Seth Stohs

Both have good track records of success and are still in their early-30s. They should be fine... they could both possibly be traded in July too.

yes, they believe he has top-of-the-rotation stuff. But there are a lot of reasons to be patient. First, he's never pitched full time the way some guys (like Berrios) have. He's spent a lot of time playing football, so it may take him some time to put it all together. More important, his last two seasons have ended with shoulder soreness. They will and should protect him. When you have the mix of pitches he has, the athleticism, the strength, the size, you have to like the potential. Obviously we'll see how it goes. I mean, if he puts up Berrios-like numbers in the first half of the Florida State League season next year, they aren't going to hold him back at all. They would move him up too if they believe that he is healthy and ready (beyond the numbers).

That is interesting. I've never seen video from that. There is so little known about the old January draft. Makes me wonder where Puckett would have been drafted in a June draft? Top 10 rounds maybe?

In the last two weeks, we have considered four of the Twins fifth starter candidates, Mike Pelfrey, Alex Meyer, Tim Stauffer, and Tommy Milone. Today, we will take a look at one more candidate. Trevor May ended the 2014 season in the Twins rotation. His debut didn’t go as he’d hoped, but there are reasons for hope that he can be a solid big league starter for a long time.The Background The Twins acquired Trevor May, along with Vance Worley, in December of 2012 from the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Ben Revere. May had been Philadelphia’s fourth-round draft pick in 2008 out of Kelso High School in Washington. Following a 2011 season as a 21-year-old in the Florida State League, May was named the Phillies top prospect. He had gone 10-8 with a 3.63 ERA, but his 208 strikeouts in 151.1 innings had a lot of people excited. That’s a solid 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He was rated a top fifty prospect by most national publications. He struggled the following season in Double-A Reading. He went 10-13 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in 149.2 innings. He still struck out 9.1 per nine innings, but he walked 4.7 per nine. After acquiring May, the Twins sent him back to the Eastern League to pitch for New Britain. His numbers improved slightly. He posted a 4.51 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 151.2 innings. He struck out 9.4 per nine and reduced his walk rate to 4.0 per nine. May made the jump to Triple-A last year, and he really stepped up his performance. In Rochester, he went 8-6 with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. In 98.0 innings, he struck out 94 and again reduced his walk rate, down to 3.6 per nine. In a five inning performance in mid-June, May hurt his calf and missed a month. He had been named to the Futures Game roster but had to miss that. It’s impossible to know now, but if healthy, he likely would have been called up to the Twins before that game. Instead, he rehabbed and shook off some rust in Rochester starting in mid-July. On August 7th, he received the news he had been waiting for: he was heading to the big leagues. Two days later, he made his major league debut in Oakland. We all recall that his debut did not go as he (or anyone) would have hoped. The A’s were patient against him, and May was charged with four runs on three hits and SEVEN walks over just two innings. His next couple of starts didn’t go well either. In fact, through three games, he worked just nine innings and walked 13 and struck out just three. At that point, May worked very hard with then-pitching coach Rick Anderson. At Twins Fest, May gave credit where credit was due, “When Andy (Rick Anderson) was here, we made some big mechanical adjustments.” Over his final seven Twins starts, he was able to make some adjustments. In 36.2 innings, he walked nine and struck out 41. He still gave up too many hits, but he found that when he threw strikes, he had enough stuff to get strikeouts as he had in the minor leagues. His overall numbers (3-6, 7.88 ERA, 1.77 WHIP in 45.2 innings) aren’t good. May said, “It took me a couple of starts to realize what was going on. It took me a couple of starts to fix it.” In his final start, he put together a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) against the Tigers. “Going out and competing against (Max) Scherzer. That’s what you grow up playing baseball thinking about, pitching in big situations. They were trying to clinch. Me against a guy who won the Cy Young the year before. That’s what you want. That was exciting. That’s how I thought about it. I had a lot of fun.” His overall numbers (3-6, 7.88 ERA, 1.77 WHIP in 45.2 innings) were not awe-inspiring, but the lessons learned from those struggles could prove valuable over time. What is he? Trevor May stands at 6-5 and weighs about 240 pounds. He has a strong, sturdy frame and solid mechanics that have allowed him to be quite durable in his career. May has a four-pitch mix and is willing to use each of those pitches any time. Like most pitchers, he throws his fastball most frequently. With the Twins, his fastball averaged 91.9 mph, though if you watched his last few games, we saw quite a few pitches between 93 and 95 mph. He has a good changeup as well, and that averaged 83.4 mph. He threw a curveball in the mid-70s and a slider in the low-80s. Control has been an issue for him early in his career, but he has improved his walk rate each of the last two seasons. As noted above, he has shown the ability to get strikeouts. Most believe that May will not be a top of the rotation starter. He profiles more as a mid-rotation type who should be able to eat a lot of innings over time. Of course, the other option, as it is for Alex Meyer as well, is for May to pitch out of the bullpen. Scouting reports going back several years seemed to always point out that there was a decent chance that he could be a very good reliever. Obviously, with any talented pitcher who has the ability to miss bats, it makes the most sense to try him out as a starter and keep him in that role until he shows that he can’t. That said, he turned 25 in September and with four rotation spots being accounted for, it’s possible that the bullpen could be in his near future. If he was told he made the team as a bullpen guy, he would welcome the opportunity. “I’d have no problem with that. I threw (out of the bullpen) in the Fall League and really enjoyed it. I loved coming out of the ‘pen. I thought it was a good role that I could do. If anything, it’ll add a couple of ticks on my fastball consistently. I know that I throw hard enough to be an end of the game guy. With my routine, I could handle it. I would relish the opportunity.” If you were looking for how May feels heading into spring training, May said at Twins Fest, “I feel better than I’ve ever felt. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. Physically, I’m definitely in the best shape of my life.” Regarding his standing in the organization as it relates to the available fifth starter job, he said, “I think my progress was enough to keep me in the conversation, but baseball is a business. Some guys are on contracts. Some guys just signed new ones that are going for the spot too. If you throw just as good as them, and their stats are identical, they’re going to get the job. That’s just the way it is. That’s just how it is. I know that. But my job doesn’t change regardless. My job is to be in the best shape possible and compete for the spot. That’s the job I want. That’s the job that I think I can fill and be a part of a winning team. I’m just going to be ready to go.” Last week, Twins Daily named Trevor May the Twins #9 Prospect, one spot up from his pre-2014 ranking. May Percentage Trevor May has an option remaining, so the is nothing that is requiring that he be on the opening day roster. We saw in his final two months that there are things that he can work on, and getting an opportunity to work on those things in Triple-A may make a lot of sense. Of course, when it comes down to it, he will eventually need to make those adjustments in the big leagues against the best hitters. With that, my estimation for the odds of Trevor May winning the Twins fifth starter competition is at 34%. To summarize this 5th starter candidate series, here were my five projections: Tommy Milone (35%), Trevor May (34%), Mike Pelfrey (20%), Alex Meyer (10%) and Tim Stauffer (1%). Logan Darnell, who made four starts for the Twins last year, should also be given a chance to win the job and a spot on the roster. Non-roster invites like Tyler Duffey, Taylor Rogers and JO Berrios are certainly candidates to make starts for the Twins at some point during the season, but it is very, very unlikely that they will make the opening day roster. Previous 5th starter candidate stories: Mike Pelfrey Alex Meyer Tim Stauffer Tommy Milone Click here to view the article

I'm glad Knoblauch wrote this over the weekend. I kind of wish someone more credible did though too. Good for him. I couldn't possibly care less who did or didn't use steroids. But it is funny that Knoblauch, Bonds, McGwire, Clemens are hate, meanwhile Giambi, Pettitte and Ortiz are loved by many.

That was the name being reported over the weekend. I don't know if any other players were involved.

Added link to prospects 16-20... earlier people were asking who could be in the top twenty that weren't on other lists. Aaron included Michael Tonkin (who we hadn't included because he is no longer rookie eligible).

I thought this was a wonderfully thoughtful and well written article by McCutchen. Definitely made me think. It has become such a socioeconomic issue, I can't help but wonder how that can be overcome.

Oh man... he was way off... I seem to say this about a lot of people, but Tim Shibuya is one of the really good people I've had the chance to meet in the Twins organization. He does a very good job on the mound too, when he's been healthy. The Slowey comp is very fair. I hope he can stay healthy and work his way up to the Twins. Would be a great story. He was a Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service winner in 2014.

Garver is a great guy, very good hitter and solid behind the plate. He made a very good impression in 2014. Turner is a year younger, played at a higher level and if you take away the season's first six weeks, he hit very well the rest of the year. I think both can play in the big leagues, but I think Turner is a better "prospect." Of course at this point next year, we may feel differently.

Jeremy wrote about several options who could be available when the Twins pick. So much can change between now and June, but I'd think the Twins would happily take Aiken if he was still there. And they'd be happy to give him whatever slot value is.

Potential. Upside. Projection. Projection as a shortstop. Power potential.

We determined our rankings for Twins Daily's Top 20 prospects before any of the national shows/sites posted theirs. I mention that because all of them have Gordon as a Top 100 prospect and neither Polanco or Rosario. We obviously like our 7 and 8 prospects as well, but I think Gordon's talent, upside, pedigree, intelligence, poise, and as you said, his likelihood to stay at shortstop all factor in.

On my list, I had Gordon at #4, but he's #6 on this consolidated list. It's been interesting to see where he ranks among Twins prospects in all of the various national or local top 10s. He is so talented and poised too. I think he's got a chance to be really good. Obviously there's a long ways to go, but he's pretty exciting!! As gil4 said above, the fact that there are five more prospects to come is very exciting!

Added link to prospects 21-25.

Pretty sure I don't agree with most of this. I don't think holding guys back and letting them get another half-season at a level is 'babying.' They did that with Jason Wheeler last year and it proved very beneficial. There are many such examples. I just don't think they're being coddled. The organization is making decisions based on what they feel will make the player better in the long-run. And, frankly, isn't that their job? Isn't that what they should be doing for every player? And, I don't think it's stubbornness on Walker's side. I feel like, from listening to many of the Miracle games last year, he was taking a lot more pitches. It may have meant more strikeouts last year, but maybe in the long-term, it'll be beneficial. I just don't think it's as easy as you may think it is to change, or to be something different. It's going to take time and patience. So, at the end, if I read this right, I think we'd be on the same page that if they do keep him in FM a bit longer, it wouldn't be terrible.

I'll never understand this thinking... Push guys when they're ready. I honestly think I'd move him up to AA to start 2015, but if they decide to keep him in Ft. Myers for a month or two, I don't think there would be any harm in it. Comparing a guy to some other guy just doesn't make any sense to me.

So far, we have considered three of the Twins' fifth starter candidates, Mike Pelfrey, Alex Meyer and Tim Stauffer. Today, we will take a look at the one left-handed option for the rotation, Tommy Milone. As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments in the forum.The Background The Twins acquired Tommy Milone at the July 31 trade deadline from the Oakland A’s in exchange for outfielder Sam Fuld. Despite another good season and a strong track record of success with the A’s, he was pitching at the Triple-A level because of the team’s additions of pitchers Jeff Samardizja, Jason Hammel and Jon Lester. Milone made one start in Rochester before getting called up to the Twins where he spent the remainder of the season. Unfortunately, he was hurt and experienced neck pain. He ended up having surgery in the offseason to remove a benign tumor in his neck. Milone was the 10th round pick of the Washington Nationals in the June 2008 draft out of the University of Southern California. He moved quickly and debuted with the Nationals in September of 2011. Following the season, he was dealt to the A’s as part of a package in the Gio Gonzalez trade. Over the next two-and-a-half seasons with the A’s, he went 31-22 with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. What is he? Milone is what he is, and he is a rarity in major league baseball. Few pitchers throw with as little velocity as Milone does. His average fastball clocked in at just 86.6 mph in 2014, the third straight season that it has dropped. He combines that with a cutter that is about one mph slower than the fastball, but it moves just enough to stay off the bat’s barrel. His changeup sat at 80 mph in 2014, just 6.5 mph slower than his fastball. Earlier in his career, the differential between fastball and changeup was almost nine mph. He also throws a mid-70s curveball from time to time. With that little speed, Milone clearly is not going to rack up a lot of strikeouts. He is going to give up hits, and he will need to rely on his defense. He is primarily a fly ball pitcher, though it isn’t as extreme as you would think. The secret to Milone’s success is throwing strikes and trying to minimize solid contact, keeping the ball in the park. He had a good track record for multiple years. Some wonder whether the huge foul territory at O.co Coliseum helped him out. Balls that are easily foul outs in Oakland might land 15 rows into the seating at Target Field giving the hitter another opportunity to get a hittable pitch. Milone Percentage Milone was offered arbitration during the offseason. He and the Twins came to an agreement last month at about $2.8 million. Will the business of baseball, and dollars and cents, play a role in whether Milone is in the opening day starting rotation? It’s likely a piece of the puzzle. If his performance is as good as the other competitors, he will likely be given the first opportunity. However, his track record and the fact that he likely will go into spring training healthy should be a larger part of the discussion. For what it’s worth, MIlone also has one option remaining, so he could be sent back to Rochester to start the season as well. With that, my estimation for the odds of Tommy Milone winning the Twins fifth starter competition is at 35% Previous 5th starter candidate stories: Mike Pelfrey Alex Meyer Tim Stauffer Click here to view the article

May is on our list (And most lists) because he still is a rookie in 2015 (

I would get to Target Field a lot more! It's going to be interesting. Polanco definitely has plenty to prove yet in AA. i wouldn't have a problem with Sano getting a couple of weeks in Ft. Myers at the start of the season just to shake some rust. I think he'll go to Chattanooga. I think Walker starts in AA with Harrison starting in FM. Rosario is interesting too. He could definitely start in AA after his struggles there last year, but he could move quickly. It'll be a fun team to watch.

Or just keep Perkins because he's 1.) good, and 2.) paid fairly for his current role, and 3.) if someone takes his role, he's still not overpaid. I don't want to keep trading guys. I want the team to have as many good players as possible.

If there's one thing that we know about Burdi - besides the big fastball, crazy slide, etc. - is that he is not at all lacking in confidence. He'd fit that closer role very well.

it will be overplayed, for sure... however, it's incredibly valuable... Think about it. Practice doesn't even officially start for hitters for 2 weeks, and he's been there a week as an extra coach working with these guys. Intangibles do matter. There's no way to measure this, but it's important.