Seth Stohs

Eduardo Nunez will represent the Twins in the Japan All-Star Series starting next week. Former Twins Justin Morneau and Drew Butera will also be on MLB's roster. The games will be televised on MLB Network. Below is the poorly formatted roster: MLB ALL-STAR ROSTER FOR JAPAN ALL-STAR SERIES 2014 (With 2014 Season Statistics) Manager: John Farrell, Boston Red Sox Coaches: Terry Francona, Manager, Cleveland Indians Brian Butterfield, Third Base Coach, Boston Red Sox DeMarlo Hale, Bench Coach, Toronto Blue Jays Mike Maddux, Pitching Coach, Texas Rangers Juan Nieves, Pitching Coach, Boston Red Sox Pitchers (14) Catchers (3) Infielders (7) Outfielders (2) Infielders/Outfielders (3) Player, Team B-T Age W-L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER BB SO Jeff Beliveau, TB L-L 27 0-0 2.63 30 0 1 24.0 19 7 7 7 28 Jerry Blevins, WSH L-L 31 2-3 4.87 64 0 0 57.1 48 31 31 23 66 Chris Capuano, NYY L-L 36 3-4 4.35 40 12 0 97.1 101 51 47 34 84 Randy Choate, STL L-L 39 2-2 4.50 61 0 0 36.0 27 18 18 13 32 Jeremy Guthrie, KC R-R 35 13-11 4.13 32 32 0 202.2 215 100 93 49 124 Tommy Hunter, BAL R-R 28 3-2 2.97 60 0 11 60.2 55 22 20 12 45 Hisashi Iwakuma, SEA R-R 33 15-9 3.52 28 28 0 179.0 167 70 70 21 154 Mark Melancon, PIT R-R 29 3-5 1.90 72 0 33 71.0 51 15 15 11 71 Franklin Morales, COL L-L 28 6-9 5.37 38 22 0 142.1 166 90 85 65 100 Hector Santiago, LAA R-L 26 6-9 3.75 30 24 0 127.1 120 63 53 53 108 Matt Shoemaker, LAA R-R 28 16-4 3.04 27 20 0 136.0 122 49 46 24 124 Jose Veras, HOU R-R 34 4-1 4.50 46 0 1 46.0 37 25 23 27 50 Tsuyoshi Wada, CHI L-L 33 4-4 3.25 13 13 0 69.1 67 28 25 19 57 Rob Wooten, MIL R-R 29 1-4 4.72 40 0 0 34.1 42 18 18 8 29 Player, Team B-T Age G AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO Drew Butera, LAD R-R 31 61 .188 170 16 32 6 1 3 14 17 41 Erik Kratz, KC R-R 34 47 .218 110 12 24 4 0 5 13 4 22 Salvador Perez, KC R-R 24 150 .260 578 57 150 28 2 17 70 22 85 Player, Team B-T Age G AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO Jose Altuve, HOU R-R 24 158 .341 660 85 225 47 3 7 59 36 53 Robinson Cano, SEA L-R 32 157 .314 595 77 187 37 2 14 82 61 68 Alcides Escobar, KC R-R 27 162 .285 579 74 165 34 5 3 50 23 83 Evan Longoria, TB R-R 29 162 .253 624 83 158 26 1 22 91 57 133 Justin Morneau, COL L-R 33 135 .319 502 62 160 32 3 17 82 34 60 Eduardo Nunez, MIN R-R 27 72 .250 204 26 51 7 4 4 24 5 31 Carlos Santana, CLE S-R 28 152 .231 541 68 125 25 0 27 85 113 124 Player, Team B-T Age G AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO Dexter Fowler, HOU S-R 28 116 .276 434 61 120 21 4 8 35 66 108 Yasiel Puig, LAD R-R 23 148 .296 558 92 165 37 9 16 69 67 124 Player, Team B-T Age G AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO Chris Carter, HOU R-R 27 145 .227 507 68 115 21 1 37 88 56 182 Lucas Duda, NYM L-R 28 153 .253 514 74 130 27 0 30 92 69 135 Ben Zobrist, TB S-R 33 146 .272 570 83 155 34 3 10 52 75 84

I would say no, not at all.

Good decision. I think everything was pointing that direction, and in my mind, it's the right choice.

FWIW - I agree with this as well. The parts of the article regarding looking to trade him or sign him to an extension were really just for discussion, and it's probably something that should be discussed for all players, even if likelihood of actually doing it is small. I really like the point about keeping Escobar around since there are so many questions about Santana's glove yet.

Thank you for the comment. We'll do shows here and there, I'm sure. We don't have any final plans here. We both love talking about the Twins and do think we provide something the other Twins podcasts don't. I think we cover the entire organization pretty well. Who knows? Maybe we'll keep trying, but if so, we're going to need opinions from people on how to start getting more listenership.

No question. Craig Calcaterra is the best baseball writer out there. And this was a great article!

This week, the Twins named their 13th manager and we have been analyzing that decision quite thoroughly. However, it’s also important to know that free agency has started now and the business of baseball continues. So today, I want to start a series on various Twins players and what the offseason could mean for them. Today, I will start with infielder Eduardo Escobar.Background Eduardo Escobar came to the Minnesota Twins on July 28, 2012, along with Pedro Hernandez in exchange for lefty Francisco Liriano. He had been the White Sox main utility infielder that season. That is the role he played for the Twins in the first half of the 2013 season before spending part of the second half in Rochester. Escobar will turn 26 years old in early January. He comes from Venezuela and is again playing this winter for the Tigres de Aragua. 2014 Season Out of options, Escobar earned a spot on the 2014 25-man roster. However, about a month into the season, the incumbent shortstop Pedro Florimon was optioned to Rochester. Escobar took over as the regular shortstop, and he was able to keep it thanks to a breakout season. He played in 133 games which is eight games more than he had played over his three previous seasons in the big leagues. He hit .275/.315/.406 (.721) which equates to an OPS+ of 102. So, he was two percent better offensively than an average MLB player, which is very good. And, when you put it into perspective relative to other shortstops, he posted a 2.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) according to fangraphs.com. Put into another perspective, fangraphs.com also says that he was worth $12.7 million. Business of Baseball As a player who had not yet reached arbitration, Escobar made just a little big over the league minimum, approximately $510,000. After 2014, he was nearly a Super-2 guy, but he fell just short. In other words, in 2015, he will get a raise, but it will most likely be well less than $600,000. Role in 2015 At Tuesday’s press conference, it came out that the plan is still for Danny Santana to make the move in to shortstop from centerfield. In addition, Trevor Plouffe will man the hot corner, and Brian Dozier will be at second base. Combined, this would mean a return to the utility role for Eduardo Escobar in 2015. Is that the right choice? That is certainly debatable and at the heart of this article. Danny Santana came up through the minor leagues as a shortstop. There was some hope that he could potentially be a guy whose name is put in the lineup most every day for several years in a row. When he came up to the Twins early in the season, it was to play shortstop, but Escobar earned the job. With Aaron Hicks struggling again with the bat, Santana was given an opportunity to play centerfield. He didn’t give up that job. Santana hit better than anyone could have expected, well beyond the offensive numbers he racked up throughout his minor league career. Although he was not a natural outfielder and struggled with some of the fine points of the position, he played an adequate centerfield. Of course, his defensive reputation at shortstop in the minor leagues was not sterling either. One of the reasons there was a desire to move Santana from centerfield was the imminent arrival of Byron Buxton. With Buxton’s frustrating 2014 season, the likelihood of him showing up at Target Field before August or September is probably very low. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Escobar did the job at shortstop. He not only hit, but he played a very solid defensive shortstop. However, the decision to move Santana back to shortstop indicates that the Twins brass sees Escobar’s 2014 as a fluke and believe that he is more valuable to the team as a utility infielder. Was Escobar’s 2014 season a fluke? Was Santana’s 2014 season a fluke? Of course, an other factor might be who will be available this offseason in a trade or via free agency. Maybe the following question must be asked. Would the Twins be better in 2015 with Eduardo Escobar at shortstop, Danny Santana in center and a question mark in left field, or would they be better with Santana at shortstop, Escobar on the bench and question marks at two outfield positions? Equally important, what is best for the overall future of the Minnesota Twins? These are decisions to be made by Terry Ryan and his staff, including Paul Molitor, but they are interesting to consider. To Extend or not to Extend Along with considering what Escobar's role may be for 2015, there are other discussions that need to be had in the front office (and frankly, may have already been had at the organizational meetings). Should the Twins consider offering Eduardo Escobar a contract extension? Every offseason, a fun topic is whether or not there are players who should be signed to a long-term contract. Escobar won’t hit arbitration for another season. He also won’t be a free agent until after the 2018 season. So, of course there is no rush to extend him. The difficulty in this decision is that his role over those years will greatly affect his ability to make money. If he is a utility player, the top guys will make between $3-4 million per year. However, if the Twins went year-to-year, he would likely make something like $3 million over the next three years, or $4.5 million over the next four years before becoming a free agent. What dollar value would the Twins need to offer for it to make it worth their while? At the same time, if Escobar is a starter, he could make as much as $3 million in 2016 and up from there. So at this point, there is no reason for Escobar to accept an offer that would make any sense for the Twins. Assuming the Twins will move him back to a utility role, it makes much more sense to go year-to-year. To Trade or Not to Trade As we’ve noted, Escobar had a very solid season as a 25-year-old shortstop. It may have been enough for some team or teams to view him as capable of being a regular MLB shortstop. And yet, it’s clear that the Twins brass (based on them pushing him back to a utility role in 2015) believe that he is a utility infielder. There’s no shame in that. His performance in 2014 tells me that he can be one of the better utility infielders in the game. However, if the team truly believes that he may have peaked in 2014, would this not be an opportune time to reach out to teams about acquiring pitching, or another area of need, in exchange for him? What if a team offered a Double-A pitcher who is their fifth-ranked prospect and another piece? I think it might be wise for the Twins to at least explore the market for Escobar, selling him as an everyday shortstop even if they seemingly don’t believe it themselves. SUMMARY So there you have it, over 1,250 words on Eduardo Escobar. He performed very well in 2014 when given an opportunity to be an everyday shortstop. However, the team is committing to Danny Santana at that position in 2015. The first question is whether or not Escobar should be given an opportunity to be the Twins shortstop in 2015. Beyond that, should the Twins consider signing him to an extension, or should they try to deal him for pitching? Now it’s your turn. Let’s discuss Eduardo Escobar and what this offseason means for him. Click here to view the article

I believe that Vavra was the Twins minor league coordinator for a couple of years before joining the big league staff.

They should sell hope. This team is, HOPEFULLY, about to turn a corner. The manager has an impressive background in baseball. The filling out the lineup part is the easiest part of the job. He's already talked to Jack Goin about ways to improve that. Obviously he hasn't been a pitching coach, but that's the purpose of the pitching coach. There's no reason to sell anything but HOPE, at least until he has managed enough of a sample size to develop some opinions.

Just about to go LIVE right now... send us your questions here or on Twitter and we'll be sure to answer them.

Bobby Cuellar is a good name. Not sure who he's helped in the last decade. But he should at least be considered.

I don't know why any of them would say anything negative about Gardy. Players generally loved him. He is a good baseball man who enjoyed teaching. He treated players right. Saying that, if they would, wouldn't hurt or help the meaningless of their opinions.

No question there was conversation but clearly the Cubs made more sense for him. It didn't matter what the Twins offered. The Cubs would have topped it.

My assumption is that he wouldn't want to do the 162. His admiration for Molitor makes it possible. How about Sam Perlozzo. Another former MLB manager who came to the Twins just last year?

that definitely stood out to me and reiterates how much he knows and his ability to see things that few others are (Tom Kelly being one of them).

How about Denard Span?

This morning, the Twins will announce Paul Molitor as the organization’s 13th manager since coming to Minnesota in 1961. We hear and read so much about how high his baseball IQ is, but we also hear about how well he worked with players in the minor leagues. I thought I would contact several players that Molitor has worked with in his tenure with the Twins and get their feedback on Molitor. I think it’s fair to say that there are some recurring themes. (This article may be updated with more quotes throughout the day)Outfielder Denard Span spent over a decade in the Minnesota Twins organization before being traded to the Washington Nationals after the 2012 season. He spent a lot of time working with Molitor. "The main thing that stuck out to me about Paul was that he was always even keel. I think that's important for a manager, especially during a long season." Right-handed reliever AJ Achter was drafted by the Twins in 2010 and reached the big leagues this last September. : “I’m very excited for him and our organization. As a pitcher, I didn’t work with him as much as the position guys. But any time I got to talk to him, I found out very quickly his knowledge and passion for the game. He is, by far, the best baseball mind I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking to. The things he picks up on, added to his experience as a player make him extremely knowledgeable and very well respected in the clubhouse. I’m looking forward to seeing all the positives he brings as manager.” AJ Pettersen was drafted by the Twins in 2011 and believes that Molitor can be a great manager because of how well he treats people. That he’s a fellow Minnesota Gopher alum probably doesn’t hurt his opinion either. “Moli will make an excellent manager. He has the ability to connect with people of every background. I have seen him effectively communicate with Latin players just as well as he does with former Gophers. His most knowledgeable areas are base running and defense. He knows an insane amount about the game, but you would never know by the way he acts. He is the kind of guy that is continually learning, not just to advance as a manager and coach, but because he genuinely loves baseball and loves teaching players to be better. He is a calm presence in the dugout, which is very helpful through a long, stressful season. He will be an excellent manager for the Twins and with the right group around him, he will help to get the ship headed in the right direction. Plus, he is a Gopher! Ski-u-mah! Go Twins!” Jorge Polanco signed with the Twins as a 16-year-old in 2009 and has worked many times over the year with Molitor: “I have a lot of experiences. You know he is a Hall of Famer. He knows a lot about the game. Everything you ask him for, he knows it, like base runner, hitting, stealing.” Cole DeVries was in the Twins system for about eight years. Although he is a pitcher, there are still things that Molitor could help with: “I didn’t have a ton of interaction with him in the minors, outside of him helping me because I was tipping pitches. I would also ask him to tell me how he thought I did after some outings. I think it is going to be a great addition for the Twins because there aren’t too much who know as much about the game of baseball. He is also familiar with the players in the minor league system. I think he will do a good job of getting himself up to speed with being a manager and getting all the new young players up to the big league playing standards.” Adam Brett Walker has been in the organizations just a couple of years and hasn’t had a lot of time with Molitor. “But, from the small about I’ve been with him, he seems like a great guy. He has talked to me about base running, but I have heard him talk to more of the infielders about the game more. He seems like he has a lot of knowledge for the game, and I hope he does a great job.” Cedar Rapids middle infielder Ryan Walker spent time with Molitor a year ago in the Instructional League. “He was there teaching and instructing in basically every area of the game. It was quickly obvious why he’s in the Hall of Fame. His knowledge and understanding of how everything in baseball works isn’t matched by very many. There were a couple of times he even talked about things that I had never heard of in my life – which is really rare considering how much we play and study the game. He seemed like the kind of person that truly knows every aspect of baseball, in and out, and I can’t imagine a better qualification for the position.” Chris Colabello came to the Twins organization in 2012 after years in independent ball. He speaks more to the type of person that Molitor is: “Obviously I am thrilled for him. His resume and background speak for themselves and based on that alone, he is more than qualified. What I think will make him most successful as a manager is how quality of a person he is. Since the day I met him in my first minor league camp, he was as kind and willing to chat as anyone I met that first year. He is a student of the game and is always looking to share information that he is gaining on a day-to-day basis to help guys do their job. I would be honored to play for him. Like Molitor, Nate Hanson played for the University of Minnesota. He recently re-signed a minor league contract to stay with the Twins, his hometown organization and the team he has played for since being drafted in 2008. “The way Moli sees the game is unlike anyone else I have been around. I have learned so much from him in all facets of the game. His hiring is a great thing for the organization. His humble and steady demeanor should make him a great leader in the clubhouse and on the field.” Logan Darnell signed with the Twins in 2010 after being drafted out of college. He debuted with the Twins in 2014. “I think it’s a great thing. He is one of the best baseball minds I’ve been around. He’s been a rover and even last year when he was a bench coach, he was helpful on how I was tipping pitches. Just things like that he picks up on well, I feel. But, I’m excited for him, and he’s a good guy!” Danny Rams signed with the Twins in 2007 after being selected in the 2nd round out of high school. He remained in the organization through the 2012 season. “(Molitor) was real quiet but extremely humble considering all his accomplishments. Any question I ever asked him, he gave me his honest opinion, good or bad. Molitor is going to make a great manager because he has a master mind. He is one of the smartest guys to ever play the game. Molitor’s brain is on another level, above a catcher’s instincts.” Aderlin Mejia, who spent 2014 between New Britain and Ft. Myers, understands the greatness of Molitor. “The experiences I had with him were very good because it was with a baseball legend and a Hall of Famer. His teachings helped me to improve in the field, both defensively and also with base running.” Steve Singleton was drafted by the Twins in 2006 and remained in the organization into the 2012 season. He played everywhere between rookie ball and AAA. “Molitor is awesome! He was the best baseball guy in that system during my entire career. In all aspects. Situations, mechanics, hitting, defense, relating to the guys, etc. He will do a great job, and I can’t really imagine a better hire around the league. I’d much rather see him there than Maddon.” As I said, if I get more responses throughout Tuesday, I’ll be sure to add them. So be sure to stop back from time to time and discuss. Click here to view the article

The Twins just sent out a press release stating that they have hired Paul Molitor as their 13th manager. He gets a three-year contract. Press conference will be tomorrow morning at 10.

Just because Viola The Pitcher was changeup, changeup, changeup, doesn't mean that Viola The Pitching Coach subscribes to that. Hopefully a pitching coach will look at each individual and find what will help them be more successful. Also, the changeup is such an important pitch in baseball.

There appear to be two very separate points in this article... 1.) Gardy and Molitor are the same, which you acknowledge later isn't actually true. 2.) The Twins need an ace. That has nothing to do with the managerial situation.

Nate Hanson has re-signed with the Twins this week.

At least I can say that I saw him!!! I'm happy about that... Saw Mike Trout in Low A ball too... Buxton was even better.

My opinion is that there would be vitriol no matter who they hired. If they would have hired Lovullo, there would have been a huge group that would have been upset that the team lost a great baseball mind in Molitor..