Seth Stohs

For me, I wouldn't even really consider Wieters. I think giving up the 17th overall pick is a lot. He's basically 30, so we're talking about years 30-33. Some do alright, but signing catchers at 30 to long term contracts a little/lot scary to me. If it gets late in the free agent timeline (maybe January) and Wieters is now willing to go 2 years and $25 million, I might consider it. I'm not saying AJ because he can maybe help a team offensively (at 40, we'll see). Not much defensively, though that doesn't change from now. But I'd rather go with a veteran on a one-year deal than spend big on Wieters.

Lack of power based on? 30 games in the GCL? No concern whatsoever. I've watched quite a bit of video of his swing and approach at the plate during the GCL season. He's got the size and strength and frame to develop into a bit of power. That's not a concern at all. He's got a real nice swing, in my opinion.

I talked to him after a start in Cedar Rapids in 2013. He was very nice, honest, etc. I don't think he's a bad guy at all. He just had a couple of issues that he wasn't able to get past. Hopefully he will be able to at some point.

Tweet now from Doogie Wolfson:

I haven't seen it. He'd be a candidate for that, but I don't know. Throws hard. He's been hurt a lot the last couple of years.

Thrylos... where did you see that Matt Summers was released? I hadn't seen that one yet. I know Gruver was released in September.

Yeah, I don't think that predicting drug issues for a player is really something you can anticipate. It's obviously not something that is going to come out in pre-draft discussions unless he gets arrested or something happens. He was a pitcher throwing 97 out of high school before the draft. I don't have any problem with the pick. When I saw him this spring, it was clear he had put all of the weight back on. The drug situation was obviously a problem. It didn't work. Definitely not worth getting overly upset about. Unfortunate, but that's how the draft is.

Call me Old School if you want, but I hate excessive strikeouts. It was really fun watching the Royals in the playoffs because they just don't want to strikeout. I love that mentality. Put the ball in play, be aggressive. Walks are wonderful, but if you know the strike zone, get strikes and attack it. I like a good, selective hitter too, but it's much, much more fun to watch batters swing the bat. But yeah... the Mets were all about their starters. The Royals got solid starting and let the bullpen dominate. Lots to learn.

Yeah, those Caribbean Leagues aren't about development. They're all about winning.

The Fall Stars game isn't about who is performing the best. It's about the top prospects - right or wrong. Rogers is pitching very well... take away one inning in which he gave up 4 runs and he'd have an ERA under 1.

One year ago, Trey Cabbage was beginning his senior season of basketball. He is a tremendous athlete who made a name online for himself on the court (see video below). However, it is on the baseball diamond where he hopes to become a household name for years to come. Recently, Twins Daily had the opportunity to chat with him, and our readers get a chance to know him. In the fourth round of the 2015 draft, the Twins went back to the high school ranks to select Trey Cabbage out of Grainger High School in Rutledge, Tennessee. He signed for well over the slot value and reported to Ft. Myers where he played for the GCL Twins. In 33 games, he hit .252/.302/.269 with two doubles. However, his season came to an end early when he was shut down with some lower back pain. He reports that the back is doing well, and he’s back in Tennessee for the offseason. Image courtesy of Jon Tarr (photo of Trey Cabbage) One year ago, Trey Cabbage was beginning his senior season of basketball. He is a tremendous athlete who made a name online for himself on the court (see video below). However, it is on the baseball diamond where he hopes to become a household name for years to come. Recently, Twins Daily had the opportunity to chat with him, and our readers get a chance to know him. In the fourth round of the 2015 draft, the Twins went back to the high school ranks to select Trey Cabbage out of Grainger High School in Rutledge, Tennessee. He signed for well over the slot value and reported to Ft. Myers where he played for the GCL Twins. In 33 games, he hit .252/.302/.269 with two doubles. However, his season came to an end early when he was shut down with some lower back pain. He reports that the back is doing well, and he’s back in Tennessee for the offseason. Cabbage will report to Ft. Myers in March for spring training. Most likely he will begin the season in extended spring training and play for Elizabethton. That said, it’s entirely possible that he could spend some time in Cedar Rapids during the season. Let’s get to know more about Trey Cabbage: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Tennessee, what was your favorite team to follow, and who were some of your favorite players? Trey Cabbage (TC): I always kept up with Todd Helton because he went to nearby Knox Central High School. He also was a Tennessee Volunteer in college. Phil Garner also went to my high school way before my time, but he came and spoke to my team and it was very influential and motivating. The team I followed was the Chicago Cubs because we live really close to their AA affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies.SS: Drafted by the Twins in the 4th round... is that about where you thought you would be selected before the draft? TC I really wanted to go higher in the draft, but I'm very blessed to be where I am, and I thank God for that daily.SS: You had the commitment to play at Tennessee. How difficult was the decision to sign with the Twins, or did you know you wanted to sign all along? TC: I knew I wanted to play professional very badly, so my family and I agreed that if we felt the situation fit, then I would do as I did; jump on it.SS: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from the high school and amateur season to the pro game? On or off the field? TC: On the field, I felt like I adjusted quickly after about a week. I adjusted and got comfortable with the speed of the game. Off the field, I knew I had to hold myself accountable, and keep myself in the best position to succeed in my career.SS: You primarily played shortstop in high school. You played various places in your debut in the GCL. Where do you feel most comfortable and where do you think is the best position for you? TC: I feel comfortable anywhere on the field. I just want to play no matter where or how, I just want to be on the field.SS: In these very early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? TC: My work ethic and drive. I may not always be the most talented player to play, but I will never let myself be outworked.SS: What are the things that you feel you need to improve over the offseason and going forward? TC: I need to improve my durability. I need stay healthy, so I can be on the field ready to play.SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school and amateur career? (What other sports or activities did you participate in?) TC: I don't like to dwell on my previous accolades, but I am proud of being a 4 time all-state & two time All-American in baseball. I also played basketball. I wasn't the best, but I loved to play and compete with my team.SS: So, obviously many have seen the video of you breaking a rim in a basketball game. What do you recall about when that happened, the fan and teammate reaction and such? TC: All I heard was silence in the heat of the moment. I remember coming down and yelling in celebration. Then I heard a whistle and I thought they had called a technical on me for hanging on the rim. Next, I see my coaches and teammates pointing at the goal and I turned to see the rim dangling. I was ecstatic and it was awesome.SS: What are your plans for the offseason. Baseball training, but also what do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? TC: Yes, training. I like spending time with family and friends, while staying active such as hiking, swimming and pick up games of any sport.SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? TC: (I wouldn't) be where I am at without my high school coach, Chad Tate, my summer ball coaches including Todd F. Howard and Thomas "Ernie" Haire and of course, the man who taught me the game, my father.We would like to thank Trey Cabbage for taking time to answer our questions. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

The Melbourne Aces had a 6+ minute interview with their new manager and current Twins bench coach Joe Vavra. I chatted with him the final weekend of the Twins regular season, and he was looking forward to coaching and spending some time with his sons. He did talk a bit about his MLB role, his role with the Aces and more. He told me that he'll be going there and really working with some of the other coaches about managing, coaching and more. Justin Huber is the GM of the Aces. He spent one year in the Twins organization. Anyway, this is a good interview with Joe Vavra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCGNMhdadCo

And here's Trey Vavra's three-run homer from earlier in the weekend...

Tanner Vavra's home run from Sunday afternoon (or Saturday night in the States). I'm impressed with how quickly he got around the bases. Click here for video.

He hit 7th most of the year in AA this year, and is hitting 7th in the AFL so far.

It''s been on mlb.com the past several years... not sure about MLB Network because I don't get that.

Vargas has played in Puerto Rico the last couple of seasons. I'm guessing he will again later in the offseason. Arcia has played in Venezuela. Some have said he's staying in the States this offseason, but he could do what a lot of players do and play after the holidays.

The Scottsdale Scorpions, who host Twins prospects this season in the Arizona Fall League, had a dominant week with a 5-1 record. They outscored their opponents 41-21 and Twins prospects had a lot to do with that. The Scorpions are now tied with the Salt River Rafters atop the Eastern Division at 9-6. Taylor Rogers had a fantastic start on Wednesday but was betrayed by his bullpen (not his fellow Twins prospects), one catcher continued his hot hitting, and Adam Brett Walker came up big in multiple games. Read on to check out how each prospect did in week two of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photo of Adam Brett Walker) The Scottsdale Scorpions, who host Twins prospects this season in the Arizona Fall League, had a dominant week with a 5-1 record. They outscored their opponents 41-21 and Twins prospects had a lot to do with that. The Scorpions are now tied with the Salt River Rafters atop the Eastern Division at 9-6. Taylor Rogers had a fantastic start on Wednesday but was betrayed by his bullpen (not his fellow Twins prospects), one catcher continued his hot hitting, and Adam Brett Walker came up big in multiple games. Read on to check out how each prospect did in week two of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Adam Brett Walker – 4 games, 5-15 (.333), 3 R’s, 1 2B, 2 HR’s, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K’s. Walker started the week off with a bang, collecting a home run and three RBI in his first two games. In Monday’s win, Walker punctuated the scoring with his three-run homer in the ninth inning to make the final score 10-3. He was also hit by a pitch in the game and singled in the seventh inning to reach base in three of six plate appearances. He struck out once. In his next game on Wednesday, Walker was even more pivotal for his team. His double in the fourth inning gave Scottsdale their first runs of the game and closed the lead to 4-2. He scoredthe third run when the next batter (another Twins farmhand) followed with a double. The inning ended with the game tied 4-4. With the game still tied in the sixth, Walker sent a blast into the left field bleachers for a solo home run that proved to be the game winner, as the Scorpions went on to beat Glendale 5-4. Walker also singled in the game to finish 3-4. For the rest of the week, Walker cooled off with an 0-3 day in Scottsdale’s 4-2 win on Thursday, and 0-4 effort in their 6-2 win on Saturday. But positives from those games included the fact he struck out only once and he also drew a walk in Saturday’s game. This is the type of week that one wants to see from Walker. Not many wasted at-bats, big impacts in a few games with his power, and clutch performances at that. Stuart Turner – 2 games, 2-7 (.286), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K’s. Turner again made the start at catcher for the Scorpions in two games on the week, playing in the games on Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday he followed Walker’s double in the fourth inning with one of his own to drive him in and make the score 4-3, and came around to score the game-tying run on a single. He finished the day 2-4 with two strikeouts. In Thursday’s second consecutive win against the Glendale Desert Dogs, Turner was 0-3, but picked up an RBI when his fly ball in the second inning was turned into a force out of a runner at second base, but the runner on third scampered home. Turner had one base stolen on him in the two games, and did not get any other chances to throw runners out. Mitch Garver – 2 games, 3-9 (.333), 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K. Garver saw action at catcher on Tuesday and Friday this week, and picked up hits in each contest. He has collected at least one hit in each of his five games on the season, and has two hits in four of those contests. His average stands at .409. In Tuesday’s 9-4 loss to Salt River, Garver picked up an RBI on a single in the seventh inning to make the score 7-2, but did not reach base in any other plate appearance. On defense, he caught one runner stealing second base in the seventh inning. In Friday’s 12-1 blowout win for Scottsdale against Mesa, Garver got the three-run fourth inning started with a double to right. He later scored on Christian Arroyo’s three-run homer to make the score 7-0. Then in the three-run seventh inning, his single brought the tenth run of the game for the Scorpions. He finished 2-5 with the double, a run scored, and an RBI. Nick Burdi – 2 games, 2 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Burdi made two appearances on the week, pitching the ninth inning in Monday’s 10-3 win, and the eighth inning in Friday’s 12-1 win. He was flawless, recording one-two-three innings in both appearances. On Monday, he struck out the first two hitters he faced, one looking and one swinging, and a fly-out ended the game. On Friday, he got a quick three ground ball outs on just seven pitches. He’s allowed just one hit and walked none in his brief appearances so far, striking out one per inning. Trevor Hildenberger – 1 game, 2.1 IP, 2 R’s, 4 H’s, 0 BB’s, 1 K, 7.71 ERA. Twins Daily’s 2015 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the year got in on just one game this week, and it didn’t go as well as Hildenberger may have hoped. He was tasked with going multiple innings early in the game. Scottsdale’s starter Antonio Romero left the game after collecting just two outs in the first inning, as three consecutive walks scored the game’s first two runs. Hildenberger ended the early bases-loaded threat by inducing a groundout. In the second inning, the lead-off man picked up an infield single, but was quickly erased on a double play ball, and another ground ball ended the scoreless inning for Hildenberger. Hildenberger’s third inning is where he ran into trouble as his workload was extended. He struck out the first batter of the inning, but a double, triple and single from the next three hitters brought in two runs and 4-0 lead for Glendale. He escaped the inning without any further damage by getting two more ground balls. Scottsdale came back to win the game 5-4 via the heroics of Walker detailed above. Jake Reed – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB’s, 0 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Reed made two appearances on the week, pitching the ninth inning in Wednesday’s 5-4 win to pick up his first save and the ninth inning on Saturday to close out their 12-1 win. It wasn’t particularly pretty at times, but Reed got the jobs done with scoreless innings. On Wednesday, Reed ran into trouble with two walks and a throwing error that moved the first of those runners to second base, but got a double-play ground ball to end the game and pick up the save. On Saturday, a ground rule double and a walk put runners on first and third with two outs, but a ground ball to short ended that game as well. Reed threw thirty-six pitches in those two games, with twenty going for strikes and he did not pick up any punchouts. Taylor Rogers – 1 game started, 5.0 IP, 4 ER’s, 2 H’s, 2 BB’s, 3 K’s. 0.00 ERA. Rogers got the start in Tuesday’s 9-4 loss, but the loss wasn’t because of anything he did. He was effective and efficient in his five innings, leaving the game with his team up 1-0 and in line for the win before the bullpen imploded behind him. He allowed no runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out three to lower his ERA in the AFL to 3.46. He retired nine in a row at one point and did not really get into any trouble as he scattered the two hits and two walks. He finished the fifth inning with runners on first and second for the best chance Salt River had to that point in the game. QUICK HITS: - MLB.com’s prospect guru Jonathan Mayo was in Arizona this week, and filed a report on Twins prospects. His main topic, the focus on improved plate discipline for Adam Brett Walker. - More details of Walker’s monster day in the come-from-behind 5-4 victory on Wednesday. First line of the article: “Adam Brett Walker II is a strong man” (duh). - More Walker details from Twitter, as Seth tells you how far, and how fast, Walker’s home run from Wednesday’s game traveled, Bernie Pleskoff adds some confirmation, and another observer shows us just how far it went. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! View full article

Certainly... Most of those will just be in the Forums, but if there's a decent name or something, we'll cover it more.

Several Minnesota Twins minor leaguers are playing in a Winter League abroad. We have been posting weekly updates from the Arizona Fall League, and Steve Lien will post this week's later today. But there are also players playing in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Australia. Check out how they've done in the early stages of the Winter Leagues. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photo of Trey Vavra) Several Minnesota Twins minor leaguers are playing in a Winter League abroad. We have been posting weekly updates from the Arizona Fall League, and Steve Lien will post this week's later today. But there are also players playing in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Australia. Check out how they've done in the early stages of the Winter Leagues. Venezuela Winter League The Venezuelan baseball league began about two weeks ago. Several Twins minor leaguers are playing. Here is a quick update of how they have done to this point. Shortstop Argenis Diaz is playing for Aragua. He is hitting .500/.571/1.000 (1.571). Sounds great, but he has just six at bats so far. He is 3-6 with a double and a triple. One walk. Infielder Jose Martinez is also playing for Aragua. He is 6-34, hitting .176/.222/.176 with two walks. Heiker Meneses plays for LaGuiara. He is hitting .208/.345/.250 (.595) with a double and two walks. He is 5-24. Engelb Vielma is also playing for Aragua. He is 9-47, hitting .191/.255/.234 (.489). He has two doubles, two walks and two stolen bases. Omar Bencomo was signed in early August by the Twins out of independent baseball. He is pitching for Margarita. He has made four starts and is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. In 20 innings, he has given up 23 hits, walked four and struck out nine. Brett Lee has pitched twice for Caracas. The lefty is 0-0 with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. In 6.1 innings, he has given up eight hits, walked two and struck out two. Logan Darnell has pitched twice, making one start. In 9.1 innings, he has given up four hits, two walks and struck out eight. He is 0-0 with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .121. Dominican Winter League Game has been played in the Dominican for the last two weeks as well. Carlos Paulino is playing for Gigantes. He has gone 9-28. He’s hitting .321/.457/.357 (.814) with a double. He has also walked seven times already. Jorge Polanco plays for Escogito. He is hitting .293/.396/.463 (.859). He is 12-41 with two triples and a home run. He has seven walks to go with just six strikeouts. Righty Adrian Salcedo pitched just once and went two innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three. He also got the Win in that game. Mexican Winter League The Mexican Winter League gets started pretty quickly following the major league regular season. To this point, two Twins minor leaguers have played. Reynaldo Rodriguez plays for Obregon. The first baseman is hitting .236/.313/.472 (.785). He has gone 17-72. He has three doubles, a triple and four home runs. He has also walked eight times. Mark Hamburger is also playing for Obregon. The reliever has pitched 10.1 innings in 13 appearances. He is 1-2 with a 6.97 ERA and a 1.94 WHIP. He’s given up 16 hits, walked four and struck out seven. Puerto Rico Winter League This is a short report. Games started in Puerto Rico this weekend and just one Twins player played so far. Danny Ortiz played for Mayaguez and went 0-5 on opening night. Australian Baseball League Teams is the ABL typically play Friday through Sunday. Often they play doubleheaders on Saturdays. The stats below are through Sunday afternoon’s games (even though it’s posted Sunday morning). Geography and time zone knowledge reminds us that they are 15-19 hours ahead of us in the United States. Here are the Twins minor leaguers who have played so far. There are several former Twins players who are also in the league including Luke Hughes who plays for Perth. Allan de San Miguel is the catcher and cleanup hitter for the Perth Heat. Through two weekends, he has hit .240/.296/.320 (.616). He has gone 6-25 with a walk and two doubles. Catcher Michael Quesada is playing for Sydney. He is hitting .235/.458/.294 (752) with a double. He is 4-17 with five walks. He has also been hit twice. Logan Wade played the first weekend, but not the second weekend, for Brisbane. He went 3-10 with a home run. Also playing for Brisbane is outfielder/second baseman Aaron Whitefield. He has not yet played in the States. He has started the season by going 8-26. He’s hitting .308/.308/.308 (.616). Tanner Vavra played for Melbourne. He has primarily played second base but also seen time at shortstop. He had a big game on Sunday afternoon. He is 5-18, hitting .278/.409/.500 (.909) with three walks, a double and a homer. He hit a home run on Sunday afternoon to tie the game at one. In his next at bat, with runners on second and third and two outs, he doubled in both runs. Trey Vavra also plays for Melbourne. He is playing first base and batting third. He is hitting .393/.414/.536 (.950) with a walk, a double and a home run. He is 11-28. As you recall, Joe Vavra – Tanner and Trey’s dad – became the first active MLB coach to also be a manager in the Australian Baseball League when he agreed to manage Melbourne. He had previously managed in the ABL back in the early 90s when he was a coach in the Dodgers farm system. Major League Baseball provides a lot of dollars for the ABL. The league is full of players from Australia, but it also includes players from minor league teams in the States and teams in Japan. We will post an update on the goings-on in the Winter Leagues from time to time. Please feel free to ask quest View full article

I'd say there is a very high likelihood of him getting there...

I can agree with that. I was a fan of Mark Funderburk... The reality, as I've said before, is that prospect ranking is not a science because we're dealing with people. Injuries happen. Players don't progress as anticipated. Tools don't become skills. No perfect way to do this... So there is really no wrong ranking.

Has nothing to do with the ranking... just background information.