Seth Stohs

We are getting close now. Today, we enter into the Top 10 Twins prospects by looking at prospects six through ten. To give a heads up, the Top 5 prospects will be posted for Thursday, so be sure to come back for that. And on Friday, I'll review my Top 50 and encourage all of you to post a Top 20 (or 30 or 50, or whatever you like). I would argue that the top five Twins prospects approach 'elite' status. Prospects six through ten all have great upside, but each still has a question or two. It may be youth. It may be plate control or discipline. It may be development of a third or fourth pitch. These guys have a chance to be solid major league contributors. Likely they won't be big league All-Stars, but they can be big league regulars (and sometimes they do become All-Stars). Part 9: Prospects 6-10 As we start the Top 10 Twins prospects today, this group is really pretty interchangeable (and I think Josmil Pinto fits with this group). I think it's fair to say Cedar Rapids is pretty well represented as four of the five players on this list spent at least most of the season there. One was the Midwest League's Player of the Year, according to Topps. Two are hold-overs from last year's Top 10 while the fourth has jumped up prospect rankings over the last 18 months. The fifth is a hard-throwing kid who would still be a senior in high school if he were from the US. Photo by Rinaldi Photos #10 – Adam Walker – OF (22) The Milwaukee native went to Jacksonville University and put together three very good collegiate seasons. He posted OPS of 1.035, 1.168 and 1.007 in those seasons. He hit 52 doubles and 42 homers in those three seasons, plus he went 40-41 in stolen base attempts. After the Twins drafted him in the third round of the 2012 draft, he hit 14 home runs at Elizabethton, not to mention the two playoff homers that helped the E-Twins to the Appy League title. At Cedar Rapids in 2013, he hit .278/.319/.526 (.844) with 31 doubles and seven triples. He led the Midwest League with 27 home runs and 109 RBI (which was second in minor league baseball to only Dalton Hicks). He was also 10-10 in steal attempts. At 6-4 and 225 pounds, Walker is built for power. Except for Miguel Sano, Walker has as much power and power potential as anyone in the organization. He didn’t walk much in his first full season in the minors, which is a concern, so that will be the area worth watching. Defensively, he is solid in right field with good speed for his size. Yesterday, Topps named him the Player of the Year in the Midwest League. #9 – Lewis Thorpe – LH SP (17) Last week, Lewis Thorpe was kind enough to participate in a Q&A, so be sure to check that out. We know he has grown physically a lot since signing last summer from Australia. He also now has the ability to throw a fastball at 95 mph. He has a good curveball and an improving change up. In his 44 innings pitched for the GCL Twins this year, he walked just six and struck out 66 batters. He then dominated Team USA in international competition after the season. He is very young and has a long way to go, but he has certainly, and very quickly, put himself on the Twins prospect map! #8 – Max Kepler – OF/1B (20) Since signing at the same time as Polanco, Kepler has slowly worked his way up the system. Whereas Polanco spent two years in the GCL, Kepler spent two years at Elizabethton. Unfortunately, he began this season with an injured throwing elbow. He moved up to Cedar Rapids for the season’s second half. He hit just .237/.312/.424 (.736) with 11 doubles, three triples and nine home runs. He really struggled against left-handers with the Kernels. At 6-4 and nearly 200 pounds, he has the build to hit a lot of home runs. He stands at the plate with his hands held high, and is able to get the bat through the zone very quickly. He is a solid outfielder with adequate range and arm. If he stays in the outfield, left field is his likely destination. He also plays a very good first base which could be a very good fallback option for him. #7 – Jose (JO) Berrios – RH SP (19) Berrios was the Twins supplemental first round pick in 2012 out of high school in Puerto Rico. After an impressive professional debut in 2012 between the GCL and the E-Twins: He combined to go 3-0 with four walks and 49 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. He showed up at the Twins big league camp this year because he was selected to play for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Because he pitched out of their bullpen, he remained in extended spring training after returning to the Twins. He was stretched out before being called up to the Kernels where he made 19 starts. He went 7-7 with a 3.99 ERA over 103.2 innings. He walked 40 and struck out 100. As pitching coach Gary Lucas told me, there were times when Berrios looked like a future star and other times he looked like a teenager on the mound. He has the pitches to be very successful. His fastball is between 92 and 95. He has a very good breaking ball. His changeup is improving. He just needs to slow it down to get a good differential between it and his fastball. He is just 6-0 and thin. He’s very athletic on the mound and he should advance to Ft. Myers in 2014. Photo by Tim Gale #6 – Jorge Polanco – 2B (20) When the Twins signed Polanco as a 16-year-old in 2010 out of the Dominican Republic, he was a very skinny kid, known for his defense. It’s possible that his defense was a bit overrated because generally the belief is that he doesn’t really have the arm for shortstop. He is a solid defensive second baseman. The surprise is that he has grown into a really solid hitter. After really struggling with the bat his first two seasons, he had a strong showing at Elizabethton in 2012 and he proved himself again with the bat with a solid first full season campaign in Cedar Rapids. He hit .308/.362/.452 (.813) with 32 doubles, ten triples and five home runs. Although he is an aggressive hitter, he does have a good idea of the strike zone and puts together quality at-bats. He was the 3rd overall pick in the Dominican Winter League draft and began in that league this winter by hitting .359 in his first ten games. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you for reading part Part 9 of my ten-part series with my Top 50 Twins Prospects. On Thursday, the Top 5 Twins prospects (in my opinion) will be revealed. In case you missed any of the previous installments, here are those links: Part 1: 46-50 Part 2: 41-45 Part 3: 36-40 Part 4: 31-35 Part 5: 26-30 Part 6: 21-25 Part 7: 16-20 Part 8: 11-15

Over the last two weeks, we've been counting down my choices for the Top 50 Minnesota Twins prospects. The series will culminate this week as we dive into the Top 15 prospects. I've talked some about what goes into my rankings, but it's certainly not a science. It is subjective. I do try to take many factors into account, but one thing I do try to consider is guys with certain tools that stand out as elite. As we get into the Top 15 prospects, you'll start to see some of those elite tools and that's why they are up this high. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Part 8: Prospects 11-15 In today's installment, there is a mix of youth and some guys who have been around awhile and should be close to the big leagues. In fact, one of them had a pretty impressive big league debut in September. Two other players on the 40 man roster should debut in 2014. One lefty made an impressive pro debut in July. The other has immense power and offensive potential. Photo by Rinaldi Photos #15 – Danny Santana – SS (22) Santana is a difficult prospect to get a good read on. He was added to the 40 man roster a year ago, and certainly did enough at AA New Britain to keep that spot. He hit .297/.333/.386 (.719) with 22 doubles, ten triples and two home runs. He is incredibly fast which helps his batting average. He could afford to walk more, though at this point we may not be likely to see more than a little improvement. He stole 30 bases, though he was also caught 13 times. Defensively, Santana is tough to read. His speed gives him remarkable range and he can make a lot of highlight reel plays. He also committed 32 errors, many on more routine plays. He will turn 23 years old later this week and should spend the 2014 season in Triple-A with a shot at a late-season big league debut. #14 – Stephen Gonsalves – LH SP (19) After a very good but somewhat controversial season at Cathedral Catholic high school in San Diego, the Twins used their 4th round pick last June on the left-hander. At 6-5 and 205 pounds, he has some room to gain strength. It would be great if he could add a couple miles per hour to his fastball which currently sits between 89 and 92 and has touched 94 at times. He also has an inconsistent curveball and a pretty good changeup. Both pitches have the chance to be very good pitches. He’s still young, and he has room to improve and grow, but the Twins got a steal when he fell to them in the 4th round. #13 – Trevor May – RH SP (24) Trevor May came to the Twins about a year ago from the Phillies in the Ben Revere trade. The right-hander returned to the Eastern League for a second consecutive season. He did show minimal improvement in just about every category. His ERA and WHIP fell just a little bit. His walk rate dropped from 4.7 per nine to 4.0 per nine, while his strikeouts increased from 9.1 per nine to 9.4. He threw over 150 innings. In two more innings than a year earlier, he gave up eight fewer home runs. It wasn’t a big step forward, but he stayed healthy and did show some improvement. May throws hard and has the pitches to be a starter. In the AFL he’s been pitching out of the bullpen. He will need to begin the 2014 season in the Rochester starting rotation. He was one of three Twins's minor league full-season starters to strike out more than a batter an inning. #12 – Travis Harrison – 3B (21) Harrison was the Twins first supplemental first round pick in 2011 out of high school in California. The man has very strong hands, wrists and forearms which certainly bodes well for him becoming a very good power hitter for the Twins. He has power to all fields. On the season in Cedar Rapids he hit .253/.366/.416 (.782) with 28 doubles and 15 home runs. It did appear the length of the full season wore him down as he struggled the final six weeks of the season. Defensively, he remains a work-in-progress at third base. At all six of the games I saw Cedar Rapids, he was on the field as much as five hours before the game taking ground ball after ground ball from manager Jake Mauer. He could also eventually move to a corner outfield spot or first base. I do think that in time he will have enough bat to play those positions. #11 – Josmil Pinto – C (24) Pinto was up with the Twins for only a month, but he showed what Josmil Pinto is and can be. Starting with the positive, the guy can hit. He began the year in AA and hit .308/.411/.482 (.892). He moved up to Rochester, and in 19 games hit .314 (with an .819 OPS). Right before September, he was promoted to the Twins where he hit .342/.398/.566 (.963) in 21 games. He had five doubles and four home runs. To summarize, he can hit for average, has a very good approach at the plate and knowledge of the strike zone and very good pop in his bat for a catcher. Defensively, there is no question that he remains a work in progress. He struggled at times, but some of that is part of learning a new league. He’s a little stiff, but people talk about how hard he works, so I think he will make himself an adequate glove man. Offensively, he is ready now. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you for reading part Part 8 of what will be a ten part series with my Top 50 Twins Prospects. Next up, the Top 10 Twins prospects (in my opinion). In case you missed any of the previous installments, here are those links: Part 1: 46-50 Part 2: 41-45 Part 3: 36-40 Part 4: 31-35 Part 5: 26-30 Part 6: 21-25 Part 7: 16-20

Our Top 50 series continues today with a look at my choices for Minnesota Twins Prospects 16-20. There are certainly a few intriguing names on today's list. Again, at the bottom of today's segment, you will find links to the first six parts of this series. In the first part, I talked a bit about some of the things I look at in determining my prospect list. Enjoy today's installment of the Twins Top 50 prospect list, and be sure to start formulating your top 10, or top 20 or top whatever you like. Part 7: 16-20 In today's set of five prospects, you'll find some prospect that, if they take another step forward could become regulars in a lineup or in the middle of a big league staff. We have a shortstop who takes good at-bats and plays very solid defense. We have a couple right-handers that can hit 94-95 with their fastballs. We have a David Ortiz-clone (to some degree), and we have another one of my 2013 minor league award winners. -------------------------------------------------------------------- #20 – Niko Goodrum – SS (21) Goodrum was the Twins 2nd round pick in 2009, one of the many players in recent years to be drafted from a Georgia high school. Goodrum was long and lanky when the Twins drafted him. He’s listed at 6-3, but hard work last offseason put him over 200 pounds. Defensively, he is pretty smooth up the middle and has a good, accurate arm. Offensively, he puts together good at-bats. In 103 games for the Kernels, he hit .260/.364/.369 (.732), showing a very impressive walk rate. He had 22 doubled, four triples and four home runs, but he has the strength and frame to continue to add power. #19 – Taylor Rogers – LH SP (22) Rogers was the Twins 12th round pick in 2012 out of the University of Kentucky. He signed quickly and spent a short time in Elizabethton before finishing the season in Beloit. He was the Cedar Rapids Kernels opening night starter this year, but three starts later, he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he was terrific. There, the lefty went 11-6 with a 2.55 ERA. Rogers works quickly and efficiently, getting quick outs and eating a lot of innings. He had three complete games (2 shutouts) for the Miracle. That doesn’t count his nine shutout innings in his Miracle playoff start. He has a low 90s fastball and a good slider. He has good command. He was my choice for Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. #18 – Fernando Romero – RH SP (18) Another GCL kid with a mid-90s fastball. Signed late in 2011 out of the Dominican Republic, Romero came to the States in 2013 and did well in the GCL. Overall, he went 2-0 with a 1.60 ERA in 45 innings split between six starts and six relief appearances. Most impressive, in his final four outings, he gave up just one earned run over 23.2 innings. Romero throws very hard, but he will need to work on secondary pitches. Another positive, when he debuted in the Dominican Summer league in 2012, he struck out 8.1 per nine, but he walked 4.1 per nine (in 31 innings). In 2013, he struck out 9.4 per nine and dropped his walk rate to 2.6 per nine. Hopefully those are numbers we can see more of as he moves forward. #17 – Ryan Eades – RH SP (21) If Eades weren’t a 2nd round pick, you might choose to look at his debut numbers in Elizabethton and be alarmed. In 10 relief appearances, he threw 15.2 innings and gave up 13 hits, walked 12 while striking out 13. Definitely not a typical top college pick debut in the rookie league. But consider, he went 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA over 17 starts at powerhouse LSU. He has the type of stuff that could develop into a front of the rotation starter. At 6-3 and 205 pounds, he throws a fastball that sits 91-93 but hits 95 at times. He has a very good breaking ball and a changeup that has a chance to be very good as well. Typically, he has shown very good control. He has a chance to be pretty good. And, if you’re looking for bonus reason for optimism, he is represented by Scott Boras, which means he must be pretty good, right? #16 – Kennys Vargas – 1B (23) Vargas is a big, happy-go-lucky individual who seems to really enjoy life and enjoy playing some ball. At 6-5, he is listed at 215 pounds, but my guess is you can add 40 to 50 pounds to that number. After seeing him in Beloit for a long series a year ago, the similarities between Vargas and his friend David Ortiz are stunning. They look alike, they have monster power, their walk/strut is the same, and Vargas points to the sky after touching home plate after home runs the same way that Ortiz does. I guess the negatives of that comparison are that they share similar foot speed and have similar amounts of “grace” around first base. Vargas put together a very solid season in Ft. Myers, really his first full season as a professional. In 125 games, he hit .267/.344/.468 (.813) with 33 doubles, one triple, 19 home runs and 93 RBI. He hits pretty well from both sides of the plate as well. Don’t get carried away. Don’t expect Vargas to become the next David Ortiz. But, I think he can get to the big leagues as a DH with some pop in his bat. ------------------------------------------------------------------ There was Part 7 of what will be a ten part series with my Top 50 Twins Prospects. Next week, we'll work through the Top 15 Twins prospects (in my opinion). In case you missed any of the previous installments, here are those links: Part 1: 46-50 Part 2: 41-45 Part 3: 36-40 Part 4: 31-35 Part 5: 26-30 Part 6: 21-25

I'd guess it is fair to assume that the name of Lewis Thorpe snuck up on most Twins fans. The lefty from Australia signed with the Minnesota Twins as a 16-year-old in July of 2012. Most talked about Amaurys Minier, the Twins top international signing that year at $1.5 million, but in 2013, Thorpe made his US and GCL debut and put together a fantastic season. With the GCL Twins, he went 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. In 44 innings, he walked just six and struck out 66. He won't turn 18 until the end of November, and yet it's been reported that he already is able to touch 95 mph with a fastball. That's going to get you noticed, and recognized, as he was when Baseball America named him the #7 prospect in the Gulf Coast League.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Twins Daily was able to ask him a few questions recently and he was gracious enough to respond. Get to know a little bit more about Lewis Thorpe below, and feel free to ask questions and discuss in the comments. (Note I'll be back tomorrow to continue the Top 50 prospect series with prospects 16-20.) -------------------------------------------------------------- Twins Daily: As an amateur, how much contact did you have with MLB teams and what was it that caused you to decide to sign with the Twins? Lewis Thorpe: At about 15 is when all the scouts started chatting to me. The Twins have a lot of Australians, and I wanted to feel comfortable, and I did. TD: What was the adjustment like for you last spring moving from Australia to Florida? What were the biggest challenges? LT: The biggest challenges were the weather change and humidity. That was tough, as was getting homesick a couple times. TD: You had a successful first professional season with the GCL Twins. What were your keys to your success? LT: My keys were cutting down the walks. If I had a bad outing, I had 1 or 2 walks, if I had a good outing, 0 walks. Location was a big thing. TD: What pitches do you throw? What is your best pitch, and what is the pitch that you really want to improve? LT: Fastball, Curveball, Change up and Slider. Really need to improve on curveball and slider. Need more control with those 2 pitches. TD: After the GCL season, you were impressive while representing Australia in an international tournament. What's it like to pitch for your country? LT: (It’s the) best feeling pitching for your country, listening to the National Anthem when you line up before the game, knowing everyone back home is supporting and cheering for you to succeed. TD: Away from baseball, what do you enjoy doing in your free time? LT: Round of 18 holes on the links, movies, putt-putt and fishing. TD: Are there certain areas of your game or preparation that you'd like to focus on during this offseason, looking to 2014? LT: I really need to work on the curveball and slider. I think if I get those two pitches going, it will help me a lot. Getting fitter to make sure I don't get lazy and get out of bed and work on something every day. TD: Growing up, who were some of your role models in the game of baseball? LT: My role model was Mark Ellis. If it wasn't for him and his son, Mitch Ellis, I wouldn't be where I am today. They told me to come and try baseball which I did really enjoy and haven't stopped playing since that day at age 6. When I started growing up and knowing the game, Graeme Lloyd was a big role model too. Hearing his stories of how he got to the big leagues really touched me. TD: What are some of your goals for the 2014 season? Are there certain statistics that you focus on? LT: Certain goals are to cut down the walks again this year, to be more consistent with the slider and curveball, and hopefully end up in Low A. That will be awesome. TD: What would it mean to you and your family to be able to reach the major leagues and put that uniform on for the first time? LT: It would mean the world to my family and I. They have done so much for me already like driving me places, putting food on the table, putting a roof over my head. I just have to make sure I don't stop working hard and hopefully one day my dream will come true. TD: What was the highlight of your 2013 season, your first year in the Twins organization? LT: It was probably making the Baseball America Top 20 in GCL prospects list, or probably going to instructional ball. That was really good, helped me learn a lot! ---------------------------------------------------------- Thank you very much to Twins minor league pitcher Lewis Thorpe for taking time to answer our questions. Feel free to discuss below.

After yesterday's prospects were revealed, we have now reached the halfway point of the Top 50 Minnesota Twins Prospect rankings. Today I am presenting my choices for Twins prospects 21 through 25. The discussions of these rankings so far have been fun, and I anticipate the debates growing as we roll closer to Number One. If you want to look into some of the things that go into my personal rankings, click on the previous parts of this series at the bottom of today’s group. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Part 6: 21-25 Again today I think this is an interesting collection of prospects. There are two relievers, one that Twins fans have already seen in the big leagues and one who could be there quickly. The other three are not yet 20 years old and have high ceilings, but a long ways to go. #25 – Michael Tonkin – RH RP (23) I often hear about how the Twins promote guys too slowly, and there are a some instances where that may be true. However, when you consider the early stages of Tonkin’s career, you have to appreciate that sometimes patience is a very good thing. Drafted in the 30th round in 2008 out of high school, Tonkin spent parts of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons in Beloit (Low A). The first year, he made a dozen starts. The second year, he pitched adequately out of the bullpen and improvement was clear. He then spent the first half of the 2012 season in Beloit before finishing the season in Ft. Myers. He began 2013 in New Britain, was promoted to Rochester fairly quickly and arrived with the Twins in July. He struggled with Rochester, but he made his Major League debut just 13 months after leaving Low-A. A mid-90s fastball and a slider make him a potential back-end of the bullpen guy. #24 – Miguel Sulburan – LH SP (19) The fact that he is just 5'-10" creates concern in the minds of some, but to this point in his career, Sulburan has pitched like he’s much bigger. The Twins plucked this left-hander from the Dodgers in exchange for Drew Butera at the July deadline. For the Kernels, he went 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in four starts. Combined in 2013 in the Midwest League, he posted a 2.96 ERA in 112.2 innings and struck out 8.1 per nine innings while walking just 2.6 per nine. He has a solid four-pitch mix. His best pitch, to this point, is a devastating changeup. He’ll need to get some movement on his fastball to be successful as he moves up. #23 – Amaurys Minier – 3B (17) Minier was the Twins big international free agent signing in 2012 when he signed as a 16-year-old for about $1.5 million. The third baseman has tremendous power and will likely be a good hitter but he is very young. As you might expect, he was quite streaky in his US/GCL debut. He showed power rarely seen in the GCL with six home runs in 119 plate appearances. However, he fought injury much of the season and hit just .214/.252/.455 (.707) in this small sample in a league where the stats matter very little. His power is legit and he is one who could jump quickly up this list. #22 – Zack Jones – RH RP (22) Listening to several Miracle games throughout the season, it was hard not to get excited when play-by-play men Brice Zimmerman and Adam MacDonald spoke of Jones and his 96-100 mph fastball. He also has an improving slider. Jones was the Twins 4th round pick in 2012 out of college, where he also was a hitter. Very exciting is his 12.9 K/9 (70 strikeouts in 48.2 innings), but he’ll have to throw more strikes (28 walks) if he wants to move quickly. #21 – Jorge Felix – RH SP (19) Felix is another very exciting young arm in the Twins farm system. To this point, he has moved up one level each year. He posted a 2.67 ERA in the DSL in 2011. In 2012 in the GCL, he posted a 2.34 ERA in 34.2 innings. With the E-Twins this year, he posted a 2.95 ERA in 61 innings (12 starts). His strikeout rate has increased each of those seasons, from 8.7 to 9.6 to 10.6 K/9. He’s 6-2 and wiry. He throws hard and has a solid breaking ball. The combination of Felix, Landa and Rosario gave the E-Twins some great pitching, and along with a couple guys that are a little higher on this list, they give the Twins and their fans reason to be excited for the future. So there's Part 6 of my Top 50 Twins Prospect list. We'll be back soon with Part 7, prospects 16-20. Part 1: 46-50 Part 2: 41-45 Part 3: 36-40 Part 4: 31-35 Part 5: 26-30

Last week we worked through Minnesota Twins prospects 31-50. This week, we will be continuing our look at the team’s top prospects. Today, we will look at my choices for prospects 26-30. Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments in the comment section below. Again, if you want to look into some of the things that go into my personal rankings, click on the previous parts of this series at the bottom of today’s group. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Part 5: 26-30 In this edition, we have a mix of prospect types. We have a big first baseman who put up some impressive counting numbers and even led minor league baseball in a statistic. He enters this range of prospects with four pitchers. One of the pitchers was a fast-mover while another has moved more slowly. The other two pitchers introduce us to the The Big Three who spent the whole season at Elizabethton this year. Once these guys get to a higher level, they could move up quickly… or, well, down quickly. That’s what makes these types of lists so much fun. #30 – Randy Rosario – LH SP (19) Rosario is a 6 foot tall skinny left-hander from the Dominican Republic. Just 19, he went 4-3 with a 2.82 ERA at Elizabethton this year. Blessed with a fastball in the 93 to 95 mph range, he also throws a slider and a change-up. From 2012 (GCL) to 2013 (APPY), he improved his BB/9 from 4.5 to 3.6. His season ended early with some shoulder discomfort, but he returned and pitched in the Instructional League. #29 – Dalton Hicks – 1B (23) At 6-5 and (listed at) 228 pounds, Hicks is a menacing figure in the left-handed batter’s box. The Twins 17th round pick in 2012 out of Central Florida, he has a long and powerful swing. He spent the first two-thirds of the season in Cedar Rapids and ended the year in Ft. Myers. In all, his 110 RBI led all minor league baseball, edging out Adam Walker. This year he hit 39 doubles and 17 home runs while hitting .289/.358/.468 (.826). #28 – Brett Lee – LH SP (23) Lee was the Twins 10th round pick in 2011 out of junior college. He made his pro debut by going 4-0 with a 2.68 ERA with E-Town in 2012 while pitching primarily out of the bullpen. He moved to the rotation in 2013 in Cedar Rapids and went 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA. The lefty has a good fastball with some deceptive movement. He’s got good offspeed pitches as well. His future may be in the bullpen, but he should continue to start for now. #27 – Yorman Landa – RH SP (19) Another 19-year-old from this year’s Elizabethton squad, Landa is a right-handed version of Randy Rosario. After going 1-3 with a 2.43 ERA in 33.1 innings in the Gulf Coast League in 2012, he went 3-4 with a 2.78 ERA in 55 innings in 2013 with the E-Twins. He throws hard, though he’ll need to continue to reduce his walk rate. It improved in 2013 to 4.7 from 5.4 in 2012. #26 – DJ Baxendale – RH SP (22) What Baxendale did in the season’s first two months in Ft. Myers was remarkable. Considering the 2012 10th round pick was pushed right to the Miracle, he was my choice for Twins pitcher of the month in April and May when he went 7-0 with a 1.10 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP in nine starts. He was pushed to New Britain where he certainly struggled, going 5-7, 5.63 ERA, 1.42 WHIP in 16 starts. Baxendale has a good fastball that reaches into the low-90s with movement and a full four-pitch mix. He gets a ton of movement, in part, due to throwing from a three-quarter angle. So there you have it, Part 5 of my Top 50 Twins Prospect list. We'll be back tomorrow with Part 5, prospects 21-25. Part 1: 46-50 Part 2: 41-45 Part 3: 36-40 Part 4: 31-35

Today, we move on to Part 4 of the Minnesota Twins Top 50 Prospects. We'll look at the Twins prospects I ranked 31 through 35. The first three have brought some interesting discussions into the comments, and I suspect that as we move closer to the top of the list, discussions will continue to be terrific. If you click on the links to the previous pieces of this list at the bottom of this article, you can read some background into what I consider when making these lists. As always, feel free to discuss each of these players and the rankings of those discussed to this point. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Part 3: Prospects 36-40 In this group, there is an athletic on-base machine and four pitchers. As with those on the previous list, these pitchers have experienced some success, yet at this point can't be ranked any higher. Maybe it's a lack of strikeouts despite good pitches. Maybe the reason is strictly health-related. One made the move to the bullpen before the 2013 season while the other three could wind up there as well. All five are certainly worthy of interest and attention. #35 – Matt Summers – RH SP (24) Summers led the Florida State League in both ERA and WHIP in 2013. In 21 starts, he went 6-5. He also made five starts for New Britain in which he really struggled. The 2011 fourth-round pick struck out 6.3 per nine innings in 2013, which was actually an increase from 5.9 K/9 in 2012. He does throw hard, hitting 92-94 with a two-seam fastball and occasionally hitting 97. He’s got a sharp slider and a good slow curve ball, so I can’t explain the lack of strikeouts. #34 – Tyler Jones – RH RP (24) Jones was my choice for Twins minor league relief pitcher of the year in 2013. He averaged 11.4 K/9 between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He had been a starter in 2012 in Beloit, but he made the transition to the bullpen and it went well. Having a fastball that touches 98 mph certainly helps, but a much-improved slider helped also. Jones rededicated himself last offseason and got himself in tremendous shape which he credits with some of his success. He's definitely one to watch as he could move quickly. #33 – JD Williams – OF (23) Williams was the Twins 10th round pick in 2010 out of high school in Florida. He is a tremendous athlete who needed time to develop. In 2013, he started the season by repeating in the Midwest League. He needed to do it, and he showed great improvement. In 80 games with the Kernels, he hit .281 with an impressive .391 on base percentage. He has very good speed and increasing pop in his bat. He moved up to Ft. Myers where he got off to a fast start before slowing at the end of the year. #32 – Luke Bard – RH SP (22) Bard was the Twins supplemental 1st round pick in 2012 out of Georgia Tech. He has been hurt pretty much the whole time since. He rehabbed most of the 2013 season before making four appearances in the GCL. He made seven appearances in Elizabethton. He ended the season with one game pitched in Ft. Myers. He’s got the ability to be a solid big league starter or a good big league reliever, if he can get and stay healthy. #31 – Logan Darnell – LH SP (24) The Twins 6th round pick in 2010, he moved from Beloit to Ft. Myers to New Britain in 2011. He spent all of 2012 and began 2013 with the Rock Cats where he made 15 starts and went 6-6 with a 2.51 ERA. He was then promoted to Rochester where he made 11 more starts. The lefty pitched in the Arizona Fall League after the 2012 season and is well thought of. He can eat innings and has a solid four-pitch mix. He just doesn’t strike many out. So there you have it, Part 4 of my Top 50 Twins Prospect list. We'll be back Monday with Part 5, prospects 26-30. Part 1: 46-50 Part 2: 41-45 Part 3: 36-40

After a one-day break, we return today with Part 3 of the Minnesota Twins Top 50 Prospects. After looking at prospects 41-50 earlier in the week, today I'll present prospects 36-40. Be sure to check the links to the previous pieces of this list at the bottom of this article for background into what is considered while making these lists. As always, feel free to discuss each of these players and the rankings of those discussed to this point. Part 3: Prospects 36-40[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] In this group, there are some pitchers with #3 upside and some question marks. For one, the question is health and how well he will be able to come back. For others, the question will be whether or not the Twins should have them start or push them to the bullpen? This is definitely not an easy question to answer, and those answers are not needed right away. The fifth person within this list is a very talented, athletic catcher. #40 – Alex Wimmers – RH SP (24) The Twins made Wimmers their first round pick in 2010 out of Ohio State. In 2011, he fought control issues, but came back with a season-ending no-hitter. He made one start in 2012 for New Britain and went on the DL. Later in the summer, he had Tommy John surgery and missed all of the 2013 season with the exception of a few rehab appearances in the GCL. Will the Twins add him to their 40 man roster next month? Regardless, 2014 is a huge year for him. In four minor league seasons, he’s made just 16 starts (counting 6 rehab starts in the GCL in 2013). When healthy, he has a low-90s fastball and a very good changeup and a curveball. Despite injury, he still has the ability to be a mid-rotation type. #39 - Tim Atherton – RH SP (23) The Australian right-hander originally signed with the Twins in 2007 as a hitter, but after being released in 2008, he returned to the Twins in 2011, this time as a pitcher. At Cedar Rapids this year, he made 20 relief appearances before moving into the rotation for 11 starts. His numbers were similar in both roles. He struck out nearly a batter per inning as a starter after striking out 42 in 33.1 innings as a reliever. He has good stuff, tops 90 mph with a fastball and has a very deceptive delivery. Atherton pitched the final innings of a Cedar Rapids no-hitter in early April, a game started by... #38 – Tyler Duffey – RH SP (22) After the Twins used their 5th round pick a year ago on Duffey, he walked two and struck out 27 in 19 relief innings in Elizabethton. He moved into the starting rotation this year in Cedar Rapids and in his first start, he worked the first seven innings of a combined no-hitter. He made nine starts with the Kernels before moving up to Ft. Myers where he made nine more starts and six relief appearances. It would be great to see him strike more out, but he does have a good pitch-mix so it’ll be interesting to see if he can remain in the rotation. Photo by Rinaldi PhotosL to R: Tyler Duffey, Jairo Rodriguez, Josue Montanez, Tim Atherton #37 – Mason Melotakis – LH SP (22) Melotakis was the Twins 2nd round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State (LA) where he was primarily a reliever. He made 20 relief appearances last year between Elizabethton and Beloit. He was moved to the rotation in 2013 with Cedar Rapids and spent the entire season with the Kernels. He went 11-4 with a 3.16 ERA. He made 16 starts before ending the season with eight games in relief. As a starter, his fastball sat between 89 and 92. As a reliever, he would occasionally hit 97. So, like Duffey, the question will be (and has been since he was drafted), do you want him to start and take longer to possibly get to the big leagues, or should he go to the bullpen where he could move up more quickly? #36 – Brian Navarreto – C (18) Navarreto was the Twins 6th round pick this past June out of high school in Florida. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, he is a very strong, very athletic catcher with a powerful arm and powerful bat. In high school, he unfortunately made a name for himself for reasons that one would not want to be known, but he has tremendous talent. He hit just .226 in the GCL in his pro debut, but had 10 doubles and three homers. He also threw out 34% of would-be base stealers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So there you have it, Part 3 of my Top 50 Twins Prospect list. We'll be back tomorrow with Part 4, prospects 31-35. Part 1: 46-50 Part 2: 41-45

Yesterday, we began our look at my Top 50 Twins Prospects, starting with Prospects 46-50. In Part 2 today, we continue by learning a little about my selections for prospects 41-45. There are three outfielders at various points in their career. A left-handed starter who appeared to have stalled until he was promoted to AAA. There are also two former first-round picks who find themselves at this stage of the rankings. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Yesterday I wrote about some of the things that go into my thinking when I'm ranking prospects, so check that if you have questions. #45 – Mike Kvasnicka – Ft. Myers – OF (24) The Lakeville native and former Minnesota Gopher came to the Twins in spring training in exchange for rookie-leaguer Gonzalo Sanudo. It was a great move for a guy who was a first-round pick just three years ago. As the season began, he broke his hamate bone and had surgery. He played in 69 games for the Miracle and had 24 extra base hits, including nine home runs. He has real power, but he needs to stay healthy and get at bats. His father played in the Twins farm system from 1989 to 1992. #44 – Levi Michael – Ft. Myers – 2B (22) The Twins 2011 top pick struggled in his pro debut in Ft. Myers in 2012. He returned in 2013, but he missed the first three weeks of the season with an arm issue. His batting average was lower. His on base percentage was lower. His slugging percentage was a little higher. If you’re looking for the positive, he was 21 or 23 in stolen base attempts (and now 27-29 in his career). He played more at shortstop in 2013, but down the stretch he moved back to second base. 2014 will be a big year for Michael. Can he be a starter, or will his ceiling be that of a utility player? #43 – Pat Dean - New Britain/Rochester – LH SP (24) The Twins 3rd round pick in 2010 out of Boston College, Dean quickly moved up and made a start at New Britain at the end of the 2011 season. He spent all of 2012 with the Rock Cats as well. He went 6-11 with a 4.68 ERA in 22 starts for the Rock Cats to start the 2013 season. He was promoted to Rochester where he made a great impression. He threw seven shutout innings in his debut and went 3-2 with a 2.02 ERA. He is left-handed and has pitches similar to Brian Duensing’s. However, he does not like to miss bats. #42 – Zach Larson - GCL Twins/Elizabethton – OF (20) Larson was the Twins 20th round pick in 2012 out of high school in Florida. The Twins used some of their extra bonus allotment to sign him. He began this year in the GCL and hit .317. He moved up to Elizabethton and hit .301. His hit tool is definitely his best tool. He should develop some power, which is good because he is not fleet of foot. He’s an adequate defensive outfielder. He is certainly one to watch as he moves up to see if he develops. #41 – Danny Ortiz - New Britain – OF (23) Ortiz is kind of lost among Twins outfield prospects because they have always had some top outfield prospects, but he has been solid all-around. He’s not a large man, listed at 5-11 (but he’s not) put has good extra base pop. He had 43 extra base hits including 12 home runs at AA. He is a solid defender in all three outfield spots. He doesn't have one tool that jumps out as great, but he is solid across the board. His future is fourth outfielder. ---------------------------------------------------- So, what do you think? Like yesterday, these are guys that could potentially be role players with the Twins; pinch hitters, fourth outfielders, and utility infielders. Larson is the one here who has a chance for his Power tool to really develop over time. Kvasnicka's power is legit. He could move up if he can just stay healthy. Part 1: Prospects 46-50

As the World Series is about to start, and the Minnesota Twins are not particularly close to that, I thought it would be a good time to talk about Twins minor leaguers. Today, I will be beginning a series showing my top 50 Twins prospects. People often ask why fifty? To that I say, well, why not 60 or 75 or 30? For me, it's always about giving recognition to players who worked hard throughout the 2013 season and deserve to be noticed. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Prospect rankings are obviously a very subjective thing. As a disclaimer, this prospect ranking is mine and is based on my thinking at this time based on information such as statistics, scouting reports, video, some in-person watching and, frankly, opinion. I would certainly welcome you taking the time to list out the Twins minor league prospects and rank your top fifty. Before we get to the list and the series, a quick reminder of my definition of a prospect. First, I follow the guidelines that Major League Baseball uses for rookie of the year eligibility. That is, 130 big league at-bats for hitters and 50 innings pitched for pitchers. There is also a service time piece so that relievers that spend 2/3 of the season with the big league club yet only rack up 40 innings do not quality as a prospect any longer. I consider a lot of factors in my rankings. I consider Age-To-Level-Of-Competition. I consider the tools of the player. I look at the numbers, but scouting reports mean more sometimes, especially when the player is further from the big leagues. I welcome your feedback as we trek through this series of prospects five at a time. Feel free to ask questions. This ranking will almost certainly change as I continue to get more reports. By the time my sixth annual Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook comes out, I'll have a more official Top 30 list in the book. Enjoy the series. Part 1: Prospects 46-50 Part 1 starts with three relief pitchers, a very intriguing, big upside starter from the 2013 draft, and a highly-drafted defensive-minded catcher. As you would expect, these are not the glamour prospects by any means, but the relievers have a chance to contribute and catchers always have value and if the starter's stuff measures up, well, you never know. #50 – Adrian Salcedo – Ft. Myers – RH RP (22) Adrian Salcedo was a Top 10 Twins prospect in my rankings as recently as two years ago. Unfortunately, 2012 was a lost year for him because of injuries to his elbow and shoulder. He avoided surgery and returned to the mound in the Miracle bullpen. He remains intriguing because of a mid-90s fastball, a low-90s sinker and a terrific changeup. It will be interesting to see if he gets another shot at a starting spot in the Twins system. #49 – Josue Montanez – Cedar Rapids – LH SP (21) The left-hander was the Twins 15th round pick in 2011 out of community college. He was impressive in the GCL, though he fought injury and missed time. He has a sturdy frame and a solid, three-pitch mix. He fought consistency in Cedar Rapids, but has shown flashes of potential. #48 – Aaron Slegers – Indiana/Elizabethton – RH SP (21) Slegers certainly has a lot of mound presence, including a big shadow. The 6-10 righty was a fixture in the Indiana starting rotation that went to the College World Series in June. He hadn’t pitched much due to injury before 2013, his junior season as a Hoosier, but he went 9-1 with 1.93 ERA and hit 93 mph with his fastball. He gave up just one earned run in 19 innings out of the bullpen in Elizabethton. Finding a consistent release point and mechanics could lead to even more velocity. One could say, if one wanted, the sky is the limit. #47 – Stuart Turner – Mississippi/Elizabethton/New Britain – C (21) With their third-round pick this year this June, the Twins took the best college catcher available. Turner, from Ole Miss, won the 2013 Johnny Bench Award given to the top catcher in college. Known for his defense, Turner hit .264 at Elizabethton before going 2-4 in one game at the end of the season for New Britain. How much will he hit? That is the big question, but his role in the organization is pretty important as he'll be working with some very impressive young pitchers. #46 – AJ Achter – New Britain/Rochester – RH RP (25) Achter was the Twins 46th round pick in 2010 out of Michigan State. He made the move to the bullpen in 2012 and was my choice for Twins minor league relief pitcher of the year when he posted a 1.70 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 between Beloit and Ft. Myers. In 2013, he split the season between New Britain and Rochester and earned an opportunity in the Arizona Fall League. He may not be as flashy as Michael Tonkin, but he has put up equivalent numbers without as much acclaim. He'll be considered for a 40-man roster spot this fall and is certainly worth watching. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tomorrow, we'll be back with Part 2, prospects 41-45. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and questions below.

It's been several months since we updated fans on which Minnesota Twins, front office, minor leaguers, etc., are on Twitter. The one question I get most often when posting this is how the Ft. Myers Miracle pitching coach has about 85,000 followers. It's actually quite interesting. He has been coaching at various levels in the Twins system for over a decade. In 2012, he was the pitching coach at Elizabethton and in 2013, he was with the Miracle. However, in his offseasons, he has been a color commentator for the Venezuelan Winter League through most of the previous decade. The last two seasons, he has been the Player Personnel Director for the Bravos de Margarita. Take a look at which people are on Twitter, and if you're interested, follow them. If I'm missing someone, please let me know! [TABLE=width: 416] First Name Last Name Twitter 10/20 Followers AJ Achter @ajachter35 662 Bo Altobelli @BoAltobelli 200 Oswaldo Arcia @arciaoswaldo 1,429 Ivan Arteaga @IvanArteaga 84,852 Tim Atherton @TimAtherton89 243 Luke Bard @Luke_Bard 1,029 DJ Baxendale @DBax24 4,448 James Beresford @JamesBeresford2 1,197 Doug Bernier @dougbernier 752 J.O. Berrios @JOlaMaquina 1,137 Evan Bigley @Bigley3 696 Brandon Bixler @BrandonBixler 357 Hudson Boyd @boyd_hudson 549 Joshua Burris @Josh_Burris_ 229 Drew Butera @DrewButera 16,677 Byron Buxton @OfficialBuck103 8,092 Chris Colabello @CC20rake 3,424 Logan Darnell @ldarnell15 352 Pat Dean @PDean15 472 Scott Diamond @Scott_Diamond58 16,048 Lewin Diaz @lewin_diaz 37 Brian Dinkelman @BrDink 1,846 Brian Dozier @BrianDozier 15,388 Brian Duensing @BrianDuensing52 16,693 Tyler Duffey @TheDoof13 271 Ryan Eades @R_Eades37 4,956 Eduardo Escobar @escobarmaracay 1,691 Eric Farris @eRoc86 2,991 Andrew Ferreira @Get_Meaty 4,147 Pedro Florimon @DroFlo25 56 Dallas Gallant @DGallant18 514 Mitchell Garver @MitchGarver 777 Sam Gibbons @gibboo25 98 Kyle Gibson @KGib44 1,031 Brian Gilbert @BGilly1s 145 Jhonathan Goncalves @jhong1305 132 Stephen Gonsalves @TheSGonsalves 647 Niko Goodrum @NikoGoodrumTC 1,085 Zach Granite @Zgranite 268 Steven Gruver @sgruv30 134 Deolis Guerra @deolisguerra 3,101 Bryan Haar @BryanHaar24 194 Nate Hanson @NHans12 480 Matt Hauser @mhauser_17 338 BJ Hermsen @BJHermsen12 1,701 Pedro Hernandez @Hernandezp89 106 DJ Hicks @DHicksMTB 1,127 Aaron Hicks @AaronHicks31 15,685 Kent Hrbek @Hrbie14 3,124 David Hurlbut @leftydh1989 201 Will Hurt @Will_Hurt 679 CK Irby @ckirbythe3 716 Tyler Jones @TmfJones 34 Zack Jones @Jack_Zones04 485 Jason Kanzler @JasonKanzler 152 Max Kepler @kepleroni 694 Kyle Knudson @KKnudson6 529 Matt Koch @M_Koch4 83 Zack Larson @ZackLarson24 355 Brett Lee @BLee092090 108 Andy Leer @andyleer12 148 Austin Malinowski @AJMalinowski24 430 Trevor May @TrevMay54 6,487 Trevor May (MAZR) @TrevorMAZR 226 Chris Mazza @ChrisMazza10 332 Tanner Mendonca @TanTheMan13 470 Kaleb Merck @KalebMerckin 320 Alex Meyer @Meyer17A 5,756 Levi Michael @LeviMichael9 346 Ethan Mildren @EMildren4040 455 Jermaine Mitchell @jtrane24 844 Angel Morales @AngelMorales24 399 Miguel Munoz @mikemunoz59 169 Jonathan Murphy @JMurph6 289 Brian Navarretto @Brian_Navarrero 78 Lester Oliveros @lesteroliveros 2,148 Ryan O'Rourke @RyanO_Rourke 651 Chris Parmelee @CParms27 8,692 Derrick Penilla @leftywayz 23 Glen Perkins @glen_perkins 23,933 Brandon Peterson @Bpeterson_12 351 AJ Pettersen @apettersen1 866 Josmil Pinto @JosmilPinto 340 Trevor Plouffe @TPlouffe24 28,245 Jorge Polanco @Jorge_Polanco1 231 Christian Powell @BooPowell20 488 Ryan Pressly @pressly_ryan 1,959 Jake Proctor @JProc23 1,228 Michael Quesada @KSada55 251 Antoan Richardson @ARichardson242 417 Chad Rodgers @CMRodg 260 Dereck Rodriguez @DereckRodRF3 333 Taylor Rogers @trogers34 351 Dan Rohlfing @DanRohlfing 1,080 Miguel Sano @SanoMiguel 5,999 Danny Santana @bigmen07 167 Bryan Santy @BKSanty41 229 Aaron Slegers @Aslegers 898 Manuel Soliman @Soliman30 598 Kohl Stewart @KohlStewart1 6,012 Tom Stuifbergen @TomStuifbergen 815 Miguel Sulburan @054_miguel 170 Anthony Swarzak @ASwarzak51 9,553 Lewis Thorpe @LewisT18 314 Matt Tomshaw @matthewJTomshaw 268 Michael Tonkin @mtonkin37 618 Stuart Turner @sturn26 1,408 Daniel Turpen @DdTuRpEn 152 Kennys Vargas @kennysvargas 37 Tanner Vavra @tannervavra 465 Ruar Verkerk @ruarverkerk 410 Adam Walker @walkoff28 1,029 Ryan Walker @RyanWalker25 137 PJ Walters @PJWalters39 3,080 Tommy Watkins @TommyWatkins 1,679 Dakota Watts @watts_22 1,046 Duke Welker @The5thWelker 3,791 Jason Wheeler @Lil_Wheels 206 Stephen Wickens @wicks1221 142 Corey Williams @coreyw24 346 Jared Wilson @DubsDeuces 127 Alex Wimmers @AlexWimmers21 1,462 Vance Worley @VANIMAL_49 52,184 FRONT OFFICE First Name Last Name Twitter 10/20 Update Minnesota Twins @twins 173,921 Dave St. Peter @TwinsPrez 18,103 Dustin Morse @Twins_morsecode 11,836 Mike Herman @HermTT 2,374 Mitch Hestad @mitchhestad 162 Jack Goin @jdgoin 414 Bryan Donaldson @MNCommunityGuy 1,604 Andrew Heydt @AndrewHeydt 524 Mike Kennedy @TwinsPRMachine 591 Brace Hemmelgarn @bracehemmelgarn 1,512 TC Bear @TC_00 11,480 Twins Daily 10/20 Update Twins Daily @TwinsDaily 2,981 John Bonnes @TwinsGeek 6,064 Seth Stohs @SethTweets 5,547 Nick Nelson @Nnelson9 2,935 Parker Hageman @OverTheBaggy 3,838 Brock Beauchamp @rocketpig76 79 Jeremy Nygaard @JeremyNygaard 758 Cody Christie @NoDakTwinsFan 911 Minor Leagues 10/20 Update Rochester Red Wings @RocRedWings 7,203 Josh Whetzel @JoshWhetzel 1,149 Morrie Silver @MorrieSilver8 355 Jim Mandelaro @JMand1 1,260 Christopher Fee @CJFee 208 New Britain Rock Cats @RockCats 6,355 Ken Lipshez @KenLip1 126 Jeff Dooley @Jdooleysports 433 Andrew Walter @Mnfanfromafar 682 Ft. Myers Miracle @MiracleBaseball 6,644 Bryce Zimmerman @ZimMiracle 573 Steve Gliner @stevieGFTM 462 Adam MacDonald @AdamMacMiracle 100 David Dorsey @DavidADorsey 1,301 Cedar Rapids Kernels @CRKernels 5,129 Mister Shucks @CRMrShucks 80 Morgan Hawk @Morgan_Hawk 386 Matt Cozzi @matt_cozzi 1,045 Steve Buhr @JimCrikket 519 Jeff Johnson @jeje66 1,322 Metro Sports Report @metrosportsrept 985 Andrew Pantini @stadium65 116 Elizabethton Twins @ETownTwins 1,017 [/TABLE]

David Ortiz hit the big ALCS grand slam that was nearly caught by a toppling Torii Hunter. It was a reminder of how many former Twins players had strong 2013 seasons. Each of the four remaining teams have at least one former Twins player. Very little annoys me more than people complaining about former Twins players succeeding with other organizations, forgetting the back stories when they left the Twins. Sure, letting David Ortiz go looks horrible in retrospect, but at the time it was a ho-hum decision. Seeing AJ Pierzynski still playing and contributing bothers some, yet who did the Twins get in that trade? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Torii Hunter? Yes, he has defied the normal aging process and been very good. There are bad losses in this group. Everyone loved the Carlos Gomez for JJ Hardy trade, and no one understood (or understands) what the thinking was when the Twins traded JJ Hardy for Jim HJoey and Brett Jacobson. And, the Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps deal… Yeah. I think we all know the reasoning behind Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer leaving the Twins organization, but come on, no one was disappointed when the Twins let RA Dickey go. Hindsight is a beautiful thing. No question. But, I enjoyed all of these former Twins players during their time in Minnesota, and there’s no reason not to enjoy their continued success. But maybe I’m in the minority and I should just be bitter. Maybe? Here is a look at some of the top performances by former Twins in the big leagues in 2013! THE CATCHERS AJ Pierzynski ($7.5M) – Texas Rangers - .272/.297/.425 (.722) with 24 doubles, 17 homers and 70 RBI. Wilson Ramos ($0.5M) – Washington Nationals - .272/.307/.380 (.717) with 9 doubles, 16 homers and 59 RBI. A pretty nice lefty-righty platoon opportunity. Sure, neither gets on base, but both do show some power. Pierzynski was traded way back before the 2004 season to the Giants. Ramos was traded during the 2009 season to the Nationals. THE INFIELDERS/DHs David Ortiz ($14M) – Boston Red Sox - .309/.395/.564 (.959) with 38 doubles, 30 homers and 103 RBI. Garrett Jones ($4.5M) – Pittsburgh Pirates - .233/.289/.419 (.708) with 26 doubles, 15 homers and 51 RBI. JJ Hardy ($7M) – Baltimore Orioles - .263/.306/.433 (.738) with 27 doubles, 25 homers and 76 RBI. Nick Punto ($1.5M) – Los Angeles Dodgers - .255/.328/.327 (.655) with 15 doubles, 2 homers and 21 RBI. Danny Valencia ($0.5M) – Baltimore Orioles - .304/.335/.553 (.888) with 14 doubles, 8 homers and 23 RBI. Ortiz miraculously has had another spectacular season. The Twins non-tendered him more than a decade ago and no other teams claimed him. Boston decided to give him a chance in spring training. The rest is, as they say, is documented in various reports. Garrett Jones never really had a chance with the Twins since Jason Kubel was the DH, Justin Morneau was at 1B, Michael Cuddyer was in RF and Delmon Young was in LF. He had some good years with the Pirates, though not this year. Hardy had his injury-plagued season with the Twins and I’m sure they’d love to have given him another shot. Punto remains one of baseball’s better fielders. He played all over that Dodgers infield this year. Valencia was up and down between AAA and the big leagues, but was given a chance to play against left-handed pitching and came through. THE OUTFIELDERS Michael Cuddyer ($10.5M) – Colorado Rockies - .331/.389/.530 (.919) with 31 doubles, 20 homers and 84 RBI. Torii Hunter ($12M) – Detroit Tigers - .304/.334/.465 (.800) with 37 doubles, 17 homers and 84 RBI. Carlos Gomez ($4.3M) – Milwaukee Brewers - .284/.338/.500 (.843) with 27 doubles, 10 triples, 24 homers, 73 RBI, 40 SB. Denard Span ($4.75M) – Washington Nationals - .279/.327/.380 (.707) with 28 doubles, 11 triples, 4 homers, 47 RBI, 20 SB. Ben Revere ($0.515M) – Philadelphia Phillies - .305/.338/.352 (.691) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 0 homers and 17 RBI. Delmon Young ($1.2M) – Phillies/Rays - .260/.307/.407 (.715) with 16 doubles, 11 homers and 38 RBI. I think it’s fair to say some of these former Twins outfielders came through with big seasons. Cuddyer was healthy and won the NL batting title. Hunter continues to defy the aging process and hit well with Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder batting behind him. Gomez has finally put it all together, all those tremendous tools. He has become the five-tool talent the Twins acquired from the Mets but didn’t see. Denard Span had a solid inaugural season with the Nationals, though it’s fair to assume he’ll want a higher on-base percentage. He did a great job of patrolling the team’s outfield, with no errors on the season. Revere got off to a very slow start in Philly, but after losing some playing time he took off, and as things were getting really good, he unfortunately broke his foot and missed the rest of the season. Delmon Young wasn’t very good, but did show some power. The Phillies DFAd him, and he re-signed with the Rays. THE STARTERS Francisco Liriano ($1M + up to $3.75M in incentives) – Pittsburgh Pirates – 16-8, 3.02 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.5 BB/9, 9.1 K/9 Kyle Lohse ($11M) – Milwaukee Brewers – 11-10, 3.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9, 5.7 K/9 RA Dickey ($5.5M) – Toronto Blue Jays – 14-13, 4.21 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9, 7.1 K/9 Matt Garza ($10.25M) – Cubs/Rangers – 10-6, 3.82 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9, 7.9 K/9 Jason Marquis ($3M) – San Diego Padres – 9-5, 4.65 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 5.2 BB/9, 5.5 K/9 It is fair to say Liriano exceeded all expectations in 2013 with the Pirates. Of course, we’ve seen this before. Liriano put up very similar numbers in 2010, so it will be interesting to see if Liriano has truly flipped a switch or if he’s only having another good year. Of course, he was set to make much more money but it got reduced when he hurt his right arm scaring his kids. Lohse signed late but he proved worth the contract, at least in its first year. Dickey came back down to earth a bit with his move to the American League, but he still ate a ton of innings. Garza has been really solid since coming up with the Twins in 2006, but he is yet to take that next step to be an ace, yet. THE RELIEVERS Joe Nathan ($7M) – Texas Rangers – 6-2, 43 Saves, 1.39 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 10.2 K/9 Grant Balfour ($4.5M) – Oakland A’s – 1-3, 38 Saves, 2.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.9 BB/9, 10.3 K/9 Craig Breslow ($2.325M) – Boston Red Sox – 5-2, 1.81 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9, 5.0 K/9 Jesse Crain ($4.5M) – Chicago White Sox – 2-3, 0.74 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9, 11.3 K/9 LaTroy Hawkins ($1M) – NY Mets – 3-2, 2.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 1.3 BB/9, 7.0 K/9 Pat Neshek ($0.975M) – Oakland A’s – 2-1, 3.35 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9, 6.5 K/9 Matt Guerrier ($3.75M) – Dodgers/Cubs – 4-4, 4.01 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 3.6 BB/9, 6.3 K/9 Joe Nathan has completely recovered from his Tommy John surgery to be just as good as he was when he was younger. Balfour was hurt often during his time with the Twins. He had Tommy John surgery and shoulder surgery within a two year period. But he has come back strong, ten years later, and become an intimidating closer. Breslow has been one of baseball’s best left-handed relievers since his days with the Twins. Crain figured out something in May of 2010 and he has been as good as any reliever in the game since then. He did miss the final three months of this season with shoulder problems. LaTroy Hawkins is another guy who defies age. He had his best season in years in 2013! ALL FORMER TWINS LINEUP Denard Span LF ($4.75M) Carlos Gomez CF ($4.3M) Michael Cuddyer 1B ($10.5M) David Ortiz DH ($14M) Torii Hunter RF ($12M) JJ Hardy SS ($7M) Danny Valencia 3B ($0.5M) AJ Pierzynski C ($7.5M) Nick Punto 2B ($1.5M) Francisco Liriano SP ($1M) Closer – Joe Nathan ($7M); RH Set-Up – Jesse Crain ($4.5M); LH Set-Up – Craig Breslow $2.325M). Total salaries ($76.875 million) for 13 players. Total salaries for the 25 player roster mentioned above? $123.565. That’s a pretty impressive roster. I didn’t include Justin Morneau since he was only gone for a month. I didn’t include Jason Kubel, who made $7.5 million in 2013 and played horribly after a tremendous 2012 season. It didn’t include the $5 million that the Cubs gave to Scott Baker for three starts and 15 innings. It didn’t include Philip Humber, who went 0-8 with a 7.90 ERA before being DFAd by the Astros. It’s fun for me to see former Twins players sticking around and being very successful with other organizations. There have been plenty to follow!

On Opening Day, I had the opportunity to talk to a very excited Ryan Pressly. The right-hander was the Minnesota Twins Rule 5 pick last December and had a strong spring training. Understandably, Pressly was very much excited. During the Twins final weekend, I had the chance to catch up with Pressly and see how he felt about his season. “I’m happy with it. Obviously there’s a couple of games I’d like to take back. Other than that, I’m pretty happy with what I accomplished this season.” [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Fifteen players were selected by 13 teams in last year’s Rule 5 draft (with Houston and Florida making two selections). Ten of those players were returned to their old team. One player, 30-year-old Angel Sanchez remained with the White Sox and played the season in the minor leagues. He went 0-2 with the big league club. Nate Freiman was selected by the Astros with their second pick. The 1B/DH was then selected off waivers by the A’s and played in 80 games for Oakland. He hit .274/.327/.389 with eight doubles, four homers and 24 RBI in 190 at bats. Pressly was taken with the fourth pick behind Josh Fields (Astros), Hector Rondon (Cubs) and Danny Rosenbaum (who was returned to the Nationals). Here are how his numbers compared to those two two picks: [TABLE] Name Age Games IP W-L ERA WHIP BB/9 K/9 Josh Fields (HOU) 28 41 38.0 1-3 4.97 1.29 4.3 9.5 Hector Rondon (CHC) 28 45 54.2 2-1 4.77 1.41 4.1 7.2 Ryan Pressly (MIN) 24 49 76.2 3-3 3.87 1.28 3.2 5.8 [/TABLE] Asked when he felt he belonged, Pressly said, “It was a little of everything. It was the situations I was put in. My stuff plays up here, and that’s what I was concerned about. It was a little bit of pitching to (the catchers) and the meetings we have and what was going to work that day and how I felt that day, so it was a little bit of everything.” His “stuff” was led by an average fastball of 93.6 mph. He threw his fastball 61.4% of the time. He also showed a very good slider that he threw at an average of 86.2 mph. He threw that 14.2% of the time. He threw his slower curve ball 18.2% of the time, and it averaged 80.8 mph. He also threw a changeup just 5.6% of the time. It was 87.6 mph, so ideally he would find a way to reduce that by about 5 mph. What worked for Pressly? “I went out there and just attacked hitters. That’s all I tried to do was to get people out. If the starters were in trouble and left guys on, it was my job to come in and bail them out. That’s really what I tried to do.” The answer to what the highlight of his rookie campaign came pretty easily to him. “My first win in Boston. I mean, obviously my debut, but to get my first win in Boston against my old team, that’s pretty special to me. ” Photo by Betsy Bissen On May 8th at Fenway, the Twins scored four runs in the top of the first only to see the Red Sox score five in the bottom of the inning off of Pedro Hernandez. The Twins then scored seven runs in the top of the first to take an 11-5 lead. Hernandez gave up another run in the bottom of the second frame. So, Pressly came in for the third inning and went a season-high four innings to gain the win. He gave up no runs on just two hits in that time. That was his role in 2013, and he did well in it. Six other times he worked at least three innings, gaining valuable experience that will carry him into the offseason and hopefully to a bright future with the Twins. Consider this. In an August game in Kansas City, he gave up seven earned runs in 1.1 innings. Without that appearance, his rookie season ERA would have been under 3.10. I know, you can probably do that for every reliever in baseball. Every one of them has clunkers, but what it shows is that, despite spending about a half-season in AA and no time in AAA, Pressly showed he can succeed in the big leagues. That, in my mind, is a tremendous positive that Twins fans can gain from the 2013 season. Will Pressly be given another chance to start? It is certainly possible. It will be interesting to see what 2014 holds for Ryan Pressly.

While writing an article on the Minnesota Twins upcoming 40-man roster decisions for the Offseason GM Handbook, one name jumped out to me as an obvious choice. This name is one that I had not really thought about previously. Based on the title of this article, that one name is, obviously, Lester Oliveros. Approximately 13 months ago, the hard-throwing right-handed reliever underwent Tommy John surgery. His rehab went pretty well. On July 30th, he made his first appearance in a GCL Twins game. Over the next four weeks, he made a total of six appearances and threw 6.1 innings, all for the GCL squad. He gave up four hits, walked three and struck out eight. Seems strange to add a guy who pitched so little and only in the GCL to the 40-man roster, doesn’t it? But, in my mind, it is an easy choice for several reasons. First, and most important, it comes down to talent. Oliveros has terrific stuff. Reports I got from Ft. Myers were that he was throwing very hard and his stuff was nasty. Before his Tommy John surgery, he threw 95 mph with a good slider. Would he get selected in the Rule 5 draft? Relief pitchers are the most frequent players taken in the Rule 5. They are also the ones who tend to stick with their team. Oliveros has shown the he is very close to big league ready and has already pitched with the Tigers and Twins. With his stuff, there is a good chance he would be taken this year. If he isn’t immediately ready for Opening Day, he could still go on the disabled list. In my mind, he would be quite likely to be selected. Of course, for him to be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5, the Twins would have to sign him to a minor league contract. You see, Oliveros can become a six-year minor league free agent immediately after the World Series unless he and the Twins agree to a contract before then. A year ago, the Twins signed Josmil Pinto right after the World Series (or even just before that) which did not allow him to become a free agent. Then, in November, Pinto was added to the 40-man roster. If the Twins want to keep Oliveros around, they will likely need to sign him very quickly. The other (more likely) option is just to add him to the 40-man roster before the World Series is complete. Another thing that makes this a no-brainer in my mind is that Oliveros has one option year remaining. He was optioned in 2011 and 2012. He did not use an option in 2013 because the Twins removed him from the 40-man roster about this time last year before signing him to a minor league contract. In other words, they don’t have to rush him. They don’t have to have him up all season. They can let him continue to come back at his own pace. The Twins acquired Oliveros, along with (St. Paul Saints pitcher) Cole Nelson, from the Detroit Tigers in August of 2011 in exchange for the new Mr. October, Delmon Young. In my mind, the decision to add Lester Oliveros back to the Twins 40-man roster this offseason is a no-brainer. He’s still just 25. He has terrific stuff and plenty of high-upside bullpen potential. He has an option remaining and can be brought back to 100% at a proper pace. Because he can become a six-year minor league free agent after the completion of the World Series, I expect the Twins will add him to the 40-man roster before then. With so much 40-man roster flexibility, adding Oliveros just makes sense.

During the 2013 season, the Minnesota Twins promoted many players to the big leagues. Many of them were rookies. So, who would get your vote for the top performing rookie on the team in 2013? To keep it somewhat limited, I only looked at those rookies that were with the team for long enough that they will not be a rookies in 2014. In other words, Josmil Pinto will still be a rookie in 2014, so he and his impressive September will not be eligible (though, you can choose him as a write-in candidate in the comments below). So without further ado, here are the candidates: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Aaron Hicks - After trading Denard Span and Ben Revere in the offseason, the Twins heavily touted Aaron Hicks as the future at centerfield. He came to spring training and hit very well and won the competition. Then things started to go bad. On Opening Day, Hicks struck out three times against Justin Verlander. He went on to hit .192/.259/.338 (.597) with 11 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 27 RBI. He stole nine bases in 12 attempts. He struck out 84 times and walked 24 times in 81 games before he was optioned to Rochester. He did not return in September. WAR = -0.7. Oswaldo Arcia - A spring training injury meant that Arcia was not able to show his offensive skills as much as he would have wanted. However, within the first two weeks of the season, he was promoted. At times, he realized the potential that he has. Considering he struck out an amazing 31% of the time (117 times to go with just 23 walks), his 102 OPS+ is impressive considering his age. When he put the ball in play, he did some damage. Overall, in 97 games, he hit .251/.304/.430 (.734) with 17 doubles, 2 triples, 14 home runs and 43 RBI. WAR = -0.4. Chris Colabello - He was the story of the year in 2012 in the Twins farm system. This year, he was invited to big league spring training before starring for the surprising Team Italy in the WBC. He dominated AAA, and at age 29, earned his first big league promotion. In 160 at bats over 55 games, he hit .194/.287/.344 (.631) with three doubles, seven homers and 17 RBI. He did strike out 58 times. Again, he showed a rare power this year that makes him intriguing going forward. WAR = -0.2. Chris Herrmann - He had a mid-September promotion to the Twins in 2012. He made his AAA debut in 2013, but he was summoned to the big club in May when Wilkin Ramirez had his concussion. He certainly showed his defensive versatility, playing well behind the plate and in the two corner outfield positions. He had a couple of moments with his bat too. Overall, in 157 at bats over 57 games, he hit .204/.286/.325 (.611) with five doubles, two triples and three home runs. WAR = 0.2. Pedro Hernandez - The lefty was up and down with the Twins a few times throughout the season. With the big league club, he made 12 starts and twice came out of the bullpen. He went 3-3 with a 6.83 ERA, a 1.82 WHIP and a 5.54 FIP. In 56.2 innings, he gave up 80 hits, walked 23 and struck out 29. Ryan Pressly - The Twins acquired Pressly from the Red Sox organization in the Rule 5 draft. Very few Rule 5 picks remain with their drafting team, but Pressly became a success story. He pitched in 49 games for the Twins and went 3-3 with a 3.87 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and a 3.67 FIP. In 76.2 innings, he gave up 71 hits, walked 27 and struck out 49. Andrew Albers - Another tremendous story who has moved swiftly up the Twins system since signing out of the Can-Am League before the 2011 season. He was the Twins choice for minor league pitcher of the year, and he finally made his big league debut. In his first start, he went 8.1 scoreless innings. In his second start, he threw the team's only complete game shutout of the season. Overall, in his ten starts, he gave up 64 hits, walked seven and struck out 25 in 60 innings. He went 2-5 with a 4.05 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a 3.96 FIP. Kyle Gibson - The 2009 top pick returned from Tommy John surgery and was able to hit a combined 150 innings this season. After coming up to the Twins in June, he made ten starts. He went 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA, a 1.75 WHIP and a 5.17 FIP. In 51 innings, he gave up 69 hits, walked 20 and struck out 29. He will come to big league camp in 2014 with a chance to be in the Opening Day rotation. Those are the candidates, with one exception. My choice for 2013 Twins Rookie of the Year is... photo by Betsy Bissen Caleb Thielbar - The Twins signed Thielbar from the St. Paul Saints late in the 2011 season. He moved up three levels in 2012 and then pitched in the Arizona Fall League before being added to the 40 man roster. He struggled in spring training, but it wasn't long into the season that he was summoned to the Twins. He made his big league debut on May 20 in Atlanta where he struck out three over two perfect innings. He did not give up a run until July 8th, a period that covered 17 games and 19.2 innings. Over the course of the rest of the season, he gave up more than one run just one time. Overall, he pitched in 49 games. He went 3-2 with a 1.76 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP and a 3.40 FIP. In 46 innings, he gave up just 24 hits, walked just 14 and struck out 39 (7.6 per nine innings). I talked to Thielbar on Saturday at Target Field. How did he feel about his rookie season? What did he learn? He said, "Just proving to myself that I can pitch at this level I think is a big deal." What was his key to success? "Just throwing strikes and getting ahead of guys. When I get ahead of guys, it's fine. I run into a little trouble when I fall behind guys. I think that's the main problem I've had at some points this year. I guess mixing all of the pitches has been real effective, just like in the minor leagues." Why is that so important, especially in the big leagues? "Everyone is good up here. Everyone is awesome!" The most important thing for all of these rookies is that now they have some big league experience. Every player who debuts has some struggles. It's a matter of what they learn and what they do with that information to make adjustments and become better in the long run. In 2014, there will be several more rookies making their debuts and going through their struggles as well. Wouldn't it be nice if it just came easily? That's not reality for the vast majority of big leaguers. So, every experience, good and bad, can provide value. So, you've seen the options, and you've seen my choice, now it's your turn. Who would you chose as the 2013 Twins Rookie of the Year, and why?

Just for fun, let’s imagine that you have worked for a company for more than 25 years. Imagine you have been in a very important position within that company for a dozen years. You’ve given your heart and soul, worked hard and dedicated your energies to that company. You may not be the perfect employee. Frankly, for your job, there is no such thing as perfect. However, it’s not an easy job, dealing with personalities and performances of others. Imagine now that the last three or four projects that you were in charge of had not gone as planned. Though the expectations of some were that the projects would be simple, each had unforeseen challenges. You did your job in the right ways, continued to work hard, continued to work with your teams. You performed your job and did all the necessary work, but the projects were not seen as successes. How would you want your boss and his or her superiors to respond? Well, there are two options, aren’t there? Option 1 – They could decide to terminate your employment or push you to a different area of the company. That’s probably the easier choice. Option 2 – Despite the loud voices to the contrary, your boss can stand up for you and talk about how the whole team, the whole organization is responsible and accountable. The boss can ask you to work on certain things, and maybe look in the mirror at areas you can improve, in an attempt to improve the overall performance. The boss can stand behind you to his or her superiors because there have been many successes along the way, big and small. With Monday’s decision to retain the services of Manager Ron Gardenhire for the next two seasons, GM Terry Ryan chose for Option #2, and my personal opinion is that it is the right decision. Ron Gardenhire is not without faults. There are times I may question some in-game decisions, or why he chooses to call out a young player through the media, but overall, Gardenhire has proven himself on the field. He and his coaching staff also put in their work and their time, all in the effort of making players better every day. There have been several successes, and like all walks of life, there are plenty of mistakes. The Twins lost 96 games in 2013, the third straight season they have lost at least that many games. The number of managers who have kept their job after three straight 90-loss seasons is very low. However, one such example of this is the Twins, and it was Tom Kelly. It should surprise no one that the organization wants to remain loyal and wants to build from within. In early September, the Twins found themselves with a 61-77 record. They proceeded to lose 14 of their final 19 games to end the year at 66-96. Of course, Justin Morneau had been traded and Joe Mauer missed the final six weeks with his concussion. “The players want Gardy to come back.” To nobody's surprise, players were quoted over the weekend that they wanted Ron Gardenhire to return and spoke glowingly about his managerial style and how hard he worked. Listening to the quotes of players who are loyal to their manager is definitely not something the GM should base his decision on. However, the only thing worse than making a move to appease the players is to make a move to appease the fans. Fans want wins, and that’s what everybody wants. There’s nothing wrong with that. The GM's job is to find ways to win as quickly as possible while also looking out for the long-term future of the product on the field. The idea of making a change just to make a change is obviously not smart. Consider this. A year ago, fans were screaming for Joe Vavra to lose the hitting coach duties so Tom Brunansky could take over. How well did that turn out for the Twins in 2013, a Twins team that struck out the third most times by a team in baseball history? Many will choose to look at the last three seasons. It’s also hard to ignore his first nine seasons. In that time, he had six division titles, and a second place finish (after losing a Game 163). Just once in his first nine seasons did the Twins have a sub-.500 record. Some choose to look at the Twins playoff record, and I understand that. However, what happens over a 162 game sample size is a more reliable indicator than a five game sample any day. Manager of the Year voting is always an interesting endeavor. However, he won the award in 2010 after finishing second in voting five times previously. The respect that Gardenhire has in the baseball industry is great. So, how much credit and how much blame should a manager get? The Cleveland Indians won more than 20 games more in 2013 than in 2012. Terry Francona took over for Manny Acta. The difference, however, was that Francona inherited a rotation in which four starters were able to strike out over eight batters per nine innings. They had a lineup of veterans that was supplemented with free agents Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. Ron Gardenhire worked with a starting staff that seemed allergic to missing bats. Remember: Ron Gardenhire could have been a free agent manager on Monday. He could have had his choice of open jobs in the coming weeks. I appreciate that he wants to stay here. As he said, he wants to be part of the answer for turning this around. He is going to need help from the front office to make that happen. Despite being 102 games below over the last three years, Gardenhire is still 51 games over .500 for his 12-year career. He has not forgotten how to manage, and he has the respect of his players. Brian Dozier and several bullpen arms took strides forward, and Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins played at their All-Star levels. Kyle Gibson, Oswaldo Arcia, Aaron Hicks, Josmil Pinto, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Pressly and Michael Tonkin came up, took some lumps, gained some experience, and should be better for it. In 2014, Twins fans should see the debuts of Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, likely Byron Buxton, and maybe Danny Santana. Those guys will also likely take some lumps, so 2014 should again be a rebuilding year. The front office and the scouting staff have put together some great minor league talent that will be another year closer in 2014, but for the team to take a major step forward, starting in 2014, the front office will have to acquire some veterans that can be counted on. Also, Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit, if around, will have to be better. It's going to be 2015 before we see just how good this team can be. The youth and hopefully some complementary veterans will help. And Ron Gardenhire is the right guy to get this team back to contention. I can see Gardenhire doing just like his predecessor, Tom Kelly. After Kelly led the Twins to four straight 90+ loss seasons, he went with a youthful group that, in 2001, competed into the second half of the season. That’s what I can see happening in 2015. Should that happen, I can see Gardenhire saying, "OK, this team is back to where it should be" and turning it over to the next manager who will lead the way for the next decade or more.

The Cleveland Indians are in Minneapolis, ready for a four-game, season-ending series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Twins watched the Oakland A's celebrate winning the AL West Division title last weekend. Last night, they watched the Detroit Tigers win the AL Central for the third straight year. It is possible that the Twins will also watch Cleveland celebrate a playoff berth this weekend. With four games to play, the Indians are currently one game ahead of the Texas Rangers for the second wild card position in the American League. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]They are one game behind Tampa Bay for the #1 wild card spot. While Cleveland gets to play the Twins, the Rangers will be hosting the Angels for four games. In 2012, Cleveland finished 68-94 after a massive second-half collapse. This year, they are 88-70 with four games to play and a playoff spot well within their grasp. I thought it would be interesting to check out the Cleveland roster to see how this team came together. It was quite interesting to see how they acquired their key 2013 contributors. DRAFTED: 2B Jason Kipnis - 2nd round in 2009 3B Lonnie Chisenhall - 1st round in 2008 RP Cody Allen - 23rd round in 2011 RP Vinny Pestano - 20th round in 2006 VIA TRADE: RF Drew Stubbs (12/11/12 - acquired from Cincinnati for Shin-Soo Choo in 3-team trade) IF Mike Aviles and C Yan Gomes (11/3/12 - acquired from Toronto for Esmil Rogers) SS Asdrubal Cabrera (7/30/06 - acquired from Seattle for Eduardo Perez) LF Michael Brantley (10/3/08 - acquires as the PTBNL from Milwaukee in the CC Sabathia trade) C Carlos Santana (7/26/08 - acquired from the Dodgers for Casey Blake) SP Justin Masterson and RP Nick Hagadone (7/31/09 - acquired from Boston for Victor Martinez) SP Ubaldo Jimenez (7/30/11 - acquired from Colorado for four players including Matt White and Drew Pomeranz) SP Corey Kluber (7/31/10 - acquired in 3-team trade from Padres. Cleveland sent Jake Westbrook to St. Louis) SP Zach McAllister (8/20/10 - acquired as PTBNL for Austin Kearns from Yankees) RP Chris Perez (6/27/09 - acquired with Jess Todd for Mark Derosa from Cardinals) RP Joe Smith (12/11/08 - acquired as part of 3-team deal from Mets) FREE AGENTS: 11/19/12 - signed former Twins OF Matt Carson to a minor league deal (OK, not a significant contributor throughout the year, but since his recall in late August, he is 7-10!) 1/4/13 - signed 1B Nick Swisher to a four-year deal 1/8/13 - signed SP Scott Kazmir to minor league contract 1/21/13 - signed IF Ryan Raburn to a minor league contract 2/15/13 - signed OF Michael Bourn to a four-year contract 12/18/12 - signed IF Mark Reynolds 1/1/13 - signed Brett Myers 2/19/13 - signed Jason Giambi STAT PACK: Here is where Cleveland ranks in the American League in the following statistics: Runs Scored - 6th (717) OPS - 8th (.734) ERA - 7th (3.84) Strikeouts - 2nd (1,331) Errors/Fielding Percentage - 11th (99, .983) The offense has just two players (with enough at-bats to qualify) with an OPS over .800. Carlos Santana's OPS is .824, and Jason Kipnis's OPS is .804. Nick Swisher (.758) and Michael Brantley (.730) are the only others with an OPS over .700. All five starters who have made at least 23 starts have ERAs between 3.38 and 4.14. Four of the five starters have struck out at least 8.3 batters per nine innings. Justin Masterson's 2012 ERA was 4.93, and it dropped to 3.52 in 2013. Ubaldo Jimenez's 3.38 this season is impressive, especially considering it was 5.10 in 2012. Scott Kazmir pitched in the independent leagues in 2012 after making just one big league appearance in 2011. He had a 5.94 ERA for the Angels in 2010. The last time he was a solid MLB pitcher for an extended period before this year was 2008. Corey Kluber posted a 5.14 ERA in 12 starts in 2012 before posting a 3.61 ERA this season. Zach McAllister dropped his ERA by nearly a half-point from 2012 to 2013. Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen, Joe Smith and Matt Albers did very well in extensive relief duties. So, if you're looking for the reason that Cleveland will win 20-plus more games in 2013 than in 2012, look no further than a pitching staff that went from worse-than-the-Twins to league-average. Oh, I nearly forgot... On September 27 of last year, Cleveland fired manager Manny Acta. Sandy Alomar finished the season, but in early October, Terry Francona left his ESPN gig to be the team's new manager. Mickey Callaway was named the team's new pitching coach. Ty Van Burkleo was named the hitting coach. Summary Cleveland made several changes to their roster from 2012 to 2013, but the most significant difference between the two seasons was the performance of their pitching staff. That can't be over-emphasized. They signed Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn to four-year contracts. Swisher has always been an on-base machine who provides power. He is an Ohio native who played his college ball at Ohio State. Bourn was a Boras client who didn't have as many teams interested in him as they had projected. He was available to Cleveland, in part, because the Twins traded Denard Span to the Nationals and Ben Revere to the Phillies. Mark Reynolds was a nice signing, for the season's first month, and Brett Myers was hurt most of the season. However, they got lucky with the minor league contracts of Scott Kazmir and Ryan Raburn. Jason Giambi provides value off of the bench. The team's core came via trade. Jimenez had a successful run in Colorado. Masterson had done well in the Red Sox bullpen. However, guys like Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister all came to the organization as minor leaguers. It will be a nice story if Cleveland is able to get to the playoffs in 2013. It's fun to see a team make that kind of improvement from one season to the next. The Twins will come from different direction with so many potentially high-impact minor leaguers on the horizon. Maybe in 2015 the Twins will be able to make a 20+ game improvement and contend for a playoff spot.