Seth Stohs

On Sunday morning, seven players from Minnesota Twins spring training were told that they would not be on the Twins Opening Day roster. The most intriguing name of the bunch was infielder Chris Colabello. This leaves the Twins with 42 players on their spring roster. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3519[/ATTACH] Here are the players sent to minor league camp: Chris Colabello was last year's feel-good minor league story. He has had a great past 12 months. At this time last year, he has just signed with the Twins after being named Baseball America's Independent Leagues player of the year in 2011. He made the New Britain roster and was a mainstay in the middle of their lineup all season. He received the invite to spring training and made a name for himself on a national (international?) level with some big games and big hits for Team Italy in the WBC. He returned to the Twins late last week. He will likely spend most of the season in Rochester this year, but don't be at all surprised if the Twins call his name if they have a need for a bat. Brian Dinkelman hit .301 for the Twins in 2011 in a part-time role. He spent all of 2012 with Rochester and didn't play a lot due to injury. He provides the Twins with depth in the corner outfield spots as well as the right side of the infield. Clete Thomas got some time with the Twins in 2012 after spending his entire career in the Tigers organization. He returned to the Twins on a minor league deal after hitting for power with the Red Wings. He'll return to Rochester this spring and play all around the outfield. Mark Sobolewski was selected by the Twins in the minor league portion of December's Rule 5 draft from the Blue Jays organization. He showed well for himself in Twins camp, displaying good defense. He likely would have competed with Deibinson Romero for playing time but Romero has still not arrived from the Dominican Republic due to visa issues. Deolis Guerra came off of the 40 man roster last November, but he returned on a minor league contract. He pitched very well in the Venezuelan Winter League and was excited to represent his country in the WBC. Unfortunately, shoulder pain was diagnosed as a blood clot. He will be having surgery in the near future. Shairon Martis was invited to big league camp after coming to the Twins in a minor trade last summer. He didn't pitch much for the Twins before joining Team Netherlands in Taiwan, and then Japan, and now in San Francisco for the WBC. He should factor into the Red Wings pitching staff this season. Eric Fryer got time with the Pirates the past two season. He played well in spring, but he could find himself in either New Britain or Rochester. The Twins now have 42 players in big league camp including 22 pitchers (5 non-roster), 4 catchers (1 non-roster), 9 infielders (3 non-roster) and 7 outfielders (2 non-roster).

On Saturday morning, the Minnesota Twins announced that they had optioned outfielder Oswaldo Arcia to Triple-A Rochester where he is likely to begin his 2013 season. Arcia was the Twins minor league hitter of the year in 2012 when he combined to hit a combined .320/.388/.539 (.928) with 36 doubles, 8 triples, 17 home runs and 98 RBI between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He played very well in the Venezuelan Winter League. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3517[/ATTACH] Unfortunately, soon after arriving at his second big league spring training, he was sidelined with a strained intercostal (muscle in the side). He was unable to play ntil last weekend, but he has been in the lineup most days since. After yesterday's announced moves, the Twins also send catcher Danny Lehmann back to minor league camp. That means that the spring training roster is now down to 49 players. There are still 24 pitchers (7 non-roster), 5 catchers (2 non-roster), 11 infielders (5 non-roster) and 9 outfielders (4 non-roster). That number will need to get down 25 before Opening Day, although there will likely be at least a couple of players on the Disabled List as well.

In two weeks, the Minnesota Twins will start their trek north for the start of the regular season. In the last few days, the Twins have sent several players down to minor league camp. There are still 50 players in camp and half of them will not be on the active roster on Opening Day. Here is this week’s look at my Twins Roster Projection. Let us know what you think. There are still a few roster spots up for grabs. Do you think any of the other players are givens? Which question marks do you think will make it? Go on record in the comments and see how your opinions change from week to week. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3515[/ATTACH] The players in Red are players that I believe are givens to make the roster (obviously pending injury). Those in black are potentially up for grabs. Catchers: Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit, Drew Butera What we know: Of course Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit are givens. What we don't know: The big question at this point is whether or not the Twins will carry a third catcher, or if they’ll be able to trust Eduardo Escobar to be the emergency catcher. If they think Escobar can do the job if absolutely needed, Mauer and Doumit can still be in the lineup most every day and Ron Gardenhire can have an offensive (in the good sense of the word) 25th man on the roster. As of today, I still think that Butera is the favorite, but now he is not competing with just other catchers, but he’s also competing with all potential bench bats too. Infielders: Justin Morneau, Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Pedro Florimon, Jamey Carroll, Eduardo Escobar What we know: We know that Justin Morneau, Trevor Plouffe and Jamey Carroll will be on the roster. Those are easy. This week, I did chance Dozier, Florimon and Escobar to givens. As was expected, Florimon is the shortstop and Dozier will be the second baseman. Escobar has also grabbed that second utility spot, and his willingness to be the emergency catcher (as he was with the White Sox a year ago), just solidifies that he’ll fill a role on this roster. What we don’t know: How long will Plouffe be hurt? Who plays at third base if Plouffe needs to go on the Disabled List? I assume it will be Jamey Carroll, although there is a chance that Eduardo Escobar could start there a bit as well. Is there any chance that the Twins could use Mark Sobolewski at the hot corner if Plouffe ends up being out for a while? I’d say doubtful, but it does have to be asked. Finally, I believe that Chris Colabello is in the race for that 25th spot on the roster, with Drew Butera and Joe Benson. Outfielders: Josh Willingham, Aaron Hicks, Chris Parmelee, Darin Mastroianni What we know: Josh Willingham will be the left fielder and hit. Chris Parmelee will be the starting right fielder as the season begins. We know that Darin Mastroianni will be on the roster. What we don’t know: Aaron Hicks was certainly the story of the first three weeks of minor league camp. He hasn’t had a hit in a couple of games, so he’ll need to show that he is able to handle some struggles in a positive way. Joe Benson really struggled the first three weeks of minor league games. However, he is hitting the ball hard and getting on base the last several games. If he has a strong next week to ten days and Hicks doesn’t rebound, this race is still up for grabs. Finally, Mastroianni is not going to sit back and let the other guys take the centerfield job. He missed about a week with his hamstring injury, but he came back and hit again. So, I still believe that Hicks is the current favorite for the starting job, but it is not completely settled yet. Benson could still be competing for the 25th spot on the roster, a bench bat with some pop. Starting Pitchers: Kevin Correia, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond, Mike Pelfrey, Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries (Diamond likely to start season on DL) What we know: Kevin Correia, Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey are all new to the organization, and they are all givens to make the rotation. Scott Diamond would be a starter, but he is yet pitch in a game and likely will begin the season on the disabled list. Kyle Gibson was competing for a job in the rotation, but his struggles got him sent back to Rochester to start the season. What we don’t know: Two spots in the rotation are open to start the season. Liam Hendriks and Cole de Vries are certainly the leading candidates, and those two haven’t changed on this list since last week. Hendriks gave up three homers in his start this week, but he was quite good in the first three. De Vries has been good throughout the spring. However, a couple of pitchers are getting noticed. PJ Walters has pitched very well in spring training, as he did last year until his injury. If he is an option for the rotation, he should get a start or at least get extended. Sam Deduno has pitched very well for the Dominican WBC team. He pitched well against Spain and Thursday night against the USA team. No question that Deduno has stuff, but can he throw enough strikes consistently? Can he get through five innings consistently? Deduno and Walters are not on the 40 man roster which reduces their chance of being on the Opening Day roster, but if they pitch well in Rochester, they will get another opportunity. Bullpen: Glen Perkins, Jared Burton, Brian Duensing, Casey Fien, Josh Roenicke, Ryan Pressly, Tim Wood, (Anthony Swarzak-DL) What we know: Perkins is going to be the closer. Burton and Duensing will be set up men. Swarzak becomes a given for the 25 man roster because he will be on the Disabled List. What we don’t know: Pretty much everything else. Alex Burnett has gone from being nearly a sure-thing to his odds being no better than 50% to make the Opening Day roster with a really rough spring training. He has an option remaining, as does Casey Fien. With Fien, the option might be the lone thing that keeps me from calling him a given. After that, the questions only get more difficult. Pressly has been really good all spring training and the odds of the Twins keeping him on the roster are quite high. Josh Roenicke and Tim Wood are both out of options. Roenicke threw a ton of innings last year as a long-man with the Rockies. Especially with Swarzak out to start the season, Roenicke provides value. Wood had one really rough outing, but he has been pretty solid. Walters and Deduno could still be candidates for a long term role if the Twins go in that direction. The other option is Tyler Robertson. He was roughed up in his first couple of spring outings, but he has been very good since. If the Twins decide that a third lefty is necessary, Robertson will be the choice. And, Pedro Hernandez has done a very nice job as a lefty out of the bullpen this spring as well. What are your thoughts? What does your roster look like two weeks before the season opener?

The Minnesota Twins just announced that they have optioned Kyle Gibson and Caleb Thielbar and also reassigned Anthony Slama, James Beresford and Kyle Knudson to minor league camp. Gibson has really struggled in big league games this spring after a flashy start. Of course, this is no surprise in his return from Tommy John surgery although many thought that he would have a chance at making the Twins starting rotation. More important than where he starts the season, Gibson's arm is feeling good. His velocity is back. He is throwing a very sharp slider. His control is not as impeccable as it typically has been, but that isn't completely unexpected. Gibson is going to have his innings monitored, but that is not the reason for starting the season in Rochester. He needs to get work. He needs to be more consistent. There is little question that he will be fine. He will be up with the Twins in the not-so-distant future. Thielbar was one of the surprise adds to the 40 man roster. Plucked from the St. Paul Saints late in the 2011 season, Thielbar pitched in Ft. Myers, New Britain, Rochester and the Arizona Fall League in 2012. He struggled this spring, but he does have a strong arm, and if needed, he could come up in 2013. Anthony Slama struggled this spring as well. In each of his outings, he threw a lot of pitches, struggled with control and command and was hittable. He'll go back to Rochester, probably be the closer, hopefully put up Slama-like numbers and get one more shot with the Twins during the season. He does become a minor league free agent following the season. James Beresford impressed with his glove, as always, this spring with the Twins. His first big league camp was interrupted by his appearance with Australia in the WBC. He has played three infield positions very well. Last night, he launched a solo home run for the Twins. He had just one home run in his professional career coming into the game, a home run in 2010 in Beloit. But, he has been able to add weight this offseason, a goal of his, and he has made some adjustments, so 2013 should be an interesting year for him. Kyle Knudson went to high school in Minnesota and played for the Minnesota Gophers in college. He was invited to spring training to help catch bullpens, but also to gain exposure with the big league coaching staff. He handled himself well behind the plate, and finally healthy, he should put up decent offensive numbers in 2013. He'll likely start the season in Ft. Myers. According to the press release, the Twins now have 51 players in camp (24 pitchers, six catchers, 11 infielders, and 10 outfielders.

The Minnesota Twins just announced that they have optioned Kyle Gibson and Caleb Thielbar and also reassigned Anthony Slama, James Beresford and Kyle Knudson to minor league camp. Gibson has really struggled in big league games this spring after a flashy start. Of course, this is no surprise in his return from Tommy John surgery although many thought that he would have a chance at making the Twins starting rotation. More important than where he starts the season, Gibson's arm is feeling good. His velocity is back. He is throwing a very sharp slider. His control is not as impeccable as it typically has been, but that isn't completely unexpected. Gibson is going to have his innings monitored, but that is not the reason for starting the season in Rochester. He needs to get work. He needs to be more consistent. There is little question that he will be fine. He will be up with the Twins in the not-so-distant future. Thielbar was one of the surprise adds to the 40 man roster. Plucked from the St. Paul Saints late in the 2011 season, Thielbar pitched in Ft. Myers, New Britain, Rochester and the Arizona Fall League in 2012. He struggled this spring, but he does have a strong arm, and if needed, he could come up in 2013. Anthony Slama struggled this spring as well. In each of his outings, he threw a lot of pitches, struggled with control and command and was hittable. He'll go back to Rochester, probably be the closer, hopefully put up Slama-like numbers and get one more shot with the Twins during the season. He does become a minor league free agent following the season. James Beresford impressed with his glove, as always, this spring with the Twins. His first big league camp was interrupted by his appearance with Australia in the WBC. He has played three infield positions very well. Last night, he launched a solo home run for the Twins. He had just one home run in his professional career coming into the game, a home run in 2010 in Beloit. But, he has been able to add weight this offseason, a goal of his, and he has made some adjustments, so 2013 should be an interesting year for him. Kyle Knudson went to high school in Minnesota and played for the Minnesota Gophers in college. He was invited to spring training to help catch bullpens, but also to gain exposure with the big league coaching staff. He handled himself well behind the plate, and finally healthy, he should put up decent offensive numbers in 2013. He'll likely start the season in Ft. Myers. According to the press release, the Twins now have 51 players in camp (24 pitchers, six catchers, 11 infielders, and 10 outfielders.

After looking at the Outfielders, Infielders, Catchers and Starting Pitchers, our final Spring Training Organizational Depth Chart will take a look at the relief pitchers in the Twins farm system. The bullpen was one of the better areas for the Twins in 2012, and could be again in 2013 although there are questions. The Twins have added some power arms in recent drafts, several are starting to move up the system. As we have done in the previous depth charts, we’ll try to project where these bullpen pitchers will start the season. There will likely be seven or eight relievers on each team, and maybe a few Disabled List spots as injuries pop up. Some of these guys could get an opportunity to start at some point during the season. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3499[/ATTACH] So let’s get to it. Here are the Relief Pitchers in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Glen Perkins, Jared Burton, Brian Duensing, Casey Fien, Alex Burnett, Josh Roenicke, Tim Wood, Ryan Pressly, (Anthony Swarzak – DL) [ATTACH=CONFIG]3500[/ATTACH]Perkins takes over as the full-time closer after spending most of the second half of the 2012 season working in the role. Jared Burton was a minor league free agent last year at this time. He made the roster, spent the whole season, pitched terrific and earned a multi-year contract. Brian Duensing is another lock in the bullpen. Hopefully he will just be left in the bullpen and allowed to get left-handed hitters out. Casey Fien was another minor league free agent a year ago. He had a great spring, got a mid-season promotion to the Twins, pitched very well and is pitching well again this spring. After those four, it is a bunch of question marks. Frankly, Alex Burnett has an option and has been pitching horribly again this spring. Josh Roenicke is out of options, and he has pitched well with the exception of last night. Tim Wood was pretty good, but he also had one hiccup. He is also out of options. The Twins used the 4th pick in the Rule 5 draft to take Ryan Pressly from the Red Sox organization. He will need to make the roster, or he’ll have to be offered back to the Red Sox unless they can work out a trade. Anthony Swarzak had his Twins Fest wrestling around rib injury, and he is yet to throw in a game. He will likely begin the season on the Disabled List. He’ll have to pitch well and he is also out of options. Rochester Red Wings Tyler Robertson, Caleb Thielbar, Anthony Slama, Bobby Lanigan, Jason Lane, Bryan Augenstein, Shairon Martis, Luis Perdomo, Mike O’Connor (Deolis Guerra, Esmerling Vazquez, Rich Harden, Rafael Perez, Dan Sattler, Lester Oliveros – DL) Tyler Robertson is the guy on this list that has a very good chance of making the Twins Opening Day roster. He struckout the side in his major league debut [ATTACH=CONFIG]3501[/ATTACH] ast summer. Thielbar had the big breakout season last year after signing with the Twins from the St. Paul Saints in August of 2011. He made the 40 man roster and struggled in spring games, but he should surface with the Twins sometime in 2013. Anthony Slama got another chance in big league camp this year. He deserves a shot again sometime this year, but his spring showing to this point has not left a good impression so far. Bobby Lanigan finished the 2012 season with Rochester after finally moving to the bullpen. Perdomo was one of the best relief pitchers in the Twins farm system in 2012 and earned his promotion to the Twins. He is back off of the 40 man roster. Martis is pitching for Team Netherlands in the WBC. He came to the Twins in a trade during the 2012 season and started for New Britain and for the Red Wings. Bryan Augenstein was a minor league free agent who was invited to big league spring training, but he has already been sent down. Jason Lane has 64 doubles and 61 home runs in the big leagues, but he has not played spent a day in the big leagues since 2007. Since 2009, he has been pitching in the minor leagues including the last three years in the Pacific Coast League. He ended last season with Sugar Land where he was managed by Gary Gaetti and played with the likes of Aaron Bates, Scott Kazmir and a couple of games with Roger Clemens. Reports indicated that the lefty threw quite hard. He went 9-5 with a 3.17 ERA. Deolis Guerra will be out for at least half of the season due to the clot found in his shoulder. He should be having surgery soon. Rich Harden had shoulder surgery and missed all of 2012. He will be rehabbing for a while yet and should be brought back slowly. The Twins also signed Rafael Perez who had surgery late last season, and he will be moved slowly as well. Will he actually get a chance to start? Maybe, but he has a good track record in the bullpen. Esmerling Vasquez did a nice job in Rochester last year both in the bullpen and then as a starter. He came back to Twins spring training. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder strain and was sent back to the minor league side. Dan Sattler signed with the Twins from the Saints early last year, and he pitched in Ft. Myers, New Britain and Rochester. Shortly after moving up to the Red Wings, he underwent Tommy John surgery. Lester Oliveros had Tommy John surgery in September and will likely miss much of the 2013 season. New Britain Rock Cats Michael Tonkin, Bruce Pugh, Dakota Watts, Andrew Albers, Edgar Ibarra, Dan Turpen, Marty Popham, Jose Gonzalez, Cole Nelson, (Aaron Thompson – DL) Of all the young players to show up at spring training this year, Michael Tonkin was one that clearly stood out to the media and to the manager. The tall, hard-throwing righty with a sharp slider should move quickly. Bruce Pugh has always been live-armed, but in 2012, he finally put it all together. For the third year, he pitched at both Ft. Myers and New Britain, but he was terrific. Likewise, it has been a roller coaster for Dakota Watts. He began the season with some tendonitis, but he really stepped up during the season. He pitched very well in Venezuela this past winter too, again showing off the mid-to-upper 90s velocity. Albers pitched well for the Twins and did a nice job with Team Canada in the WBC. He was my relief pitcher of the year in the Twins system in 2011, and last year he started for the Rock Cats. Edgar Ibarra has very good stuff. The lefty re-signed with the Twins and now that he is being a reliever, he could take off. Turpen throws hard, and although he limited his walks early in the season, by season’s end, he was walking a ton again. He ended last year at Rochester. Popham was a Twins minor league Rule 5 pick in December of 2011. He began the season in the Ft. Myers starting rotation and ended the season in the Rock Cats bullpen. Jose Gonzalez has been a closer on the teams he’s pitched on until last year in Ft. Myers. He had his ups and downs, but the hard-throwing left-hander with a terrific slider ended the season with New Britain. Nelson came to the Twins in the Delmon Young trade in August of 2011. The tall lefty from Minnesota struggled with injury and didn’t pitch well with the Miracle last year. He will likely need to make the Rock Cats roster. Thompson pitched for the Rock Cats last year before and after his 50 game suspension. Ft. Myers Miracle AJ Achter, Miguel Munoz, Nelvin Fuentes, Ryan O’Rourke, Corey Williams, Steven Gruver, Zach Jones, JT Chargois, Cole Johnson, Patrick Arnold, (Dallas Gallant, Manuel Soliman, Jhon Garcia – DL) As good as Tonkin was in 2012, AJ Achter was my choice for Twins minor league relief pitcher of the year. He spent the first half of the season learning the bullpen at Beloit. He was an All-Star and was promoted to the Miracle where he was much better. He should move up to New Britain quickly. Chargois was the Twins 2nd round pick last year out of Rice. He is one who could move quickly, if healthy. Zach Jones was the team’s 4th round pick. He was clocked at 98 and 99 consistently in Beloit last season, and frequently hit 100. Control and a second pitch, and he could move up quickly. Patrick Arnold was a minor league free agent signed for depth. Miguel Munoz was hurt and rehabbed most of the 2011 season. Last year, he was slowly brought back with the Miracle. When healthy, he throws hard and has a chance to be very good. From the left side, there are some very good options. Williams led the organization in saves last year with 17. Though he didn’t pitch real great, he does have great stuff and throws hard. Nelvin Fuentes works slow and doesn’t throw real heard, but he find a way to keep hitters off of their feet. When I saw Ryan O’ Rourke pitch in Beloit in 2011, my immediate comment was that he could get big league left-handed hitters out already because of his tremendous slider. He struggled at times in 2012, but he has a chance to fill a role as he moves up. Gruver started about half of the season last year in Beloit and did well. He also pitched well out of the bullpen and has earned a chance to move up. Garcia had Tommy John surgery last June and will likely rehab much of this season. Soliman had labrum surgery last season and is already throwing to hitters this spring. Gallant pitched some for Beloit last year, but just recently, he had an ulna nerve transposition and finds himself rehabbing again. Cedar Rapids Kernels Tim Atherton, Tyler Jones, Chris Mazza, Ricardo Arevalo, Josh Burris, Andrew Ferreira, Tyler Herr, Travis Huber, Kaleb Merck, Alex Muren, Luis Nunez, (Tim Shibuya – DL) Tim Atherton was with the Twins as a hitter a few years ago. He got in trouble, got released and then in late 2010, he was re-signed by the Twins as a pitcher. He throws hard and has a couple of good pitches. He walks too many, but he can miss bats. Tyler Jones came up to Beloit early in the 2012 season after being drafted in the 11th round in 2011 from LSU. He started for the Snappers most of the season. Mazza was a 27th round pick of the Twins in 2011, but he signed late. He pitched in both Twins rookie league teams and pitched very well. Arevalo signed with the Twins in 2009 and combined to go 0-8 in two seasons with the DSL Twins. In 2011, he was 0-4 with the GCL Twins. In 2012 at Elizabethton, he finally got that first win in his first start but then last his next three decisions. He pitched out of the bullpen for the E-Twins in the playoffs and does throw quite hard. Burris was the team’s 17th round pick in 2011. He made his pro debut in 2012 at Elizabethton and went 7-0 with a 1.75 ERA out of the bullpen. He struckout 40 and walked 21 in 36 innings. He throws hard but most talk about his big 12-6 curveball. Ferreira was the Twins 32nd round pick last year from Harvard. He pitched ten innings in ten games for the E-Twins. He went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA, walked seven and struckout 13. Herr was the Twins 44th round pick in 2009 out of his Texas High School. He spent two years in the GCL, and last year he went 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA in 31.2 innings at Elizabethton. He pitched in Australia this winter. When the Twins drafted Huber in the 23rd round last year from Nebraska, it was the third time he was drafted. He pitched nine games in Elizabethton. Merck was the Twins 33rd round pick last year out of TCU. He pitched in 16 games for E-Town last year and struckout 28 and walked six in 24.1 innings. Muren was the Twins 12th round pick last year from Cal State-Northridge. He posted a 1.46 ERA with a 0.86 WHIP in 24.2 innings despite striking out just 12. After going 5-0 with five saves and a 1.67 ERA in the GCL in 2011, Nunez went 0-2 with a 5.09 ERA in Elizabethton in 2012. The lefty throws very hard. Shibuya was the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year in 2011 in his debut pro season. He pitched alright early in the season for Beloit. Unfortunately, soon after he threw a complete game shutout, he started to feel pain in his shoulder. He did have surgery in October and hopes to pitch early in the season. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Angel Mata, Hung-yi Chen, Gonzalo Sanudo, Gerardo Ramirez, Melciades de la Cruz, Carson Goldsmith, Trent Higginbotham, Andre Martinez Mata went 4-3 with a 3.38 ERA last year in Elizabethton. He has moved up one level each of the last three years, so it is possible that he’ll move up to Cedar Rapids. Either way, they’ll continue to monitor his innings because he has a great arm. Chen signed from Taiwan late in 2010. He went 0-4 with a 4.33 ERA in 12 appearances (10 starts) with the GCL Twins. Last year, he stayed in the GCL and pitched in 16 games out of the bullpen. Chen has a strong arm and great control and I think he can be a starter down the road again. Sanudo has pitched the last two years in the GCL, but he made great strikes in 2012 when he posted a 2.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Most impressive, he walked just two and struckout 33 in 36 innings. Fellow Mexican Gerardo Ramirez has pitched with Sanudo the last two years. He struggled to a 6.62 ERA, but somehow had a 4-1 record. After a year in the DSL, de la Cruz came to the States last year and posted a 2.32 ERA in 31 innings in the GCL. He struckout 34. Goldsmith was the Twins 28th round pick last year out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana (same school as Mason Melotakis). He pitched in just three games before being shutdown with arm issues. Higginbotham was the Twins 26th round pick in 2011 out of high school and the Twins went well over slot to sign him. He debuted with the GCL Twins in 2012 and posted a 7.71 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP in 23.1 innings. The Twins were willing to go over slot to sign Andre Martinez, but when his physical turned out a shoulder issue, the Twins were able to sign him for below slot. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Michael Tonkin, 2.) JT Chargois, 3.) Corey Williams, 4.) Josh Burris 5.) Angel Mata, 6.) Bruce Pugh, 7.) AJ Achter, 8.) Tyler Jones,. SUMMARY The Twins bullpen was very good last year. They should be solid in the 8th and 9th innings again, but there are some question marks at the back of the bullpen which will be figured out. There are also some powerful arms in the Twins farm system. Guys like Dakota Watts and Bruce Pugh and Matt Hauser are close and ready to move up quickly. They have some talented left-handers. And, although we talk about those hard-throwing college relievers that the Twins drafted in 2012 that are going to get a chance to start, there are others like JT Chargois and Zack Jones who could move up quickly in the bullpen. And, if those starters prove better in the bullpen, they too could move quickly. There are a lot of talented bullpen arms in the system. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3502[/ATTACH] If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

Last week, we began to look at the Minnesota Twins organizational depth by looking at all of the outfielders and then all of the infielders in the in the system. Yesterday, we reviewed all of the catchers. Today, we will be taking a look at the starting pitchers throughout the Twins system. Consider there are five starters on the big league team plus four full-season affiliates and several remaining in Extended Spring Training. There are lots of pitchers to get through. As pitchers move up the organizational ladder, they typically get put into either the starting pitcher or relief pitcher category. In the lower levels, the line is a little more blurry. Because all pitchers are a little different (age, mechanics, stuff, maturity), they are treated a little differently. A high school draft pick in his first full season will likely throw less innings than a 25-year-old in AAA. In the lower levels, it’s quite possible that one pitcher will start in the first half and pitch out of the bullpen in the second half, or once they hit a certain innings limit. Other pitchers may be stretched out in the bullpen and move into the rotation when scheduled. This also occurs when a pitcher is rehabbing an injury. In other words, it is important to remember that if a pitcher is not starting in April, it doesn’t mean that he’ll be in the bullpen the whole year. Here are (most of) the Starting Pitchers in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond (DL), Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano are gone. Last year’s best pitcher, Scott Diamond is likely to start the season on the Disabled List after having bone chips removed from his elbow in December. The Twins starting rotation in 2012 was a hodge-podge, thrown together with hope and prayers, and for the most part, things went horribly wrong. The front office did make a couple of offseason trades to make the future of the starting rotation look brighter, but they did little to instill confidence that the rotation will be much better in 2013. That said, there can be some reason for some minimal optimism, should you choose to think that way. In the Ben Revere trade, the Twins acquired Vance Worley who was clearly the #54 starter for the Phillies rotation the last couple of years (behind the likes of Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels), but he would have been the Twins top guy the last couple of seasons. He would be the odds-on favorite to be the team’s top starter in 2013. He also had bone chips removed, but his procedure was done last August. Kevin Correia is going to give up a ton of hits. We know that. But if he can find a way to give up four runs or less in his 5-6 innings most starts, the offense may have a chance to keep up. He got $10 million. He’ll be making starts. Mike Pelfrey was an innings-eater at least for the Mets for several years. That is, until 2012 when he had Tommy John surgery in May. His comeback has been nothing short of remarkable, though it will be interesting to see how his aggressive return plays out. If healthy, he can be an average starter. Liam Hendriks would likely be in the lead for the 5th starter job if it was decided today. (Yes, he also had bone chips removed, in October) He’s looking to take his immense minor league success and show it in the big leagues in 2013. Assuming Diamond starts on the DL, the Twins will need another starter, and I would say that would be Cole de Vries at this point. The Minnesota native has performed quite well this spring, and although expectations were low for him in his rookie season, he actually pitched well. Rochester Red Wings Kyle Gibson, Samuel Deduno, PJ Walters, Pedro Hernandez, Virgil Vasquez, Scott Elarton (Nick Blackburn – DL) There is a chance that Kyle Gibson still makes the Twins Opening Day roster, but I sense that he is going to begin the season with the Red Wings where they will be able to limit his innings early in the season. That way, when he comes up to the Twins, there will be no limitations. Samuel Deduno will certainly be an interesting pitcher to watch in 2013. He pitched much better than expected in 2012, even showing good control at times. He was terrific in the Dominican Winter League, and his one start in the WBC was very impressive, and no walks. PJ Walters is having a very good spring again, and may be trying to earn a spot as a long reliever. Assuming he doesn’t, he’ll again be part of the Red Wings starting staff. Pedro Hernandez came to the Twins in the Francisco Liriano deal, made a couple of starts for Rochester, and then his season ended with injury. He is yet to give up a run this spring and may be competing with Tyler Robertson for a third lefty reliever. Virgil Vasquez hasn’t played in the big leagues for a couple of years. The Twins signed him while he was pitching in the Australian Baseball League this past winter. Elarton is another veteran who has been around for many years. He’s looking to the Twins for another opportunity. As you know, Nick Blackburn will begin the season on the Disabled List. When healthy, he’ll get another chance to start. New Britain Rock Cats BJ Hermsen, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Logan Darnell, Pat Dean, Blake Martin, Tom Stuifbergen, Kyle Davies, (Alex Wimmers – DL) Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year last year. He spent April in Ft. Myers, but he moved up to New Britain and was an Eastern League All-Star. He earned his spot on the Twins 40 man roster. Trevor May came to the Twins with Vance Worley from the Phillies in the Ben Revere trade. The hard-throwing right hander pitched for Reading (AA) last year and will return to the league for 2013 because he struggled with control. If he can throw strikes, he has the pitches and the mid-90s fastball to become a top of the rotation type of starter. Alex Meyer came to the Twins in the Denard Span trade. As the Twins said, to get a top of the rotation pitcher, you have to give something significant up, and before he gets to the upper levels. The sky is the limit for Meyer as he has a fastball that reaches into the upper-90s and a devastating slider. Darnell is a lefty who has pitched for the Rock Cats each of the past two seasons. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League last year. Blake Martin is another lefty who sees time in the rotation and in the bullpen. He has generally pitched better as a starter. Kyle Davies was once a prospect with the Braves. He was traded to the Royals where he was even worse. He did not pitch at all in 2012 and hopes to stick in the Twins organization. Stuifbergen has pitched for Ft. Myers each of the last two seasons. He has the stuff to be a solid starter, but he has to stay healthy. He is pitching for The Netherlands in the WBC. Alex Wimmers had Tommy John surgery in July, and he will likely be rehabbing much of the season. Ft. Myers Miracle Adrian Salcedo, Jason Wheeler, Matt Summers, Madison Boer, David Hurlbut, Matt Tomshaw, Luke Bard Adrian Salcedo was one of the Twins Top 10 prospects a year ago at this time, but in 2012, he missed most of the season with shoulder and elbow injuries. When healthy, he is long and lanky and can throw 95. He’s very athletic and could move quickly when confident in his arm. Jason Wheeler led the Twins minor leagues in Wins in 2012 with the Beloit Snappers. The tall left-hander doesn’t throw hard but does have good control and three pitches. Matt Summers started last year with the Snappers, but he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he was solid but unspectacular. Eden Prairie’s Madison Boer moved up to Ft. Myers very early and really struggled. I think that he could move up the system really quickly if he moved to the bullpen, but he has the velocity and the pitches that make him intriguing still as a starter. Hurlbut and Tomshaw were both terrific in the Beloit rotation all season. The lefties don’t throw hard, but they know how to pitch. Tomshaw pitched well right for the Miracle right after he was drafted in 2011, and he will return again in 2013. Luke Bard was the Twins third, first-round pick in 2012 out of Georgia Tech. He pitched so little last year due to injury. He will begin the season as a bullpen guy, but he will get a chance to start at some point. Cedar Rapids Kernels JO Berrios, DJ Baxendale, Tyler Duffey, Mason Melotakis, Taylor Rogers, Christian Powell, Brett Lee The Twins’ draft strategy last year included taking top available talent. For the team, the meant a lot of hard-throwing college arms who could move up quickly in the bullpen, but the Twins want several of them to become starters. When JO Berrios was available with the first pick of the supplemental first round, the Twins were thrilled to select him. The youngster impressed the Twins brass in spring training before heading to the WBC to pitch for Puerto Rico. Taylor Rogers moved up to Beloit and made a few starts in 2012 after being drafted out of Kentucky. DJ Baxendale pitched for Arkansas in the College World Series last year. Upon signing, the Twins kept him pitching out of the bullpen to limit his innings. He was dominant for the Snappers in 2012. Melotakis was the Twins 2nd round pick. The hard-throwing lefty dominated out of the bullpen, but he will also be able to find out if he can be a starter. Tyler Duffey put up astonishing numbers in Elizabethton as a reliever. He pitched for the Snappers in the playoffs. He too will be getting an opportunity to start. Christian Powell worked just a handful of innings before being hurt, but the hard-thrower will get a chance to start. Brett Lee is a lefty who pitched well for Elizabethton last year. He was drafted three times, so I’d expect him to take a big step forward in 2013. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Hudson Boyd, Austin Malinowski, Josue Montanez, Hein Robb, Sam Gibbons, Felix Jorge, Yorman Landa, Kuo-Hua Lo. Hudson Boyd’s first pro season was full of ups and downs, and his numbers show it. The 20-year-old pitched in Elizabethton last year and posted a solid 2.95 ERA. However, he was just 2-5 and had a WHIP of 1.48 while striking out just 36 in 58 innings. He throws hard. He lost a lot of weight this offseason. Expect much improvement in his second season. Austin Malinowski is from Minnesota and gave up a ride to the University of Arizona to sign with the Twins. He went 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 11 games in the GCL. His WHIP was 1.45, but the southpaw struckout 32 batters in 31.2 innings. Josue Montanez fought some injuries last year, but when he pitched, he was terrific. In the GCL, the lefty went 2-0 with a 0.36 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He struckout 30 and walked just eight in 25 innings. Seems like lefty Hein Robb has been around for a long time. He has been. The Twins signed him as a 16-year-old from South Africa. He played for their national team in the 2009 WBC, before he even pitched in the States. Last year at E-Town (after two years in the GCL), the lefty went 2-4 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. In 41 innings, he walked 14 and struckout 38. Sam Gibbons is a 19-year-old from Australia who debuted in the States with the GCL Twins in 2012. He went 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 35.1 innings. He walked just eight but struckout just 22. Felix Jorge was signed as a highly-touted right-hander from the Dominican. He went 0-3 but posted a 2.34 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in the GCL. In 34.2 innings, he walked 12 and struckout 37. Jorge just recently turned 19. Yorman Landa is also highly-touted. He comes from Venezuela. He too pitched in the GCL in 2012, and he went 1-3 with a 2.43 ERA. In 33.1 innings, he walked too many (21) but struckout 27. He will turn 19 about the time the Elizabethton season starts. Kuo-Hua Lo signed from Taiwan near in 2011 and debuted in the GCL as a 19-year-old in 2012. He went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP in 11 games. In 39.2 innings, he walked seven and struckout 33. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Alex Meyer, 2.) Kyle Gibson, 3.) JO Berrios, 4.) Trevor May, 5.) Mason Melotakis, 6.) Luke Bard, 7.) BJ Hermsen, 8.) Felix Jorge. The Twins finally have a few pitchers in their system with some significant upside. Alex Meyer has true ace potential. Kyle Gibson is very close, and he can be a solid #2. The sky may be the limit for JO Berrios, and although he’s young, he could move quickly. May came to the organization, and he has #2 upside, and if he does wind up in the bullpen, he could be dominant. SUMMARY 2012 was a frustrating year for the Twins. Often, the team would find itself down by three or four runs before the third inning. It will be interesting to see how the new pitchers fit in and pitch in the American League. It will be interesting to see Hendriks and De Vries get their next shot in the big leagues. Some of those guys that were forced into action last year for the Twins are still around, hoping for another shot. In Sam Deduno and PJ Walters, they have good options. And, what is really exciting is the influx of talent that the Twins have had since the end of last year. A couple of guys came via trade The Twins drafted the talented Berrios, and then a bunch of strong-armed college pitchers. Some will get a chance to start. Others could move up quickly in the bullpen. And, there are some more high-ceiling, high potential pitchers who threw in the GCL a year ago. It will be interesting to watch their slow climb up the organizational ladder. The Twins minor league pitching depth hasn’t been this strong in a long time. Will they use that #4 pick in the 2013 draft to obtain more high-ceiling pitching talent? We shall see. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

Last week, we began to look at the Minnesota Twins organizational depth by looking at all of the outfielders and then all of the infielders in the in the system. Yesterday, we reviewed all of the catchers. Today, we will be taking a look at the starting pitchers throughout the Twins system. Consider there are five starters on the big league team plus four full-season affiliates and several remaining in Extended Spring Training. There are lots of pitchers to get through. As pitchers move up the organizational ladder, they typically get put into either the starting pitcher or relief pitcher category. In the lower levels, the line is a little more blurry. Because all pitchers are a little different (age, mechanics, stuff, maturity), they are treated a little differently. A high school draft pick in his first full season will likely throw less innings than a 25-year-old in AAA. In the lower levels, it’s quite possible that one pitcher will start in the first half and pitch out of the bullpen in the second half, or once they hit a certain innings limit. Other pitchers may be stretched out in the bullpen and move into the rotation when scheduled. This also occurs when a pitcher is rehabbing an injury. In other words, it is important to remember that if a pitcher is not starting in April, it doesn’t mean that he’ll be in the bullpen the whole year. Here are (most of) the Starting Pitchers in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond (DL), Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano are gone. Last year’s best pitcher, Scott Diamond is likely to start the season on the Disabled List after having bone chips removed from his elbow in December. The Twins starting rotation in 2012 was a hodge-podge, thrown together with hope and prayers, and for the most part, things went horribly wrong. The front office did make a couple of offseason trades to make the future of the starting rotation look brighter, but they did little to instill confidence that the rotation will be much better in 2013. That said, there can be some reason for some minimal optimism, should you choose to think that way. In the Ben Revere trade, the Twins acquired Vance Worley who was clearly the #54 starter for the Phillies rotation the last couple of years (behind the likes of Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels), but he would have been the Twins top guy the last couple of seasons. He would be the odds-on favorite to be the team’s top starter in 2013. He also had bone chips removed, but his procedure was done last August. Kevin Correia is going to give up a ton of hits. We know that. But if he can find a way to give up four runs or less in his 5-6 innings most starts, the offense may have a chance to keep up. He got $10 million. He’ll be making starts. Mike Pelfrey was an innings-eater at least for the Mets for several years. That is, until 2012 when he had Tommy John surgery in May. His comeback has been nothing short of remarkable, though it will be interesting to see how his aggressive return plays out. If healthy, he can be an average starter. Liam Hendriks would likely be in the lead for the 5th starter job if it was decided today. (Yes, he also had bone chips removed, in October) He’s looking to take his immense minor league success and show it in the big leagues in 2013. Assuming Diamond starts on the DL, the Twins will need another starter, and I would say that would be Cole de Vries at this point. The Minnesota native has performed quite well this spring, and although expectations were low for him in his rookie season, he actually pitched well. Rochester Red Wings Kyle Gibson, Samuel Deduno, PJ Walters, Pedro Hernandez, Virgil Vasquez, Scott Elarton (Nick Blackburn – DL) There is a chance that Kyle Gibson still makes the Twins Opening Day roster, but I sense that he is going to begin the season with the Red Wings where they will be able to limit his innings early in the season. That way, when he comes up to the Twins, there will be no limitations. Samuel Deduno will certainly be an interesting pitcher to watch in 2013. He pitched much better than expected in 2012, even showing good control at times. He was terrific in the Dominican Winter League, and his one start in the WBC was very impressive, and no walks. PJ Walters is having a very good spring again, and may be trying to earn a spot as a long reliever. Assuming he doesn’t, he’ll again be part of the Red Wings starting staff. Pedro Hernandez came to the Twins in the Francisco Liriano deal, made a couple of starts for Rochester, and then his season ended with injury. He is yet to give up a run this spring and may be competing with Tyler Robertson for a third lefty reliever. Virgil Vasquez hasn’t played in the big leagues for a couple of years. The Twins signed him while he was pitching in the Australian Baseball League this past winter. Elarton is another veteran who has been around for many years. He’s looking to the Twins for another opportunity. As you know, Nick Blackburn will begin the season on the Disabled List. When healthy, he’ll get another chance to start. New Britain Rock Cats BJ Hermsen, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Logan Darnell, Pat Dean, Blake Martin, Tom Stuifbergen, Kyle Davies, (Alex Wimmers – DL) Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year last year. He spent April in Ft. Myers, but he moved up to New Britain and was an Eastern League All-Star. He earned his spot on the Twins 40 man roster. Trevor May came to the Twins with Vance Worley from the Phillies in the Ben Revere trade. The hard-throwing right hander pitched for Reading (AA) last year and will return to the league for 2013 because he struggled with control. If he can throw strikes, he has the pitches and the mid-90s fastball to become a top of the rotation type of starter. Alex Meyer came to the Twins in the Denard Span trade. As the Twins said, to get a top of the rotation pitcher, you have to give something significant up, and before he gets to the upper levels. The sky is the limit for Meyer as he has a fastball that reaches into the upper-90s and a devastating slider. Darnell is a lefty who has pitched for the Rock Cats each of the past two seasons. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League last year. Blake Martin is another lefty who sees time in the rotation and in the bullpen. He has generally pitched better as a starter. Kyle Davies was once a prospect with the Braves. He was traded to the Royals where he was even worse. He did not pitch at all in 2012 and hopes to stick in the Twins organization. Stuifbergen has pitched for Ft. Myers each of the last two seasons. He has the stuff to be a solid starter, but he has to stay healthy. He is pitching for The Netherlands in the WBC. Alex Wimmers had Tommy John surgery in July, and he will likely be rehabbing much of the season. Ft. Myers Miracle Adrian Salcedo, Jason Wheeler, Matt Summers, Madison Boer, David Hurlbut, Matt Tomshaw, Luke Bard Adrian Salcedo was one of the Twins Top 10 prospects a year ago at this time, but in 2012, he missed most of the season with shoulder and elbow injuries. When healthy, he is long and lanky and can throw 95. He’s very athletic and could move quickly when confident in his arm. Jason Wheeler led the Twins minor leagues in Wins in 2012 with the Beloit Snappers. The tall left-hander doesn’t throw hard but does have good control and three pitches. Matt Summers started last year with the Snappers, but he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he was solid but unspectacular. Eden Prairie’s Madison Boer moved up to Ft. Myers very early and really struggled. I think that he could move up the system really quickly if he moved to the bullpen, but he has the velocity and the pitches that make him intriguing still as a starter. Hurlbut and Tomshaw were both terrific in the Beloit rotation all season. The lefties don’t throw hard, but they know how to pitch. Tomshaw pitched well right for the Miracle right after he was drafted in 2011, and he will return again in 2013. Luke Bard was the Twins third, first-round pick in 2012 out of Georgia Tech. He pitched so little last year due to injury. He will begin the season as a bullpen guy, but he will get a chance to start at some point. Cedar Rapids Kernels JO Berrios, DJ Baxendale, Tyler Duffey, Mason Melotakis, Taylor Rogers, Christian Powell, Brett Lee The Twins’ draft strategy last year included taking top available talent. For the team, the meant a lot of hard-throwing college arms who could move up quickly in the bullpen, but the Twins want several of them to become starters. When JO Berrios was available with the first pick of the supplemental first round, the Twins were thrilled to select him. The youngster impressed the Twins brass in spring training before heading to the WBC to pitch for Puerto Rico. Taylor Rogers moved up to Beloit and made a few starts in 2012 after being drafted out of Kentucky. DJ Baxendale pitched for Arkansas in the College World Series last year. Upon signing, the Twins kept him pitching out of the bullpen to limit his innings. He was dominant for the Snappers in 2012. Melotakis was the Twins 2nd round pick. The hard-throwing lefty dominated out of the bullpen, but he will also be able to find out if he can be a starter. Tyler Duffey put up astonishing numbers in Elizabethton as a reliever. He pitched for the Snappers in the playoffs. He too will be getting an opportunity to start. Christian Powell worked just a handful of innings before being hurt, but the hard-thrower will get a chance to start. Brett Lee is a lefty who pitched well for Elizabethton last year. He was drafted three times, so I’d expect him to take a big step forward in 2013. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Hudson Boyd, Austin Malinowski, Josue Montanez, Hein Robb, Sam Gibbons, Felix Jorge, Yorman Landa, Kuo-Hua Lo. Hudson Boyd’s first pro season was full of ups and downs, and his numbers show it. The 20-year-old pitched in Elizabethton last year and posted a solid 2.95 ERA. However, he was just 2-5 and had a WHIP of 1.48 while striking out just 36 in 58 innings. He throws hard. He lost a lot of weight this offseason. Expect much improvement in his second season. Austin Malinowski is from Minnesota and gave up a ride to the University of Arizona to sign with the Twins. He went 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 11 games in the GCL. His WHIP was 1.45, but the southpaw struckout 32 batters in 31.2 innings. Josue Montanez fought some injuries last year, but when he pitched, he was terrific. In the GCL, the lefty went 2-0 with a 0.36 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He struckout 30 and walked just eight in 25 innings. Seems like lefty Hein Robb has been around for a long time. He has been. The Twins signed him as a 16-year-old from South Africa. He played for their national team in the 2009 WBC, before he even pitched in the States. Last year at E-Town (after two years in the GCL), the lefty went 2-4 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. In 41 innings, he walked 14 and struckout 38. Sam Gibbons is a 19-year-old from Australia who debuted in the States with the GCL Twins in 2012. He went 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 35.1 innings. He walked just eight but struckout just 22. Felix Jorge was signed as a highly-touted right-hander from the Dominican. He went 0-3 but posted a 2.34 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in the GCL. In 34.2 innings, he walked 12 and struckout 37. Jorge just recently turned 19. Yorman Landa is also highly-touted. He comes from Venezuela. He too pitched in the GCL in 2012, and he went 1-3 with a 2.43 ERA. In 33.1 innings, he walked too many (21) but struckout 27. He will turn 19 about the time the Elizabethton season starts. Kuo-Hua Lo signed from Taiwan near in 2011 and debuted in the GCL as a 19-year-old in 2012. He went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP in 11 games. In 39.2 innings, he walked seven and struckout 33. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Alex Meyer, 2.) Kyle Gibson, 3.) JO Berrios, 4.) Trevor May, 5.) Mason Melotakis, 6.) Luke Bard, 7.) BJ Hermsen, 8.) Felix Jorge. The Twins finally have a few pitchers in their system with some significant upside. Alex Meyer has true ace potential. Kyle Gibson is very close, and he can be a solid #2. The sky may be the limit for JO Berrios, and although he’s young, he could move quickly. May came to the organization, and he has #2 upside, and if he does wind up in the bullpen, he could be dominant. SUMMARY 2012 was a frustrating year for the Twins. Often, the team would find itself down by three or four runs before the third inning. It will be interesting to see how the new pitchers fit in and pitch in the American League. It will be interesting to see Hendriks and De Vries get their next shot in the big leagues. Some of those guys that were forced into action last year for the Twins are still around, hoping for another shot. In Sam Deduno and PJ Walters, they have good options. And, what is really exciting is the influx of talent that the Twins have had since the end of last year. A couple of guys came via trade The Twins drafted the talented Berrios, and then a bunch of strong-armed college pitchers. Some will get a chance to start. Others could move up quickly in the bullpen. And, there are some more high-ceiling, high potential pitchers who threw in the GCL a year ago. It will be interesting to watch their slow climb up the organizational ladder. The Twins minor league pitching depth hasn’t been this strong in a long time. Will they use that #4 pick in the 2013 draft to obtain more high-ceiling pitching talent? We shall see. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

On Monday, the Minnesota Twins announced more roster cuts. After five non-roster players were assigned to minor league camp on Sunday, the Twins optioned six players from their 40 man roster. This leaves the Twins with 56 players in their MLB camp. Likely the biggest surprise is that catcher Chris Herrmann has been optioned to Triple-A Rochester (1st option). This is his third big league camp with the Twins, but it is the earliest that he has been sent to the minor league side of the complex. The reason? He is now on the 40 man roster. He was unlikely to make the Twins Opening Day roster. He will head down to make his Triple-A debut with the Rochester Red Wings. He will likely continue to catch quite a bit, but he will also get time in the outfield, and maybe even some at first base in an attempt to make him more versatile. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3459[/ATTACH] Trevor May showed his upside in camp, but he also had a couple of outings in which his control got away from him. That is to be expected because of nervousness, but it is also the biggest question out there for whether he can be a big league starter or reliever. He will likely go back to AA, this time with New Britain, to start the 2013 season, but he should debut in 2013 as well, if he throws strikes. BJ Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2012 when he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He showed his work ethic in his first big league camp, but he showed that he still has things to work on before he is ready. He will likely return to New Britain to start the season. Hard-throwing Michael Tonkin also made a strong impression during spring training, but he only spent the 2nd half of the 2012 season in Hi-A Ft. Myers. His strikeout numbers are noteworthy, and his pitches are sharp. He has a chance to advance quickly, but he may begin the season back in Ft. Myers. Shortstop Danny Santana jumped onto the prospect map with a strong showing offensively and defensively in 2012 in Ft. Myers. The speedy Santana showed the good and the bad in spring training. He showed tremendous range and a very strong arm, but he will have to improve his consistency to continue to advance toward the big leagues. He missed a couple of routine plays with the glove and made some aggressive mistakes on the base paths. He will likely start the season in New Britain. Josmil Pinto reclaimed his place as a prospect in the Twins system in 2012. He had a great season in Elizabethton a few years ago, but it wasn’t until his 2012 season in Ft. Myers that he put up solid offensive numbers again. He ended the season in New Britain, hitting well. He could have become a minor league free agent, but he re-signed quickly with the Twins and was added to the 40 man roster. He’ll return to New Britain to catch and DH. Hermsen, May, Tonkin, Pinto and Santana were optioned to AA New Britain. With 56 players in big league camp, 31 will still need to be sent to minor league camp, optioned, released of put on the Disabled List before April 1st, Opening Day.

Last week, we began to look at the Minnesota Twins organizational depth by looking at all of the outfielders and then all of the infielders in the in the system. Today, we return and take a look at all of the catchers. As with all spring trainings, a lot of catchers are needed just to catch bullpens and to allow players to gradually work up to squatting for nine innings. As we have done in the previous articles, we will consider which players may fill the rosters of the Twins minor league affiliates. Of course, this is all just an educated guess. As I’ve said, any of this could be altered by an unexpected free agent signing or a trade. For instance, if the Twins sign a big bat for their bench, the odds of a third catcher with the big league roster drops significantly. Sadly, not all of these players will remain in the organization beyond spring training. Some may wind up on the Disabled List. Others may find themselves looking for another job in baseball, or maybe not in baseball. Hopefully this list will remind you of which players are in the organization. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3447[/ATTACH] So let’s get to it. Here are the Catchers in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit (DH), Drew Butera In 2012, Manager Ron Gardenhire seemed to find the perfect mix among his catchers. Joe Mauer started 72 games behind the plate, 30 games at first base and DHed most of the other games on his way to career highs in games played and plate appearances. Ryan Doumit was the team’s primary DH, but he also started 52 games behind the plate as well as played some in the outfield. Having them in the lineup most days meant that Drew Butera was rarely a starter, just 27 games all season. Although Joe Mauer will want to catch some more in 2012, hopefully they will be able to maintain a similar balance and keep his bat in the lineup most days. Doumit also was able to stay healthy which will be important to the 2013 Twins. Butera remains the team’s third catcher, although it is possible he will being 2013 in Rochester, as he did a year ago. Rochester Red Wings Chris Herrmann, Eric Fryer, Danny Lehmann Chris Herrmann debuted with the Twins in mid-September after thinking his season was complete. He was able to record his first Major League hit, but he has had a rough spring training and will begin his first season in Triple A. The hope would be that he’ll hit a little bit and continue to improve his defense. He should also play some in the outfield and take over the third catcher role for the Twins by mid-season. Fryer is a 27-year-old backstop who has eight big league hits over the past two seasons. Lehmann is generally considered the top defensive catcher in the Twins system. He’s Butera without quite the arm. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3448[/ATTACH] New Britain Rock Cats Josmil Pinto, Dan Rohlfing Rohlfing has had a very nice showing in big league camp this year. Of his four hits, two are doubles and one is a home run. He is an athletic catcher who plays left field well. He has also done well in his time at first base in the past week of spring training. Pinto had a breakout season in Ft. Myers in 2012 and ended it with a nice showing in his brief time with New Britain. For his efforts, the Twins re-signed him as a minor league free agent and then added him to the 40 man roster. Ft. Myers Miracle Kyle Knudson, Matt Koch, Jairo Rodriguez Kyle Knudson was invited to spring training after splitting 2012 between Beloit and Ft. Myers. For the first time since signing with the Twins after being drafted out of the University of Minnesota, he is healthy. Matt Koch started out the 2012 strong with the Beloit Snappers. He did a nice job behind the plate and also was the team’s DH sometimes. Jairo Rodriguez was the #2 catcher most of the year in Beloit a season ago. Cedar Rapids Kernels Jhonatan Arias, Tyler Grimes, Bo Altobelli, Bryan Santy Arias played primarily for Beloit in 2011, but he returned to Elizabethton in 2012 and finally put up some good offensive numbers. Grimes is likely to spend his third straight year (including his drafted year) in the Midwest League. However, he transitioned to catcher during the instructional league after the 2012 season and will continue to play there in 2013. Altobelli and Santy were both late round 2012 draft picks from colleges. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Kelly Cross, Brian Compton, Jorge Fernandez, Joel Polanco, Michael Quesada (Suspended) Kelly Cross will be entering his fourth season in the organization. He spent two years in the GCL, and did move up to Elizabethton and played a little last year. He will have to take some major strides in 2013. Jorge Fernandez was a Twins draft pick in 2012 out of Puerto Rico. He has a chance to be solid, but patience will be needed. Brian Compton was signed a year ago for depth in the GCL and likely remains through EST for the same. Polanco is a 20-year-old who spent the last two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. Last year, he hit .254/.369/.381 (.749) with 15 doubles. He also threw out 56% of would-be base stealers. Quesada was drafted in 2010, and in 2012 made his first appearances in Elizabethton. Unfortunately, he received a 50 game suspension and he will need to serve that into the Elizabethton season, which will start in late June. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Chris Herrmann, 2.) Dan Rohlfing, 3.) Jorge Fernandez, SUMMARY Fortunately the Twins have Joe Mauer locked up for the next half-dozen years. Ryan Doumit is likely to be around for two more seasons. Chris Herrmann is close and can fill a utility/catcher role for several years. Beyond that, there is not much in terms of upside catching prospects in the Twins system. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

1.) As long as Chris Parmelee is healthy, he will be the team's starting RF when the season opens. 2.) They'll send down a bunch of the 40 man roster guys that won't be making the team. That would be Hermsen, May, Pinto, Arcia, Santana, Thielbar, Tonkin, 3.) As for non-roster guys that will be sent to minor league camp, I think it's more about guys that have no shot and aren't at a position of need. Also, starting pitchers that need to start getting stretched out. Remember that unlike 40 man roster players, these guys can still play in Twins spring games after their demotion. I would say guys like Augenstein, E Vasquez... could also officially send down the injured guys like Oliveros and Blackburn. They could do the same with Harden and Perez, although they likely won't send them to minor league camp. 4.) As for Benson, he is a possibility, but I think they need to make more decisions on him, so I expect he'll stick around long enough to have something positive happen.

Here are the scenarios for Hicks, Gibson, others with zero big league service time coming into the season: If they come up (and obviously stay up): 1.) Opening Day - the pre-arbitration years will be 2013, 2014, 2015. Arbitration years will be 2016, 2017, 2018. Free agent after the 2018 season. 2.) Call up May 1 (sometime in late April) - the pre-arbitration years will be 2013, 2014, 2015. Arbitration years will be 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019. Free agent after the 2019 season. 3.) Call up June 1 (or sometime around there) - the pre-arbitration years will be 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Arbitration years will be 2017, 2018, 2019. Free agent after the 2019 season. Hope that clarifies everything?