Seth Stohs

Three weeks ago, as spring training was starting, I posted my first roster projections. In it, I gave percentages for what I felt was likelihood of each player, 40 man roster players and non-roster invitees, making the Opening Day roster. The Minnesota Twins have now played more than a dozen spring games. There have been some injuries. Some players have done well while others have struggled. Of course, the final rosters won’t likely be known for another three weeks, [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ut it is fun to try to project that Opening Day roster and see how those projections change over the next three weeks. Check out my projections, and let us know what you think. 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. 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 Clearly Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit are givens to not just be on the roster, but to likely be very much in the middle of the lineup. They will likely alternate between catching and DH duties. So, the big question right now appears to be whether or not the Twins will keep Drew Butera as their third catcher or if they will go with just two catchers (who both start)? Will they be able to find an ‘emergency catcher’ to ease the manager’s concerns? If they were to make a move in the coming weeks for a bench bat, then I think that Butera starts the season in Rochester. However, until that happens, I’ll still assume Butera makes the roster. Infielders: Justin Morneau, Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Pedro Florimon, Jamey Carroll, Eduardo Escobar We know that Justin Morneau and Trevor Plouffe will be the starters at the corners. We know that Jamey Carroll will be on the roster in some role, and that the Twins seem to prefer that be as a utility player that they know they can turn to at any time. To this point, Pedro Florimon (SS) and Brian Dozier (2B) have seemingly done what the Twins had hoped and are clearly the favorites up the middle. Defense does, and really should, matter with a pitching staff that will definitely allow contact, specifically ground ball contact. I would probably put the percent likelihood that Florimon and Dozier are on the roster at nearly 80%, maybe even a little higher, but I’m not quite willing to say they are locks. Likewise, I put the likelihood of Eduard Escobar being on the roster at close to 70% at this point because of his great glove. He was the emergency catcher of the White Sox a year ago, and the Twins would like to see him behind the plate in game situations this spring to make sure they are comfortable with that. If he proves able to do that sufficiently, that percentage goes up even more. Ray Olmedo might be the sleeper as a second utility infielder. Outfielders: Josh Willingham, Aaron Hicks, Chris Parmelee, Darin Mastroianni There are three givens to make the Twins roster in the outfield. Josh Willingham and Chris Parmelee will be the starters in the corners. Darin Mastroianni will be on the roster in some capacity. He was fighting for the starting centerfield job, but his hamstring injury has cost him a week of time to impress. Speaking of impressing, I think it is fair to say that Aaron Hicks has done just that. He has hit five home runs in the last three days. Sure, two of the three he hit on Thursday would not have been homers in most ballparks on most days, but he has been playing well. Frankly, he is the guy that the Twins had hoped would come to camp and earn the job with his play and with his composure. To this point, he has done just that. He has put up numbers and he has shown poise. Will he continue to show those traits over the next three weeks as he will begin to see more big league pitchers? Will the Twins send him to Rochester for a month to gain an extra year of team control? Joe Benson is the third guy in the battle for centerfield, and although he has shown good defense and hit a long home run, he has struggled to make consistent content. Again, there is still time to change this before the season, but right now, Benson’s hope to make the Opening Day roster would be if they go with just two catchers. Then, Benson would be competing with the likes of Chris Colabello, Brandon Boggs, Clete Thomas and Wilkin Ramirez for that spot. Starting Pitchers: Kevin Correia, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond, Mike Pelfrey, Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries (if Diamond starts season on DL) It’s all about health. If Kevin Correia, Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey remain healthy, they are givens. Scott Diamond will not pitch in a game for another ten days. Will that be soon enough to have him ready to start two weeks later? I think that’s a big question, though if he isn’t ready, he would be put on the Disabled List. Liam Hendriks seems to be the front runner for that final starting role, if Scott Diamond is ready. If he is not, there are two spots open. One would likely be Hendriks. The other appears to be up for grabs between Kyle Gibson and Cole De Vries. With three weeks to go before the season starts, De Vries likely is in the lead for that spot. That may be the best for Gibson’s long-term success. He can start in Rochester and gradually work innings. If he’s with the Twins, they will want him to be going 6-7 innings right from the start. In Rochester, they can just say, he’s going 4 innings in his first four starts, then go up to five innings for three or four starts. Then maybe a couple of six inning starts. Then a promotion by mid-May with 100 more innings before being shut down. Bullpen: Glen Perkins, Jared Burton, Brian Duensing, Alex Burnett, Casey Fien, Josh Roenicke, Ryan Pressly, (Anthony Swarzak-DL?) The first three spots are set. Glen Perkins is the closer. Jared Burton and Brian Duensing are the set-up men. After that, there is likely not a given. Anthony Swarzak is yet to pitch and could start the season on the Disabled List. He, along with Tim Wood and Josh Roenicke are out of options. Obviously as a Rule 5 selection, Ryan Pressly could be lost if not on the 25 man roster. Burnett didn’t have great peripherals in 2012, but he did get put up a good ERA, so he is closest to being a given despite struggling this spring. Fien was very good with the Twins once he was promoted and has been good this spring. Also remember that Burnett and Fien do have an option remaining. Could that factor in to the roster spots? I’m sure they would love to have another left-hander, but Tyler Robertson and Caleb Thielbar have struggled while Rafael Perez isn’t ready to pitch yet. What are your thoughts? What does your roster look like?

On Tuesday, I began my look at the Twins organizational depth chart by looking at all of the outfielders in the system. Today, we jump back into the Twins system by looking at the infielders. Compared to the outfielders, I’d say it’s more than fair to say that the Twins have not had as much success grooming infielders. Could that trend be changing? Read below and decide for yourself. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] In the following, we will consider which players may fill the rosters of the Twins minor league affiliates. Of course, this is all just my educated guess. As I’ve said, any of this could be altered by an unexpected free agent signing or a trade. Sadly, not all of these players will remain in the organization beyond spring training. Some may wind up on the Disabled List. Hopefully this list will remind you of which players are in the organization. So let’s get to it. Here are the Infielders in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Justin Morneau (1B), Brian Dozier (2B), Trevor Plouffe (3B), Pedro Florimon (SS), Jamey Carroll, Eduardo Escobar Morneau is the most healthy he’s been since spring of 2010 when he put up MVP caliber numbers until he suffered a concussion. The 2006 MVP is still just 31 years old and entering his contract year. As we know, Joe Mauer and Chris Parmelee will also likely see time at first base. It is also a big year for Trevor Plouffe in 2013. The Twins are banking on him hitting similarly to what he did for those six weeks that he crushed the ball, rather than the .150 hitter he was early in the season. He is healthy and will get every opportunity. Brian Dozier struggled immensely as a rookie in 2012, but the organization believes in him and he is being given every opportunity to be the team’s second baseman. He’ll team up the middle with Pedro Florimon, the great-glove, no-hit shortstop. Those guys will get the chance, but having the solid veteran Jamey Carroll around will certainly help provide some stability. Eduardo Escobar is a terrific glove who will do well in a utility role. In my opinion, Escobar will be starting at shortstop by mid-June. Rochester Red Wings Chris Colabello (1B), James Beresford (2B), Mark Sobolewski (3B), Ray Olmedo (SS), Jeff Clement, Nate Hanson, Reynaldo Rodriguez Chris Colabello was the story of the Twins minor league system in 2012 when, as a 28-year-old, he spent his first season in affiliated baseball and had a terrific season. It earned him an invitation to Twins big league spring training, and he also will be representing Italy in the WBC. Colabello lived in Italy for several years of his youth and played for Italy in several international competitions. He has an outside shot to be a bench bat with the Twins if they go that direction. Beresford's (pictured) 2013 WBC experience is already over. He was the leadoff hitter and shortstop for Australia, but he’ll likely be playing a lot at second base as well. Ray Olmedo spent time in the big leagues in the middle of last decade, but after a few years away, he returned to the big leagues with the White Sox in 2012 after they traded Eduardo Escobar to the Twins. Olmedo and Beresford won’t hit a lot, but they will play tremendous defense. Mark Sobolewski was a Twins minor league Rule 5 selection in December from the Blue Jays organization. The cancer-survivor hit 20 home runs last year between AA and AAA. The Twins seem to really like his defense. The Twins drafted Clement in 2002 out of his Iowa high school, but he decided to go to college. It was the right choice for him as three years later, he was the #3 overall pick in the draft by the Mariners. Things haven’t happened for him in the big leagues to this point, and he’s back with the Twins on a minor league deal, playing some 1B and wanting to show he can be an emergency catcher option. Nate Hanson really stepped up his game in 2012 when he was moved to second base after playing mostly first base the year before. He was drafted as a third baseman, where he will get some time again this spring, but the former Gopher’s path to the big leagues will involve using several different gloves.Rodriguez is another veteran first baseman for some depth. New Britain Rock Cats Steve Liddle (1B), Levi Michael (2B), Deibinson Romero (3B), Danny Santana (SS), Harold Garcia, Jason Christian, Doug Bernier, Michael Gonzales, 2012 was a frustrating year for Liddle, the nephew of the former Twins coach. He began the season hurt, and he ended up going back to Beloit for a month before settling in with the Miracle. The former Vanderbilt standout will primarily play first base, although he has played some in the outfield in his career. Deibinson Romero had a very good season in 2012 with the Rock Cats. He was invited to big league spring training (For the first time since he was on the 40 man roster in 2009), but visa issues mean he is still back home in the Dominican. That may also mean that he will have to head back to the Rock Cats and wait for an opening in Rochester. Danny Santana (pictured above) really stepped up his performance in 2012 with the Miracle. At the end of the year, he was placed on the Twins 40 man roster and has shown his talent along with his weaknesses so far in camp. Levi Michael’s professional debut last year in Ft. Myers certainly got off to a rough start. He was young for his draft class, but his struggled in the Florida State League were disappointing. He has been hurt since signing with the Twins but played all of the 2012 season. He could go back to Ft. Myers for a spell to start the season, but he should get to the Rock Cats quickly. Harold Garcia, Jason Christian and Doug Bernier are long-timer minor league veterans who at this points in their careers are just happy with an opportunity to continue their careers. Michael Gonzales was alright in 2012 in Ft. Myers. He just is not able to play very long or very often in the humidity of the Florida State League. He has a condition in which he really suffers from dehydration so he is often not able to play full games or many back-to-back. He could stay in Ft. Myers, but they may move him up for an opportunity to play more. Ft. Myers Miracle Kennys Vargas (1B), Eddie Rosario (2B), Miguel Sano (3B), AJ Pettersen (SS), Andy Leer, Adam Bryant, Steven Wickens This is a pretty impressive infield, at least when they have bats in their hands. Miguel Sano hit 30 home runs in the Midwest League in 2012 and is generally considered the team’s top prospect. Rosario (pictured) will play for Puerto Rico in the WBC, but he impressed during his stint with the Twins before reporting. He will begin his second season at second base, and his defensive improvements will likely dictate how quickly he moves up to New Britain. Likewise for Sano. Kenny Vargas returned to a game lineup later last summer after finishing out his 50-game suspension on the Elizabethon roster. He came back and immediately showed the power that he possesses. For him to move up, he will have to improve several parts of his game, but his power is pretty legit. AJ Pettersen, Adam Bryant, Stephen Wickens and Andy Leer will all play around the infield and give guys days off. Pettersen and Bryant each played several positions in 2012 in Beloit. Wickens came up later in the year and played up the middle defense and did a nice job with the bat. Leer played all over the field for the Miracle a year ago. Pettersen is a former Gopher who writes for Twins Daily and for Baseball America. Leer is from North Dakota. Cedar Rapids Kernels DJ Hicks (1B), Jorge Polanco (2B), Niko Goodrum (SS), Travis Harrison (3B), Candido Pimentel, Rory Rhodes Rhodes began the 2012 season in Beloit, but he really struggled before being sent back down to Elizabethton where he split time with DJ Hicks. Rhodes is Australian. Hicks was the Twins 17th round draft pick in 2012 from Central Florida. His walk-off grand slam gave the Elizabethton Twins the 2013 Appalachian League championship. Former 2nd round pick Niko Goodrum spent his second season in Elizabethton a year ago. He did improve his shortstop defense. His batting average went down but his walk numbers and his slugging increased. Jorge Polanco was part of the international signing year that saw the Twins ink deals with Miguel Sano and Max Kepler as well. Touted for his defense and his ability to play shortstop, he has primarily played second base in the minor leagues. In 2012, his bat even came to life as he hit over .300 with the E-Twins. Travis Harrison, a Twins supplemental 1st round pick in 2011, made his pro debut in 2012 with the E-Twins. He hit for average, but most believe that his power will also develop. His error total rivaled that of Miguel Sano and will have to improve a lot if he wants to stay at third base. Pimentel was the Appy League MVP in 2012 when he was the team’s leadoff hitter. He was an outfielder, but he was moved to second base and will get some time there as well in 2013. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Aderlin Mejia, Bryan Haar, Joel Licon, Javier Pimentel, Logan Wade, Jose Ramirez, Will Hurt Aderlin Mejia was the one player on the GCL Twins team to be named all-league. For his efforts, he was asked to play a few games with the Ft. Myers Miracle at the end of their season. Haar was the team’s 34th round pick a year ago from San Diego. He played 45 games for the GCL Twins and hit .250/.319/.345. Javier Pimentel signed for about $700,000 in 2010 and has struggled offensively since signing. Will Hurt gave up a scholarship to Coastal Carolina to sign as the Twins 16th round pick last year. He really struggled with the bat, but he has premiere speed. Licon was the Twins 25th round pick, and like Hurt, most people thought he would be a tough sign, but he did come to terms with the team. Wade is a 21-year-old Australian who signed just a year ago. He spent the winter playing in the Australian Baseball League. After spending two years in the DSL, Jose Ramirez spent 2012 in the GCL where he hit .234. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Miguel Sano, 2.) Eddie Rosario, 3.) Danny Santana, 4.) Jorge Polanco, 5.) Travis Harrison, 6.) Travis Harrison, 7.) Niko Goodrum, 8.) Levi Michael. This prospect list isn’t so bad. Sano and Rosario could be future stars. There are five middle infielders on this list that have the potential to be a big league middle infielder if things play out right. Now, most of this talent is in the lower levels of the minor leagues. That’s why it will be important for Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon and Eduardo Escobar will have to be able to man the positions for a couple of years. SUMMARY There are questions, to be sure, in the Twins big league middle infield. Then again, it’s also a big year for Trevor Plouffe. It’s also a contract year for Justin Morneau so it will be curious to see if a big year means a contract extension or a July trade to a contender? The Twins do have several very good minor league infield prospects, so it will be fun to watch how they develop throughout the 2013 season. Offense is what we tend to notice. Managers, coaches, and especially pitchers will also notice the infielders’ defense. Which players will be receiving the most notice as the season progresses? If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins minor leaguers report to the Twins minor league complex in Ft. Myers. Soon after, the players will have their first full-squad workouts. In between, the players will have to run a mile, and the pitchers will also need to do a shuttle run. After a few days of workouts, the players will start playing some intra-squad games. Eventually they’ll start getting into some games against other teams, and then in early April, most of the players will be put on a roster and head to their Opening Day destinations. Starting today, I will start looking at the Twins organizational depth chart, starting with the outfielders. We will consider which players are in line for roster spots with the Twins and each of their minor league affiliates. I’ll try to project which players will start the season with the various teams.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Please note that this is my educated guess. This information could be altered by an unexpected free agent signing or a trade. This exercise is not so much an attempt to perfectly predict where each and every player will wind up. The reality is that some players will be placed at a lower level than I project just due to numbers. Some will go on the Disabled List. The unfortunate reality is that some of the players who report to spring training will be released. Hopefully readers will be reminded who is in the organization or see who the team has added since last season. Today, we will begin this series with a look at the Outfielders: Minnesota Twins Josh Willingham (LF), Aaron Hicks (CF), Chris Parmelee (RF), Darin Mastroianni Willingham sure made Target Field look like a regular-sized ballpark, with a career-high in home runs and RBI. We also know that Chris Parmelee will be the primary starter in right field. Centerfield remains the question mark. It’s clear that many with the Twins really want Aaron Hicks to win the job to start the season. Darin Mastroianni is certainly a given to be on the roster and could start, but most likely will be the team’s fourth outfielder. Rochester Red Wings Wilkin Ramirez (LF), Joe Benson (CF), Oswaldo Arcia (RF), Clete Thomas, Brian Dinkelman, Brandon Boggs, Evan Bigley At least a couple of these outfielders could still be with the Twins on Opening Day. Joe Benson is still in the running for the centerfield job, and if the Twins decide to carry a fifth outfielder, he could be that player. The Twins would likely prefer he play every day. That would open the door for the likes of Dinkelman, Ramirez, Thomas and Boggs, all of whom have big league service time under their belts. Dinkelman play for the Twins in 2011 when he hit .301 in two stints with the team. Boggs spent time with the Rangers from 2008 through 2010, and with the Brewers in 2011. Thomas played 142 games with the Tigers between 2008 and 2009. Then he played in three games for Detroit in 2012 before they cut ties with him and the Twins claimed him (and he struckout an impressive 16 times in 29 plate appearances). Ramirez was once a top prospect with the Tigers. He played 15 games for Detroit in 2009 and then 20 games with the Atlanta Braves in 2011. In 2012, after missing much of the first half of the season with injury, he hit 18 doubles and 15 home runs in just 98 games with the Red Wings. Although he will catch much of the time, expect to see Chris Herrmann playing a bit in left field as well. New Britain Rock Cats Angel Morales (LF), Antoan Richardson (CF), Oswaldo Arcia (RF), Lance Ray, Danny Rams There was likely a chance that Arcia would have started the 2013 with AAA Rochester, but having missed his time in big league camp with injury may affect where he begins the year. He crushed the ball in the Venezuelan Winter League and was poised to make a strong showing in camp. Unfortunately, he has been completely limited because of the intercostal injury. The key is for him to, first, get healthy, and then, play every day. None of the guys listed in Rochester will block the path of Arcia’s tremendous upside to the majors. 29-year-old Antoan Richardson is a Ben Revere clone. He is about 5-8 and very fast. He was drafted four times before signing with the Giants in 2005. He remained with the Giants organization and reached AA before signing with Schaumburg of the Independent Northern League. He began the 2010 season in Schaumburg before signing with the Braves. In September of 2011, he was promoted to the Braves where he hit .500 in 9 games (just 2-4). In 2012, he was with the Orioles organization. In 90 AA games, he hit .279 and got on base at an incredible .415 clip. It is a huge make or break season for Angel Morales. The one-time, top prospect has struggled mightily the last two years. He can become a minor league free agent following the season, so he will either want the Twins to put him on the 40 man roster, or play well enough for another organization to be interested in giving him an opportunity. Lance Ray (23) hit just .234 but hit 13 home runs in Ft. Myers . He will play a lot and likely hit quite a few home runs. He can also play some first base and DH. Danny Rams was a Twins 2nd round pick as a catcher. In 2012, he moved out to the outfield. After struggling immensely early in the season and went on the DL. When he returned, he was much better. Like Morales, he will need to have a solid year and make an impact as he can become a free agent following the season. Primarily a catcher, don't be surprised to see Dan Rohlfing get some time out in the outfield. Ft. Myers Miracle Drew Leachman (LF), Jhonatan Goncalves (CF), Danny Ortiz (RF), JD Williams, Nate Roberts Ortiz had a successful Puerto Rican season. On a team that included Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario, Ortiz was the team’s #3 hitter. He spent the first month of 2012 back in Beloit, but he played much better after his promotion to the Miracle. Goncalves could have become a free agent following the 2012 season, but he chose to return by signing with the Twins. Leachman was a late-round pick in 2011 from a Division III school. He began 2012 in Extended Spring Training but after his promotion to Beloit, he became a solid, fairly consistent, middle-of-the-lineup hitter. JD Williams could, and probably should, spend another half-season in the Midwest League before moving up to the Miracle, but as you will see shortly, there are very good outfielders who should head to Cedar Rapids. Here We Go Again - After leading the Arizona Fall League in 2012 in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage, many hoped to see Nate Roberts skip Ft. Myers and jump straight to AA New Britain. That may still be possible, but unfortunately, it isn't likely to happen right at the beginning of the season. Twins Daily has learned that while working out this winter, Roberts tore his meniscus and needed surgery. He is rehabbing and may not miss a lot of the season, but it is certainly a set back and likely will keep him in Ft. Myers. Cedar Rapids Kernels Max Kepler (LF), Byron Buxton (CF), Adam Walker (RF), John Murphy, Romy Jimenez, Jeremias Pineda Buxton is the big name here. The 2nd overall pick just last season impressed in his professional debut in which he played in the Gulf Coast League and at Elizabethton. It certainly is not unusual for the Twins to send first round high school hitters to the Midwest League the year after their draft. That’s where players like Michael Cuddyer, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer, Denard Span, Matt Moses, Chris Parmelee and Joe Benson went. It has occurred less in recent years, likely due to players signing so late and not debuting in the year that they were drafted. It will certainly be a challenge for the 19-year-old. Max Kepler spent the last two years at Elizabethton. In 2012, he was much improved. The young outfielder from Germany can certainly play centerfield. In fact, he played the position in Elizabethton right up until Buxton came to town. He remains a five-tool talent with a lot of power potential. Speaking of power potential, if 2012 3rd round pick Adam Walker can make contact, he has as much power as anyone in the Twins system. Romy (formerly Trinidad) Jimenez was very good in Elizabethton in 2012 until he tore his meniscus. Jeremias Pineda came to the Twins last August in the trade that sent Danny Valencia to the Red Sox. John Murphy is the brother of the Mets’ Daniel Murphy. He was a 2012 draft pick. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Jake Proctor, Zach Larson, Kelvin Mention, Kelvin Ortiz, Dereck Rodriguez If not for a hamstring injury, Dereck Rodriguez may have moved up to Elizabethton during the 2012 season. He was hitting very well, showing power even, until the injury. As you recall, he is the son of former big league catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Jake Proctor is said to be a five-tool type of athlete. He was expected to be drafted last year earlier than when the Twins got him (14th round), but he had arthroscopic knee surgery was not cleared to play until after the season. 2013 will be his professional debut. He is listed at 6-2 and 221 pound, but his best tool is said to be tremendous speed. Zach Larson was taken last year in the 19th round out of high school and given $190,000 to sign (because the Twins had extra available to spend). He is a great athlete in high school, having accumulated three varsity letters in football despite not playing his senior season to focus on baseball. Kelvin Mention was JD Williams’ high school teammate in high school. Unfortunately, he has not played much since signing late in 2010. He was hurt for the 2011 season and didn’t play a lot at Elizabethton last year, which is probably where he will return in 2013. Ortiz was considered a bit of a prospect while playing in the Dominican Summer League for a couple of season. However, the transition to the States and the GCL have not been easy for Ortiz who will likely need to make the Elizabethon roster. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Byron Buxton, 2.) Oswaldo Arcia, 3.) Aaron Hicks, 4.) Max Kepler, 5.) Joe Benson, 6.) Adam Walker, 7.) Danny Ortiz Buxton is in all of the Top 100 lists, generally in the Top 20. Baseball America his him at #10, one spot behind Miguel Sano. Arcia was the Twins minor league hitter of the year in 2012 and had a strong Venezuelan Winter League performance. Hicks is generally in the second half of Top 100 lists. Kepler and Benson are generally found in the 10-12 range of Twins top prospect lists but on opposite ends of the prospect range. Kepler is young and raw and still needs to play for a full season team. Benson is now 25, has seen big league team, went through a lost 2012 season due to injury and is now hoping to regain his status as a part of the Twins future. Walker has tremendous power potential, and Ortiz is just a solid all-around player that is often forgotten because of the high-upside guys. SUMMARY The Twins have long been strong on outfielders throughout the system. They have a knack for finding and developing at this position. They had enough depth throughout the organization that they were able to acquire two hard-throwing pitching prospects (Alex Meyer, Trevor May) and a solid pitcher with over 2 years of solid big league pitching (Vance Worley) for two talented starting big league outfielders (Denard Span and Ben Revere). Josh Willingham was tremendous with the bat in 2012, winning a Silver Slugger Award, but the deals have opened up opportunities for others to show what they can do. Chris Parmelee will get an everyday gig. And Mastroianni, Hicks and Benson will be one of the better storylines to follow throughout spring training. There is still talent down below, although the risk is now much higher for outfielders. We will likely see Oswaldo Arcia in 2013, but the rest of the prospects are now in the lower levels. This is not a bad thing, however, as the Twins outfield will be very young by the end of the 2013 season. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

The Minnesota Twins have been aware of Ryan Doumit for more than fifteen years, but it was only in the last 15 months that he was in the organization. In 1999, the Twins drafted outfielder BJ Garbe with the 5th overall pick in the draft. In the second round that year, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Doumit from the same high school as Garbe, Moses Lake High School in Washington. Ryan Doumit debuted as a 24-year-old with the Pittsburgh Pirates in June of 2005. For the next three seasons, he split time at catcher, first base and right field but never played in more than 83 games in a season because of various injuries. In 2008, he had his breakout season. He played in 116 games and hit .318/.357/.501 (.858) with 34 doubles and 15 home runs. Following that season, he signed a three year, $11.5 million contract that included club options for the 2012 and 2013 season. However, after playing in less than 80 games in two of the next three years, the Pirates chose not to pick up his 2012 option after he posted an .830 OPS in just 77 games. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Pirates’ loss was certainly the Twins’ gain. Terry Ryan acted quickly and signed Doumit to a one year, $3 million contract before Thanksgiving 2012 for the 2013 season. 2012 Recap Signing the switch-hitting Doumit made so much sense to the Twins. Following a 2011 season in which Joe Mauer fought various injuries and illnesses, the Twins needed someone who could provide offense at the catcher position. Doumit allowed the Twins to play Mauer behind the plate less frequently and yet be in the lineup more. In fact, Mauer finished the 2012 season with a career-high in plate appearances (641). Doumit’s versatility allowed him to also play a career high 134 games and reach a career-high 528 plate appearances. Doumit started 56 games behind the plate. He also started at DH in 48 games. He started 16 games in left field and six games in right field. He even played three innings at first base. Sure, he had his issues with the glove at each of those positions, but the value of the versatility was in allowing Mauer and Justin Morneau to get time away from their positions and time at DH. Offensively, Doumit was very good. He hit .275/.320/.461 (.781) with 34 doubles, 18 home runs and 75 RBI. The 34 doubles tied a career high. The homers and RBI were also career highs. In late June, the Twins and Doumit agreed to a two year contract extension that could keep the catcher in a Twins uniform through the 2014 season. Why He’ll Be Worse To be truthful, the success of Ryan Doumit in 2013 is greatly dependent upon his ability to stay healthy. Of the eight years that he has spent in the big leagues, he has played more than 84 games just three times. The first two times he played over 100 games, the following season he played less than 80. Can he avoid injury in 2013? There are other reasons for some concern. His 5.5% walk rate was his lowest since he walked just 4.9% of the time in 2008. His 18.8% strikeout rate was the second-highest of his career. If those numbers continue to go in opposite directions, he could really struggle. Why He’ll Be Better Doumit’s first year in the American League was certainly a success. Ron Gardenhire did a great job of keeping Doumit, Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham and to a lesser extent, Justin Morneau, healthy. Doumit’s versatility is a great way for him to help the team while at the same time helping himself stay on the field, and more importantly, in the lineup more often. If Doumit is able to take a few more walks and drop his strikeout rate to rates that are closer to his career averages, it will certainly help. Although he posted a very solid .781 OPS, his career high OPS was .858, so if he can be healthy, he can be even more productive. Doumit is likely to hit sixth in the Twins lineup on most nights. Mauer, Willingham and Morneau will be on base in front of him. He will have Trevor Plouffe and Chris Parmelee hitting behind him. Now, there is some debate about how much protection in the lineup truly means to a hitter’s statistics, but in theory, if those younger guys are productive, it can only help Doumit. Seth Projected 2013 Stats for Ryan Doumit – 127 G, 505 PA, 470 AB, .257/.305/.430 (.735), 49 R, 31-2B, 1-3B, 16-HR, 63 RBI, 33 BB, 92 K. So, what do you think it will it be? Will Ryan Doumit be better or worse in 2013? Let us know what you think.

If you’re like me, one of the fun things to do during spring training is to read through all of the box scores. They’re long, and full of names as starters are just getting a couple of at bats and managers are wanting to see their role players and non-roster invitees. It’s a good reminder of the offseason transactions and who signed where. That’s important for the big free agents, but it’s also fun to see where the lesser-known names and the minor league free agents signed. As someone who is coming up on ten years of blogging on the Twins, it’s also fun for me to see where former Twins players wind up. Some of the names are easily recognizable, and some of the players may not have even made it to the majors but ‘grew up’ in the Twins farm system. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Now, this may not be a complete list of who is in big league camp. You may have seen on SportsCenter the other day that JD Durbin (aka The Real Deal) gave up a long home run to Edwin Encarnacion. Durbin signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox this winter after spending the past few summers in independent ball. So, check out the below list of 40 man roster guys and non-roster invites that are in big league camp right now, and be sure to point out who else you know is playing. Baltimore Orioles – Luis Ayala, Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia and JJ Hardy are on their 40 man roster. Allan de San Miguel, Steve Pearce (drafted out of high school and spent 2012 spring training with Twins), Lew Ford and Jason Pridie are non-roster invites. De San Miguel is also on the Australian WBC team. Boston Red Sox – Craig Breslow and David Ortiz are on the 40 man roster. Last year’s Rule 5 selection Terry Doyle is a non-roster invitee. New York Yankees – Utility infielder Gil Velezquez in a non-roster invite. Toronto Blue Jays – RA Dickey and Henry Blanco are on the 40 man roster. Ramon Ortiz was a spring training invite. Chicago White Sox – Jesse Crain is on the 40 man roster. Jeff Gray and Steve Tolleson are non-roster invites. Cleveland Indians – Matt Capps and Matt Carson signed minor league deals with spring invites. Detroit Tigers – Torii Hunter got a very nice contract to be on the Tigers’ 40 man roster. Houston Astros – They found some reason to put Phil Humber on their 40 man roster. Los Angeles Angels – Brendan Harrison, Luis(!) Rodriguez and Trent Oeltjen are non-roster invites. Oakland A’s – Last year’s surprise team has Grant Balfour and Pat Neshek in their bullpen and on their 40 man roster. Texas Rangers – A couple of former Twins All Stars, Joe Nathan and AJ Pierzynski, are on their 40 man roster. Evan Meek, Eli Whiteside and Yangervis Solarte are in their camp on minor league deals. Atlanta Braves – Dusty Hughes got a minor league deal. Miami Marlins – Jon Rauch is on the 40 man roster while Kevin Slowey inked a minor league deal with a spring invite. New York Mets – A couple of oldies but goodies are with the Mets. Johan Santana’s deal is finally in its final season. LaTroy Hawkins, a non-roster invite, has to be getting close to his final season. Philadelphia Phillies – Ben Revere and Delmon Young are on the Phillies 40 man roster. Young is likely to begin the season on the DL. Washington Nationals – Denard Span and Wilson Ramos are on their 40 man roster. Ramos is hoping to be ready for Opening Day, but it may not be very likely. Chicago Cubs – Matt Garza and Scott Baker are on their 40 man roster, and both could miss Opening Day. Darnell McDonald is a non-roster invite. Cincinnati Reds – Corky Miller is a non-roster invite. Milwaukee Brewers – Carlos Gomez turned out alright, finally, and got a nice contract via arbitration. Pittsburgh Pirates – They finally reached their agreement with Francisco Liriano. Garrett Jones will again make a lot of money in his second arbitration season. Also, Kyle Waldrop is there on a minor league deal with the spring invite. St. Louis Cardinals - JR Towles is in Cards' camp on a minor league deal. Arizona Diamondbacks – How about this… Michael Tonkin’s brother-in-law is on the D-Backs 40 man roster. Colorado Rockies – Michael Cuddyer is on their 40 man roster. Jeff Manship got a spring training invitation and in his first spring outing threw seven pitches and got a pop up and two strikeouts. Los Angeles Dodgers – Nick Punto and Matt Guerrier are on the 40 man roster. Punto is on Team Italy in the WBC. Peter Moylan got a minor league deal. San Diego Padres – Jason Marquis is on the 40 man roster, and Rene Rivera got a spring training invite. San Francisco Giants – Jose Mijares is on their 40 man roster. Boof Bonser is back with his original team on a minor league deal. So there you have it, a quick look around the other rosters to see which former Twins players are in big league camp. If I missed anyone, please let me know. The only teams not to have even one former Twins-related player in big league camp are the Tampa Bay Rays, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Mariners, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ever since Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire mentioned to the media a couple of days ago that he would like to add a potent bat to his bench, conversations among Twins fans have revolved around just one player; Jim Thome. And why not? Twins fans’ memories of the hulking, Paul Bunyan-esque slugger look glowing to 2010.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Thome came to the Twins and, in 108 games, he hit .283/.412/.627 (1.039). It was his best OPS since 2002. He gave fans many very lasting memories. I was at the game against the White Sox when he hit the walk-off homer against Matt Thornton and the White Sox. He hit his 600th home run for the Twins. He played a memorable role in Harmon Killebrew’s memorial service at Target Field. And there was his commercial with the big, blue ox. Late in the 2011 season, the Twins traded him back to Cleveland, where he began his career. Many thought that was the close of his career, but when Charley Manuel called him and asked if he wanted to pinch hit for the Phillies, he jumped at the opportunity, even willing to bring a glove to the ballpark. At the end of June, he had just 70 plate appearances in 30 games. The Phillies were out of it and traded Thome to the surprising Orioles where he played in two less games but accumulated 35 more plate appearances. Combined, he hit .252/.344/.442 (.780) with seven doubles and eight home runs. Why should the Twins sign Thome? He is a better hitter, even at 42, than the guys on the Twins projected bench. He might hit 6-8 home runs. He is a legend, a future Hall of Famer, and a great person. He would be very inexpensive. Why should the Twins not sign Thome? Well, he is 42. He can’t play defense. He can’t run. If he walks, he’ll need a pinch runner. He gets hurt a lot. The Twins have lots of options for the DH/1B spots with Justin Morneau, Ryan Doumit, Joe Mauer, Chris Parmelee. A right handed bat makes more sense. Thome has not been successful most of his career as a pinch hitter, and he doesn’t hit left-handed pitching well. As you can see, as much as I like Thome and respect him tremendously, I just don’t think it makes any baseball sense to bring back Thome. That is not to say that I would be disappointed if they signed him though. However, there are some other options remaining on the free agent market. A couple of the below players may make more sense to the Twins than Thome, and a couple of them obviously make no sense. Bobby Abreu – Abreu will turn 39 years old on March 11. He has had a tremendous career hitting .292/.396/.477 (.873). However, the last time he posted an OPS of .800 was 2009 with the Angels. He began the 2012 season with the Angels, but before the end of April, he was released after playing just eight games. A week later, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he hit .246/.361/.344 (.704) in 92 games. He has always had great plate discipline which might help him as a late-inning option and a veteran some of the young players could emulate. Johnny Damon – Damon will be 39 years old through the 2013 season. In his 18 year career, he hit .284/.352/.433 (.785). He had some very good years with the Royals, the Red Sox and then the Yankees, but the last few years have not been good. The Boras-client has been a one-year guy the last three seasons. He spent 2010 with the Tigers, 2011 with the Rays, and last year, he signed with Cleveland on April 17 for $1.25 million. He was released in early August after hitting .222/.281/.329 (.610) in 64 games. Derrek Lee – Lee did not play in 2012 after splitting the 2011 season with Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Combined, he posted a .771 OPS in 113 games. Although he will be 37 years old through most of the season, it is unlikely that he returns in 2013. Carlos Lee – Carlos Lee’s six year, $100 million contract is over. Although his power dropped significantly through those six year (to just eight in 2012), he was able to remain healthy. In 2012, he was traded from Houston to the Miami Marlins for two minor leaguers. In 147 games last year, the burly right-hander hit .264/.332/.365 (.697). In his 14 year career, he hit .285/.339/.483 (.821), although he hasn’t had an OPS that high since 2009. He also no longer can really play in the outfield. The intrigue with Lee is that he is a right-handed bat to compliment all of the Twins left-handed bats. Scott Podsednik – “Pods” provides no power to the bench, but his name has been thrown around the rumor mill in connection with the Twins. Why? I have no idea. In 2009, he played for the White Sox and Rockies. In 2010, he played for the Royals and Dodgers. In 2011, he played in the minor leagues in the Blue Jays and Phillies organizations. In 2012, he played for the Red Sox, but he was traded to the Diamondbacks on July 31, but Arizona released him two days later and he re-signed with the Red Sox. In 64 games for Boston, he hit .302/.322/.352 (.674). He has stolen 309 bases in his 11 year big league career. He will also turn 37 in mid-March. Scott Rolen – The seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner has been hurt quite a bit the last two seasons. In 92 games in 2012, he hit .245/.318/.398 (.716). In 65 games in 2011, he hit .242/.279/.397 (.676). He has had a lot of back problems and turns 38 just after opening day. He’s had a terrific 17-year big league career, but retirement and a lot of spa time would seem to make the most sense. Ryan Theriot – The 33-year-old utility infielder has been part of the past two World Series teams, the 2011 Cardinals and the 2012 Giants. Last year with the Giants, he played 91 games at second base and hit .270/.316/.321 (.637). His career OPS is .691, but he hasn’t approached that number since 2009. So, as you can see, there are other bench options that the Twins could still considering signing via free agency. None of them are particularly appealing. Maybe there are some trade possibilities, but frankly, since 2013 is about rebuilding, why would the team give up any prospect for a part-time player? This is certainly a hot topic among Twins fans since, well, there isn’t much to talk about. What do you think?

Seemingly everybody is on Twitter these days. I remember sitting with John Bonnes during the middle of the 2009 Twins season, and he told me that I should be on Twitter. I hesitated, but then I figured, Why Not? Since then, I've gradually followed more and more people. Frankly, it is my news source at this point. If you're not already on Twitter, consider it. If you want, you can follow Twins Daily and each of us individually (John Bonnes,Nick Nelson, Parker Hageman, Seth Stohs & Brock Beauchamp). [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Minnesota Twins have many players and front office personnel that are on Twitter. Twins President Dave St. Peter leads the way, making himself accessible to Twins fans, positive and negative.Dozens upon Dozens of Twins players throughout the entire system also are active on Twitter. Today, I'll be posting the Twins players and front office personnel that have Twitter accounts. There is a good chance that this list is incomplete, so if I'm missing anybody, please put the name and their twitter link into the comments. And also let me know what you would like to see here. Should we include Twins media? Should we include former Twins? I will certainly add twitter accounts of the Twins minor league affiliates as well. Here is the list of players, followed by their Twitter handle and then the number of followers they have as of 2/24/13. Let's increase their numbers. [TABLE=width: 419] First Name Last Name Twitter Followers AJ Achter @ajachter35 416 Bo Altobelli @BoAltobelli 113 Oswaldo Arcia @arciaoswaldo 334 Ivan Arteaga @IvanArteaga 59,958 Tim Atherton @TimAtherton89 206 Luke Bard @Luke_Bard 721 DJ Baxendale @DBax24 3,906 James Beresford @JamesBeresford2 784 J.O. Berrios @JOlaMaquina 263 Evan Bigley @Bigley3 542 Hudson Boyd @boyd_hudson 193 Alex Burnett @ABurnett31 6,404 Joshua Burris @Josh_Burris_ 164 Drew Butera @DrewButera 15,052 Byron Buxton @OfficialBuck103 299 Chris Colabello @CC20rake 493 Pat Dean @PDean15 328 Scott Diamond @Scott_Diamond58 12,446 Brian Dinkelman @BrDink 1,589 Brian Dozier @BrianDozier 9,334 Brian Duensing @BrianDuensing52 13,707 Tyler Duffey @TheDoof13 127 Andrew Ferreira @Get_Meaty 5,263 Dallas Gallant @DGallant18 353 Kyle Gibson @KGib44 6,569 Jhonathan Goncalves @jhong1305 71 Deolis Guerra @deolisguerra 885 Bryan Haar @Haardon 120 Nate Hanson @NHans12 356 Matt Hauser @mhauser_17 211 BJ Hermsen @BJHermsen12 1,246 DJ Hicks @DHicksMTB 699 Aaron Hicks @AaronHicks31 5,279 Trent Higginbotham @trenthigg 136 Travis Huber @TravisHuber55 396 David Hurlbut @leftydh1989 61 Will Hurt @Will_Hurt 611 Tyler Jones @TmfJones 28 Zack Jones @Jack_Zones04 358 Max Kepler @kepleroni 123 Kyle Knudson @KKnudson6 344 Matt Koch @M_Koch4 42 Bobby Lanigan @BobbyLanigan 420 Drew Leachman @d_leachman 160 Andy Leer @andyleer12 95 Steven Liddle @StevenLiddle_ 409 Austin Malinowski @AJMalinowski24 274 Trevor May @TrevMay54 5,153 Chris Mazza @ChrisMazza10 193 Kaleb Merck @TwinsMerckin 297 Alex Meyer @Meyer17A 3,770 Levi Michael @LeviMichael9 256 Angel Morales @AngelMorales24 264 Miguel Munoz @mikemunoz59 98 Jonathan Murphy @JMurph6 246 Cole Nelson @Cnelly_47 186 Lester Oliveros @lesteroliveros 1,755 Ryan O'Rourke @RyanO_Rourke 547 Chris Parmelee @CParms27 3,656 Glen Perkins @glen_perkins 14,509 AJ Pettersen @apettersen1 629 Trevor Plouffe @TPlouffe24 21,434 Jake Proctor @JProc23 1,125 Michael Quesada @KSada55 125 Danny Rams @DannyRams35 1,057 Dereck Rodriguez @DereckRodRF3 320 Taylor Rogers @trogers34 250 Dan Rohlfing @DanRohlfing 580 Bryan Santy @BKSanty41 127 Anthony Slama @Slama39 4,293 Markus Solbach @MSolbach23 16 Manuel Soliman @Soliman30 488 Tom Stuifbergen @TomStuifbergen 615 Anthony Swarzak @ASwarzak51 7,258 Matt Tomshaw @matthewJTomshaw 203 Michael Tonkin @mtonkin37 124 Daniel Turpen @DdTuRpEn 142 Kennys Vargas @kennysvargas 20 Adam Walker @walkoff28 482 PJ Walters @PJwalters33 2,311 Tommy Watkins @TommyWatkins 1,336 Dakota Watts @watts_22 819 Jason Wheeler @Lil_Wheels 163 Stephen Wickens @wicks1221 107 Corey Williams @coreyw24 326 Alex Wimmers @AlexWimmers21 1,244 Tim Wood @The_Woodpile 685 Vance Worley @VANIMAL_49 54,137 TC Bear '@TC_00 9,073 [/TD] FRONT OFFICE [TD]First Name Last Name Twitter Followers Dave St. Peter @TwinsPrez 14,131 Dustin Morse @Twins_morsecode 9,299 Mike Herman @HermTT 2,108 Bryan Donaldson @MNCommunityGuy 1,488 Andrew Heydt @AndrewHeydt 395 Mike Kennedy @TwinsPRMachine 334 Brace Hemmelgarn @bracehemmelgarn 913 [/TABLE]