Seth Stohs

Only if they keep him on the MLB roster and give him service time for the year. I would assume they'll just option him and try to keep him off the 60-Day unless absolutely needed (which wouldn't be particularly surprising either).

With the deadline at 5:00 central time, the Minnesota Twins have made four additions to their 40-man roster. To the surprise of no one, the Twins added infielder Edouard Julien, right-handed pitchers Matt Canterino and Casey Legumina, and left-handed pitcher Brent Headrick. Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports There were two Givens for the Twins to add to their 40-man roster. The team simply was not going to leave Edouard Julien and Matt Canterino at risk to be lost in the Rule 5 draft next month. So they were added. Here is what I wrote about them in my 40-man roster prediction column: 1.) 2B Edouard Julien - The 23-year-old from Quebec was the Twins 18th round pick in 2019 out of Auburn. Just this weekend, he was named the Breakout Prospect in the Arizona Fall League after he hit .400/.563/.686 (1.248) with five doubles and five home runs in 21 games. However, you could argue that he broke out during the 2022 regular season in Wichita where he hit .300/.441/.490 (.931) with 19 doubles and 17 home runs in 113 games. He even stole 19 bags. Of course, I would argue that he broke out in 2021, his professional debut after missing 2019 and 2020 due to Tommy John surgery and the Covid pandemic. He split that season between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids. In 112 games, he hit .267/.434/.480 (.914) with 28 doubles, 18 home runs, and 34 stolen bases. Where will he play? Well, he spent most of 2022 at second base. He has played first and third base in pro ball. Yes, he played a couple of games in left field in 2021, but that isn’t an option. Regardless, his all-around offensive game makes him a future top-of-the-lineup contributor. For more Twins Daily content on Edouard Julien, click here. 2.) RHP Matt Canterino - Maybe not quite as “given” as Julien, but Canterino is absolutely a given to be added. He was the team’s second-round draft pick in 2019 out of Rice University. Since turning pro, two things have been true of the 24-year-old righty. First, when he has pitched, he has been absolutely dominant. In 11 games and 34 1/3 innings for Wichita in 2022, he posted a 1.83 ERA and struck out 50 batters. In 23 innings in 2021, he struck out 45 batters. His stuff is electric. Unfortunately, the second truth is that he has missed a lot of time with injury. He was shut down early in the 2021 season after experiencing some elbow pain. The rest-and-rehab was tried, but in 2022 at Wichita, he was limited to three innings per start and eventually four innings, but as his arm threw more, the pain continued. Finally, in mid-August, he underwent Tommy John surgery in Arlington making his availability to pitch in 2023 unlikely. But again, with this kind of talent, particularly with a pitcher, you keep him around and add him and don’t even give it a second thought. For more Twins Daily content on Matt Canterino, click here. Lefty Brent Headrick was my #3 prediction to be added, and here's what I wrote about him. 3.) LHP Brent Headrick - In 2022, Headrick made 15 starts in Cedar Rapids before moving up to Double-A Wichita. In 2021, he was limited in the second half with some shoulder impingement. He stayed healthy throughout the 2022 season and went 10-5 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. In 108 1/3 innings, he walked just 25 batters and struck out 136 batters. Now, his Double-A numbers don’t look as good. In 10 games, he went 2-3 with a 4.81 ERA. However, in his first Wind Surge appearance, he gave up seven runs on 10 hits (including five home runs) in 2 1/3 innings. Take away that outing, and he went 2-2 with a 3.54 ERA, and in 40 2/3 innings, he gave up just six more home runs. Headrick was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2019 out of Illinois State. For more Twins Daily content on Brent Headrick, click here. 4th addition.) But I completely missed on Casey Legumina . He was the Twins 8th round draft pick in 2019 out of Gonzaga. He had Tommy John surgery that spring and therefore didn't make his professional debut until 2021. He was given some opportunities to star, but he has had his most success out of the bullpen. In 2022, he made three appearances in Cedar Rapids before jumping up to Wichita for 30 games. He went 2-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 33 games (16 starts). In 86 1/3 innings, he walked 36 and struck out 92 batters. He's got a closer's potential when healthy. For more Twins Daily content on Casey Legumina, click here. However, there are several players that were left unprotected who now could be selected by other teams. Catchers, or at least guys that can catch and also play first base, that could be lost include Chris Williams and Alex Isola. Williams provided power for Wichita and St. Paul. Isola played well in Wichita but missed a couple of months with an injury. He just finished his stint in the Arizona Fall League. High-upside prospects can be scary to be left unprotected. The Twins left toolsy outfielder Misael Urbina off of their 40-man roster. He probably isn't ready for the big leagues at this point, but his talent will be intriguing. Yunior Severino is a talent, and he did well in 2022 in High-A, but also in Double-A, so for the right team, he could be a bench fit for the 2023 season. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. is a little older than those two, but his athleticism, speed and defense are incredibly intriguing. He was finally healthy in 2022 and started to show what he is capable of. Michael Helman could certainly be selected. His ability to play at least seven positions well would make him intriguing to teams. However, he broke out in the upper levels with 20 homers and he also had 40 stolen bases. In the same vein, Anthony Prato is another utility player, capable of playing at least four positions. He was healthy in 2022 and did well in Cedar Rapids and Wichita. Utility players are one of the areas that do often get selected in the Rule 5 draft. So do relief pitchers who are, or very soon could be, big-league ready. Twins Daily's 2022 Relief Pitcher of the Year Evan Sisk was dominant in Wichita and at St. Paul. He's also left-handed and mixes pitches well with his low-90s fastball. Austin Schulfer keeps producing in whatever role the Twins have had him work in, starting or relieving. He ended the season with the Saints as well. Sisk isn't the only left-hander that could be at risk either. Southpaw Kody Funderburk pitched very well in 2022 for Wichita, posting a sub-3.00 ERA. He mostly started but has worked in various roles out of the bullpen as well. So, what do you think about the fourTwins additions? Which of the Twins minor leaguers left off of the roster are most at risk of being selected in the Rule 5 draft and lost? Share your thoughts in the Comments below. For more Twins Daily content on other players mentioned in this article, click the links below: Chris Williams, Alex Isola, Michael Helman, Anthony Prato, Evan Sisk, Austin Schulfer, Kody Funderburk. View full article

That's not necessarily true. Remember a year ago, the Twins signed Jake Cave to a guaranteed, low-dollar deal and almost immediately removed him from the 40-man roster to add players to the roster. This move stops them from doing nothing really. Signing Garlick doesn't say anything any bigger about their offseason plans. He's a piece. They're going to make minor-league signings too. It's all part of it. But again, this deal doesn't keep them from doing anything.

#Science! HA! I am surprised by this, though I also have no idea how they are so often correct when there are multiple players with the same names.

It is the dream of so many baseball players of all ages, and in May, Twins outfielder Mark Contreras got to live that dream. On this episode of Twins Spotlight, we discuss Contreras’s first call-up to the big leagues and his rookie season. Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson, USA TODAY Sports Anytime a minor-league manager calls a player into his office, that player has to feel some level of anxiety and his mind is certainly running all over the place. On a Monday in early May, Mark Contreras saw his phone ringing, and “Gardenhire, Toby” appeared on the screen. The outfielder answered and the manager asked where he was. Contreras said, “I’m in the clubhouse.” Toby Gardenhire, “Come to my office.” It was a short walk, but the Saints manager told him, “Hey, you’re not going with us on this road trip.” That’s not what a player wants to hear. Contreras ran through many scenarios in his mind. What did he do wrong? What’s going on? The manager told him that he couldn’t say that he was going to get called up, but a lot was going on with the Twins and there was a lot of uncertainty. He might be called up. Or, the Twins may not need to make a transaction and he would then head to Columbus to join the Saints. He was told that he should be expecting a call that night telling him what was going on. Late that night, he finally got a call from Alex Hassan, the Twins' Director of Player Development (until his promotion last week). What was he going to hear? Hassan told him that they still didn’t know what would happen for sure, but that he should get some sleep and as soon as they knew what was going on, he would be the first to hear. Don’t stay up and wait. Contreras said, “How the heck am I not supposed to stay up now?” He slept very little and woke up by 6:00 am. Around noon, he still hadn’t heard anything. He turned on a movie, and then his phone rang. It again showed, “Gardenhire, Toby.” The manager said, “What are you doing?” The outfielder responded, “I’m just waiting for you to tell me what to do.” Gardenhire asked if he was laying down. “Toby, I’ve been anxious all day. I don’t know what’s going on.” The Saints skipper yells, “Well, get the (redacted) out of here. You’re a big leaguer. You’re heading to the big leagues. It took a moment, but Contreras eventually started screaming too. “It was very loud.” While he had been in St. Paul since early in the 2021 season, Contreras said that he hadn’t been outside Target Field, inside Target Field, or even seen Target Field. Back in college, Contreras had promised his UC-Riverside coach that he would be the first person he would call when he was called up to the big leagues, and he did just that. The coach, after excitement and congratulations, told him that he needed to call his parents. That is just one of many incredible stories from Mark Contreras’s 2022 season of memories. Throughout the entire 42-minute interview, you can see the joy on his face and hear it in his voice. Lots of smiles and laughter. So much fun to watch. Hear about many topics including: His MLB debut. His first plate appearance (a sacrifice fly). His first hit (off of a right-hander from Cleveland) (Without looking, can you remember?) His three home runs. Who were they hit off of? (Without looking, can you remember? OK, here's #1.) Facing Jose Berrios in the big leagues, with side commentary from umpire Angel Hernandez, after facing him on the back fields in Ft. Myers in the past. What was the response from his minor-league teammates and from the players when he got to the clubhouse? Playing in San Diego, in front of a whole bunch of family and friends. Which All-Stars did he talk to when he was on the bases? What was the atmosphere in the Twins clubhouse late in September? How long did it take him to notice just how much comes out of his paycheck for taxes? His offseason plans. His recent engagement. His excitement level when Caleb Hamilton, his roommate all season, got his first hit and first home run. The pride he takes in his outfield defense. Picking Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa’s brains on a variety of skills and techniques. Talking base running and base stealing with Billy Hamilton. Being included among a lot of young, talented players in the Twins organization, in the field, and on the mound. What was he trying to learn with Michael Helman at St. Paul this year? This was as enjoyable of a conversation as I’ve had. Listening to Contreras and seeing his enthusiasm and joy following the accomplishment of a huge goal for any baseball player, getting to the big leagues. Feel free to ask questions of Mark or simply leave your congratulations. Hopefully, you enjoyed the conversation as much as I did. View full article

Seth chats with the Twins outfielder about making his MLB debut in 2022. He explained how he learned about getting promoted and which three pitchers he homered off of. We talked about his defense and base stealing. What things will he be working on in the offseason, and how much did he learned from some talented veterans? View full video

That's the thing... if they DFA him, teams can claim him for nothing. I definitely think there are teams that would do that. If not, then it's possible he would get through the Rule 5 draft since it costs about $100K to select someone in the Rule 5. But there is no reason to remove him until absolutely necessary. They added him last offseason, knowing he was rehabbing from Tommy John last year and would get eased back in. He came through 2022 healthy and can take off in 2023.

The timing of these is strange to me too. For instance, Garlick and Pagan could be non-tendered on Friday. If they add two, they're at 38, but they say they drop two, they're at 36. And that's fine as they will obviously add free agents and such. So, I think that adds to the intrigue and the difficulty of the decision.

The biggest difference is that teams now have one more year to evaluate their own players before they are Rule 5 eligible. That extra year is huge. So yeah, I would agree that the odds of finding a great player aren't good. But there are exceptions still. And often teams are just looking to add talent, and they'll add a potential bullpen arm or utility player. That's why I think Helman would potentially be lost, and frankly, maybe Sisk.

Certainly more upside, and Coulombe isn't on the 40-man now anyway.

or the two teams work out a trade.

Dobnak's under contract. He was DFAd and went unclaimed, so he's with the organization until the contract runs out. Obviously, the options wouldn't be picked up. Of course, the Twins could release him and at that point he'd be a free agent.

By 5:00 central time on Tuesday, teams will need to make their 40-man roster additions to keep eligible players from being selected in next month's Rule 5 draft. There are probably only a couple of sure-fire additions for the Twins, but there are at least another dozen players that the Twins likely had to have some discussion about as well. Who will they add? Image courtesy of William Parmeter / Mighty Mussels Since the end of the season, the Twins' front office has been cleaning up the 40-man roster that, had way more than 40 men on it. When the World Series finished, several players automatically came off the roster and became free agents. Carlos Correa exercised his option and became a free agent. The Twins Designated five players for Assignment early in the offseason. Three of them (Jermaine Palacios, Jake Cave, Caleb Hamilton) were claimed by other teams. Just last week, players still on the 60-Day Injured List were removed from the Injured List. At the same time, Cody Stashak was outrighted from the roster and elected free agency. All that is to say that a lot of roster work has been done already. Some of that is because, on Tuesday, teams have to submit additions to their 40-man rosters by 5:00 central time. The Twins' 40-man roster is currently at 36 players. There are 21 pitchers, one catcher, five infielders, and nine outfielders. The Twins (and other teams) may make a few small trades to clean up a couple more roster spots before the additions. Friday is another key date in the offseason when teams will need to decide which arbitration-eligible players to tender (or non-tender) a 2023 contract. A couple more players could potentially come off of the roster at that time. Before getting into the predictions for which Twins minor leaguers will be added to the team’s 40-man roster, it is important to note that some of these decisions were already made during the season. Louie Varland, Matt Wallner, and Simeon Woods Richardson all were added to the roster in September. If they had not been, they would have been Givens to be added now. Those three put up tremendous 2022 seasons in both Wichita and St. Paul and earned their late-season promotions. Secondly, who is eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft if they are not protected? Players who signed when they were 18 or younger in 2018 or earlier. Players who were 19 or older when they signed in 2019 or earlier. The age at signing is the key, but a general rule would be: Players drafted out of high school in 2017 or 2018. (unless they signed when they were 19) Players drafted out of junior college or four-year college in 2017, 2018, or 2019. International players signed at 16, 17, or 18 years old in 2016, 2017, or 2018. Finally, players added to the 40-man roster on Tuesday cannot be removed from the 40-man roster until spring training. That is important to remember when the team signs free agents or makes a trade this winter. So, here are my quick thoughts on players that should be, or at least should be considered to be, added to the Twins' 40-man roster. THE GIVENS 1.) 2B Edouard Julien - The 23-year-old from Quebec was the Twins 18th round pick in 2019 out of Auburn. Just this weekend, he was named the Breakout Prospect in the Arizona Fall League after he hit .400/.563/.686 (1.248) with five doubles and five home runs in 21 games. However, you could argue that he broke out during the 2022 regular season in Wichita where he hit .300/.441/.490 (.931) with 19 doubles and 17 home runs in 113 games. He even stole 19 bags. Of course, I would argue that he broke out in 2021, his professional debut after missing 2019 and 2020 due to Tommy John surgery and the Covid pandemic. He split that season between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids. In 112 games, he hit .267/.434/.480 (.914) with 28 doubles, 18 home runs, and 34 stolen bases. Where will he play? Well, he spent most of 2022 at second base. He has played first and third base in pro ball. Yes, he played a couple of games in left field in 2021, but that isn’t an option. Regardless, his all-around offensive game makes him a future top-of-the-lineup contributor. 2.) RHP Matt Canterino - Maybe not quite as “given” as Julien, but Canterino is absolutely a given to be added. He was the team’s second-round draft pick in 2019 out of Rice University. Since turning pro, two things have been true of the 24-year-old righty. First, when he has pitched, he has been absolutely dominant. In 11 games and 34 1/3 innings for Wichita in 2022, he posted a 1.83 ERA and struck out 50 batters. In 23 innings in 2021, he struck out 45 batters. His stuff is electric. Unfortunately, the second truth is that he has missed a lot of time with injury. He was shut down early in the 2021 season after experiencing some elbow pain. The rest-and-rehab was tried, but in 2022 at Wichita, he was limited to three innings per start and eventually four innings, but as his arm threw more, the pain continued. Finally, in mid-August, he underwent Tommy John surgery in Arlington making his availability to pitch in 2023 unlikely. But again, with this kind of talent, particularly with a pitcher, you keep him around and add him and don’t even give it a second thought. STRONG CONSIDERATIONS 3.) LHP Brent Headrick - In 2022, Headrick made 15 starts in Cedar Rapids before moving up to Double-A Wichita. In 2021, he was limited in the second half with some shoulder impingement. He stayed healthy throughout the 2022 season and went 10-5 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. In 108 1/3 innings, he walked just 25 batters and struck out 136 batters. Now, his Double-A numbers don’t look as good. In 10 games, he went 2-3 with a 4.81 ERA. However, in his first Wind Surge appearance, he gave up seven runs on 10 hits (including five home runs) in 2 1/3 innings. Take away that outing, and he went 2-2 with a 3.54 ERA, and in 40 2/3 innings, he gave up just six more home runs. Headrick was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2019 out of Illinois State. 4.) UT Michael Helman - The Twins were excited to select Helman out of Texas A&M in the 11th round of the 2018 draft. After a strong pro debut that year, he really struggled in 2019 at High-A Ft. Myers and ended the season injured. After a lost 2020 season, he hit .246/.336/.462 (.798) with 21 doubles, four triples, and 19 home runs in Cedar Rapids. He added 21 steals. He finished that season by playing in the Arizona Fall League. He began the 2022 season with 39 games at Wichita where he hit .278/.368/.472 (.840) with six doubles, two triples, and six home runs. He finished the season in St. Paul where, in 96 games, he hit .250/.325/.416 (.741) with 17 doubles and 14 home runs. Combined, he ended the season with 23 doubles, 20 home runs, and an impressive 40 stolen bases. He has made himself a solid contributor at the bat. He has also worked very hard to get strong all over the field on defense. Drafted as a middle infielder, he started playing all over the place in 2021. In 2022, he played 43 games in center field, 41 games at second base, 29 games at third base, and 11 games at shortstop. In 2021, he played more in the corner outfield spots than in center field. He legitimately can play seven positions on the field, and maybe I should mention that when he went to junior college, he was a catcher. 5.) Misael Urbina - This is the potential upside addition. This is the guy with talent and athleticism and tools. The 20-year-old Urbina signed in July of 2018 out of Venezuela. He spent 2019 in the Dominican Summer League where he posted a solid .825 OPS with 21 extra-base hits and 19 stolen bases in 50 games. After the lost 2020 season, he came to the States in 2021. He didn’t make the Mighty Mussels Opening Day roster, but he was on the roster about a week later. He played 101 games for the Mighty Mussels and hit .191/.299/.286 (.585) with 12 doubles, four triples, five homes, and 16 steals. Unfortunately, Urbina missed about half of the 2022 season due to some visa issues. In 50 games for the Mighty Mussels, he hit .246/.323/.419 (.741) with 16 doubles, five homers, and nine stolen bases. The Twins have added players after they spend a year in Low-A. They did it in November 2013 when they added Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler after they played in Cedar Rapids that season. Of course, they also added Deibinson Romero and Estarlin de Los Santos to the 40-man roster after their Low-A seasons. (I’m sure @Roger will appreciate that reference.) It’s hard for me to believe that Urbina would be able to stick on a big-league roster all season, so this is very borderline. 6.) IF Yunior Severino - As you know, Atlanta signed Severino as a 16-year-old in 2016. He spent the following season with the Braves organization until they were deemed to have broken the rules of international signing and a bunch of their recently-signed international players became free agents again. This time, it was the Twins that gave him a big, seven-figure signing bonus. Severino has shown glimpses of talent, but he’s also missed time with injury. He broke out with a strong 35 games at the end of the 2021 season in Cedar Rapids when he hit .321/.414/.493 (.907) with 12 doubles and three homers. He began 2022 with 46 games with the Kernels and hit .283/.398/.572 (.970) with nine doubles, two triples, and 11 homers. He moved up to Wichita and hit .273/.338/.497 (.834) with eight doubles and eight home runs. At Cedar Rapids, he played mostly second base (and DH). With the Wind Surge, he played almost exclusively at third base. He is now 23 and could be a year away from being ready. 7.) C/1B Chris Williams - Chris Williams was the Twins' eighth-round pick in 2018 out of Clemson University. In 75 games for Wichita this summer, Williams hit .277/.372/.542 (.915) with 16 doubles and 18 home runs. He finished his season with 42 games in St. Paul. He hit just .192, but he had five doubles and 10 more home runs. This season, he played 83 games at first base and caught 24 games. He will turn 26 this month, but the Twins have a need for right-handed power and currently have just one catcher on their 40-man roster. Now, Williams is not going to do a lot of catching in the big leagues, but he can be a guy who can be a #3 catcher, a backup first base option, and a power bat off the bench might provide some value to the organization. 8.) RHP Cody Laweryson - Laweryson (pronounced Lor-ih-sun) was the Twins 14th round draft pick out of the University of Maine in 2019. In 2021, he missed the first two months of the season and then posted a 4.91 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 15 games for Cedar Rapids. He did have 73 strikeouts and just 19 walks over his 58 2/3 innings. He went to the Arizona Fall League and struck out 18 batters in 14 innings and pitched in the Fall Stars game. He began 2022 in the Kernels' bullpen. In 35 innings, he struck out 42 and walked 12 batters. He posted a 2.57 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He moved up to Wichita where after 11 bullpen appearances, he made eight starts. He went 5-0 with a minuscule 1.06 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. In 59 2/3 innings, he struck out 69 and walked just 15 batters. In the entire season, he gave up just two homers over 94 2/3 innings. He’s got decent stuff and a bit of a funky delivery. Was his half-season in Wichita enough for someone to select him in the Rule 5 draft, or for the Twins to add him? 9.) OF DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. - Keirsey was the Twins' fourth-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Utah. He had a brutal injury after crashing into the wall at the end of his sophomore season in college, but inexplicably returned for his junior season and posted an OPS of 1.049. Since the Twins drafted him, his biggest issue has been staying on the field. He was limited to 45 games in Cedar Rapids in 2021 due to leg muscle issues. He never was able to get into a rhythm. In 2022, he was bumped up to Wichita and was on the field for 121 games. He had a solid showing, if not a bit of a breakout season. He hit .271/.329/.395 (.724) with 26 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs. While not a power hitter, at times he can really drive the ball and use the whole field. But his speed is absolutely electric and can be game-changing. He stole 42 bases in 49 attempts this year (86%), but he is an elite defensive center fielder, able to run down almost anything and unafraid to throw his body around to make a catch. His athleticism alone has to get him considered, and in 2022, he stayed on the field and really contributed. 10.) LHP Kody Funderburk - When the Twins drafted the lefty from Dallas Baptist in the 15th round of the 2018 draft, they had him as a pitcher only. In college, he was a very good hitter as well. Over time, he has worked solely as a pitcher and very quietly has made himself into a prospect to watch. He had a solid 2021 season between Cedar Rapids (where he started) and Wichita (where he was a reliever). He then went and made six starts in the Arizona Fall League. In 2022 at Double-A Wichita, he went 10-5 with a 2.94 ERA. In 107 innings, he had 103 strikeouts to 44 walks. He has a bit of a funky delivery that might make him intriguing to a team in the Rule 5 draft. 11.) C/1B Alex Isola - In 2017, Isola and Keirsey were teammates at Utah. Isola transferred a couple of times before the Twins made him their 29th-round pick in 2019 out of Texas Christian University. Isola just completed his six-week stint in the Arizona Fall League where he hit five doubles, and in the semi-final game launched a 420+ foot home run to help send his team to the championship game. Like Williams, part of the allure of Isola is his ability to play behind the plate as needed. With Wichita, he made 17 starts at first base and 17 starts behind the plate. He won’t win any Gold Gloves, but he could be a #3 catcher in the big leagues. His calling card is his bat. In 58 games with the Wind Surge in 2022, he hit .286/.377/.471 (.848) with nine doubles and 10 home runs. He puts together solid plate appearances with a good knowledge of the strike zone. He’s willing to take his walks, but he also can drive the ball to the gaps and over the wall. 12.) RHP Austin Schulfer - The 26-year-old was the Twins 19th round pick in 2018 out of UW-Milwaukee. In 2021, he led all Twins minor-league pitchers with 110 innings pitched over 24 starts at Double-A Wichita. In 2022, he returned to the Wind Surge to start the season and worked in 15 games out of the bullpen. He gave up just one earned run over 23 innings (0.39 ERA) and struck out 30 and walked only four batters. He recorded seven saves. He moved up to St. Paul where he went 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA. In 32 2/3 Triple-A innings, he struck out 31 batters and walked 13 batters. Schulfer has always made adjustments and should return to the Saints in 2023. Depending on the injury front in the Twins bullpen, we could see him debut at some point. HAVE TO AT LEAST CONSIDER LHP Evan Sisk - Acquired from the Cardinals at the deadline in 2021, he was the 2022 Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. 5-1, 2.08 ERA in a combined 63 innings between Wichita and St. Paul. Had 76 strikeouts to go with 29 walks. SS/OF Will Holland - the fastest runner in the Twins minor leagues, he is a great athlete and could provide a team with solid outfield or shortstop defense and pinch-running abilities. He was the team’s 5th-round pick in 2019 from Auburn. LHRP Denny Bentley - Bentley has been very good in the Twins minor leagues and can record a lot of strikeouts, but he does walk a lot of batters, as he did in the Arizona Fall League. RHRP Osiris German - German remains a very intriguing 24-year-old reliever. His best pitch is his changeup. After six games in Cedar Rapids, he worked in 37 games for Wichita. He posted a 3.02 ERA and had 17 walks and 59 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings. RHRP Hunter McMahon - he was the ninth-round pick by the Nationals in the 2019 draft. The Twins acquired him that offseason for Ryne Harper. He has pitched very little since. In 2021, he pitched in just five games. This year, he began in Ft. Myers (2.23 ERA), moved up to Cedar Rapids (1.19 ERA), and finished with four games in Double-A. In 73 2/3 combined innings. He had 76 strikeouts and just 16 walks. RHP Sean Mooney - The Twins 12th round pick in 2019 from St. John’s had Tommy John surgery that spring. So, he didn’t make his pro debut, officially, until 2021. In 42 innings, he had 71 strikeouts. In 2022 with Cedar Rapids, he posted a 3.30 ERA and had 82 strikeouts in 60 innings. Needs to stay healthy. UT Anthony Prato - 7th round pick in 2019 from UConn, Prato had a nice breakout season in 2022. He was limited in 2021 due to a broken hamate bone. In 2022, he played 45 games in Cedar Rapids before ending with 87 games in Wichita. Combined, he hit .285/.383/.444 (.827) with 30 doubles, eight triples, 10 homers, and 22 stolen bases. He played 60 games in left field, 34 games at second base, and 22 games at third base. RHP Randy Dobnak - Off the 40-man roster, if a team selected Dobnak, they would take on his contract too, so that’s unlikely. But, when he was healthy in 2019 and 2020, he was a solid back-of-rotation starter, and if he is healthy, could be that for a non-contender. RHRP Steven Cruz - MLB Pipeline ranks Cruz 28th in the organization. Ten (or even five) years ago, he would have ranked higher because he is capable of reaching triple-digits with his fastball. At 23, he posted a 5.14 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP in Wichita in 2022. In 56 innings, he had 72 strikeouts, but he also walked 35 batters. Love the arm, but hard to see him sticking in the big leagues. OTHER ELIGIBLE PLAYERS Hitters: David Banuelos, Andrew Bechtold, Kyle Schmidt, Seth Gray, Charles Mack, Jeferson Morales, Daniel Ozoria, Willie Joe Garry, Carlos Aguiar, Luis Baez, Wilfri Castro, Alexander Pena. Pitchers: Tyler Beck, Francis Peguero, Jon Olsen, Ryan Shreve, Brock Stewart, Michael Boyle, Jordan Brink, Jordan Gore, Casey Legumina, Alex Phillips, Regi Grace, Bradley Hanner, Derek Molina, Owen Griffith, Tyler Palm, Miguel Rodriguez, Matthew Swain, Zaquiel Puentes, Niklas Rimmel, Elpidio Perez, Wilker Reyes, Rafael Feliz, Danny Moreno, Alex Scherff, Andrew Cabezas, Ben Gross, Zach Neff, Josh Mitchell, Jose Brito. My prediction? This is as tough as I can remember this being. Again, we should be able to assume Canterino and Julien are added. After that, there are at least six to 10 others (and maybe more) where a legitimate case could be made. I am going to officially predict that they will also add Headrick, Helman, and Severino. I think Urbina is just not yet in a spot where he could stick in the big leagues, but I think he is at risk of being taken. He is probably the most interesting case (which is why I found a photo of him for the article). I think Chris Williams and Alex Isola are guys that could be at risk as well. Your turn? How many players will the Twins add to their 40-man roster by Tuesday’s deadline? Make your predictions for which players get added below. View full article

late 2024 would be really aggressive. Probably 2025. But obviously they aren't afraid to be very aggressive with hitters.

In 2022, catcher Noah Cardenas had a strong first full season in professional baseball. Get to know the talented backstop from UCLA in this Twins Spotlight. Image courtesy of William Parmeter / Mighty Mussels Noah Cardenas was born and grew up in Southern California. He’s a Twins fan now, but it is understandable that he grew up a Dodgers fan and went to several games at the stadium. He enjoyed watching Yasiel Puig play the game. While he played some football until junior high, some basketball, and even some soccer. It was on the baseball field that he excelled. He attended Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills in one of the best prep baseball leagues in the country. In the Mission League, they played against teams like Chaminade and Harvard-Westlake (where Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty played). Notre Dame had Hunter Greene pitching and playing shortstop. There are first-round talents in the conference nearly every year. While there, he was a four-year letter winner. As a junior, he was an honorable-mention All-American. In the summers, he was playing in various national and regional events, such as Perfect Game and the Area Code Games. He was one of the top prospects in his class in California. As a senior, he hit .444/.577/.694 with 15 extra-base hits. He committed to UCLA and was very excited to go there. Cardenas said, “I love UCLA. I think it’s an amazing university. Obviously a diehard Bruin fan now. I grew up a USC fan during the Reggie Bush Era. My brother poisoned me into that thing. I grew up a USC fan, but I was lucky enough for UCLA to recruit me.” In the summer before his freshman year, he played for Portland in the West Coast League and hit .287 with six extra-base hits in 30 games. Cardenas had an incredible freshman season. In 58 games, he hit .375/.476/.500 (.976) with six doubles, a triple, and three homers. He had 17 walks (and was hit 10 times) to go with just 14 strikeouts. He was also an Honorable Mention All-Defensive Team in the Pac-12 that year too. That summer he was scheduled to go play for the Mankato Moondogs of the Northwoods League. Last minute, his coach let him know that he was heading to the Cape Cod League. As a sophomore, he played in just 11 games before Covid hit and ended that season. He did play some summer ball. He has a brother that is a trainer in the Texas Rangers organization, and he helped him out during that lost season. They developed a training schedule for him that included all aspects of the game. In his junior season (2021), he played in 57 games and hit .268/.371/.404 (.774) with 12 doubles, a triple, and five home runs. Behind the plate, he threw out 38% of would-be base stealers. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team. With that success, he became the Twins eighth-round pick in the 2021 draft. Cardenas noted, “You just sit there and wait. It was an awesome time. I really enjoyed it, but that time just sitting on your couch, I just want to go already. I just want to get picked. Finally, that time came, and it was the right time, and I was lucky enough to get drafted by the Twins.” Seven rounds later, the Twins also selected his UCLA teammate Mikey Perez. “Going to UCLA, we always stayed together in the same apartment. He’s been trying to get away from me for years now, and it’s funny that we were drafted by the same team.” He continued, “Mikey’s just been a great friend to have, and the transition to pro ball has been awesome.” After signing, Cardenas got into 13 games late in the year in the FCL. He hit .300/.400/.500 (.900) with a double and a homer in his 25 plate appearances. He got an offseason to work, and he came into the 2022 season ready to go. He remained in Ft. Myers and spent the season with the Mighty Mussels. In 99 games, he hit .261/.421/.413 (.834) with 18 doubles and nine home runs. He even stole 11 bases. You also can’t help but notice his Isolated Discipline (OBP - BA) of .160. He had 73 walks on the season with just 70 strikeouts. He credits Ft. Myers hitting coach Rayden Sierra with helping him focus on knowing the strike zone, but also knowing which pitches he can do damage in the zone. He came in fourth place in voting for the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year Award behind only Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien, and Chris Williams. He played 25 games at first base, but he made 56 starts behind the plate. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. All that, and he earned the Mighty Mussels’ Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service for all of the work he did away from the field, time with kids, and visiting hospitals and more. Hear more about: Learning how the Twins used technology and analytics, and how it can help him. Both of his parents speak Spanish, but he acknowledges that he “can’t speak a lick of it.” So, adjusting to conversations with Spanish-speaking pitchers and teammates. What he enjoys about catching and what he has done to learn more behind the plate. “I was really excited to get a guy like Tucker Frawley who is the catching guy… I felt what he was teaching us was really good stuff.” His thoughts on the electronic strike zone, and the review process that was used at times in the Florida State League. Working with rehabbing big leaguers such as Sonny Gray in Ft. Myers. For more Twins Daily content on Noah Cardenas, click here. View full article

It's always been voted upon. Maybe the numbers or how much the managers and coaches look at has changed, but it's definitely never been about just batting average.

The offseason accolades continue for Twins utilityman Luis Arraez. On Thursday, he was officially named the 2022 American League Silver Slugger Award winner for a utility player. Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson, USA TODAY Sports Luis Arraez became the fifth Twins player to win an American League batting title when he hit .316 over 144 games in 2022. He joined Hall of Famers Tony Oliva (3), Rod Carew (7) and Kirby Puckett (1), along with future Hall of Famer Joe Mauer as batting champs. He was an All Star in 2022. He was named a finalist for a Gold Glove at first base. Tonight, he becomes the first Twins player since Nelson Cruz took home the Silver Slugger for DH in 2020. The 25-year-old from Venezuela hit .316/.375/.420 (795) with 31 doubles, a triple and eight home runs. He also walked 50 times and struck out just 43 times. His eight home runs are two more than he had hit over his previous three seasons. The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners are voted on by MLB managers and coaches. They are based on offensive stats including OBP, OPS, OPS+, home runs, hits, RBI, batting average as well as "managers' and coaches' general impressions of a player's overall offensive value." View full article

There's not much better than talking baseball with a catcher. Get to know Twins catching prospect Patrick Winkel as we discuss his youth baseball, joining his brother at U-Conn, getting drafted by the Twins, and starting his professional career. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily Patrick Winkel grew up in the New Haven, Connecticut, area. He attended Amity Regional High School in Woodridge. He quickly became one of the top players on his high school team. Winkel was an All-State player three times. His team won the state championship in his freshman and sophomore years. He was invited to participate in Perfect Game National and other regional and national events. He twice played in the Area Code games. College recruiters were watching him play early in his high school career. Of course, they were there to watch another player on his high school team. His older brother, Chris, was a star on the team and was recruited by several colleges. He made the decision to go to the University of Connecticut and played their five years. Patrick enjoyed meetings with college coaches when they were talking to his brother. In 2018, Pat Winkel was named the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year and received several other awards. He was named a First-Team All-American. That summer, the New York Yankees used their 31st-round pick to draft him. At that point, he knew he was heading to college. "It was a phone call. They said we're going to take you just to show you that we like you. We'll three years," said Winkel, who called it a "courtesy pick." He decided to join his brother in Storrs and play for the Huskies. He played in 13 games that summer for the Bristol Blues in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. It is a college league in New England that allowed incoming freshmen to play. He had a nice showing, hitting .320. As a freshman, Winkel played in 49 games and hit .318/.361/.486 (.846) with eight doubles and seven home runs. He spent that summer on Cape Cod playing some summer ball. Unfortunately, as he was set to begin the 2020 season, he was injured and needed Tommy John surgery. After several conversations, he decided to have the surgery before the season with the thought that he would be able to get some at-bats in fall ball and be ready for his junior season. The decision worked out perfectly as the season was cut short by Covid. "It gave me an opportunity to really focus on my rehab, and not feel like I was rushed to get back anywhere, to take it at the pace it was meant to be taken at." In 2021, he returned with no restrictions. He played in 53 games. He hit .279/.353/.515 (.868) with 13 doubles and 11 home runs. He was able to catch and showed off a very strong arm. When the draft came, Winkel heard his name called in the ninth round to the Minnesota Twins. He had eligibility to play two or even three more seasons at UConn, so it wasn't an easy decision for him to sign. It certainly wasn't automatic. The teams went back and forth a couple of times before reaching an agreement well above the slot value. Winkel noted, "It was not an easy decision. They had called me at one point and made an offer that I thought at that point, going back to college would be the best route. We expressed that to them. They were able to come back with a different one that was better, and with that one, we thought it was definitely the best option." Four rounds after drafting Winkel, the Twins drafted his college roommate, outfielder Kyler Fedko, in the 13th round. Also, the Twins had drafted Anthony Prato in the 7th round of the 2019 draft from UConn. Prato had a breakout season in 2022 between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. Prato had been a roommate in college for a couple of years with Patrick's brother Chris. He headed to Ft. Myers to sign and to go through a couple of weeks of, essentially, orientation, adjusting to pro ball, meeting everybody, and more. He also was able to get back into the flow of baseball before he ended the season playing in 21 games for the Mighty Mussels. His 2022 season began a little late because of a lower-back injury. In late May, he joined the Cedar Rapids Kernels. In 54 games, he hit .254/.330/.391 (.721) with nine doubles and six home runs. At one point, for a handful of games, Winkel, Fedko, and Prato were all on the Cedar Rapids roster. The Twins really like Pat Winkel and his abilities behind the plate and at the plate, and when healthy, he is definitely a prospect to watch over the next couple of years. This conversation was a solid 50 minutes, and it went in many directions: How does he see himself as a hitter, and what can he become? I mentioned in the teaser that I love talking to catchers. What are the things that make Winkel love being a catcher? He talked about his strengths and what he is working on behind the plate. He shares an interesting story about getting to call pitches in a college game, which is unusual, but it went well and he got to keep doing it the rest of the season. Learning the new catching stance. Will the new rules change how organizations teach catching and throwing? Spending time in spring training on the big-league side, catching some bullpens, and being able to watch Ryan Jeffers and talk to Hank Conger. There is a reference to a "Venn Diagram" (a first in Twins Spotlight history!). Find out what he enjoys doing away from baseball. This was a very enjoyable conversation, and I think you will enjoy it. For more from Twins Daily on Patrick Winkel, click here. If you're interested in watching Kyler Fedko's interview, click here. View full article