terribly long isn’t always possible. Download attachment: 963KTwin.jpg The highlight was certainly being included in the Baseball Round Table discussion with Jack Morris, Lindsay Guentzel and Rod Simon on their Sunday morning “This is Twins Territory” show. It was a bit surreal to be having a conversation with a guy with Jack Morris’ baseball history. (May be able to get audio for this up later. Will be posted here if we can.) A close second would be getting to watch Jennie Finch run a clinic on a small field at Fan Fest. That was good times! (She'll come up in this stream of consciousness a bit later as well.) Download attachment: JFinch.jpg I was then dropped off at Target Field around 12:30 and stood outside waiting for the gates to open at 2. Honestly, it was such a cool atmosphere outside the stadium that 90 minutes didn’t seem all that long. My Twins Hangouts co-host Jeremy Nygaard, who had run in the Color Run earlier that morning, got there with the tickets. The Futures Game itself was great. It was so much fun to watch players whose names we have heard, but it’s always a different experience to see them in person. That’s why I always talk about people trying to get down to Cedar Rapids to watch the Kernels play in person if you’re able. In my mind, it enhances your knowledge about players when you can say you’ve actually seen them play rather than just reading the box scores and stat lines. Jeremy spent more time talking about the three Twins players’ performances. For me, it was pretty encouraging to see. Consider that the Twins top two prospects, Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, did not play because of injuries in the first half, and Trevor May was supposed to pitch but he was on the DL, the Twins were represented by three terrific prospects. Kennys Vargas made an impression in batting practice, but people also wrote about his personality. He is a jovial young man, and why not? I mean, he became a first-time father last week and got to play in a very prestigious prospect event. He struck out a couple of times, but he did short-hop the fence in right field for a double. JO Berrios got the starting nod for the World Team and was impressive in his one-inning stint. He showed a fastball that sat 94-95 with a slider at 85-86 and a changeup at 81-82. A three-pitch mix like that certainly bodes well. Add in that people rave about his maturity and make-up and we can understand why he is such a highly-touted prospect. Alex Meyer had a very short outing, but it was good. He hit 97, 98, 97, 97 and 97 with the five pitches that he threw. The first batter lined out to left. The second lined a single to left, and the third grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end his inning. You can say that he got hit hard if you want, but the fastball is legit. If you also remember that he’s got four good pitches and he didn’t even show the other three, you can be quite excited about his future. You can also understand after this why it is so important to have more than just a big fastball. Joey Gallo (3B, Rangers) put on an incredible display in batting practice, and he got hold of one in the game too that went a long way. He was impressive. Javier Baez (SS, Cubs) hit a bomb to right center field (he bats right handed) against Lucas Giolito (RHP, Nationals). Not many are able to do that! Download attachment: GATG.jpg Between games, John Bonnes found Jeremy and I, and we went high up in the top deck of Target Field and podcast the second half of the Gleeman and the Geek podcast. It was fun to talk about what happened in the first half of the minor league season. I almost lost my voice because it was rather difficult talking over cheers for the pyrotechnics of the Panic! At the Disco two-song performance and the huge cheers as Adrian Peterson, Zach Parise and Jim Thome were introduced for the Celebrity Softball game. We made an assumption that the Futures Game crowd would exit after that game and that there would be fewer people there for the Celebrity Softball game. Nope! Many people came in just for that game and it was even more packed. The highlight of that game was the fast pitches that Jennie Finch threw to Adrian Peterson. It was awesome! Parise looks like he could play still. And, I’ve always been a huge Nelly fan, and he hit two home runs. There were fireworks after the game, and that was it for a long, exhausting, wonderful day! I’m glad I had the opportunity to be there that day. I wish I could have been at the Twins Daily/Fangraphs get-together at Mason’s before the Home Run Derby. It sounds like it would have been a great time! Unfortunately, I had about 370 miles to drive home on Monday instead. I was lucky too because after about 9 hours in the car, I got home just in time for the start of the Home Run Derby. It was great to see Brian Dozier hit two home runs. The last thing anyone wants is to get shutout (like Yasiel Puig was). I’d say his brother Clay did a good job too. Before the game, Jeremy Nygaard tweeted the following, “They just asked Clay Dozier when he realized little brother, Brian, was better than he was. His response, ‘He is?!’” I’m not a big fan of the new format. I like the urgency of the 7 swings. There will obviously be fewer home runs with fewer outs, but it would make the event go more quickly. In theory, the concept of winning the first round and getting the bye to the second round should be a good thing. When you don’t hit for more than 90 minutes after the first round, it definitely appeared (from the results last night) that it wasn’t much of an advantage. Also, fans, if you’re in the first row of one of the upper deck sections, quit reaching so far over the fence to try to catch home runs or foul balls. Is it worth it? Man, I have to turn my head whenever I see guys hanging that far over walls. Tonight is the All-Star game. Let’s hope we get to see Jeremy and his dad’s mugs holding the huge flag for the National Anthem before the game. Let’s hope Kurt Suzuki gets a chance to play in his first All-Star game. And, it would be really neat if Glen Perkins could come jogging in with a two-run lead for the top of the 9th inning! I know a lot of Twins fans were able to get to parts (if not all) of the All-Star festivities. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the various events. What did you like? What didn’t you like? What would you do? Obviously if you get to the parade or the All-Star game tonight, feel free to add your thoughts on that as well. Click here to view the article

On Sunday, one of the directors of the documentary Ballplayer: Pelotero came to the Twins Daily forums and after letting us know where the movie could be viewed, answered several questions from readers. I’ve read so much about the film, watched trailers and eagerly anticipated being able to see it. I didn’t know how I would be able to view it since I don’t live in a metro area. Thankfully, it is available through several sources right now. Some cable providers have made it available as On Demand. It can currently be seen at St. Anthony Main Theatre in Minneapolis and other select theaters around the country. It is also available on iTunes, which is how I watched it. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: Ballplayer Pelotero.jpg Obviously the key draw to this documentary for Twins fans is the fact that one of its main ‘characters’ is Twins top prospect Miguel Sano who is referred to as Miguel Angel (his middle name) throughout the movie. It’s an interesting look at his life and the pressure on him even as a 15 year old. But, it also is a nice glimpse into his personality. It is understandable why his nickname is “Bocaton” (translated to “Big Mouth”). He is a fun-loving kid with the world of talent. Fred Guerrero, the Twins scout in the Dominican, also has several quotes in the movie, early in the process and even after he signed. It was also an open look at how the recruitment process affected him and his entire family. He had to go through rigorous and very personal tests in an attempt to prove his age to MLB, teams and more. Download attachment: Miguel Sano 16.jpg The movie certainly points to the Pirates scout (Rene Gayo) who did whatever was necessary to get Sano to sign with him, including some very non-ethical maneuvers. As the director commented in our forum, “Rene Gayo and the Pittsburgh Pirates were able to scare off many other teams because of unfounded concerns about Miguel's age. The Twins did a very brave thing by stepping up and signing him. And hopefully they will be rewarded for it for years to come. Fred Guerrero the DR scouting director is a really great guy and knew from day one that this kid was special.” Did you know that 20% of all players in the big leagues and the minor leagues come from The Dominican Republic, a country with just 2% of the population of the United States? Most of those players sign for very small bonuses that are important for their families. Many are just represented by their mentor/ trainer/ coach at various academies. However, a player like Sano also had his own agent. Sano grew up very poor, in very humble surroundings. His agent moved him and his family and extended family into a nicer area of town. Jean Carlos Batista is the other 16 year old whose trek is documented in the film. The switch-hitting shortstop hoped to receive a signing bonus of $1.5 to $1.8 million. He was offered significantly less than that after going to several tryout camps. But later on, Batista’s mom admitted to his trainer and coach Astin Jacobo that he was actually a year older than he claimed. When Jean was ten, his parents found a way to “change” his age, and they ran with it. See how that admission affected his eventual signing bonus as well as his relationship with his trainer. One of the trainers made the comment that kids come to their academies when they are as young as 13 or 14. He compared it to a harvest in which they plant seeds, put in time and energy and at the end of the day (when a player signs), they sell it. Trainers generally get a percentage (As much as 35%) of signing bonuses. This is a documentary. It’s not Major League, so you won’t be laughing the whole time (although there are some funny moments). It’s not The Natural or Field of Dreams where everything is wonderful or even mystical at the end of the day. It is, in a way, baseball’s version of Hoop Dreams, the excellent documentary of two young basketball players as they worked from middle school to high school. In my mind, it’s a great movie for Twins fans as we get a glimpse of a young Miguel Sano and all he endured to get signed. It’s a great movie for all baseball fans as it captures what it is like to be a kid in the Dominican Republic and how much effort goes into getting signed, and how much it means for their families for the kids to be signed. I definitely recommend viewing Ballplayer: Pelotero if you have the chance! I'm not going to pretend to be a movie critic and know how to analyze greatness in a movie, particularly in a documentary. One way I determine whether or not I really liked a movie is how I feel when the movie comes to an end. At the end of this movie, I wanted it to keep going. I wanted to know what happened next. Obviously as Twins fans, we know how Miguel Sano is doing on the field, but what's going on off-the-field too and how has he adapted to playing and living in America? Well, you'll be happy to know that the same cast has occasionally been following Sano through his minor league time the last couple of years and do plan on another documentary following his career (hopefully) to the big leagues! Learn much more about the characters and the movie at the Official Ballplayer: Pelotero website. Click here to view the article

The All-Star Game is behind us. The Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball put together an extraordinary event. It may have jumped up on us, but we are just two weeks away from the July 31 trade deadline. There were a couple trades made before the All-Star break, and I think that teams could start making deals quickly. The Twins come out of the All-Star break on Friday with a series at home against the Tampa Bay Rays. That will be followed by three games against Cleveland and four games against the White Sox, all at home. If things don't go exceedingly well through that ten game stretch, the Twins could decide to be sellers. If that's the case, the Twins have several trade candidates and over the next couple of weeks we will take a look at them. That said, today we will begin our Trade Candidate Series by looking at arguably the Twins Most Valuable Player through the All-Star break, Kurt Suzuki. Download attachment: Kurt Suzuki.jpg Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn Suzuki was named to his first All-Star Game this season, his first with the Minnesota Twins after spending most of his career with the Oakland A's, as well as 122 games with the Nationals. After posting OPS over .700 his first three seasons (2007-09), he has really struggled the last couple of years. The Twins took a shot on him in the offseason at a reasonable $2.75 million. The assumption from many outside the organization was that he would be a part-time player, a mentor for Josmil Pinto. Instead, he earned the starting job and has held on to it. WHY TRADE HIM If you believe in the philosophy of Buy Low and Sell High, this could be the perfect baseball example. The Twins were able to get Suzuki for a fair rate because of his struggles the last few years. It only makes sense to sell high. His value will likely never be higher, and the Twins should capitalize on that. The Twins are still a team in transition, and as strong as the minor league system is, it never hurts to add more talent. The Twins, and Terry Ryan, did a great job of this in the late-90s. In 1996, the Twins signed Dave Hollins to play third base. In 121 games for the Twins, he hit .242/.364/.396 (.760) with 26 doubles and 13 home runs. They were able to trade him in late August for a young David Ortiz. Also, before the 1996 season, the Twins signed Roberto Kelly. He played as a part-timer in 1996 and hit .287/.336/.441 with 19 doubles and five home runs before being traded to the Mariners for Joe Mays. These players were not performing to the level that Suzuki has this year, while playing a premium position, so the Twins could get a nice package. WHY KEEP HIM I don't know that anyone has given up, per se, on the idea of Josmil Pinto being an adequate catcher at some point, but the reality is that he is enough of a liability behind the plate that it's hard to envision him being the top catcher. (But yes, he can hit.) The next catcher in the minor league ladder that is potentially a starting catcher is Stuart Turner, the team's 3rd round pick in 2013 out of Ole Miss who is spending this season with the Ft. Myers Miracle. He is at least two years away from being ready for that. Though the controversial pitch framing statistics do not shine a positive light on Suzuki, the Twins pitchers have generally been incredibly complimentary of him. He is well-respected around the game and considered a strong leader. The Twins can negotiate right now and through free agency with Suzuki in an attempt to shore up their starting catching position for the next two years. Would Suzuki consider re-upping for 2 years and $12 million? WHO NEEDS HIM There are a couple teams that are in need, at least to some degree, of a catcher. The St. Louis Cardinals lost their all-star catcher, Yadier Molina, to season-ending (most likely) injury. The Baltimore Orioles catcher, Matt Wieters, had Tommy John surgery recently and will miss the remainder of the season. Suzuki is not elite, but he is a respected (and now an All-Star) player/leader at a premium position. Twins fans should not expect a team to offer up one of their Top 5 prospects. However, I would think that the Twins could get one prospect around #10 from an organization, plus a prospect who ranks in the team's 20s. SUMMARY I'm an economics major, so you know I believe in the concept of Buy Low/Sell High. Suzuki's value will likely never be higher. He is putting up career-best numbers at age 30, so to expect him to maintain this value through the rest of the 2014 season (much less for 2-3 more years) is not realistic. That said, the Twins don't really have a quality catcher who will be ready to be the team's regular catcher for at least a couple of years. There is one best-of-both-worlds scenario that would keep a lot of people happy. They can trade him and sign him. How? Well, the Twins can add a couple of prospects in the next couple of weeks when they trade Suzuki. At the end of the year, he becomes a free agent and can sign with any team, including the Minnesota Twins. How do they do this? Terry Ryan and Rob Antony should sit down with Kurt Suzuki and make it very clear to him that they want to keep him around for a couple more years. However, they are not going to the playoffs this year and are still in a position to accumulate as much talent and depth as they can. Talk through trade scenarios with Suzuki and let him know they want to put him in a position to win in 2014. However, make it clear that the Twins plan to pursue him again in November and December when he hits the market again. Obviously no formal promises can be made or details worked out, but the conversation is good to have. PROBABILITY Honestly, I would put the odds of trading Suzuki at about 60/40 (60% likelihood that he is traded). I would say that there is about a 40% chance that Suzuki stays with the Twins through the remainder of 2014. If he does stay through the end of the season, I would predict that there is a 50/50 chance that the Twins and Suzuki will agree on a multi-year extension before season's end. YOUR TURN What should the Twins do with Kurt Suzuki? Sign him? Let him play out his contract and see what happens? Trade him? Or, trade him and bring him back? What do you think? Click here to view the article

If the draft occurred on January 5th, instead of June 5th, there is a good chance Trea Turner would have been selected before the Minnesota Twins made their first round selection, fifth overall. Now just two weeks from the draft’s first round, there is no doubt that Turner will be available to the Twins with their pick. Could the Twins use that pick to take the college shortstop? Who is This Guy? Trea Turner grew up in Florida and following his high school career, he was drafted in the 20th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead of signing an above-slot offer, Turner enrolled at North Carolina State. He arrived as a skinny, 6-1, 170 pounder, and as he (likely) leaves, he will have added about ten pounds to his lanky build. As a freshman, he hit .336/.432/.459 (.891) while playing third base. That season, he stole 57 bases in 61 attempts. As a sophomore, he made the move over to shortstop. He hit .368/.455/.553 (1.008). Despite an ankle injury, he still was successful in 30 of 36 steal attempts. He came into this season looking to build on those numbers. Going into tournament play, he was hitting .318/.414/.507 (921). These were steps back and yet still very good numbers. He also had stolen 24 of 27 bases. Why the Twins will pick him Download attachment: TreaTurner.jpg As you may assume from his stolen base totals (111-124), he has tremendous speed and is a very good, sound base runner. He has elite speed and was once clocked at 3.42 seconds from home to first base… from the right-handed batter’s box. Despite the lanky frame, Turner is not just a slap hitter. In fact, he generally takes a very healthy cut. Over his three years, his extra base hit total went from 18 to 24 to 22. That includes 20 home runs. Certainly his drafting team should not expect 20 homer seasons from Turner, but he will hit a few and drive the ball from gap to gap. Turner has also done a tremendous job at controlling the strike zone. In all three years, he has walked more than struck out. In the three years, he walked 115 times while striking out 94 times. This certainly is a strong indicator and could potentially allow him to move quickly. On defense, there are mixed opinions on whether he can stick at shortstop. That said, his fielding percentage has continued to improve each year. As a third baseman his freshman year, he posted a .921 fielding percentage. In his first year at shortstop, it improved to 940, and this year, it is .961. Though the Twins have some depth at shortstop in the system right now (Danny Santana, Jorge Polanco, Niko Goodrum), the Twins enjoy drafting athletes who can hopefully play in the middle of the field. Turner can. He also has played three seasons of high-caliber college competition as well as competed for Team USA in summers. He could certainly move up quickly. Why the Twins won’t pick him The Twins typically do not take college bats in the first round. They did take North Carolina infielder Levi Michael with the 30th overall pick in 2011. Before him, the last time the Twins used a first round pick on a college hitter was Travis Lee in 1996 (Matt LeCroy was a supplemental 1st round pick in 1997). Other college bats they have drafted in the first round included Todd Walker (1994), David McCarty and Scott Stahoviak (1991), Chuck Knoblauch (1989) The Twins have generally gone with athletic high school bats with big ceilings. There are a couple of them who may also be available to the Twins with the number five pick. There is some concern about his decline in performance in 2014, although the numbers are still very good. Stop back tomorrow when we will get to know another potential 2014 Twins draft pick. [/hr]The Twins beat the Padres last night so on Wednesday you can get a half price large or extra-large pizza from PapaJohns.com with the promo code TWINSWIN. Click here to view the article

May was a great month for right-hander JO Berrios. Mid-month, he became a first-time father. Late last week, he lost his status as a teenager. However, keep reading to see how his June started! Kohl Stewart was also on the mound in Cedar Rapids and pitched well. Also, check out how a home town player played hero on Sunday afternoon. The Twins won their second straight series in New York against the Yankees with an improbable win in Yankees Stadium. Phil Hughes was tremendous again, working all eight innings against his former teammates. Josh Willingham provided the power, tying the game with a homer to lead off the ninth. Then the Twins added five more runs and won 7-2. Download attachment: JO Berrios 2edit.jpg TRANSACTIONS The Twins had several transactions on Sunday. Stephen Wickens came off the disabled list and will begin back with the Ft. Myers Miracle. DJ Baxendale has been sent back to Ft. Myers where he will look to return to the form he displayed a year ago for the Miracle. He has been working out of the Rock Cats bullpen the last week as he recovers from his DL stint. He will be starting with the Miracle. Brett Lee is going on the disabled list. Jonathan Murphy was sent back to Cedar Rapids from Ft. Myers. JD Williams was put on the Kernels’ 7-Day disabled list with right patellar tendinitis. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Gwinnett 1 Box Score While Trevor May and Kris Johnson pitched great in May, Yohan Pino just kept doing what he’s done all year: whatever is asked of him. On this day, Pinto went 7.1 innings and gave up just one run on three hits. He walked none and struck out four. 57 of his 87 pitches were strikes. He was replaced by lefty Aaron Thompson in the 8th and he got the next two batters out. Ryan Pressly came in for the ninth. He gave up two hits but no runs to close the door. The Red Wings offense did very little. They had just six hits in the game. The two fifth-inning runs were both scored on grounders. One went to third base where there was an error. The other was just a ground ball to shortstop. James Beresford went 2-3 with a walk and his eighth double. He also stole his fourth base. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Binghamton 1 Box Score The Rock Cats put up a five-spot in the fifth inning and held on the rest of the way for a win. The big hit again came off of the bat of Mike Kvasnicka who hit a bases-clearing double. The former Gopher was 2-4 with his eighth double. He also played centerfield and threw out a runner at home. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-4 with a triple. Tony Thomas was 2-5. He stole his seventh base. Danny Ortiz had two more hits. Pat Dean had a start that he really needed. The lefty gave up only an unearned run in 5.2 innings. He gave up seven hits, walked three and struck out four. Dan Turpen retired the next four batters. Jim Fuller struck out two in a perfect inning. Adrian Salcedo gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 – Ft. Myers 3, Clearwater 0 Box Score JO Berrios had a terrific May. He pitched well, had his first child and he left his teenage status behind. However, he started out June with one of the best starts you’ll see from a minor league pitcher anywhere. The hard-throwing right-hander was at his best. He went all seven innings of Game 1 and gave up no runs. He yielded just one hit. He walked none. And after striking out the side in the seventh inning he had 13 strikeouts in the game. He is now 5-2 with a 2.24 ERA. Travis Harrison led the offense. He went 2-3 with his 16th double. Michael Gonzales was also 2-3. Aderlin Mejia hit his sixth double. For the record, Eddie Rosario was 0-3 with two strikeouts. He has batted third and played centerfield in all three games that he has played for the Miracle. Game 2 – Ft. Myers 8, Tampa 4 Box Score Matt Tomshaw was making his first June start after an incredible May. He began this game with four scoreless innings while yielding one hit. In the fifth, two runs scored, but they were unearned due to a fielding error. He went out for the sixth inning and was charged with two earned run. In total, the left-hander went 5.1 innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits. He walked none and struck out six. Tyler Jones came in and got the last two outs in the sixth (although he allowed both inherited runners to score). He worked a scoreless seventh inning to earn his fifth save of the year. The offense was led by the top four in the lineup. They combined to go 7-13 with a walk, six runs and four RBI. Aderlin Mejia went 2-3 with his seventh double. Stephen Wickens was 2-4. Eddie Rosario went 2-3 with a walk. (Yes, Eddie Rosario played in centerfield and batted third again) Those first three each scored two runs. Adam Walker drove in two runs and now has 41 RBI on the season. The big hit in the four-run second was a bases-clearing double from Dalton Hicks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Burlington 3 Box Score Chad Christensen was the Twins 25th round pick last year out of Nebraska. However, he was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, so he has been able to enjoy his first full season in professional baseball at home. On Sunday afternoon, he was able to play hero in front of the home crowd. With the game tied at three in the bottom of the eighth inning, Christensen hit a long home run, his fourth of the year, which gave the Kernels a lead they held on to. Mitch Garver’s seventh home run of the season tied the game at three in the fourth inning. He was 3-4. Bryan Haar went 2-3. Kohl Stewart made the start. He gave up three runs, but just one was earned. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out four. Jared Wilson came in and gave up only a walk over two hitless innings. He struck out two. With the lead, Todd Van Steensel worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his fourth save. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – JO Berrios, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mike Kvasnicka, New Britain Rock Cats MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Gwinnett @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain – No Game Scheduled (Listen) Tampa @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – DJ Baxendale (Listen) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 CST) – Derrick Penilla (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins afternoon win over the Yankees in New York on Sunday afternoon, it means that on Monday you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article

Winter just does not want to go away. Much of the state of Minnesota woke up to cold and even snow on Wednesday. The weather has been difficult around the country. New Britain was weathered out. The Minnesota Twins game on Wednesday night against the Blue Jays was postponed. They will play their regularly scheduled game at 12:10 on Thursday and then the makeup game at 6:10. When there is a doubleheader, teams are able to add a 26th player. The Twins will promote the recently acquired Eduardo Nunez. In his week with Rochester, he has played shortstop, third base, right field and DH. Here is a look at what happened in the Twins farm system on Wednesday: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Download attachment: Dan Rohlfing.jpg . RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Pawtucket 7 Box Score I think it’s fair to say that things have not gone terribly well for Scott Diamond in 2014. He lost the fifth starter ‘battle’ to Kyle Gibson and was DFA'ed. He went unclaimed. He agreed to pitch for Rochester. And then the season started. His first two starts were bad. In his third start, he went four innings and was charged with seven earned runs on 11 hits. He walked two and struck out four. His ERA in three starts is now 15.00. Fortunately, the Red Wings got five shutout innings from their bullpen. Deolis Guerra gave up two hits and a walk over two scoreless innings. Matt Hoffman gave up three hits and got five outs. Ryan Pressly gave up one hit over the final 1.1 innings. The Red Wings hitters attempted to come back but ended up just short. Wilkin Ramiez went 3-4 with a walk and a double. Dan Rohlfing went 3-5 with a double and two RBI. Eduardo Nunez went 2-5 and stole a base. Eric Farris also had two hits. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain, New Hampshire This game was postponed due to poor weather conditions. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Charlotte 5 Box Score Down 4-2 after seven innings on Wednesday morning, the Miracle put up four runs in the top of the eighth frame and held on for a 6-5 win. Max Kepler led the way, going 2-4 with a triple. Adam Walker had a double and drove in two runs. Travis Harrison is now hitting .310 after going 2-4 and driving in the game-tying run in the 8th. Jonathan Murphy gave the Miracle a 6-4 lead with a two-run single. AJ Pettersen also went 2-4 in the game. Tyler Duffey was charged with four runs on nine hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out two. Steven Gruver settled things down. The lefty gave up two hits and a walk but no runs over 2.2 innings in relief. Brian Gilbert recorded his second save. He gave up a run in the eighth that cut the lead to one, but pitched a scoreless ninth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, South Bend 4 Box Score Ethan Mildren made his first start for the Kernels. The 2013 draft pick gave up two runs on six hits. In five innings, he struck out five without walking a batter. Yorman Landa came on and was charged with two runs on five hits in two innings. He struck out two and also hit a batter. Alex Muren walked one over two scoreless innings. The Kernels had just seven hits in the game. Jason Kanzler had a triple. Engelb Vielma and Zack Larson each doubles. It was Larson’s seventh double already. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Steven Gruver, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Dan Rohlfing, Rochester Red Wings THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (Doubleheader: 12:05 CST) – Logan Darnell, Yohan Pino (Listen) Portland @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – DJ Baxendale (Listen) St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – Brett Lee (Listen) West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – Randy Rosario (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: darin_mastoianni.jpg The Twins claimed speedy outfielder off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays (who made room on their 40 man roster for Francisco Cordero). The Twins previous were at 40 on their roster, so someone will need to be DFAd to make room for Mastroianni. There are certainly several options. The 26 year old went 0-2 with a sacrifice bunt in his one game with the Blue Jays in 2011. He was a 16th round pick of the Jays in 2007 out of the University of Southern Indiana, a Division II school. He had spent the 2005 season at Winthrop where he was a teammate of former Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey. Because he has options, Mastroianni likely will play in Rochester in 2012. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article

In the past week, we have focused our Draft Preview attention to some of the top college players in next week’s MLB Draft. Starting today, we’re also going to look at a few high school players that could be selected by the Minnesota Twins with the fifth overall pick. We’ll start by learning a little about a left-handed pitcher who could be taken with the first overall pick in the draft, Brady Aiken. Of course, as we have seen in previous years, the top of the draft doesn’t always go as expected, so let’s get to know Aiken today. Download attachment: Aiken.jpg Brady Aiken Photo by Rinaldi Photos Who is this guy? Brady Aiken is a 6-4, 205 pound left-hander from San Diego, California. A year ago, he teamed with 2013 Minnesota Twins fourth-round pick Stephen Gonsalves atop a very formidable rotation at Cathedral Catholic High School. Gonsalves had a lot of great things to say about Aiken when he was a guest on the Twins Hangouts two weeks ago. “I knew the talent was there. I told him he was going to be a first-rounder. Definitely did not see him humping up five miles per hour over the winter since I’ve seen him. But that kid works hard. Hardest working kid I’ve ever seen. He’s only 17 years old, bigger than me. He’s been like a little brother to me. I hang out with him every day during the offseason.” Aiken has already committed to pitching for the Bruins of UCLA, but a multi-million dollar signing bonus would give him the incentive to sign. Gonsalves continued, “I tell him to get ready for the draft. He was always telling me, ‘Nah, I’m going to UCLA, man!’ (in a) totally joking manner. He’s going to be the top guy, top five definitely.” Why the Twins will pick him Most likely the Twins would love to be able to pick Aiken. First, he has put up some impressive numbers in his high school career. As a sophomore, he went 6-1 with a 1.32 ERA. He struck out 89 and walked just 18 in 47.2 innings. As a junior, he was 5-3 with a 0.92 ERA. He struck out 80 and walked 25 in 53.1 innings. This year, he was 6-0 with a 0.86 ERA in 48.2 innings. He walked just 11 and struck out 86. Aiken has very good control and command of three pitches that have the potential to be above average big league pitches. His fastball sits between 92 and 94 mph and occasionally has hit 97. He gets a lot of movement with the pitch. He also has a very good curveball and a very good changeup. Why the Twins will not pick him The only reason not to take Brady Aiken with the fifth overall pick is because he will likely have been taken with one of the top three picks, and maybe even the first overall pick. Simply, the Twins won’t be able to pick Aiken because he won’t be available by the time the fifth pick comes around. I wish I had another reason. I don’t, other than the inherent risk in projecting where every single player will be drafted. A quick reminder that tomorrow, Jeremy Nygaard will be posting his MLB Mock Draft First Round Version 2.0. You’ll definitely want to see how it has changed from last week. Click here to view the article

According to MLB Trade Rumors (via Mark Gonzales), the Minnesota Twins have claimed left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley from the Chicago Cubs. He takes the 40th roster spot vacated earlier this month by Andrew Albers. The lefty was the Cubs 6th round pick in 2009 out of Texas A&M University. He made five starts in 2012 for the Cubs, and made nine relief appearances in 2013. Combined, he has 38.1 MLB innings and sports a 7.04 ERA. Raley is 6-3 and 220 pounds. He is 25 years old.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Last year in AAA Iowa (of the PCL), he posted a 4.46 ERA over 141.1 innings. He had just 95 strikeouts to go with 45 walks. However, in 2012, he posted a 3.62 ERA in 14 starts in the Pacific Coast League. Download attachment: Brooks Raley.jpg Raley does have a four-pitch mix. He has a fastball that averaged 89 mph last year with the Cubs. He also throws a lot of sliders, usually in the low-80s. He also has a changeup and a curveball. Frankly, he sounds an awful lot like Scott Diamond. The 2012 Diamond would be terrific for a team. The 2013 version, maybe not. It's also entirely possible that the Twins will now attempt to pass him through waivers. Click here to view the article

As spring training games are set to begin for the Minnesota Twins, fans will finally be able to see how the players perform against other teams. As we’ve learned time after time, actual spring training statistics mean very little. Most positions are already accounted for. However, as we have documented the last two weeks at Twins Daily, there are still a few position battles we will be watching. Spring performance also is noteworthy for prospects and other players who just want to make an impression on the Twins coaching staff and brass. It may not mean making the Opening Day roster, but it might mean getting a look when a need arises through the season.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Today, I’m going to take a look at some of the prospects who are in Ft. Myers looking to make an impression. THE BIG THREE There’s no question the Twins have one of the most highly rated minor league systems in all baseball. This is largely due to the Twins' Big Three. Byron Buxton is rated baseball’s #1 prospect by every outlet. Miguel Sano is touted as the top third base prospect in large part because he is generally considered the minor leaguer with the most power potential in the game. For me, Alex Meyer fits into the elite prospect category as well. As great as the potential may be for Buxton and Sano, Meyer is arguably the most important prospect in the Twins' farm system. Meyer represents what Twins fans (and coaches and front office personnel) have been awaiting for years, an ace. Not just a #1 starter, but a true ace. Blessed with a fastball that can hit triple-digits, Meyer also has a devastating slider and two other major league pitches. All three of these prospects are in big league camp. It is the first go ‘round for Buxton and Sano while Meyer was invited last spring after coming to the organization from Washington. All three are non-roster invitees. (Sano and Meyer would need to be added to the 40 man roster following the 2014 season while Buxton would not need to be added until after the 2016 season.) Because they are not on the 40 man roster, it is more likely the Twins will take a long look at them. It is also possible all three will surface with the Twins sometime in 2014. QUICK GLANCE If a player on the 40 man roster happens to get hurt while in major league camp, he would go on the major league disabled list. Because of that, players on the 40 man roster with little (or no) chance of making the Opening Day roster are quickly sent to minor league camp. Minor leaguers report to Ft. Myers on March 4 and their first full workout is March 6. The Twins first round of cuts will likely be soon after that. There are several players that fit in this category: Max Kepler – The outfielder/first baseman is young (20) and very raw, but he has a world of talent. He will start the season in Ft. Myers after playing just a half-season at Cedar Rapids last year before his Arizona Fall League stint. Download attachment: Jorge Polanco 3.jpg Jorge Polanco – The infielder is just 20 years old and played all 2013 in Cedar Rapids. He’ll move up to Ft. Myers for 2014. His prospect status has risen quickly the past two years, so he was an easy choice to be added to the 40 man roster. He’ll also be an easy choice to send to minor league camp right away. Kennys Vargas – If you thought the 6-5, 250 pound Miguel Sano was a large man, wait until you see Vargas. He is 6-6 and about 275 pounds. He (specifically his batting practice prowess) has made quite an impression this spring. He had a solid season in 2013 in Ft. Myers and will begin the 2014 season in AA New Britain. Danny Santana – Even with Pedro Florimon’s appendectomy and missed time in spring training, Santana will not be an option for Opening Day. I think he’ll start the 2014 season back in New Britain, but we could see him by season’s end. However, with Eduardo Escobar, Jason Bartlett and James Beresford in camp, I think he’ll be sent down quickly. Logan Darnell – The left-hander pitched for New Britain and Rochester in 2013. He is likely to spend the season starting in Rochester in 2014. Due to the logjam for the 5th starter spot already, Darnell likely gets sent back to minor league spring training pretty quickly. LONG LOOKS If they are still qualified as “prospects”, there are a few prospects who are on the 40 man roster and will still get long looks this spring. Kyle Gibson, Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks fall into this category. Josmil Pinto has a chance to be the Twins starting catcher. That offensive talent made a strong impression last fall in his big league debut. However, he was shut down quickly from winter ball due to a sore shoulder. On arriving in Ft. Myers, he was delayed by a back problem too. He’ll get a chance to compete though. Trevor May, like Darnell, is not going to make the Opening Day roster due to the crunch at the back of the Twins rotation. Also, he has only pitched in one game at AAA. The Twins will want to take a long look at him to get a better feel for whether or not he will be able to start long term. Michael Tonkin could also be around big league camp for a little while. Though he struggled at AAA and in the big leagues, he still has a big arm and the potential to pitch at the back-end of the Twins bullpen for years. ORGANIZATION’S NEW ARMS In the offseason, the Twins added a few pitchers to the organization. They will likely want to see them for a little while in an attempt to see what they have. Sean Gilmartin is not on the 40 man roster. He came to the Twins from the Atlanta Braves in the Ryan Doumit trade. A first-round pick just three years ago, he was injured in 2013 and hopes to show what he can do again when healthy. Brooks Raley was claimed by the Twins just two weeks ago. He had appeared in games for the Chicago Cubs each of the last two seasons, but he was removed from their 40 man roster and claimed by the Twins. The left-hander has started, but he also has pitched out of the bullpen. He certainly does fit the mold of soft-tossing lefty. Kris Johnson came to the Twins in a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Twins sent reliever Duke Welker back to the Pirates in exchange. Recall that the Twins sent Justin Morneau to the Pirates in late August for Alex Presley and a player to be named later. Shortly after the season, the teams announced that the PTBNL was reliever Welker. Then a month or so later, something happened and the Twins decided they would send Welker back to Pittsburgh for Johnson. Though already 29, Johnson made his big league debut in 2013. He showed that he isn’t just a soft-tosser. He capable of hitting 92 on the radar. ROAD TO RECOVERY There are two pitchers at Twins camp who came to the organization in controversial trades. They were both on the 40 man roster at one point, but injury cost each of them time and a spot on the 40 man roster. Last spring, Deolis Guerra was ready to pitch for Team Venezuela in the WBC. Unfortunately, a blood clot in his shoulder required surgery and he missed the entire season. He became a free agent following the 2013 season but chose to stay with the Twins. The same is true of Lester Oliveros. He could have gone elsewhere but stayed with the Twins. In September of 2012, he had Tommy John surgery and rehabbed throughout the 2013 season. Both pitchers are still 25 or younger. Guerra has a tremendous changeup while Oliveros was a hard-thrower. Both could fit into the Twins bullpen in 2014 if a need arrives. NON-ROSTER INVITES WHO CAN IMPRESS James Beresford put together his best offensive season in 2013, hitting over .300 while splitting time between New Britain and Rochester. The second baseman may compete (or should be allowed to compete) for a second utility infield position. Every spring training, teams need a lot of catchers at big league camp. The reason? There are a ton of pitchers at big league camp. There are four non-roster catchers in Twins camp. This is the fourth time Rohlfing has been a non-roster invite to big league camp. Last year, he split his time between New Britain and Rochester. He also is a terrific athlete who split his time between catcher and the outfield. Rohlfing became a free agent after last season but signed back with the Twins. Kyle Knudson was invited to spring training for the second time. The former Gophers star was healthy for the first time in his career last year and came through with a very solid season between Ft. Myers and New Britain. Matt Koch spent 2013 in Ft. Myers. He’s more of an offensive catcher, though, showing good power and an ability to hit for average. Stuart Turner was the Twins 3rd round pick just last year. He was the Johnny Bench Award winner as the nation’s top catcher. He is a guy who could move quickly. As we’ve learned, all the Twins home games this spring will be shown on FSN. Now when you see players wearing uniforms with numbers generally worn by offensive tackles and wide receivers, you’ll know a little bit about them. We are certain to learn even more about them throughout the 2014 season. Click here to view the article

Twins prospect Miguel Sano has been shut down from winter ball, and Byron Buxton may be shut down from the Arizona Fall League. According to the Star Tribune's La Velle E. Neal, Miguel Sano has been shut down from the Dominican Winter League. He was in the Twin Cities this last week and diagnosed with a strained right Ulnar Collateral Ligament (yes, the Tommy John ligament). He visited the infamous Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday, and he agreed with the diagnosis. According to Baseball America's John Manuel, Byron Buxton may be shut down because he has reaggravated his shoulder injury from last month. It is not believed to be serious. In fact, the Arizona Fall League is complete next week. It was reported last month that Kohl Stewart did not pitch in the Instructional League due to his sore shoulder. Of course, Alex Meyer also missed over two months with his shoulder issue. Hopefully everything with these guys is OK by spring training!! Obviously with guys of this caliber, the Twins need to proceed with utmost caution. Download attachment: Miguel Sano NB.jpg Click here to view the article

Download attachment: waldrop%u0025252Ckyle.jpg Last night’s 90-minute SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast was a lot of fun! We talked to Kyle Waldrop about what it was like to finally getting his first big league opportunity after spending eight seasons in the Twins system. He discussed what he did in the offseason to improve and what he’s looking to show in spring training. Then Alex Margulies joined us to talk about how big league spring training affects the Ft. Myers Miracle front office. We also discussed how the Miracle has been ahead of the game in terms of technology. We also discussed Aaron Hicks, Alex Wimmers, Oswaldo Arcia and several other Twins prospects that spent time with the Miracle last year. It was treat to be joined by the new Voice of the Twins Cory Provus who has jumped headfirst into his new job. He’s spent time on the Twins Caravan, and he’s dug into the history of the Minnesota Twins. He’s learned a lot from Bob Uecker and Ron Santo, and although he’s just 31-32 years old, he’s worked in many jobs and many sports. You’ll enjoy this interview. Jeff Manship called in next to talk about his frustrating 2011 season and how he is working and preparing for the 2012 season. He’ll begin his trek to Ft. Myers today. It will be interesting to see how his spring training goes. Will he start or work out of the bullpen? Finally, Dan Rohlfing called into the podcast. He is a non-roster invite to big league camp as a catcher. For the first time in his career, he got a chance to play nearly every day. Like Chris Herrmann, Rohlfing is a great athlete and when he didn’t catch, he was playing in the outfield. He was entertaining as well. It was a fun show for me. I definitely enjoy chatting with players and other Twins personnel, especially as spring training is coming quickly. However, I do want your thoughts, your opinions or suggestions. Any feedback on the podcasts is very welcome, so please feel free to e-mail me at sethspeaksnet@hotmail.com or leave your questions, comments and ideas in the Comments Section! Click here to view the article

At 12:10 today, the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers will play the fourth and final game of their series. Samuel Deduno will take the mound for the Twins which means that Josmil Pinto’s catching tutorial will continue. More important, Josmil Pinto’s bat will be in the Twins starting lineup. Inexplicably that has been the case only one time since May 17th. Pinto is easily one of the top hitters on a Twins roster that right now is finding it very difficult to score runs. It seems like it would be an easy decision to get him into the lineup most days of the week (certainly five out of seven games), but for some reason, Pinto has not been playing. Download attachment: Josmil Pinto hit2.jpg Photo by Betsy Bissen Here are the Twins OPS leaders through Tuesday’s game: Eduardo Escobar – .893Josmil Pinto – .806Brian Dozier – .802Kurt Suzuki - .769Trevor Plouffe - .740 There are several reasons why this bothers me that I will touch on, but I’ll also share a very easy way to remedy the situation. Twins Offensive Struggles The Twins bats have really been struggling the last week or so. In their last seven games, they have scored just 12 total runs. They have scored two runs or less in six of those seven games. The team needs as many good hitters in the lineup as they can find. Josmil Pinto is hitting .241/.351/.455 (.806) with seven home runs. He has shown an ability to take quality at bats while showing power, uses the whole field and drives in runs. Prospects Should Play It’s a commonly held belief. Prospects need to play. They need game situations to learn how to react and respond to various events throughout a game. Sitting on the bench for more than a game or two makes no sense to their development. Right now, the Twins have two players that were generally considered Top 10 or Top 15 prospects in the Twins organization coming into the season on their roster. They are currently spending a lot of time getting slivers while riding the pine on the big league bench. Danny Santana could be the shortstop of the future, yet he finds himself either sitting or playing centerfield. Pinto, as we already mentioned, has made one start in the last dozen days. How is this positive for the players, or for the team? No DH in the NL Last week, the Twins played five games in San Diego and San Francisco, and Pinto played in just one of those games. Personally, I think he should have played one game in each series, but this is at least understandable since there is no DH in the National League parks. Suzuki Factor When Kurt Suzuki signed with the Twins in the offseason, the assumption was that he would split time at catcher with Pinto, mentoring him along the way. However, Suzuki has been one of the better hitters in the Twins lineup all season. Though he has slumped of late, he is hitting nearly .300 and getting on base 36% of the time. Suzuki certainly deserves to play and should be in the lineup four or five days a week. That said, if they’re committed to Pinto at all as a catcher of the future, he needs to get more reps. He needs to catch twice a week. Two or Three Catchers Ron Gardenhire has said several times that he has no problem having both Suzuki and Pinto in the lineup. However, simply put, it has not been happening. That’s the reality. A Simple Answer #1 – Name Kurt Suzuki the starting catcher. This has already done and we have seen it in action. #2 – Name Josmil Pinto the primary designated hitter. This means he is no longer the backup catcher… in games that Suzuki starts at catcher. #3 – Call up Chris Herrmann to be the backup catcher. I know. He’s been up twice already this year, and he has completely struggled with the bat. However, he can play three outfield positions (and could play first base, too) and be the backup catcher. #4 – Pinto can still catch Samuel Deduno. On those days, Suzuki can be the backup catcher, and Herrmann can be the fifth outfielder. I know. We don’t want three catchers on the roster, but more important, I would like to see Josmil Pinto in the Twins starting lineup at least five times a week. When the offense is struggling, get as many quality bats in the lineup as possible. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Burton_Jared_600_321.jpg The Minnesota Twins signed reliever Jared Burton to a contract extension. The new deal covers 2013 and 2014 with a team option for 2015. The signing was first reported by Darren "Doogie" Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (via Twitter) and has now been confirmed by the Twins. According to the Twins' press release, the deal is for two years, at $5.5 million. He will make $2.05 million in 2013 and $3.25 million in 2014. The option for 2015 is at $3.6 million with a $200,000 buyout. Last week, the Twins tendered Burton a contract. This is the final year of arbitration-eligibility so the new contract will buy out one year of his free agency and the option year could buy out another. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Burton came to the Twins last year in a minor league contract. He made the Opening Day roster and was a mainstay in the back-end of the Twins bullpen. The 31-year-old righty went 3-2 with the first five saves of his career. In 64 games and 62 innings, he posted a 2.18 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. He walked just 16 and struck out 55. He gave up five home runs, but two of them came in his first Twins outing. How do I remember that? Because when he came into the game, I told my whole family (with some extended family around) that Burton would be the Twins closer by the end of the season. They vehemently disagreed after the two gopher balls. Burton was available on a minor league contract because he missed time in 2010 and 2011 with arm injuries. The Twins used him wisely in 2012. What are your thoughts on the extension? Click here to view the article