Seth Stohs

A new show, Seth asks Minnesota native and new Cedar Rapids Kernels broadcaster Thomas Breach three questions about his background, his role with the Kernels, and the prospects he covers in Cedar Rapids. View full video

Those three are all really good prospects, but hitting in the FSL is hard. I wouldn't expect huge numbers from them at that level. The hope is that they'll just keep adjusting and getting better and hitting the ball hard and all those things.

I'm sure Cavaco will get some time at shortstop too still, but moving to third base might be best for him. That's where he played in high school because Marcelo Mayer was the shortstop at his high school.

Sure, the Saints played their fourth game of the season tonight, but for the Wind Surge, the Kernels and the Mighty Mussels, Happy Opening Day!! The Twins played an exciting opener at Target Field, and there were some good games and strong performances in the minor leagues The daily Minor League Reports have been back for three days already, but tonight feels a little more special. It is Opening Night for the Wichita Wind Surge, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels. There was a big-time Minnesota connection in Wichita. The Kernels had a hitter make a very strong first impression. A couple of first-rounders had big nights in Ft. Myers and they held on for a close win. Oh, and the Saints got another win as a former prospect returned to the organization and pitched well. Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS On Friday, Cedar Rapids announced that seven players have been added to their roster, but on the Injured List. Added to the 60-Day IL are right-handed pitchers Jon Olsen (Tommy John), Luis Rijo (Tommy John), and lefty Zarion Sharpe (forearm strain). Placed on the 7-Day IL are right-handed pitchers Owen Griffith (forearm strain), Francis Peguero (low back strain), Ryan Shreve (shoulder impingement), and catcher Pat Winkel (low back strain). SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Louisville1 Box Score Derek Rodriguez officially made his return to the organization when he made his first start of the season for the St. Paul Saints. The former outfielder-turned-pitcher who spent parts of three seasons pitching for the Giants after leaving the Twins via free agency went the first four innings. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struck out five batters without allowing a run. He threw 58 pitches (32 strikes). Drew Strotman came on in his new bullpen role. He provided three innings and gave up just one run on one hit. He walked three and struck out two batters. Wladimir Pinto struck out two batters over the final two innings. Jake Cave continues to lead the Saints’ offense. He led off tonight with Jose Miranda getting the game off. Cave went 2-for-3 with two walks and a triple in this game. He is currently hitting .500 with an OPS of 1.397. Royce Lewis had a single in five at bats. Trevor Larnach recorded his first hit of the season, and he also drove in the Saints first run with a sacrifice fly. Mark Contreras provided the big hit in a three-run third inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, he hit a solid single up the middle to drive in two runs. The Saints are now 3-1. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Tulsa 5 Box Score Lots of Minnesota connections in this one, but let’s talk about the game first. Matt Canterino made the start for the Wind Surge. He really struggled at the start. His game started rough. He gave up a single, then walked a batter. He gave up a run on a double. Then he walked another batter to load the bases. He got a pop up and a couple of strikeouts to get out of the inning, but he needed to throw 30 pitches. He did get a second inning, and recorded a third strikeout, but that was the end to his night. Louie Varland came in to start the third inning. He got the same strike zone that Canterino and the Drillers starting pitcher got. He went 4 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs on five hits and five walks. He walked four batters. Evan Sisk got the next four outs without any more damage despite two walks. Steven Cruz pitched a scoreless ninth frame. That Drillers starter was none other than Louie’s brother Gus Varland. It had to be fun for the 19 or more family members that made the trek to Wichita. He went 4 1/3 scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He walked four batters and struck out five. In addition, Inver Grove Heights native Michael Busch, a Dodgers top prospect, went 0-for-3 and walked twice. The Wind Surge didn’t get much offense and were unable to do much, until very late in the game. Down 5-0, the Wind Surge scored a run in the seventh inning. And in the eighth inning, outfielder Cole Sturgeon hit a three-run homer to cut the deficit to just one run. Michael Helman led the offense. He went 0-for-1 but walked three times. Forest Lake’s Matt Wallner walked twice in the game, as did Andrew Bechtold. However, in the ninth inning, the Tulsa closer struck out the side to end any walkoff hopes for the Wind Surge. Here is the Twins Spotlight episode with Louie and Gus Varland from before spring training if you missed it. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Beloit 5 Box Score Pro ball is Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s world. That is all. Since the Twins selected him with their fourth-round pick last summer out of Oklahoma State, he has hit. In 22 games last year in Ft. Myers, he hit .391/.424/.598 (1.022) with two doubles, two triples, and four home runs. Now fast-forward to 2022, he is promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids, and despite freezing, cold temperatures, he went 4-for-5 with a grand slam in the seven-run fourth inning and a three-run homer in the sixth inning. He ended the game with nine RBI. Hey, guess who is going to be the minor-league hitter of the day? And how about the Kernels LED lights that they installed last season! Anthony Prato led off for the Kernels. He went 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored. He also stole a base. Batting ninth was Kennie Taylor went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Lefty Aaron Rozek started and went the first five innings to earn the Win in this game. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on five hits. He walked none and struck out six batters. Bradley Hanner came on and walked two over two scoreless, hitless innings. He struck out two batters. Tyler Palm worked the final two innings. He gave up two runs on four hits while striking out four batters. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 5 Box Score The Mighty Mussels got their season going with a nice win. They jumped out to a 6-2 lead through five innings and then held on for a one-run win. John Stankiewicz was the starter of the Mussels. The Fordham alum gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out eight batters and earned his first win of the season. Hunter McMahon came on and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out two batters. Matthew Swain came on and tossed two perfect innings to record the save. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out three batters. Ft. Myers got on the board in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Keoni Cavaco drilled a bases-clearing double. He went 3-for-5 in the game. In the fifth inning, Kala’i Rosario tripled in a run and then scored on a Kyler Fedko sacrifice to give the Mussels their sixth run. Noah Miller went 3-for-5 in the game as the team’s leadoff hitter. He also stole a base. Kyle Schmidt went 2-4 with the other RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Every day, we will select one hitter of the day and one pitcher of the day, and you can discuss who it should have been. Hopefully many days we will have many good options! Pitcher of the Day – John Stankiewicz (Ft. Myers) - 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 4-5, 2 R, 9 RBI 2 HR PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-5, 2 K, 2 Es #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, K, SB (3) #5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP (70 pitches, 42 strikes) #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K (45 pitches, 26 strikes) #7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (31 pitches, 22 strikes) #10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, R, SB (1) #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K #14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 4 K, (86 pitches, 49 strikes) #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, 2 BB, R, K #18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, K #19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4 SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (12:05PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer Tulsa @ Wichita (6:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:05 PM CST) - RHP David Festa Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

To piggyback on this, they absolutely love Winder and his potential (in my opinion), so they wouldn't sacrifice his development to keep him up, so I would definitely expect him to piggyback with someone and get consistent work to build up. Then he'll go back to St. Paul and build up to 90+ pitches.

Here are my votes: Seth Twins MVP Byron Buxton Twins Top Pitcher Bailey Ober Twins Most Improved Ryan Jeffers Twins Top Rookie Jhoan Duran Gold Glove Winners Correa, Buxton Silver Slugger Winners No Twins Record 85-77 Place in Dvision 3rd AL Central First White Sox AL Central Second Tigers AL Central Third Twins AL Central Fourth Royals AL Central Fifth Guardians Minor League Hitter Matt Wallner Minor League SP Cade Povich Minor League RP Denny Bentley

At the end of the season, Twins Daily will vote on the Minnesota Twins MVP, Pitcher of the Year, Most Improved, Top Rookie, and other awards, including several in the minor leagues. It is Opening Day, not only for the Twins, but also for the Wichita Wind Surge, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels. 14 Twins Daily writers cast their preseason votes. We want to see your predictions too! Now, I'll be 100% honest. It is quite likely that you will need to remind me toward the end of the season that we should look back at our predictions, but it's always fun to make them! The Twins Daily writers that participated are: @Seth Stohs, @John Bonnes, @Cody Christie, @Ted Schwerzler, @Nash Walker, @David Youngs, @renabanena, @Steve Lein, @Lucas Seehafer PT, @Matthew Lenz, @Jeremy Nygaard, @Dave Overlund, @Andrew Mahlke, and @Theo Tollefson. (Be sure to click on those links and Follow these writers.) Where do we start? How about we give our thoughts on how this massively-altered Minnesota Twins roster will perform over the course of the full season. No question, the Chicago White Sox are the favorites in the division. Beyond the Southsiders, however, you could make cases for 2nd place finishes or 5th place finishes for the Detroit Tigers, the Cleveland Guardians, the Kansas City Royals, and the Twins. Question 1: What will the Twins record be in 2022? Getting right to the point, right? Well, 13 of our writers provided their predictions, and here is a breakdown: 92-70 (1) 91-71 (1) 90-72 (1) 87-75 (1) 86-76 (2) 85-77 (3) 84-78 (1) 82-80 (1) 75-87 (2) It appears that the majority think that the Twins will be a mid-80s win team. Seven of the 13 have the Twins winning between 84 and 87 games. Question 2: Where will the Twins finish in the division? Results: 1st Place (2) 2nd Place (9) 3rd Place (3) Most think that the Twins will finish in second place. It would seem to put them into a race for a playoffs spot late into the season. Question 3: How will the division pan out? Results: 1st Place: White Sox (12), Twins (2) 2nd Place: Twins (9), Tigers (2), White Sox (2), Royals (1). 3rd Place: Tigers (9), Twins (3), Guardians (1), Royals (1) 4th Place: Guardians (8), Royals (4), Tigers (2) 5th Place: Royals (8), Guardians (5), Tigers (1) So there are the 'Team' predictions. The White Sox certainly go in as the favorites. On a Minnesota Twins site, our writers felt that the Twins are the favorite to finish in second place, with the Tigers in third, Guardians in fourth, and the Royals finishing where the Twins did just last season. Now let's get to the Individual Award Predictions. Question #4: Will the Twins have any Silver Slugger Award winners in 2022? The Silver Slugger goes to the best hitter at each position, one winner in each league. Nelson Cruz won a couple of them with the Twins in 2019 and 2020. Mitch Garver did in 2019. Results: No (7) Byron Buxton (5) Carlos Correa (3) Jorge Polanco (1) Gary Sanchez (1) Question #5: Will the Twins have any Gold Glove winners in 2022? Results: Byron Buxton (13) Carlos Correa (13) No (1) Strong up the middle! Question #6: Who will be the Twins Top Rookie in 2022? Results: Joe Ryan (7) Jhoan Duran (3) Josh Winder (3) Jose Miranda (1) You get an Opening Day start as a rookie, you're probably pretty good. But a couple of big-time prospects that will start the season in the bullpen also caught our eyes. Question #7: Who will be the Twins Most Improved Player in 2022? Results: Ryan Jeffers (5) Jorge Alcala (2) Joe Ryan (2) Also getting (1) vote: Miguel Sano, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Max Kepler, Gary Sanchez The Twins have shown their confidence in Ryan Jeffers despite a tough 2021 season, and several of our writers believe he will justify it. Question #8: Who will be the Twins Top Pitcher in 2022? Results: Sonny Gray (9) Joe Ryan (3) Bailey Ober (1) Dylan Bundy (1) The new guys gets to preseason title. Sonny Gray came to the Twins from the Reds. He has had a lot of success over his career. Question #9: Who will be the Twins Most Valuable Player in 2022? Results: Byron Buxton (8) Carlos Correa (5) Alex Kirilloff (1) Like Correa himself said, this is Byron Buxton's team. If he stays on the field, the Twins MVP could be in his sights, but the league MVP could be as well. Today also marks Minor League Opening Day for the Double-A and A-ball leagues. The Saints started their season on Tuesday. The final three preseason awards are minor league predictions. Question #10: Who will be the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2022? Results: Jordan Gore (3) Denny Bentley (2) Ronny Henriquez (2) Others who received (1) vote: Steven Cruz, Marco Raya, Jhoan Duran, Ryan Mason, Yennier Cano, Jovani Moran This is a tough category as sometimes guys just move to the bullpen without us knowing. Here's hoping that Duran never pitches in the minor leagues and that Jovani Moran gets to the big leagues quickly. Let's also hope that Marco Raya and Ronny Henriquez remain starters. Gore was the Twins Daily 2021 Minor League All-Star Right-Handed Relief Pitcher. Question 11: Who will be the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2022? Results: Matt Canterino (4) Jordan Balazovic (2) Others who received (1) vote: Cade Povich, Simeon Woods Richardson, Ronny Henriquez, Cole Sands, Blayne Enlow, Marco Raya, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Louie Varland. Maybe it's just me, but I think it is exciting to see this many names mentioned. We know the potential that Canterino and Balazovich had shown, and yet our writers found several more names that they think could have special seasons. Question 12: Who will be the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2022? Results: Royce Lewis (4) Matt Wallner (3) Aaron Sabato (2) Austin Martin (2) Emmanuel Rodriguez (2) Jose Miranda (1) Our writers generally believe in Royce and in his comeback this season. Good to see Matt Wallner well regarded for his immense power potential. Same with Aaron Sabato after what had to be a frustrating 2021 debut season. And, if Jose Miranda plays well enough in St. Paul to win the Minor League Hitter of the Year award again, you have to wonder why he isn't getting an opportunity with the Twins! There you have it... 12 questions for you to consider. We hope you've enjoyed seeing and reading our predictions, but now it's your turn to make your predictions in the comments. That's where you'll be able to find my individual picks. View full article

Rumors started last night. It appears both sides took the night to sleep on it, and on Thursday morning have finalized a deal that sends Twins top reliever Taylor Rogers and outfielder Brent Rooker to the Padres in exchange for starter Chris Paddack and reliever Emilio Pagan. There is no question that the Twins prioritized adding starting pitching this offseason. To this point, they had added Sonny Gray in a trade with the Reds, and free-agent deals with veterans Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer. On Thursday, they added Padres right-hander Chris Paddack and reliever Emilio Pagan in exchange for All-Star closer Taylor Rogers and outfielder Brent Rooker. The Twins are sending $6.6 million to the Padres (essentially paying Rogers' 2022 salary, per Ken Rosenthal), and the Twins will be getting a Player to be Named Later. The trade adds a young, team-controlled, backend-of-the-rotation starting pitcher (Paddack) to the team. In return, the Twins downgraded their bullpen a notch (Rogers vs. Pagan) and traded away a prospect they were likely going to lose for nothing (Rooker). In addition, while losing Rogers is difficult, years of team control make the deal make some sense. Rogers can become a free agent at the end of the 2022 season. Paddack has three more years of team control, and Pagan has two more years of team control. Emilio Pagan is a 30-year old with over four years of service time. He will make $2.3 million in 2022 and eligible for arbitration in 2023. He played for the Mariners in 2017, the A's in 2018, the Rays in 2019, and the Padres the last two years. Last year, he went 4-3 with a 4.83 ERA. In 63 1/3 innings, he walked 18 and struck out 69 batters. During his season with the Rays, he posted his best season (which will surprise no one). He went 4-2 with 20 saves and a 2.31 ERA and a career-high 12.3 K/9 (96 K, 13 BB in 70 IP). Pagan's weakness throughout his career has been that he give up too many home runs. He's always maintained a solid strikeout rate, and his career walk rate is a decent 2.3 BB/9. But he's been susceptible to the long ball, which balances an outstanding ability to keep runners off base. (He has a 1.031! career WHIP). But he's not Taylor Rogers. The 31-year-old Rogers was the Twins 11th round pick in 2012 out of the University of Kentucky. In 2013, he was the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. He made his debut in 2016 and has pitched in 319 games for the Twins over six seasons. He is 17-18 with 50 saves. In 314 2/3 innings, he struck out 361 batters (10.3). He is coming off of his best season in 2021. He went 2-4 with nine saves. In 40 1/3 innings, he walked just eight (2 intentional) and struck out 59 batters (13.2 K/9). He made his first All Star team, though he also missed the last two months of the season with a finger injury. He will also be a free agent at the end of the year. In addition, Rogers has served as the team's player representative the past two seasons and led the Twins players through some rough years. He heads to the Padres where he will be able to compete against his brother Taylor and the Giants frequently. The main target for the Twins in this trade is Paddack. He's only 26 years old. As a 23-year-old rookie in 2019, he went 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA. He had 153 strikeouts and 31 walks in 140 2/3 innings. Things haven't been real good since. In 2020, he went 4-5 with a 4.73 ERA. In 2021, he was 7-7 with a 5.07 ERA, though as people have pointed out, his FIP was just 3.78. While he throws a lot of strikes, his strikeout rate has dropped from 9.8 to 8.8 to 82 over his three seasons in the big leagues. The other piece the Twins sent in return was Brent Rooker, who was drafted by the Twins in the Competitive Balance Round after the first round in 2017 after an amazing Triple Crown season in his final year at Mississippi State. The powerful slugger debuted in 2020 and hit .316 with two doubles and a homer in seven games before being hit by a pitch ended his season. In 2021, he played in 58 games with the Twins, but surprisingly wasn't called up until late July . He hit .201/.291/.397 (.688) with 10 doubles and nine home runs. It became increasingly clear that he wasn't going to get extended run with the Twins. In fact, the 'final' roster spot with the Twins appeared to be between Rooker and Kyle Garlick. With this move, we have our answer. In fact, it's possible that's the direction the Twins were already looking. If so, it's very possible that Rooker may have been DFAd to make room to add Garlick to the roster. This story will continue to be edited as details and nuances are added. What are your thoughts on this deal? View full article

Miller, Rodriguez and Rosario are 19. Most of the pitchers in the league will likely be 21-23 with either 3-4 years of college, or several years of pro ball experience. So, I don't expect the 19 year olds to put up big numbers, especially in the Florida State League. But they are definitely the prospects in the group, along with Cavaco. I'm excited about Raya too. He could be special. Hajjar should be a quick mover.

Here is the rotation for this first series. Balazovic will join this group at some point fairly soon. Tuesday: Mario Sanchez Wednesday: Daniel Gossett Thursday: Cole Sands Friday: Dereck Rodriguez Saturday: Devin Smeltzer Sunday: Jake Faria

On Wednesday, the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels announced their 2022 Opening Day Roster. The roster includes several of the team’s top prospects including two of Twins Daily’s Top 20 prospects. Let’s take a look at the Mighty Mussels roster. In 2021, the Mighty Mussels adjusted to their first season in Low-A ball. It was even more difficult because there wasn’t an Advanced Rookie League anymore since the Elizabethton Twins were no more. Players who likely would have played in E-Town were pushed to play in full-season ball. For some, that’s good. Others will have to repeat the level. This group is filled with many 2021 draft picks, some of whom played in Ft. Myers some late last season. We will introduce you to the 2022 Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Opening Day roster with a tweet-length bio. For much more on each player, click the hyperlink with the name and see all of the Twins Daily stories in which each player is tagged. There are some terrific prospects on this roster, and there are some great stories. COACHING STAFF Manager: Brian Meyer Hitting Coach: Rayden Sierra Pitching Coaches: Jared Gaynor, Carlos Hernandez Bench Coach: Takashi Miyoshi PITCHERS RHP Travis Adams (22) - Twins sixth-round pick in 2021 out of Cal State, Sacramento, where he was a starter for three years. He made just one appearance in the FCL last year after signing. RHP David Festa (22) - The New Jersey native spent three college seasons at Seton Hall. Last year, he went 6-4 with a 2.00 ERA. Twins 13th round pick, he throws 94-97 and will be a starter for the Mussels to start the season. RHP Regi Grace (22) - Grace was the Mighty Mussels Opening Day starter last year. He was the Twins 10th round pick in 2018 out of high school in Mississippi. LHP Steve Hajjar (21) - Hajjar was the Twins' 2nd round pick in 2021 out of Michigan. He didn’t pitch after signing, but he has a chance to move up quickly. Between 2020 and 2021 at Michigan, he went 7-2 with a 3.01 ERA. He had 134 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings. RHP Jackson Hicks (24) - signed last summer out of the USPBL, Hicks split his time between the FCL and the Mighty Mussels. He walked two with the FCL squad and struck out 16 batters in 14 innings. RHP Hunter McMahon (23) - McMahon came to the Twins from the Nationals after the 2019 season in exchange for Ryne Harper. He had been the Nats' ninth-round pick that summer. A lost 2021 and an injury-plagued 2021 in which he pitched just five games, four with the Mussels. He needs to get some innings under his belt. RHP Juan Mendez (23) - The Dominican made his pro debut last year as a 22-year-old in the FCL. He went 2-3 with a 3.58 ERA over 12 games (5 starts). In 27 2/3 innings, he walked 14 and struck out 37 batters. LHP Jaylen Nowlin (21) - The lefty was the Twins 19th round pick last summer from Chipola College. He pitched in just one game last year in the FCL. He was clocked in the mid-to-upper 90s with a good slider during instructs. He’ll need to work on control and consistency, but he has potential. RHP Pierson Ohl (22) - He was the Twins 14th round pick last year out of Grand Canyon University. Last year, he went 10-2 with a 2.60 ERA. In 100 1/3 innings, he walked just 12 and struck out 103. He pitched in just one game with the FCL Twins last year and was a guest on Twins Spotlight in the offseason. RHP Michael Paredes (21) - After three seasons at San Diego State, he was the Twins 18th round pick in 2021. In the FCL, he struck out six and walked one batter in four innings. He profiles as a starter, but he will likely work in multiple roles with the Mighty Mussels. LHP Samuel Perez (22) - Perez was the Twins Daily short-season pitcher of the year in 2021 when he went 4-2 with a 1.45 ERA. He struck out 39 batters and walked just five in 37 1/3 innings. The Twins had signed him in the spring out of the Frontier League. He had initially signed with the Angels and spent two seasons in the DSL. RHP Marco Raya (19) - Raya was the Twins' fourth-round pick in 2020 out of high school in Texas. Minor shoulder issues kept him from pitching during the 2021 season. However, in Instructs last fall, he was impressive, hitting 97 with the fastball to go along with a four-pitch mix. RHP Niklas Rimmel (22) - The Berlin, Germany, native signed with the Twins late in 2017. He pitched in the GCL in 2018 and 2019, and injuries slowed him last year limited him to just three games and seven innings in the FCL. RHP John Stankiewicz (23) - After three years at Fordham University, he went undrafted in the five-round 2020 draft. He signed with the Twins. Last year, he pitched once in the FCL before making seven appearances (4 starts) for the Mussels. Combined, he went 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA. He had 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 25 1/3 innings. RHP Matthew Swain (24) - The Twins drafted Swain in the 23rd round in 2019 out of NAIA Georgia Gwinnett College. Last year, he pitched in n35 games for the Mussels. In 60 2/3 innings, he struck out 70 batters while walking 31. He was 6-2 with five saves. He stands 6-7 and throws hard. LHP John Wilson (24) - The southpaw was a freshman All-American at Old Dominion in 2017. Unfortunately, he was hurt and missed the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and the 2020 season was cut short. After the draft last year, he signed with the Twins and pitched in 17 games between the FCL (14 games) and Ft. Myers. CATCHERS Noah Cardenas (22) - The Twins went over slot to sign the UCLA backstop as their eight-round pick last summer. A solid defensive catcher, he hit .268/.371/.404 (.774) with 12 doubles and five homers in 57 games. He then hit .300/.400/.500 (.900) in 13 games in the FCL last year. Kyle Schmidt (24) - Twins 33rd round pick in 2019 from Richmond, Schmidt’s defense has kept him jumping all over the Twins organization. Last year, he played 25 games in Ft. Myers, 22 in Cedar Rapids, and even one game up in St. Paul. He hit a combined .250/.370/.329 (.699), including .302/.423/.430 (.853) at Ft. Myers. Great defender all-around. Dillon Tatum (21) - Tatum was the Twins 20th round pick in 2021 out of UC-Irvine, where he hit .278/.401/.684 (1.085) over 40 games last year. He had seven doubles and 15 homers. He played just five games in the FCL late in the season. INFIELDERS Keoni Cavaco (20) - The Twins selected Cavaco with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft. Last year in Ft. Myers, he played in 60 games due to a concussion and other minor injuries. He hit .233/.296/.301 (.597) with six doubles, two triples, and two homers. He is a solid defender at shortstop, but he could return to his high school position, third base, in 2022. Noah Miller (19) - Miller, whose older brother Owen plays for the Guardians, was the 36th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of high school in Wisconsin. In 22 FCL games last year, he hit .238/.316/.369 (.685) with three doubles and two homers. He has impressed the spring, especially defensively, in the four games he played for the Twins. He also had two hits in seven at-bats. Daniel Ozoria (21) - Ozoria came to the Twins from the Angels after the 2018 season for John Curtiss. In 2019, he split time between E-Town and Cedar Rapids. In 2021, he was moved all over. He started the season at Cedar Rapids (now High-A). In 51 games there, he hit .252/.388/.328 (.616) with six doubles and a homer. He also played five games for Ft. Myers and three games in St. Paul. He’s been around a while; it’s hard to believe he’s still just 21. Mikey Perez (22) - After three seasons at UCLA, the Twins made Perez their 15th round pick in 2021. He only played significant time in his junior season. He played well in Mankato in the summer of 2019. After signing, he played one game in the FCL (and went 3-for-4 with a homer). He moved up to Ft. Myers and hit .500 (13-for-26) with five doubles. Primarily a second baseman, he can play around the infield. His mom is the UCLA softball team’s head coach. Jake Rucker (22) - Rucker was the Twins' seventh-round pick last year out of the University of Tennessee. As a junior, he hit .330/.399/.520 (.920) with 21 doubles and nine home runs. In 22 games with the Mussels after signing, he hit .265/.377/.324 (.700) with two doubles. Ernie Yake (24) - Yake was the Twins 10th round pick in 2021 out of Gonzaga. As a senior in 2021, he hit .333/.423/.433 (.856) with 14 doubles and one homer in 42 games). He played seven games in the FCL before moving up to St OUTFIELDERS Kyler Fedko (22) - Twins 12th round pick in 2021 out of U-Conn. In 2021, he hit .398/.485/.674 (1.159) with 14 doubles and 12 homers in 52 games. He was putting up similar numbers in 2020 before the pandemic. In 23 games last year for the Mussels, he hit .235/.346/.265 (.610) with two doubles. Dylan Neuse (23) - Neuse was the Twins 17th round pick last year from Texas Tech. He was limited to just 27 games in 2021 and hit .281/.440/.427 (.867) with seven doubles. He has good speed and stole 11 bases. He didn’t play last year after signing. Emmanuel Rodriguez (19) - Rodriguez was a big international signing in 2019 from the Dominican Republic. After a lost 2020 season, Rodriguez played 37 games in 2021 with the FCL Twins. He hit .214/.346/.524 (.870) with five doubles, two triples, and ten homers. He also stole nine bases and has become a top Twins prospect. Kala’i Rosario (19) - Rosario was drafted in the fifth round of the five-round 2020 draft out of high school in Hawaii. He was one of the most potent prep bats in that draft class. In 2021, he hit .277/. 341/.452 (.793) with ten doubles, four triples, and five home runs. He was the Twins Daily short-season Hitter of the Year. So what do you think of this roster? There are several very young players with big potential. Leave your Comments and Questions below. View full article

Triple-A is usually filled with minor-league veterans and a few prospects. This roster is actually filled with more prospects than a usual AAA team. But yeah, AA is usually where most prospects are.

Gore might get some save opportunities, but I would doubt that they would designate a closer. Jordan's a good dude, good perspective, but also very competitive.

From today's press release: "Strotman, who came over in the Nelson Cruz trade last season, will move from starter to reliever this season as the Twins look to maximize his talents in shorter stints."

Some veterans for sure, but mostly guys drafted in 2018 and 2019 who lost a season to the pandemic. Also, teams bring in minor-league veterans and don't want to lose too much depth, so often that pushes a few down a level, which of course isn't a bad thing (especially for non-top prospects).

I would assume Winder will come back to St. Paul to start when the Twins' roster drops back down to 26. But yes, Balazovic and Sands are the young guys. Strotman moved to the bullpen. I would assume other starters will include Devin Smeltzer, Dereck Rodriguez and Daniel Gossett.

On Tuesday morning, the St. Paul Saints announced their 2022 Opening Day Roster. Tonight, they will play their first game, in Louisville. The roster includes several of the team’s top prospects including Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda, and Jordan Balazovic. Let’s take a look at the Saints roster. In 2021, the Saints joined the Twins family of affiliates and had a really strong, veteran roster. With so many Twins injuries, the Saints roster often was loaded with minor-league veterans. In 2022, there should be several of the organization’s top prospects including the return of Royce Lewis after not playing for the past two years. Jose Miranda also returns after his incredible 2021 campaign. Several return to Toby Gardenhire’s roster from last year, but there will also be many new faces, including on his coaching staff. Pitching coach Cibney Bello and Defensive Coach Tyler Smarslok return. Hitting Coach Matt Borgschulte got a big-league job with the Orioles. He was replaced by Ryan Smith who moves up to the Saints after spending last season in Wichita. Michael McCarthy left the organization to be the Triple-A pitching coach for the Padres. Virgil Vasquez moves up from the Wind Surge to take his place. . Here we will introduce you to the 2021 Saints Opening Day roster with a tweet-length bio. For much more on each player, click the hyperlink with the name and see all of the Twins Daily stories in which each player is tagged. There are some terrific prospects on this roster to go with all the veterans and there are some great stories as well. COACHES Manager: Toby Gardenhire Hitting Coach: Ryan Smith Pitching Coaches: Cibney Bello, Virgil Vasquez Defensive Coach: Tyler Smarslok PITCHERS RHP Yennier Cano (28) - The 28-year-old signed with the Twins in the summer of 2019. He began 2021 in Wichita for 12 games before joining the Saints for 30 games. Combined, he went 5-3 with five saves, a 3.23 ERA. In 69 2/3 innings, he struck out 86 batters. Strong pitch-mix and always willing to take the ball. RHP Jake Faria (28) - One of the final cuts in spring training, Faria has played in the big leagues for parts of four of the past five seasons. He debuted with the Rays in 207 and has pitched for the Brewers and Diamondbacks as well. He can work multiple innings out of the bullpen. RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (30) - Gonzalez pitched for the Rangers in 2015 and 2016. He missed the 2017 and 2018 seasons due to injury, but he has spent time with the Rockies each of the past three seasons and posted ERAs well over five each year. Hopefully will eat innings for the Saints. RHP Jordan Gore (27) - The shortstop-turned-reliever started last season in Cedar Rapids before moving up to Wichita where he became the closer and performed even better. Combined, he went 8-2 with seven saves. In 67 2/3 innings, he struck out 88 batters. Mid-90s fastball is combined with a good slider and a good changeup. RHP Daniel Gossett (29) - After pitching at Clemson, he was drafted by the A’s in 2014 and pitched in their system through the 2019 season. He debuted with the A’s in 2017 and then made five more starts in 2018. He pitched in Triple-A with the Red Sox last year. He signed a minor-league deal with the Twins and provides depth to the organization. RHP Ian Hamilton (26) - Drafted by the White Sox in 2016, Hamilton pitched for that organization through the 2020 season. He pitched 10 games for the Sox in 2018 and four more games in 2020 before spending time on the waiver wire. The Twins claimed him and DFAd him in spring training. He cleared and he spent the full season with the Saints. RHP Ryan Mason (27) - Drafted in the 13th round in 2016 out of California, Mason has slowly but steadily risen through the Twins farm system. He ended last year with 13 games with the Saints. Combined, he had 63 strikeouts in 54 innings. RHP Trevor Megill (28) - Big (6-8), burly (250 pounds) right-hander debuted with 28 games with the Cubs in 2021. In 23 2/3 innings with the Cubs, he had 30 strikeouts. Megill throws hard and just might have some potential out of the bullpen. RHP Juan Minaya (31) - Minaya has pitched in 154 big league games including 29 games with the Twins in 2021. In 40 innings last year, he struck out 43 batters and posted a 2.48 ERA. It was somewhat surprising when he was DFAd after the season, but fortunately, they were able to bring him back on a minor-league deal. LHP Jovani Moran (24) - Moran was drafted by the Twins in 2015. When healthy, he has been dominant. Blessed with a mid-90s fastball, a good slider, and a tremendous changeup, he has the ability to miss a lot of bats. He debuted with the Twins with five games in September 2021. One of the last players optioned to St. Paul, he should spend a lot of time with the Twins. RHP Wladimir Pinto (24) - Signed by the Tigers in 2015, he reached Triple-A in 2021 but became a free agent following the season. The Twins picked him up on a minor league deal. Last year, in 50 2/3 innings, he walked 35 and struck out 60 batters. He throws hard. He’s got good stuff, but clearly, control is the issue. Just 24, this is the kind of upside minor-league signings that are fun! RHP JC Ramirez (33) - Signed just last week, the Nicaraguan debuted with the Phillies in 2013. Since, he has pitched in the big leagues for the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Reds, and from 2016 to 2019 with the Angels. He pitched in Mexico and China in 2021. RHP Dereck Rodriguez (29) - Drafted in 2011 by the Twins, he spent the first three pro seasons as an outfielder before moving to the moun in 2014. He reached Double-A with the Twins before signing with the Giants as a free agent in 2018. That year, he debuted with 21 games (19 starts) in the big leagues for San Francisco. He pitched for the Giants into the 2020 season. Pitched at Triple-A with the Rockies in 2021 and came back to the Twins this offseason. RHP Mario Sanchez (27) - The Venezuelan signed with the Nationals in 2011. He spent two seasons in the Phillies system, but then he was back in the Nationals system from 2019-21. Last year, he went 4-8 with a 4.16 ERA. In 114 2/3 innings, he struck out 115 and walked just 23 batters. RHP Cole Sands (24) - Sands is the #13 ranked prospect in the system. The team’s fifth-round pick in 2018 from Florida State, Sands went 4-2 with a 2.46 ERA at Wichita. In 80 1/3 innings, he walked 35 and struck out 96 batters. He was added to the 40-man roster in November. LHP Devin Smeltzer (26) - The southpaw debuted with seven games for the Twins in 2019 and then pitched in seven games for them in 2020. Last year, he made one appearance (4 2/3 scoreless innings) before his season came to an end because of a herniated disc in his neck. He was removed from the 40-man roster, but this spring, he gave up just five hits over 11 scoreless innings. I’d expect him to pitch for the Twins in 2022. RHP Drew Strotman (25) - A former fourth-round pick of the Rays, Strotman came to the Twins with Joe Ryan in last July’s Nelson Cruz trade. He struggled in adjusting to the Twins, but even so, he was hitting 97-99 mph with a fastball. He’s developed as a starter because he has a four-pitch mix, but he is now shifting to the bullpen. He will debut in 2022. CATCHERS David Banuelos (25) - After being drafted by the Mariners, the Twins acquired him for international signing dollars that offseason. In 2021, he played in 15 games for Wichita and 30 games with the Saints. Overall, he hit .201/.245/.340 (.586) with seven doubles, two triples and three homers. All but two doubles came with the Saints. But Banuelos is a plus defensive catcher who works really well with pitchers. Stevie Berman (27) - Came to the Twins very late last year from the Dodgers in the Andrew Vasquez trade. Definitely a defense first veteran backstop. Caleb Hamilton (27) - Drafted from Oregon State in 2016, Hamilton was moved behind the plate. However, he has played all over the diamond. He played 78 games in 2021 between Wichita and St. Paul and hit a combined .181/.308/.341 (.649) with eight doubles and nine home runs. Chance Sisco (27) - Not officially on the roster yet, but he was signed by the Twins on Monday to a minor-league deal, Sisco will be joining the team in Louisville soon. The former top prospect of the Orioles, he spent part of each of the past five seasons in the big leagues. In 191 games, he has hit .297/.317/.337 (.654). INFIELDERS Royce Lewis (22) - The Twins' top pick in the 2017 draft is a Top 100 prospect and remains the #2 Twins prospect. Unfortunately, he missed 2021 with a torn ACL. He’s excited to be back and will be playing shortstop most every day. He was added to the 40-man roster in November and could debut in 2022. Jose Miranda (23) - Miranda has always had the tools, and in 2021, he busted out in a big way. Between Wichita and St. Paul, Miranda hit .344/.401/.572 (.973) with 32 doubles and 30 homers in 127 games. He was added to the 40-man roster in November. Able to play first base, second base, and third base, Miranda is just waiting for an opportunity, and for some, he will have to prove that 2021 was the real deal. Jermaine Palacios (25) - While fans may not get excited, the idea of Palacios getting to the big leagues with the Twins would be pretty neat. He became a good prospect with the Twins and then was traded to the Rays for Jake Odorizzi. After struggling mightily, Palacios returned to the Twins as a free agent last year. In 110 games at Wichita, he hit .259/.341/.439 (.780) with 17 doubles, 19 homers, and 18 stolen bases. In addition, he is a really good defensive shortstop. That said, he’s likely to play all over the infield in 2022. Daniel Robertson (28) - The veteran utility infielder played in the big leagues with the Rays from 2017 to 2019, the Giants in 2020, and the Brewers in 2021. Overall, he has hit .227/.338/.345 (.683) with 34 doubles and 18 home runs in 299 games. He can play all of the infield positions pretty well and has minimal time spent in the outfield. Elliot Soto (32) - The Twins drafted Soto in 2007 out of high school He didn’t sign, went to Creighton, and was drafted by the Cubs in 2010. Beyond the Cubs, he has also played in the Marlins, Rockies, Angels, and Dodgers organizations. In 2020, he played in three big league games for the Angels and hit .333 (2-for-6) with a double. Curtis Terry (25) - Terry was drafted out of high school in Georgia in 2015 by the Rangers. He slowly worked up the Texas system, and finally got an opportunity in the big leagues in 2021. He had four hits including two doubles, in 13 games. He became a free agent after the seasons and very quickly joined the Twins on a minor league deal in November. OUTFIELDERS Jake Cave (29) - Cave has spent most of the past four seasons with the Twins. He has played in 281 games and hit .240/.305/.417 (.722) with 36 doubles, seven triples, and 28 home runs. For the first two seasons, he was a quality fourth outfielder who did well in limited duty. In the last couple of years, he has been a bit over-exposed and struggled. He was removed from the 40-man roster before spring training. Gilberto Celestino (23) - If you only watch the big league games, you saw Celestino really struggle in his debut in 2021. He hit just .136 over 62 plate appearances, though he had three doubles and two homers. In reality, he made that MLB debut with only 21 games played above A-ball and 29 games above Low-A. Excessive injuries forced him to The Show. But with the Saints, he hit .290/.384/.443 (.827) with 13 doubles and five homers in 49 games. Mark Contreras (27) - After four years at UC-Riverside, Contreras was the Twins' ninth-round pick in 2017. After a tough 2019 season (in which he still won a minor-league Gold Glove) and a lost 2020, Contreras broke out in 2021. In 114 games (95 in St. Paul), he hit .251/.338/.485 (.824) with 30 doubles, 20 homers and 15 RBI. Derek Fisher (28) - Over the past five seasons, Fisher has spent time in the big leaguers with the Astros, Blue Jays, and Brewers. In 172 big-league games, he’s hit. 195/.285/.378 (.663) with eight doubles and ten homers. Trevor Larnach (25) - Twin's top pick in 2018 from Oregon State, Larnach was the minor league hitter of the year in 2019. He was at the alternate site in 2020. After just one game in Triple-A last year, he was called up having had just a half-season at Double-A two years earlier. He started well but struggled late. Still, he will make adjustments and get back to the big leagues where in time he can hit for average and power. Should still be considered a big part of the Twins' future. There are likely to be several changes coming soon. For instance, will Kyle Garlick or Brent Rooker be on the Saints roster? Will Jose Godoy clear waivers and join the Saints? The Injured List includes Tim Beckham (quad), Jordan Balazovic (knee), and Ariel Jurado (Tommy John) to start the season. Like I said at the top, this roster has a solid mix of prospects and minor-league veterans. As you would expect, there are certain to be many transactions, but the depth is strong. View full article

Correct... so far the rosters I've seen haven't had IL mentions,. But yes, Enlow could/should join the Wind Surge in May.