Seth Stohs

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?

Sources are reporting that the Minnesota Twins have traded CF Ben Revere to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for RHP Vance Worley and a prospect. The prospect is Trevor May. Revere was the heir apparent for the Twins Center Field job going back to when Denard Span was dealt to the Washington Nationals for RHP Alex Meyer. He will go to the Phillies where he and Span will compete (with BJ Upton) for NL East (CF) supremacy. Vance Worley has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Phillies. Overall, he is 18-13 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He also has 238 strikeouts in 277.2 (7.7 K/9). Trevor May is a 6-5, 215 pound left-hander. He was the #69 overall prospect according to Baseball America last year. As a 22 year old in the Eastern League (AA), he went 10-13 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. However, in 149.2 innings, he struckout 151 (and walked 78). He should fit pretty easily into the Twins top 10 prospects. He is currently ranked as the Phillies #2 prospect. Revere's Twins tenure is best known for his web gem frequency and his speed. He loved playing with the Twins and fans loved the smile that he always plays with. He is certainly limited offensively as a singles hitter, but he can steal bases. Some in the organization always saw him more as a 4th outfielder, so to get a solid MLB starting pitcher plus a very talented pitching prospect for him is a great move by Terry Ryan and the Twins!

Sources are reporting that the Minnesota Twins have traded CF Ben Revere to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for RHP Vance Worley and a prospect. The prospect is Trevor May. Revere was the heir apparent for the Twins Center Field job going back to when Denard Span was dealt to the Washington Nationals for RHP Alex Meyer. He will go to the Phillies where he and Span will compete (with BJ Upton) for NL East (CF) supremacy. Vance Worley has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Phillies. Overall, he is 18-13 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He also has 238 strikeouts in 277.2 (7.7 K/9). Trevor May is a 6-5, 215 pound left-hander. He was the #69 overall prospect according to Baseball America last year. As a 22 year old in the Eastern League (AA), he went 10-13 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. However, in 149.2 innings, he struckout 151 (and walked 78). He should fit pretty easily into the Twins top 10 prospects. He is currently ranked as the Phillies #2 prospect. Revere's Twins tenure is best known for his web gem frequency and his speed. He loved playing with the Twins and fans loved the smile that he always plays with. He is certainly limited offensively as a singles hitter, but he can steal bases. Some in the organization always saw him more as a 4th outfielder, so to get a solid MLB starting pitcher plus a very talented pitching prospect for him is a great move by Terry Ryan and the Twins!

With the 4th overall pick in the 2012 Rule 5 draft, the Minnesota Twins drafted RHP Ryan Pressley from the Boston Red Sox organization. John Manuel reports that he throws up to 95 mph. The 22 year old split the 2012 season between Hi-A and AA. More to come.

With the 4th overall pick in the 2012 Rule 5 draft, the Minnesota Twins drafted RHP Ryan Pressley from the Boston Red Sox organization. John Manuel reports that he throws up to 95 mph. The 22 year old split the 2012 season between Hi-A and AA. More to come.

This morning at 9:00 a.m. the annual Rule 5 draft will begin. First will be the Major League portion. It will be followed by the minor league portion. The Twins have had some successes in each. The nabbed 3B Brian Buscher from the Giants in the minor league portion. In the major league portion, they have added names like Gary Wayne, who was a solid lefty reliever for the Minnesota Twins for a few seasons, including 1991. The most recent success was Scott Diamond. Today, I want to write about one of the most underrated players in Minnesota Twins history. In my opinion, this player is the best player that the Twins have selected in the Rule 5 draft. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2811[/ATTACH] The initial assumption many will make is that I am referring to Johan Santana. However, I don’t believe that he is at all underrated in Twins history. He also was not a player that the Twins selected in the Rule 5 draft. Admittedly, it may be semantics, but in that 2000 Rule 5 draft, the Marlins took Santana. The Twins used the 2nd pick to select RHP Jared Camp. The teams had previously agreed to a deal in which they would make those picks and then swap them, with money being exchanged as well. In my opinion, the best player that the Twins have drafted themselves in the Rule 5 draft came to the organization on December 4, 1989. Shane Mack was the first round pick of the San Diego Padres in 1984 after a great career at UCLA. His pro career began in the 1985 season because he played for Team USA in the 1984 Olympics. He debuted with the Padres in May of 1987 and hit .239/.299/.361 (.660) in 105 games (267 plate appearances). In 1988, he played in just 56 games for the Padres and hit .244/.336/.269 (.605) with three doubles. 1989, he played in just 24 games for the Padres AAA team, and hit just .225/.344/.325 (.669) in that time. Although he had that first round pedigree, and the major college background, Mack was a bust to that point in his career. The Padres exposed him to the Rule 5 draft. The Twins scouting personnel saw something in Mack that told them that he still had a chance to be a solid big league player. Maybe it was that they just saw a great athlete who needed a change of scenery. Whatever the reason, they selected him in that 1989 Rule 5 draft, and he came to big league camp in 1990. There is little risk in making a Rule 5 selection. It’s just $50,000 to make a pick, and if the player is returned, it is for $25,000. Or, in the case of Diamond, a trade can be worked out. According to Twins Trivia, the Twins have made 17 selections since 1986, and only two of those players remained on the Twins roster the entire season after being taken (Mack in 1989 and Wayne in 1988). The Twins were a last place team in 1990, so the 26-year-old Mack got plenty of opportunity. In fact, he played in 125 games. He earned the playing time. He hit .326/.392/.460 (.852) with 10 doubles, four triples, eight homers and 44 RBI. He also stole 13 bases. In 143 games in 1991, Mack hit .310/.363/.529 (.893) with 27 doubles, eight triples, 18 homers and 74 RBI. He added 13 more stolen bases and helped the Twins to their 1991 World Series championship. He played in 156 games in 1992. He hit .315/.394/.467 (.860) with 31 doubles, six triples, 16 homers and 75 RBI. He stole 26 bases that season. He had a down season in 1993. In 128 games, he hit .276/.335/.412 (.746) with 30 doubles, four triples, 10 homers and 61 RBI. He stole 15 bases. His final season with the Twins came in 1995. He played in just 81 games, but he hit .333/.402/.564 (.966) with 21 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 61 RBI. In those five seasons with the Twins, Mack’s OPS+ numbers were 133, 140, 139, 100, and 147. In 633 games, he hit .309/.375/.479 (.854). He hit 119 doubles, 24 triples, 67 home runs, and 315 RBI. He also stole 71 bases. His OPS+ was 130. He became a free agent following the 1994 season. He spent the 1995 and 1996 seasons in Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants. He came back to the States and in 1997 and 1998, he played a total of 129 games for the Red Sox, A’s, and Royals. When the Twins Hall of Fame ballot came out last month, Mack’s name was on it for the first time. It is inexplicable why a player who did that well for the Twins for a five-year stretch was only put on the ballot this year. Looking at the site results, based on number of tweets, we see Dan Gladden with 47 tweets while Shane Mack has just four tweets. Remember Mack’s 130 OPS+ in his five seasons with the Twins? Gladden’s OPS+ in his first season with the Twins was 90. Other front-runners include Corey Koskie, who deserves it at some point, but he has a 116 OPS+ in seven seasons. Chuck Knoblauch, who absolutely should be in the Twins Hall of Fame, had a 114 OPS+ in his seven seasons with the Twins. Of course, we shouldn’t make much of anything that’s voted by fans. Other deserving Twins Hall of Fame candidates, Dave Goltz (0) and Brian Harper (4) are not racking up twitter mentions either. That it took so long for Mack to even be recognized on that ballot is one indication of just how underrated Shane Mack is in Twins history. During those five years, he was one of the top five outfielders in all of baseball. Did we appreciate at the time that the Twins had both Mack and Kirby Puckett roaming the outfield? Shane Mack and Johan Santana are a couple of cases of the best case scenario of what can happen for a team using a Rule 5 draft pick. Scott Diamond’s 2012 season is certainly encouraging. If a team can find a player who performs to the level that LHP Gary Wayne did for the Twins for four seasons, that is a major success. At Twins Daily today, we will be sure to highlight who the Twins select in the Rule 5 drafts, Major League and Minor League portions. We’ll also look back at any players that the Twins should happen to lose.

Throughout the offseason, Terry Ryan has continued to say that he is looking for a third baseman to provide competition for Trevor Plouffe. He says that Plouffe will go into spring training as the Twins starting third baseman. However, as the Twins media contingent in Nashville last night met with the Twins GM, it became clear that he will bring in a quality third baseman, and maybe even this week. As Nick wrote yesterday, when Terry Ryan says something over and over, it generally is true. Initial response by Twins fans (myself included) was that, with all of the Twins pitching needs and maybe needs in the middle infield, why would third base be such a focal point. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2798[/ATTACH] Plouffe’s 24 home runs in 2012 was the most by a Twins third baseman since Corey Koskie hit 25 homers in 2004, his final season with the team. It is also hard for Twins fans to forget how Plouffe hit in June and July. In 26 games in June, he hit .327/.391/.735 (1.126) with seven doubles and 11 home runs. In 16 games in July, he hit .302/.343/.476 (.819) with three more homers. It was at that point, in mid-July that Plouffe hurt his thumb, and although initial reports said he would be day-to-day, he missed a month, and when he returned, he hit like he did in April and May. That’s the part that we might forget. In April, Plouffe hit .121/.274/.242 (.517). In May, he hit .185/.254/.400 (.654). In August, he hit .161/.232/.226 (.458). In September, he hit .218/.269/.416 (.684), although he did add four home runs. At the end of the day, er… season, Trevor Plouffe hit .235/.301/.455 (.756) in 119 games. Combined in 2010 and 2011 (103 games), he had hit .226/.286/.382 (.668). Plouffe has been willing to play all over the field. He went to spring training, and started the season, as an outfielder. However, when the Twins DFAd Luke Hughes in April and then optioned Danny Valencia to Rochester in May, Plouffe took over at third base. Initially, he looked quite good at the position. However, in 95 games at the position, he made 14 errors and had a .935 fielding percentage. However, after his return from injury, it appeared that his range, particularly to his right, decreased. If you like UZR, he posted a -6.8 UZR at third base. For all of the struggles, that hot stretch in June and July is encouraging and exciting. Still just 26 years old, Plouffe still has a chance to improve. With so much of Plouffe’s 2012 offensive success coming in about a six week time frame, and struggles with the bat most of the other four months, it’s understandable that Ryan and all of the Twins decision-makers would not be sure what to make of Plouffe’s season or his long-term potential. Ryan has also commented that he isn’t just looking for any third baseman. He wants a third baseman who could be a starter. So, who are the options? Kevin Youklis would seem to be too high-priced to be competition and a backup. Scott Rolen could retire or would stay close to the Reds. Eric Chavez wants t keep playing, but we have to assume he’ll want to play on a contender. Here are some possibilities: Placido Polanco – His numbers have steadily declined the last couple of seasons with the Phillies. He also has not been able to stay on the field consistently. He could play third base while at the same time being a backup option at second base. Brandon Inge – Ron Gardenhire gushed about Inge when the Tigers released him last year during the middle of the season. Solid defensively at third base, he has shown power in the past. When he signed with the A’s, he had some big hits right away, and then was hurt again. Inge could also play some second base and in a pinch, I guess he could go behind the plate. Chone Figgins – He got the big contract from the Mariners three years ago, and has gone from big free agent acquisition, to bust, to utility, to hardly-plays-at all, to the Mariners paying him a lot of money in 2013 NOT to play with them. However, he can play third base, second base and likely some in the outfield. He still has speed. I’m sure he would like an opportunity to get into a nice role and show teams he still has something left. Jack Hannahan – The former Gophers infielder will turn 33 years old in March. Cleveland non-tendered him last week, making him a free agent. He has played 110 and 105 games for the Tribe the past two seasons. Combined, he hit .247/.323/.366 (.688) with 32 doubles, 12 homers and 69 RBI. Certainly not great numbers, but decent for a backup. In 451 games as a big league third baseman in his career, he has a .968 fielding percentage. Last year, that number dropped to .949 (although it was .983 in 2011). In 2011, his UZR was 8.7. In 2012, his UZR was -3.9. Ryan hinted to reporters that the Twins could sign someone for the position this week in Nashville. A case could be made for each of these players, although the assumption (by me) is that Hannahan just makes the most sense. Another local guy who, other than last year, has provided really solid defense at the hot corner. As a left-handed hitter, he could platoon (in theory) with Plouffe if it came to that. He could be an everyday player for a period of time if necessary. And, frankly, he should be available on a minor league deal at around $1 million if he makes the team. A year ago, a 23-year-old Eduardo Escobar was the White Sox opening day utility infielder. He would come in to play third base in late innings. It was more the case later in the season when the Sox acquired Kevin Youklis. They would move Youklis to first base in the late innings and take out Paul Konerko or Adam Dunn (whichever was playing first base). Escobar came to the Twins in the Francisco Liriano deal and can play all three infield positions well. He is very much similar to Twins utility infielders of the past. However, the Twins typically have two backups in the infield, so that may factor in as well. So, what do you think? How much value do you put into Trevor Plouffe’s six-week power binge as it relates to his future? Can he be an .800+ OPS third baseman? Can he make the necessary defensive plays at the hot corner? Do the Twins need to bring in someone as competition who will all but be ensured a big league job? Should third base be getting this much attention when pitching remains a black hole for the Twins?

As the Winter Meetings in Nashville’s Opryland are now going full tilt, it’s time to take or weekly look at what is going on in the Winter Leagues. Dozens of Twins players are spending time getting extra at bats or innings pitched. Although there were a couple of players that had poor weeks, there were a few players who had tremendous weeks. At Twins Daily, we will take a look at all of them. Here’s how players from the Twins system did during the week from November 26 through December 2: VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE [ATTACH=CONFIG]2793[/ATTACH] Player of the Week – Oswaldo Arcia, OF Deolis Guerra was the player of the week for Venezuela the last two weeks. This week, he threw 4.2 scoreless innings. However, he was removed from the Twins 40 man roster, and we are going with a hitter this week. Arcia played in four games. He went 8-18 (.444) with his sixth double, first triple, sixth home run and six RBI. Deolis Guerra – 2 Games, 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 1 walks, 8 strikeouts Eduardo Escobar – 5 Games, 5-20 (.250), 2 BB, 3 RBI Darin Mastroianni – 5 Games, 4-15 (.267), 2B, 2 BB, RBI Shairon Martis – 1 Game Started, 4.0 innings, 3 earned runs, 5 hits, 1 walks, 5 strikeouts. Angel Mata – 1 Game, 0.2 innings, 0 runs, 0 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts. Bruce Pugh – 3 Games, 2.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Dakota Watts – 2 Games, 3.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts. MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Chris Colabello, 1B For the four straight week, my choice for player of the week in Mexico is Chris Colabello. On the week, he played in six games. He went 6-14 (.429) with a double and two home runs. Overall in Mexico, he has had 148 at bats in 41 games played. He is hitting .331/.400/.636 (1.036) with 11 doubles, 12 home runs and 30 RBI. Anthony Slama – 4 Games, 4 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts. Gonzalo Sanudo – 2 Games, 1.1 innings, 5 hits, 1 earned runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Samuel Deduno, RHP Deduno made his second start of the Winter Leagues. He went five shutout innings. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struckout seven. Now that he’s off the 40 man roster, it will be interesting to see if, at 28, he can find a way to find some control. Jhonathan Arias – 3 Games, 0-4, K Pedro Florimon – 3 Games, 3-12 (.333), 2-2B Wilkin Ramirez – 2 Games , 3-7 (.429), 2B, SB (had not played in almost a month, 3-4 in return game) Miguel Sano – 3 Games, 1-5, BB, 2 RBI. Luis Perdomo – 2 Games, 1.2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. PUERTO RICO WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Eddie Rosario, OF Last week, there wasn’t a Twins player playing in Puerto Rico worthy of a player of the week recognition. This week, there are a couple of outfielders who definitely warrant consideration. However, I am giving the slight edge to Rosario over Daniel Ortiz. On the week, Rosario went 10-19 (.526) in five games. He hit three home runs. Angel Morales – 3 Games, 0-8, BB, 7 K Danny Ortiz – 6 Games, 9-22 (.409), 2 BB, 4-2B. Kennys Vargas – 3 Games, 1-2, BB Jorge Fernandez – 3 Games, 1-2, 2 RBI Nelvin Fuentes – 4 Games, 3.1 IP, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 BB, 0 K Josue Montanez – 3 Games, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 3 K. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE Player of the Week – JD Williams, OF JD Williams had his best weekend in Australia. He played four games and went 5-14 (.357). He also doubled twice and drove in a run. Logan Wade – 4 Games, 1-9 (.111), 1 walk, 1 strikeout Josh Hendricks – 3 Games, 1-7 (.143), 0 walks, 5 strikeouts Jacob Younis – 3 Games, 1-10 (.100), 0 walks, 3 strikeouts Tim Atherton – 1 Game Started, 5.0 innings, 1 walks, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 2 strikeouts Sam Gibbons – 1 Game Started, 6.0 innings, 4 hits, 1 walks, 3 earned runs, 0 strikeouts Tyler Herr – 2 Games, 1.2 innings, 1 hit, 4 walks, 2 earned runs, 0 strikeouts (Named to the World Team for the ABL Team Australia vs The World game.) 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 – Samuel Deduno Puerto Rico – Eddie Rosario Australia – JD Williams

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2781[/ATTACH] Before the Arizona Fall League began, we had our first 10 Questions With posting with RHP Kyle Gibson. I’m hoping to do much more of these, and I have a few in the works. Today, I’m coming back with a 12 Questions With Q&A with a Twins minor league pitcher. Frankly, 10 questions is not enough to get to know some of these guys. Today’s 12 Questions interview is with LHP David Hurlbut. He was the Twins 28th round pick in 2011 out of Cal State-Fullerton (and their 35th round pick in 2009 out of junior college). In 2012, he pitched in 25 games for the Beloit Snappers as a 22 year old, making 15 starts. Overall, he went 6-6 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 111 innings, he gave up 105 hits, walked just 25 and struckout 85 (6.9 per nine innings). He will most likely begin the 2013 season in Ft. Myers. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2782[/ATTACH]TEN QUESTIONS WITH… David Hurlbut 1.) Growing up in California, who was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? David Hurlbut (DH): Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, it has always been fun to go watch the Giants or the A's play, although I tend to go to more A's games because of the prices. Ha Ha. Some of my favorite players growing up from those two teams were Barry Zito, Matt Cain, J.T. Snow, and Eric Byrnes. 2.) Tell us about your high school career (baseball and/or other extra-curriculars). DH: In high school, I played football, soccer, and baseball as a freshman. I made varsity only for baseball, and the freshman team for the other two sports. After that year, I only played baseball because it was the sport I was best at, and I had the most fun with the group of guys I was with. I was a starting pitcher and played first base all 4 years. Some personal accomplishments during high school were some all-league honors, mvp awards, but my favorite was throwing a no hitter my senior season. In that final season, we made it to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, which was pretty exciting. 3.) What were some of the highlights of your college playing days? DH: I Played at Diablo Valley College after high school for a year under former professional pitcher Mike Neu. That year, our team made it to the state championships, where I started the first game. That is one of my favorite moments in baseball to this day. After that season, I was drafted by the Twins, but I declined to go pitch at California State University of Fullerton. I played there for two years, getting eliminated in playoffs before we had a chance to make it to the College World Series. My favorite moment was going to LSU and playing against the Tigers in a very hostile environment. 4.) The Twins drafted you twice... were there a lot of other scouts talking to you, or were the Twins scouts the blocking you from other teams? DH: The Twins showed a lot of interest in me throughout my college career. They made their fair share of calls to me, but I don't think that they negatively influenced any other teams from contacting me or talking to me. 5.) 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? DH: Well, if one were to look at my stats, they would say the transition didn't go very well. Ha ha. No matter the stats, I love the feel of professional baseball. I almost felt claustrophobic under the gaze of my coaches at Fullerton, but in Elizabethton it was exactly the opposite. I felt like I learned a lot within the few months I was there, from both the players and the coaches. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2783[/ATTACH]6.) You moved up to the Midwest League and had a tremendous season. You made 15 starts and 10 relief appearances. How is your preparation different for each role, and do you prefer one over the other? DH: I tried to go about relieving and starting in similar fashion. The bottom line is that you are trying to get outs, but there does come a time when you need to switch on the competitive side and get ready for a game. The difference was if it was before a game, or in the 6th inning. Having a routine was a large part in preparing myself for starts, not only physically, but mentally to go out and compete at a high level. When I was a reliever, my physical routine mostly consisted of getting loose in the bullpen properly. 7.) What are your highlights from this 2012 season in Beloit, the team and the full-season? DH: A few moments last year stand out to me. The first was being called up from extended spring training. I was overjoyed to get on a team and start playing. When it came to pitching, throwing a 7 inning 2-hit shutout against the Cedar Rapids Kernals was my favorite start of the year. Also, striking out my old teammate Nick Ramirez was a good feeling, although he did get the better of me and hit a double off of me. And of course, getting to pitch in the playoffs was a great memory. 7.) When do you start preparing for the 2013 season, and what did you learn from your first full season to help you prepare? DH: Once I was home in California, I took about a month-long break to relax and get my mind off of baseball for a little while. Afterwards, I started working out and running. Now, I have started playing catch to shake off the rust so from mid-December on, I can really get my arm ready for spring training. When I came into spring training last year, I felt that I had done a good job of getting ready. One thing I did want to correct was to increase the amount of long toss I do to get my arm a little bit stronger. 8.) Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career as a baseball player? DH: My parents have been behind me every step of the way. Without them, I wouldn't be who I am. My long time pitching coach, Fred Breining, has been my true mentor when it comes to my baseball career. I have been seeing him since I was eleven years old, and he has shown me everything from the proper arm angle to a good balance point. I wouldn't be playing this game if it weren't for him. 9.) If you weren't playing baseball, what would you be doing (your career of choice)? DH: I honestly have no clue what I would be doing if I weren't playing. My gut tells me I would have ended up in one of the military branches serving our country, but ever since I was a boy all of my ambitions have been towards baseball. It is hard to imagine another route for me. 10.) Favorite baseball movie? DH: My favorite baseball movie would be "The Natural." It has the most epic ending to a baseball movie ever, what's not to love? 11.) Favorite baseball book? DH: My favorite baseball book would be "Heads Up Baseball" by Ken Revizza. It is all about the mental side of baseball, a must read for any serious baseball player looking to improve on their game. Thank you David! We certainly appreciate the time he spent in response. He is a frequent Twins Daily reader. Who knows? Ask him some questions in the comments section… maybe we can get him to respond!!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2776[/ATTACH] Last week, the Twins announced that they had signed Jeff Clement, the team’s 12th round pick in the 2002 draft. Clement chose not to sign with the Twins, instead going to USC and later signing with the Mariners as the #3 overall pick in 2005. Following the Twins Thursday trade of Denard Span to the Washington Nationals in exchange for RHP Alex Meyer, Clement is now the only player that the Twins drafted in 2002 that is with the organization. The Twins drafted Span with the 20th overall pick in the 2002 draft. The Colorado Rockies, who picked ninth that season, had offered him a pre-draft deal at $2 million, but Span declined it. He had a football scholarship to Clemson in his back pocket. However, at the end of the summer, just before the deadline, he signed with the Twins for about a $1.2 million bonus. Below will be a look back at the Twins career of Denard Span. Hopefully it will jar some great memories for you, and I encourage you to post your thoughts and some of your highlights or memories of Span as a Twins outfielder. MINOR LEAGUE CAREER He began his professional career in 2003 by playing 50 games in Elizabethton. He hit .271/.355/.319 (.674) with seven extra base hits. He stole 14 bases. In 2004, he moved up to the Midwest League. The Twins affiliate at the time was in Quad Cities. He was limited to just 64 games due to broken bone in his hand. He hit .267/.363/.308 (.672) with four doubles and three triples. Span’s prospect status was moving down, but he was clearly already showing an ability to get on base via the walk. At SethSpeaks.net, I ranked him as the Twins #16 prospect. Despite missing so much time in 2004, he was pushed up to Ft. Myers to start the 2005 season. Through 49 games, he was hitting .339/.410/.403 (.813) with three doubles, three triples and his second professional home run. He already had 13 stolen base. His prospect status was returning. At that point, the Twins promoted him to New Britain where he played in 68 more games. He hit .285/.355/.345 (.699) with six doubles and five homers. He jumped up to the #8 spot in the Twins prospect rankings. In 2006, he returned to New Britain and spent the entire season there. He hit .285/.340/.349 with 16 doubles, six triples and two home runs. He also stole 24 bases. It was a solid season for Span, but he dropped to #12 on my Twins prospect list (one spot ahead of LHP Brian Duensing, and one spot behind 1B/RF Chris Parmelee). Following the season, the Twins added him to the 40 man roster. In 2007, he was finally promoted to Rochester where he played centerfield and was the leadoff hitter every day. He hit .267/.323/.355 (.678) with 20 doubles, 7 triples and 3 home runs while stealing 24 bases. At this point, I inexplicably dropped him to #30 in my prospect ranking and wrote, “I certainly do not believe that he is ready to take over the Twins CF position. However, I would say that Span could become a solid #4 outfielder in the big leagues. I would like to say that he could be a Jason Tyner-like player. He hasn’t shown an ability to get on base at a high rate, he has little to no power and he is not an efficient base stealer. ” In an October 2007 Q&A with Josh Johnson, Josh asked, “What is something people would be shocked to know about you?” Span’s response? “That I read Twins blogs. I read about people saying that I’m not ready and that I suck. But I read it to get motivated.” At Twins Fest in January of 2008, I had an exchange with Span. “I got to the front of the line, and I said, "Denard, I am one of those hated Twins bloggers you don't like, but would you still be willing to sign my card?" Denard looked at me and said, "Which one?" I had my SethSpeaks.net hat on which he seemed to notice just after he asked the question. I just said, "Seth... from SethSpeaks." He said, "I suppose, but you guys are tough on me!!" A few other sentences were uttered, and it really was nice. As I was moving to the next person in line, Denard looked over and said, "Hey Seth, I really do like your site. You do a really good job."” Torii Hunter, a mentor for Span, had signed a free agent contract with the Angels on Thanksgiving. The centerfield job was open. But as much as the Twins brass wanted us to believe that they believed Span could take the job if needed, it was clear during Johan Santana trade talks that the Twins would be requiring a MLB-ready centerfielder in return. Jacoby Ellsbury’s name was mentioned. And when Santana went to the Mets, Carlos Gomez was returned. Now only that, but don’t forget that Jason Pridie was part of that offseason’s Rays/Twins trade, in part because of lack of confidence in Span. Major League Career Span had a big spring training in 2008. Unfortunately, on March 24, less than a week before the season opener, Span was sent back to Rochester. After an impressive showing, Span was clearly and understandably disappointed. However, he went down and did his work. On Friday, April 4, Michael Cuddyer needed to go on the 15-Day Disabled List because of a lacerated finger. Span was promoted, and he would be playing right field, a position he had never played before. He debuted on April 6th against the Royals. He batted ninth and played right field. In his first at bat, he grounded back to Royals’ starter Brett Tomko. He walked in his second plate appearance, and then grounded out in his final plate appearance. The next night, against the White Sox, Span batted second. He was 1-3 with a walk. In his second at bat, he notched his first big league hit, a single to left field off of Javier Vazquez. He proceeded to steal second base. When Cuddyer returned, Span briefly went back to Rochester where he played in 40 games, but he was soon back. On July 28, he hit his first major league home run, a two-run homer off of the White Sox Mark Buehrle. The 24-year-old Span hit .294/.387/.432 with 16 doubles, seven triples and six home runs. He also stole 18 bases. At season’s end, he finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. In 2009, his first full season, Span hit .311/.392/.415 with 16 doubles, a league-leading 10 triples and eight home runs. He stole 23 bases. Span played terrific centerfield defense and was getting on base about 39% of the time, showing his value as a leadoff hitter. Although he struggled at times on the bases, he stole 41 bases. Before the 2010 season, the Twins and Span agreed to the five year, $16.5 million deal. That season, he played 153 games. He hit just .264/.331/.348 with 24 doubles, ten triples and three home runs. He was also 26/30 in steal attempts. Span was off to a terrific start in 2011. In the season’s first half, he hit .294/.361/.385 (.746). However, a simple, feet-first slide into a Royals’ catcher, and Span suffered a concussion in early June. He missed time. Despite the injury, there were consistent rumors following Span, primarily involving the Washington Nationals. He attempted to come back in August. In nine games, he went 2-35 (.057) in 35 at bats. He was shut down again and returned for five games late in the season. He went 4-18 with two doubles and two triples. At least he had something positive to go into the offseason. Because of Justin Morneau’s situation, Span, the Twins and Twins fans were understandably concerned going into the 2012 season. Some caution was used, but overall, he had a very nice season. He hit .283/.342/.395 with 38 doubles, four triples and four home runs. Span’s career was full of positive and some negative highlights. He made a lot of great defensive plays all around the outfield. He came up with some huge late-inning hits and walk-offs. He had that MLB-record tying three triples in one game. There was the spring training game in Tampa on ESPN when he hit his mom with a line-drive foul ball which thankfully was not a serious injury. Span had a lot of incredible moments in his five seasons with the Twins. He is an emotional person, and he certainly did not want to leave the organization. He is one who truly would have been happy to spend his entire career with the Twins. The Nationals’ Era Begins Which brings us to today, the first day in over a decade that Denard Span is not a member of the Minnesota Twins organization. Span found out when Terry Ryan called his cell phone. He remained quiet until Thursday night when he finally took to Twitter. “All I can say is wow right now!! Def glad I got unlimited calls and text lol.” “def gonna miss everything about Minnesota. From top to bottom as a organization. They gave me an opportunity to fulfill my childhood dream.” “Gonna miss my teammates first and foremost. Secondly gonna miss all the twins fans that showed me so much love.” “But on another note I'm very very very very very very excited to be joining the nationals organization. Def an exciting moment for me to be” “Going to a quality team and organization. I feel like a little kid again lol” Span is going from a team that lost 195 games over the past two seasons to a Washington Nationals team that led Major League Baseball with 98 regular seasons in 2012. He will be the leadoff hitter of a lineup that is very strong. He’ll be joined in the outfield by Jayson Werth and NL Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper. The infield includes Ryan Zimmerman with Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa up the middle. Will Adam LaRoche and his 33 homers and 100 RBI come back via free agency, or will they move Mike Morse, who has hit 49 homers over the past two seasons, to first base? They have former Twins prospect Wilson Ramos coming back from his knee injury, and Kurt Suzuki behind the plate. Span will play centerfield behind a pitching rotation that will include Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler. And their bullpen was dominant and will include Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus, Sean Burnett, Mike Gonzalez and Tom Gorzellany. Span is going to a legitimate World Series championship caliber team. In a way, Span is returning home. Well, he is at least returning to his birth place. Span was born in 1984 in Washington DC. However, he never lived there. As Nationals’ writer Adam Kilgore tweeted, “His mother was visiting family in D.C. while pregnant. ‘I ended up just popping out.’” For the Twins, it really means a couple of things as well, especially depending upon or pending any other moves the team will make. First and foremost, it means that Ben Revere will have to step up as a lead off hitter. We all know what Revere is as a defensive outfielder. He’s a highlight film waiting to happen. His range is tremendous which generally makes up for his lack of arm. It also likely means that Chris Parmelee is currently the opening day right fielder. The 2006 top pick has done everything that he can in the minor leagues to show he’s ready for the opportunity. The front office now found a spot in the lineup for him, and he too will have to step up. His opportunity as an outfielder may be limited with Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks waiting in the wings for their opportunity as well. But What About the Trade? So, everything up to this has been talking up Denard Span, and rightfully so. We wanted to remind people of what he has meant to the Twins in his nearly five seasons in the big leagues with the Twins. We’ve been basically singing his praises. But does that mean that I don’t like the trade? Not at all. In fact, I think I had nearly talked myself into believing that the Twins would have to accept a lesser offer for Span than we believed he was worth. A couple of weeks ago, Terry Ryan told me, “we’re not going to take any shortcuts.” I was very encouraged by that. I am sure that a lot of fans are disappointed that the Twins didn’t get a pitcher who is ready to step into the big league rotation right now. Likely, the Twins had a choice to make. Do they want MLB-ready back-of-the-rotation starters, or is it truly about obtaining the most talent? This trade tells me that it was about getting the upside, and I think that’s the right decision. There are certainly risks with Alex Meyer. Many pitchers as tall as he is (6-9) struggle to find a consistent release point. In his first pro season after a college career, Meyer pitched in Low A and a little in High-A. Compare that to Kyle Gibson, who was drafted near the same position that Meyer (23) was in the 2011 draft. Gibson started in High-A and got the AAA that first full season. Gibson is more polished. No question. As someone close to the Twins told me last night, “he has big stuff, three high-end pitches.” There are not a lot of pitchers who throw in the upper 90s, with an upper 80s slider, a knuckle curve and a good change up. Alex Meyer has a chance to be really special. Sure, he could flop. But I am in agreement that the Twins need to be thinking about the future and with Meyer, they have a guy who they can control for the next 6-8 years. Meyer was selected by the Nationals out of the University of Kentucky with the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 draft. It’s likely the Twins have seen a lot of him. Consider, in 2010, the Twins drafted fellow-Wildcats LHP Logan Darnell in the 6th round, and 1B/OF Lance Ray in the 8th round. I asked each for their thoughts. Darnell said that they were teammates for two seasons. Darnell added, “He is a great guy, good teammate and very talented player! He throws in mid high 90s with a very good slider, and a pretty good change up, he’s excited to be a Twin too.” Ray noted, “Really excited about having the opportunity to play with Meyer again. He is a really talented pitcher, and I can’t wait to play defense behind him. Meyer is a guy who can dominate the game when he is on the mound.” Then again, he added, “On the other hand, Span will be missed. He was a great player and a really good person.” Ranking the 2002 1st round picks According to WAR, here is a ranking of the top 1st round picks in the 2002 draft, based on WAR. 1.) Zack Greinke (30.0) - #6 overall by Royals 2.) Matt Cain (29.7) - #25 overall by Giants 3.) Cole Hamels (28.2) - #17 overall by Phillies 4.) Prince Fielder (19.7) - #7 overall by Brewers 5.) Nick Swisher (17.9) - #16 overall by A’s (Moneyball draft!) 6.)Denard Span (16.5) - #20 overall by Twins 7.) Jeremy Guthrie (15.6) - #22 overall by Cleveland 8.) Scott Kazmir (15.2) - #15 overall pick by Mets 9.) BJ Upton (13.6) - #2 overall by Rays 10.) Jeff Francisc (10.0) - #9 overall by Rockies Span is one of nine players that the Twins drafted in 2001 that made it to the big leagues. As mentioned earlier, with this trade, Jeff Clement (who signed a minor league deal with the Twins last year) is the only 2002 Twins draft pick who is with the Twins now. Jesse Crain was the 2nd round pick that season out of the University of Houston. Pat Neshek was the Twins 6th round pick out of Butler University. 11th round pick Evan Meek didn’t last long with the Twins because of severe control issues, but he had a couple of good years in the Pirates bullpen. Like Clement, Adam Lind did not sign with the Twins, choosing to go to college. He was the Twins 8th round pick. Span’s youth team opponent and occasional teammate Clete Thomas was the Twins 5th round pick that season but chose not to sign. Kyle Phillips (10th round) spent some time in the big leagues as a backup catcher. Garrett Mock (14th round) got into 55 big league games as a reliever as well. Denard Span, Minnesota Twins Denard Span was very active in the Twins community. He went to hospitals and visited kids. He bowled. He signed and he signed. He did so with a smile on his face. He quickly became a fan favorite. To those that know him, it didn’t take long at all for people to realize what a good person he is. As news came out, Ben Revere tweeted, “gonna miss you big bro..!!! Do work over there..!!!” Scott Diamond tweeted, “Want to wish @thisisdspan all the best with the Nationals. He was a great teammate and a better friend. All the best buddy” Want to wish @thisisdspan the best of luck with the nats. Great player and even a better friend and teammate. Good luck homie PJ Walters tweeted, “Hate to see @thisisdspan leave. Great friend and teammate! Nothing but the best to you man! See you in the World Series!” Trevor Plouffe, who is enjoying his bachelor party this weekend, tweeted, “Going to miss @thisisdspan . I've learned a lot from him over the years and def respect the way he goes about his business. Good luck bro!” Twins broadcaster and Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven tweeted, “Good luck to Denard Span now with the Nationals. He wore the Twins uniform with a lot of pride and class.” Twins Director of Baseball Communications and Player Relations Dustin Morse tweeted, “I wish you well @thisisdspan - the way you treated the media, the Twins staff & the community - you will be missed. Thank you Denard.” Twins President Dave St. Peter tweeted, “@Twins family is going to miss @thisisdspan. A great contributor, both on field and in community. Class act all the way. Wish him well!!” The word “Class” may be over-used, but when it comes to Denard Span, it is a word that everyone seems to agree with. Like Michael Cuddyer before him, Span represents what it means to be a Minnesota Twins player. Great person. Great teammate. Great with the media. Great with the fans. Great in the community. Oh, and a very good baseball player. After a decade in the organization, it will be strange to see Span elsewhere, but in my mind, Span will always be a Minnesota Twin no matter the uniform.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2740[/ATTACH] For the first week of the Winter League updates, we will not be chronicling the Arizona Fall League. Worry not! We still have no fewer than five winter leagues in which Twins players or minor league players are participating. Frankly, this week’s update is lacking in terrific performances as we have seen in recent weeks. But there are certainly a few worth noticing. Here’s how players from the Twins system did during the week from November 19-25. VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Deolis Guerra, RHP Guerra was the player of the week choice last week, and he will be my choice again this week. He pitched in the three games and covered 4.1 innings. He gave up no runs on no hits and walked none. He struckout four. Overall, Guerra has thrown 13 innings in 12 games. He had walked just two and struckout 15. Oswaldo Arcia – 4 Games, 2-15 (.133), 2B, HR, 0 BB, 4 K Brian Dozier – 5 Games. 4-18 (.222), 1 BB, 4 K Eduardo Escobar – 5 Games, 4-14 (.286), 2B, 2-HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K (had one game in which he was 3-3 with a walk, two homers and six RBI) Darin Mastroianni – 6 Games, 7-25 (.280), 2B, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 SB (was 7-9 the first two games of the week) Josmil Pinto – 2 Games, 0-1 Edgar Ibarra – 3 Game, 1 Game Started, 2 innings, 5 hits, 6 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeout. Shairon Martis – 1 Game Started, 3.0 innings, 5 earned runs, 6 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout. Angel Mata – 1 Game, 0.2 innings, 0 runs, one hit, 0 walks, one strikeout. Bruce Pugh – 2 Games, 1.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout. Dakota Watts – 3 Games, 4.2 innings, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout. You have likely noticed that some young Venezuelan kids, like Yorman Landa or Angel Mata, may not pitch each week. However, they are likely playing in Liga Paralela. Josmil Pinto has moved back and forth between the rosters of the big club and it’s Parallel team. A player like Landa got a couple of innings with the big club, but as the offseason goes along, more veterans from Venezuela start playing and the young guys get moved down. It really runs just like a Major League team and its AAA affiliate. MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Chris Colabello, 1B For the third straight week, my choice for player of the week in Mexico is Chris Colabello. On the week, he played in six games. He went 7-25 (.280) with a double and a home run. He walked twice and struckout eight times. Overall in Mexico, he has had 133 at bats in 36 games played. He is hitting .331/.396/.632 (1.028) with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 27 RBI. Anthony Slama – 2 Games, 2 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts. 1 save. Gonzalo Sanudo – 3 Games, 2.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned run, 1 walks, 1 strikeouts. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Pedro Florimon, SS To say that the offensive game of Pedro Florimon in the Dominican this winter has been “streaky” might be kind, but it isn’t too far from accurate. He has had a couple of weeks where he had accumulated just one or two hits. This is the second week that he has been named the player of the week. This week, the shortstop went 7-14 (.500) in five games. He walked once and struckout three times. Overall, he is still hitting just .235/.330/.247 (.577) with just one double in 85 at bats. Miguel Sano – 1 Game, 0-1. Drew Butera – 2 Games, 0-6, walk. 1-18 (.056) in last eight games he’s played. Luis Perdomo – 3 Games, 2.1 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts. Samuel Deduno – 2 Games (1 GS), 4.2 innings, 0 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts. PUERTO RICO WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Not Applicable It wasn’t a great week for Twins players in Puerto Rico. I simply can’t pick any of the players as player of the week. Angel Morales – 3 Games, 1-7 (.143), 4 K Danny Ortiz – 4 Games, 0-11, 2 K Kennys Vargas – 2 Games, 1-7 (.143), 1 BB, 3 K Eddie Rosario – 2 Games, 0-6, 1 K Nelvin Fuentes – 1 Game, 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE Player of the Week – Josh Hendricks, 1B Josh Hendricks spent the season with the Elizabethton Twins, and now the 21-year-old is playing for the Melbourne Aces. In the past week, he played in four games and went 5-14 (.357) with a double and 6 RBI. Overall, he’s played in 7 games, and is 7-21 (.333) with two doubles and a homer. Logan Wade – 2 Games, 2-7 (.286), 2 walks, 1 strikeout JD Williams – 4 Games, 2-17 (.118), 1 walk, 8 strikeout Jacob Younis – 2 Games, 2-8 (.250), 2B, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts Tim Atherton – 1 Game, 1 Win, 1.1 innings, 0 walks, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts Sam Gibbons – 1 Game Started, 4.2 innings, 10 hits, 3 walks, 4 earned runs, 0 strikeouts Josh Guyer – 1 Game, 2.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts Tyler Herr – 2 Games, 2.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 runs, 0 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 – Deolis Guerra Mexico – Chris Colabello Dominican – Pedro Florimon Puerto Rico – Not Applicable Australia – Josh Hendricks