Seth Stohs

The Twins Daily personnel want to extend our best wishes for a very Happy holiday season to all of our readers. As I mentioned last week, the holidays start to signal that baseball season is approaching. The Minnesota Twins Winter Caravan will begin in the middle of January. That leads up to Twins Fest the final weekend of the month, and just over two weeks later, the Twins will begin their spring training in Ft. Myers. Generally speaking, very little happens between Christmas and New Years Day. At Twins Daily, we will obviously report and discuss any moves that the Twins make. There will be a couple of new blogs later in the week, but we are going to take a couple of days to enjoy spending time with friends and family for the holidays. Then, we will be back strong following the New Year. Then, we likely won't get another vacation until this time next year! That said, the Forums here at Twins Daily are always open. Feel free to discuss rumors, share ideas and interact with the Twins Daily community. Of course, we always believe that the comments should be intelligent and non-combative, but that should certainly be the case at this time of year. By the way, if you missed it over the weekend, be sure to check out friend of Twins Daily AJ Pettersen's new article at Baseball America. Just a great article on the love of baseball. Happy Holidays to all of you who have helped make Twins Daily successful and a fun place for all of us to go to read about our favorite team. Best wishes to each and every one of you! [ATTACH=CONFIG]2948[/ATTACH]

We are one week from Christmas Day and two weeks from New Year’s Day. Once past those holidays, many Twins players, including minor leaguers, start making their trek to Ft. Myers in preparation for the 2013 season. The Twins have now made announcements about the Twins Winter Caravan which leads up to the ever-popular Twins Fest. Following Twins Fest, we will be just three weeks from one of the greatest phrases known to man, “Pitchers and Catchers reporting.” Many of the US players have returned in preparation for their holidays, and to get a little bit of time away before it all gets started again. However, there are still quite a few from the Twins organization playing abroad. Here’s how they did during the week from December 10 through December 16: VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Bruce Pugh, RHP On the week, Pugh pitched twice and threw 2.2 scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struckout two. He has pitched 13 innings over the course of 15 games for Caribes de Anzoategui. He has given up just one run on eight hits. He’s walked seven and struckout nine. Pugh’s fastball sits in the mid-90s, but his overall Venezuelan numbers do express what we have seen in his career. Although he has generally struckout a batter an inning, he also walks about a batter every other inning. Oswaldo Arcia – 4 Games, 2-15 (.133), HR (9), 3 RBI Eduardo Escobar – 3 Games, 1-9 (.111), 2B, BB, RBI Darin Mastroianni – 5 Games, 2-14 (.143), 2-2B Josmil Pinto – 1 Game, 1-3 (.333) Deolis Guerra – 1 Game, 0.2 IP, 1 strikeout Dakota Watts – 2 Games, 3.1 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts. MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Chris Colabello, 1B I think we’ll just name this one the Chris Colabello Award from this point forward. And, not just because he is now just one of two Twins farmhands playing in Mexico. For the week, he played in fix games. He went 6-19 (.316) with two doubles and a home run. Overall in Mexico, he has had 192 at bats in 54 games played. He is hitting .344/.414/.646 (1.0759) with 13 doubles, 15 home runs and 41 RBI. Gonzalo Sanudo – 1 Game, 0.1 innings, 3 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Samuel Deduno, RHP [ATTACH=CONFIG]2919[/ATTACH] Deduno made one start this week. The right-hander threw six shutout innings. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struckout nine. In 20.2 innings so far in the DWL, he has given up no runs on 13 hits. He’s walked nine, but he has struckout 26. Jhonathan Arias – 3 Games, 1-7 (.143), RBI Pedro Florimon – 3 Games, 0-2 (.000) Wilkin Ramirez – 3 Games , 1-8 (.125) Miguel Sano – 2 Games, 1-5 (.200), HR (4), 2 RBI Jason Lane – 1 Game, 0.2 innings, 6 runs, 3 earned runs, 5 hits Luis Perdomo – 2 Games, 3.0 innings, 0 earned runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. PUERTO RICO WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Eddie Rosario, OF For the third straight week, Eddie Rosario is the choice for hitter of the week. In three games, he went 9-23 (.391) with a double. Overall, in 23 games, he is hitting .369/.400/.536 with five doubles and three home runs. Angel Morales – 4 Games, 2-10 Danny Ortiz – 6 Games, 5-18 (.278), 3 BB, 2B Kennys Vargas – 4 Games, 2-15 (.133), BB Nelvin Fuentes – 1 Game, 0.2 IP, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 2 BB, 2 K Josue Montanez – 2 Game, 3.1 IP, 0 hit, 0 runs, 2 BB, 1 K. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE Player of the Week – JD Williams, OF Williams hit .283 (3-11) with a walk, a double and three RBI. In 21 games Down Under, he is hitting .227/.318/.267 (.585) with three doubles on the season. Logan Wade – 3 Games, 2-8 (.250), RBI Josh Hendricks – 3 Games, 1-6 (.167) Tim Atherton – 1 Game Started, 3.0 innings, 4 runs (3 earned), 4 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts Sam Gibbons – 1 Game Started, 3.1 innings, 6 hits, 6 BB, 4 earned runs, 2 K Tyler Herr – 2 Games, 0.2 innings, 3 hits, 1 BB, 5 runs (3 earned runs) Virgil Vasquez – 1 Game Started, 6.0 innings, 3 earned runs, 7 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts Feel free to discuss or ask any questions that you like. Also, feel free to pick a player of the week. Here were the nominees: Venezuela – Bruce Pugh Mexico – Chris Colabello Dominican – Samuel Deduno Puerto Rico – Eddie Rosario Australia – JD Williams

CBS Sports's Jon Heyman is reporting that the Twins have agreed to terms with RHP Mike Pelfrey. The 28-year-old pitcher made three starts in 2012 for the New York Mets before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. The deal is reportedly for one year at $4 million with incentives up to $1.5 million more. Pelfrey was the Mets first-round pick in 2005 out of Wichita State. He debuts with the team in 2006. He has made 149 starts (and four relief appearances) for the Mets in his career. He has a 50-54 record with a 4.36 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. In the four seasons prior to 2012, he pitched no less than 184 innings and twice topped the 200 inning mark. He is reported to be throwing well already, although it will be interesting to see how ready he is by spring training and by Opening Day. In his career, he has walked 3.2 batters per nine innings, but he has a career strikeout rate of just 5.1 per nine innings. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2909[/ATTACH] You may recall, the Twins wanted him to be part of the Johan Santana trade, but he was deemed untouchable. . See... the Twins aren't against signing Scott Boras clients after all. I guess due to the fact that he's four years younger than Kevin Correia, this is a little bit better of a signing. What do you think?

The Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame began in the year 2000 when they inducted former owner Calvin Griffith along with Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, and Kirby Puckett. Since then, one or two people (players or other Twins-related personnel) have been added each year. Last year, Camilo Pascual was named to the Twins Hall of Fame. Recently, the Minnesota Twins put their online ballot for the 2013 Twins Hall of Fame. The ballot includes 18 former Twins players. Ten hitters and eight pitchers comprise the ballot. Today, I’m going to post some numbers for the hitters and the pitchers before I rank the candidates, 1 through 18. In the comments, let us know which former players you would vote for, and why. Then, go to the Twins website and make your actual votes. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2886[/ATTACH] Let’s take a look at the candidates. THE STARTING PITCHERS [TABLE=width: 485] Pitcher W-L IP ERA (ERA+) WHIP BB/9 K/9 WAR Dave Boswell 67-64 1,036.1 3.49 (101) 1.24 4.0 7.5 9.5 Dean Chance 41-34 664.0 2.67 (126) 1.07 2.3 6.8 12.0 Dave Goltz 96-79 1,638.0 3.48 (112) 1.31 2.7 4.9 22.5 Mudcat Grant 50-35 780.2 3.35 (107) 1.21 1.9 4.3 5.0 Kevin Tapani 75-63 1,171.1 4.06 (108) 1.27 2.0 5.6 17.8 [/TABLE] THE RELIEVERS [TABLE=width: 495] Pitcher W-L-S IP ERA (ERA+) WHIP BB/9 K/9 WAR Eddie Guardado 37-48-116 704.2 4.53 (105) 1.34 3.4 7.8 8.6 Jeff Reardon 15-16-104 226.1 3.70 (116) 1.15 2.2 7.4 4.0 Al Worthington 51-31-88 473.1 2.62 (134) 1.19 3.5 7.6 9.4 [/TABLE] THE HITTERS [TABLE=width: 540] Hitter H-AB BA/OBP/SLG OPS (OPS+) 2B/3B/HR/RBI WAR Tom Brunansky 829-3,313 .250/.330/.452 .782 (109) 154/13/163/469 14.5 John Castino 646-2,320 .278/.329/.398 .727 (97) 86/34/41/249 14.2 Dan Gladden 661-2,470 .268/.318/.382 .700 (95) 117/26/38/238 4.8 Brian Harper 767-2,503 .306/.342/.431 .773 (110) 156/6/48/346 12.2 Larry Hisle 697-2,437 .286/.354/.457 .799 (127) 109/23/87/409 15.8 Chuck Knoblauch 1,197-3,939 .304/.391/.416 .807 (114) 210/51/43/391 36.3 Corey Koskie 781-2,788 .280/.373/.463 .836 (116) 180/13/101/437 20.5 Shane Mack 668-2,161 .309/.375/.479 .854 (130) 119/24/67/315 18.7 Roy Smalley 1,046-3,997 .262/.350/.401 .750 (104) 184/21/110/485 19.1 Cesar Tovar 1,164-4,142 .281/.337/.377 .714 (102) 193/45/38/319 24.0 [/TABLE] THE RANKINGS Let me again say that this ranking is mine. Each of you will likely switch some players around and although it could look similar, it could also look completely different. #18 – Dan Gladden – OF – 1987-1991 Gladden came to the Twins before the 1987. He was the team’s leadoff hitter on the two Twins championship teams. He scored the World Series-winning run in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the 1991 World Series after his hustle double. He was a solid left-fielder, but he was a leadoff hitter with a .318 on-base percentage. Maybe he can make the Twins Hall of Fame several years down the line for his radio work. #17 – John Castino – IF – 1979-1984 Castino was the co-AL Rookie of the Year in 1979 along with Alfredo Griffin. Unfortunately, his career was shortened by back injuries. #16 – Jeff Reardon – RH RP – 1987-1989 Like Gladden, Reardon also came to the Twins before the 1987 season. Although he posted a 4.48 ERA that season, it was such an improvement from The Ron Davis days that people thought it was good. He was actually much better in 1988. #15 – Jim “Mudcat” Grant – RH SP – 1964-1967 Grant has done quite well for himself after his playing days with a career in music. He was also very good on the mound. He was a huge part of that 1965 World Series team when he won 21 games. He struckout pretty much no one, and he walked no one. He was also a pretty good hitter. #14 – Brian Harper – C – 1988-1993 Harper came to the Twins as a journeyman before the 1988 season. He established himself as a very good batting average-hitting catcher with some doubles power. Although he refused to walk, he put together solid at bats. He was a key to the 1991 World Series team. #13 – Dean Chance – RH SP – 1967-1969 Chance could probably be higher on this list, but he played for the Twins for just three years. He had a no-hitter, and he won 20 games in 1967. He was worth 12 WAR in just three seasons. #12 – Eddie Guardado – LH RP – 1993-2003, 2008 Guardado’s overall numbers certainly don’t look great. He was not good as a starter his first couple of seasons. Although he earned the “Every Day” nickname, his first several seasons in the Twins bullpen were not successful. However, from 2001-2003, Guardado did a tremendous job as the Twins closer. His ‘stuff’ was not all that impressive, but he was all guts. #11 – Larry Hisle – OF – 1973-1977 Hisle is another guy who did not spend a lot of time with the Twins, likely because he played so well he priced himself out of Mr. Griffith’s comfort zone. He posted hi 15.8 WAR in just four seasons. #10 – Tom Brunansky – OF – 1982-1988 “Bruno” came to the Twins from the Angels as a 21-year-old who had just made his big league debut. He joined the other young Twins who came up in 1982 and provided the nucleus for that 1987 team. He represented the Twins in the 1985 All Star game. He was quite durable in his time with the Twins, and although he didn’t hit for average, he averaged over 28 homers a season from 1983 through 1987. He is now the Twins hitting coach. #9 – Dave Boswell – RH SP – 1964-1970 Boswell is best known for his 1969 fight in Detroit with manager Billy Martin, but he also won 20 games during that season and was a solid performer for the Twins. He actually threw hard and unlike most pitchers from that era, he wasn’t afraid to try to miss bats. Boswell passed away this past June. #8 – Al Worthington – RH RP – 1964-1969 Worthington was the Twins’ closer during the pre-closer era. He actually came to the Twins in 1964 as a 35 year old reliever. He debuted with the New York Giants in 1953, and he was just a 5th or 6th starter and long reliever for parts of seven seasons. He was in the minor leagues in 1961 and 1962 before resurfacing. However, once he got to the Twins, he was a dominant reliever for five years. He didn’t post an ERA over 2.84 until his final (age 40) season. #7 – Roy Smalley – SS – 1976-1982, 1985-1987 Back in the 1970s, shortstops were supposed to be just good glove little guys. Smalley was the Twins shortstop during his first stint in the organization and provided 25-30 doubles and 18-20 home run power. He came back to the Twins as a part-time player in 1985 and ended his career with the 1987 World Series champion team. He now is an analyst for the Twins on Fox Sports North. #6 – Kevin Tapani – RH SP – 1989-1995 Tapani came to the Twins from the Mets in the Frank Viola trade. He put together several solid, innings-eating seasons. He was kind of Brad Radke before Radke as he walked hardly anyone. His career season was 1991 when he was 16-9 with a 2.99 ERA in 244 innings. #5 – Cesar Tovar – IF/OF – 1965-1972 Tovar was a player who could do it all. He played everywhere during his time with the Twins, and not just in the 1968 game in which he played all nine positions. From 1968-1971, he was a well-above average player. He played every day (and even played 164 games in 1967). He led the lead with 204 hits in 1971. He led the league in 1970 with 36 doubles and 13 tripled. He stole 186 bases during his time with the Twins. #4 – Shane Mack – OF – 1990-1994 As I wrote last week, the former Rule 5 pick is one of the most underrated players in Twins history. A bust with the Padres, Mack became one of the best outfielders in baseball during his first years with the Twins. His 130 OPS+ shows just how much better than league average he was for that entire time frame. He did it all. He hit for average, got on base, showed power, stole bases and played great defense. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2889[/ATTACH]#3 – Corey Koskie – 3B – 1998-2004 Speaking of underrated, the Manitoba native put up some very good numbers during his time with the Twins. He came up to the Twins as a project, a defensive liability at third base. Through hard work, he became one of the better defensive third basemen in the league. He had some power, and he took tremendous at bats. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2888[/ATTACH]#2 – Dave Goltz – RH SP – 1972-1979 The Minnesota native got to live a dream of playing for his home-state team. Goltz didn’t strike anyone out, certainly not unusual in that era, but he also had good control. He won 20 games in 1977 when he also threw 303 innings. From 1974-1978, he never posted an ERA over 3.67, and his best ERA was 2.49 in 1978. The innings caught up to him. After leaving the Twins, he fought arm problems and only had one more season in which he threw more than 90 innings. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2887[/ATTACH]#1 – Chuck Knoblauch – 2B – 1991-1997 By the numbers, Knoblauch is clearly the best player on this list. The 1989 first-round pick had an incredible debut in 1991. He was the AL MVP that season and was an ideal top-of-the-order hitter for the World Series championship team. He was a tremendous defensive second baseman who, if not for Roberto Alomar, would have won several gold glove awards. He became the team’s leadoff hitter and his .391 on base percentage. He stole 276 bases. He eventually added some doubles power. Things got a bit weird for Knoblauch and his career after he was traded to the Yankees, but Knoblauch is one of the greats in Twins history. So there you have my thoughts. I would probably cast a vote for my #1-5 choices, but it would be in this order. What do you think? Cast your vote in the Comments and then on the Twins site.

Raise your hand, Minnesota Twins fans, if you knew who Nate Roberts was before the Arizona Fall League. Well, if you follow Twins Daily, you found the outfielder’s name on these pages frequently. But it is fair to say that Roberts gained a lot of respect and notoriety around Twins Territory with his incredible performance with the Peoria Javelinas. He led the Arizona Fall League in Batting Average (.446), On Base Percentage (.565), Slugging Percentage (.662), and of course, OBP (1.226). In 84 plate appearances, he walked 12 times and was hit by seven pitches while striking out just seven times. He stole six bases in eight attempts. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2859[/ATTACH] Anything can happen in the small sample size of the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League, but the types of skills that Roberts showed are consistent with what he has shown since the Twins drafted him with their 5th round pick in 2010. In 35 Appalachian League games that season, he hit .336/.444/.547 (.991) with ten doubles, a triple, and five homers. Because of knee injuries, he has spent the past two seasons in Beloit. In 2011, he hit .302/.443/.446 (.889) with 12 doubles, four triples and four home runs. In 2012, he hit .299/.433/.427 (.860) with 18 doubles, three triples and four homers. He walked 44 times and struckout 37 times. In the past two seasons, he has been hit by 52 pitches. Roberts epitomizes what it means to be a leadoff hitter. He also grows a fantastic mustache. Today, Twins Daily is thrilled to bring you 12 Questions With… Nate Roberts. --- [ATTACH=CONFIG]2860[/ATTACH]Twins Daily (TD): Growing up in Illinois, who was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Nate Roberts (NR): I was a Cubs fan growing up and as a kid my favorite player was Mark Grace. Most recent Cubs that I enjoyed watching were Kerry Wood, Mark Derosa, and Reed Johnson. TD: Tell us about your high school career (baseball and/or other extra-curriculars). NR: In high school, I played football, basketball, and baseball. Baseball was actually my third favorite of the three, believe it or not. TD: What were some of the highlights of your college playing days at various schools, culminating with a tremendous season High Point? NR: JUCO was a great time as we won the national championship that year. My year at High Point was also memorable as we worked extremely hard to obtain the first winning record in the Div 1 history of the school. TD: The Twins drafted you in the 5th round in 2010... is that about where you were expecting to go, and did you have much communication with Twins scouts before that? NR: I was happy to be drafted by the Twins that early because I was expecting to go that soon, so that was cool. I was in contact with the Twins scout, Ricky Taylor, more than anyone else so I was happy to be picked by the Twins. TD: You signed quickly and went to Elizabethton. How would you describe your adjustment to pro baseball and what did you learn from that first season? NR: It was a good experience to minor league ball, especially the living on the road part. It was a fun transition to playing better competition and the coaches and players there were a lot of fun to be around. TD: You have spent the last two seasons in Beloit battling knee injuries, but when you're in the lineup, you are the consummate leadoff hitter, getting on-base over 40% of the time, even if it means getting hit by a ton of pitches. Is that your philosophy as a hitter? (Get on base) NR: My philosophy at the plate is to get on in any way I can and to see a lot of pitches. I adopted the HBP mentality at HPU and it continues to work. I also enjoy it too. TD: Were you surprised when you heard you were going to the Arizona Fall League? What were your expectations going into that season? NR: I was very surprised to be going to the AFL as I was scheduled to be in instructs. So I was grateful for the opportunity. I didn't go in with any high expectation as I was happy to still be playing ball. I just wanted to try and get better, play hard, and have fun. It was a great experience playing there with some good competition. TD: Fair to say that things went well for you there as you led the AFL in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage. What were some of the big take-aways for you from your time in Arizona? NR: My biggest take away from there is that I competed well against some top players which will help my confidence going into next season. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2861[/ATTACH] TD: Looking to 2013, what are some of your goals? Do you think you'll start in Ft. Myers or jump up to New Britain? NR: My number one goal is to play a full season as I have yet to do so. I also want to help my team win a championship as we have come close in the past. I'm not worried about where I'll play next season. The Twins will decide that, and I'll be happy to continue to be a part of their club. TD: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career as a baseball player? NR: Many coaches throughout my life have been influential, so I can’t just name a few. My parents have definitely been the most help. TD: If you weren't playing baseball, what would you be doing (your career of choice)? NR: Once I'm done playing, I plan on teaching and coaching high school. TD: Favorite baseball movie? NR: Favorite baseball movie: For Love of the Game. --- Thank you very much to Nate Roberts for taking time out of his offseason schedule to answer our questions. We wish him the best in spring training and wherever the 2013 season brings him.

As we get a little bit closer to the holidays, more of the American players will be leaving their winter baseball homes. At the same time, more and more veterans will start warming up for spring training by playing in a winter league. That means many of the younger players will be playing in the Parallel League or sitting on the bench more. That said, there continue to be a lot of players from the Twins farm system getting at bats and getting innings. Here’s how players from the Twins system did during the week from December 3 through December 9: [ATTACH=CONFIG]2854[/ATTACH] VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Oswaldo Arcia, OF For the second straight week, Arcia grabs the top spot in Venezuela. Although he hit just .263 (5-19) in five games, he hit two doubles, two homers and drove in nine runs. In 43 games, he is hitting .260/.319/.493 with eight doubles and eight home runs. Eduardo Escobar – 4 Games, 3-11 (.273), 2B, 2 BB, 3 RBI Darin Mastroianni – 3 Games, 2-7 (.286), BB, 3 R, RBI Josmil Pinto – 3 Games, 2-6 (.333), BB, HR, RBI Deolis Guerra – 2 Games, 0-1, 3.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts Shairon Martis – 2 Games Started, 9.2 innings, 4 earned runs, 11 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts. Angel Mata – 2 Games, 0.2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Bruce Pugh – 3 Games, 1-0, 3.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Dakota Watts – 4 Games, 3.2 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 5 walks, 1 strikeout. MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Chris Colabello, 1B For the fifth straight week, my choice for player of the week in Mexico is Chris Colabello. On the week, he played in six games. He went 9-19 (.474) with five walks, two home runs and 7 RBI. Overall in Mexico, he has had 173 at bats in 49 games played. He is hitting .347/.422/.653 (1.075) with 11 doubles, 14 home runs and 37 RBI. According to Top Prospect Alert, Colabello’s .347 batting average leads the league. Marlon Byrd is second at .339, while Karim Garcia is third. Gonzalo Sanudo – 3 Games, 3.1 innings, 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout. Anthony Slama returned to the States. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Miguel Sano, 3B Sano actually played in four games, although he didn’t get an at bat in two of them. In the two games he started, he went 5-7 with three doubles, a homer and five RBI. In 16 sporadic games, he is 12-36. He is hitting .333/.467/.667 with three doubles and three home runs. Jhonathan Arias – 3 Games, 0-6, 3 K Pedro Florimon – 5 Games, 5-17 (.294), 2B, RBI and 5 K. Wilkin Ramirez – 3 Games , 0-2 (.000), Sam Deduno – 1 Game Started, 5.0 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts. Luis Perdomo – 2 Games, 2.0 innings, 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts. PUERTO RICO WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Eddie Rosario, OF For the second straight week, Eddie Rosario is the choice for hitter of the week. In three games, he went 4-12 (.333) with two walks and two doubles. In 18 games, he is hitting .345/.391/.552 with three doubles and three home runs. Jorge Fernandez – 1 Game, 0-0 Angel Morales – 1 Game, 0-2, K Danny Ortiz – 3 Games, 4=12 (.333), 2 K. Kennys Vargas – 3 Games, 1-2, 2-BB, HR Nelvin Fuentes – 1 Game, 1 IP, 4 hits, 4 earned runs, 0 BB, 2 K Josue Montanez – 1 Game, 1 Save, 1 IP, 0 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE Player of the Week – Tim Atherton, RHP Atherton came back to the Twins in 2010 as a pitcher after previously having been an infielder in the organization. Since his return, the hard-thrower has been effective, primarily out of the bullpen. In the ABL, he has been starting. He pitched one game this week and threw 5.2 scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struckout four. Logan Wade – 2 Games, 0-7 (.000), RBI, 4 K Josh Hendricks – 4 Games, 2-12 (.167), 1 BB Jacob Younis – 3 Games, 1-11 (.091), 5 K JD Williams – 4 Games, 3-11 (.283), 2 BB, 7 K Sam Gibbons – 1 Game Started, 4.1 innings, 10 hits, 2 BB, 9 earned runs, 4 K Tyler Herr – 1 Game, 1 inning, 1 hit, 0 BB, 0 earned runs, 2 K Feel free to discuss or ask any questions that you like. Also, feel free to pick a player of the week. Here were the nominees: Venezuela – Oswaldo Arcia Mexico – Chris Colabello Dominican – Miguel Sano Puerto Rico – Eddie Rosario Australia – Tim Atherton

According to sources, the Twins have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Kevin Correia. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is saying that the deal is a two-year deal and $10 million. The 32-year-old right-hander has gone 12-11 the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His ERA in 2011 was 4.79, and it was 4.21 in 2012. He was originally a 4th round pick by the San Francisco Giants. He has spent time with the Giants, Padres and Pirates. In 10 big league seasons, he is a combined 60-65 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His career strikeout rate is 6.0. However, the last two seasons, his K/9 has been 4.5 and 4.7. He made his first, and only, All Star appearance in 2011 with the Pirates. The past two seasons, he has thrown 154 and 171 innings. His career high innings were 198 with the Padres in 2009. Correia comes in as the veteran of a pitching staff that includes Scott Diamond and Vance Worley. Of those three, he's clearly the third best. Best case scenario, he can find a way to be just about league average in 2013 and the Twins can trade him for a C-level prospect in July.

According to sources, the Twins have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Kevin Correia. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is saying that the deal is a two-year deal and $10 million. The 32-year-old right-hander has gone 12-11 the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His ERA in 2011 was 4.79, and it was 4.21 in 2012. He was originally a 4th round pick by the San Francisco Giants. He has spent time with the Giants, Padres and Pirates. In 10 big league seasons, he is a combined 60-65 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His career strikeout rate is 6.0. However, the last two seasons, his K/9 has been 4.5 and 4.7. He made his first, and only, All Star appearance in 2011 with the Pirates. The past two seasons, he has thrown 154 and 171 innings. His career high innings were 198 with the Padres in 2009. Correia comes in as the veteran of a pitching staff that includes Scott Diamond and Vance Worley. Of those three, he's clearly the third best. Best case scenario, he can find a way to be just about league average in 2013 and the Twins can trade him for a C-level prospect in July.

The Twins are always looking to add more right-handed power bats. It has been a need for a couple of decades. With their third-round draft pick in the 2012 draft, the Twins selected outfielder Adam Walker out of Jacksonville University. Just look at the numbers he put up in his three years of college. In 51 games as a freshman, he hit .312/.400/.635 (1.035) with 14 doubles and 16 homers. In 61 games as a sophomore, he hit .409/.486/.682 (1.168) with 23 doubles and 13 homers. Then in 2012 as a junior, he hit .343/.426/.581 (1.007) with 14 doubles and 12 home runs. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2837[/ATTACH] Upon signing, he went to Elizabethton. He played in 58 games and hit .250/.310/.496 (.805) with seven doubles, four triples and 14 homers. In 252 plate appearances, he walked 19 times and struckout 76 times. However, he played a huge role in the Elizabethton Twins 2012 Appalachian League championship. As you recall, in the decisive Game 3 of the championship series, he came to the plate in the bottom of the 9th with his team down by four runs. Following a wild pitch, there were runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs. Walker got a pitch he was looking for and he launched a game-tying home run to send the game to extra innings. A couple of innings later, he was in the on-deck circle when teammate DJ Hicks launched a walk-off grand slam to give the team the title. That was his introduction to professional baseball. Now, he attempts to work on the things that will help him push toward advancing to the big leagues. He will work on learning the outfield. He will work to put the ball in play more frequently. He will continue to work on his power swing. One thing is a given. He will work. And today, he was willing to take the time to participate in our 12 Questions With series. Let’s get it started. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2838[/ATTACH]--- Twins Daily (TD): Growing up, who was your favorite team, and who were some of your favorite players? Adam Walker (AW): Growing up, my favorite player was always Ken Griffey Jr. I always enjoyed watching him but I haven't quite found a new favorite players since he has retired. My favorite team growing up had to be the Brewers. Being from Milwaukee, it was hometown team. TD: Tell us a little bit about your high school career. Have you always played in the outfield? Did you participate in other extra-curricular activities? AW: In high school, I played football (Quarterback) and basketball (Forward) along with baseball. Baseball was always my favorite sport though. Growing up, until I got to college, I was a catcher actually. So I was recruited out of high school as a catcher but moved to the outfield and played some first as well in college. TD: Were you heavily recruited out of high school? What made you choose Jacksonville U? AW: I was recruited by a decent amount of schools in the Midwest area. A big part of my decision was getting south and having some better weather. So it was hard to get recruited being from the Midwest. My main options were between Jacksonville, Louisville, and Western Carolina. Jacksonville seemed like a good school for me being from a smaller high school. The coaches were great to me and they had a winning program. TD: You put up huge numbers all three years in college. What are some of the best memories from your collegiate years? AW: My best memories were in my sophomore year. We went to University of Florida and beat them by a good amount while they were the number one team in the country. Later that season, we made it to a regional and that was a great time. That experience was great and I enjoyed it a lot. TD: The Twins selected you in the 3rd round in 2012. Had you talked to Twins scouts, and is that about where you thought you might be drafted? AW: I had talked to the twins before the draft, and I knew they were interested in me. I went to a pre-draft workout in Target Field just days before the draft. I was not sure what team I would go to but I had an idea I would be taken some time around the 2nd or 3rd round. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2839[/ATTACH] TD: You signed quickly and reported to Elizabethton. What was the adjustment to pro ball like for you? AW: It was an interesting adjustment for me. The main adjustment was getting used to playing every day. Coming from college when you play 4 games a week to playing 7 was a big part. It wears on your body a lot more, and it was a grind. I would see better depth in pitching on teams and they attacked you with fastballs a lot more than I saw in college. Once I made some adjustments to that, I felt a lot better at the plate. TD: You had 14 regular season home runs and three huge homers in the playoffs. Discuss the championship series and particularly the monster home run you hit in the bottom of the ninth to complete a huge comeback in the championship game. Then to win the game in extras on DJ Hicks' walk-off grand slam! What a game! AW: That championship game was the most exciting game I have ever been a part of. The emotions I felt throughout the game were crazy. For me, hitting that game tying home run in the 9th was the biggest hit of my life. I just tried to tell myself to get a good pitch to hit. I was able to get a pitch up, and I didn't miss it. At the end of the game, I was on deck when DJ hit the game-winner. So I felt like I had the best spot in the stadium. I was extremely happy for him and it was a great experience. I am glad I was able to win a championship with that group of guys. TD: Were there any lessons you learned from your time in the Instructional League? AW: In the Instructional league, I learned a lot more about the defensive part of the game. This past summer was my first full season as an outfielder, so it was nice to be able to learn more about the position. I felt like I had gotten better defensively while I was there. As far as hitting went, there was not as much learning but just slight adjustments that would be able to help me not miss pitches I could handle. It was a good learning experience for me. TD: How would you describe yourself as a player? What are your strengths and what areas do you need to improve most to advance through the minor leagues? AW: I feel I can be a valuable part to a team because I bring a good bat to the order. I have always hit fairly well and I have power which helps with run production. I am working on being more consistent which will help be more of a game-changer. I have struck out a lot but with work, I will cut down and that will only make me a better hitter. Defensively, I am going to continue to keep working in the outfield, and I feel my athleticism will work well in the outfield. TD: How has your offseason been, and when do you start prepping for the 2013 season? AW: The off season has been going well for me. I took some time off after instructional league. Now I have been working out and lifting. I am trying to get stronger so I will be prepared to make it through the whole season next year. I am hitting and working on my defense as well. I am trying to come back to spring training prepared to be at my best. TD: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this stage in life and in your career? AW: My Parents have been a huge part of getting me to where I am right now. They sacrificed a lot to get me the work I needed to get better. They always push me to be the best I can be in all aspects of life. They are my best supporters and encourage me to keep working. TD: What do you enjoy doing when you're not playing baseball? AW: I am a pretty laid back person so I don't do too much outside the baseball field. I just enjoy being with my friends and hanging out. I love sports so when I have the opportunity to check out sporting games I usually watch those. TD: What is your favorite baseball movie? AW: My favorite baseball movie has to be The Sandlot. I just love watching it because it reminds me of when I was younger and just played the game for fun. It kind of reminds me that this game is fun and to enjoy it. --- It’s always fun to get to know the Twins prospects before they become household names. Thank you very much to Adam Walker for taking some time to answer our questions. Best wishes to him on a long and successful career. Please feel free to discuss in the comments.

According to Darren "Doogie" Wolfson (via twitter), he has learned that the Twins and the representatives for Jared Burton have reached an agreement on a contract extension. It sounds like it would before for 2013, 2014 and that there would be an option for 2015. Terms of the deal have not yet been announced. We will update them here as soon as we get them. Last week, the Twins tendered him a contract. This is the final year of arbitration-eligibility so the contract would buy-out one year of his free agency and the option could buy-out another. Burton came to the Twins last year in a minor league contract. He made the Opening Day roster and was a mainstay in the back-end of the Twins bullpen. The 31-year-old righty went 3-2 with the first five saves of his career last year. In 64 games and 62 innings, he posted a 2.18 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. He walked just 16 and struckout 55. He gave up five homer runs, but two of them came in his first Twins outing. How do I remember that? Because when he came into the game, I told my whole family (with some extended family around) that Burton would be the Twins closer by the end of the season. The vehemently disagreed after the two gopher balls. Burton was available on a minor league contract because he missed time in 2010 and 2011 with arm injuries. The Twins used him wisely in 2012. What are your thoughts on the extension?