Seth Stohs

Like I said, it's probably best/fastest case at this point. Rosario is going to start the season and spend half of it in Ft. Myers, then the second half in New Britain (my guess), so he may get pushed into the Opening Day 2014 to June 2014 range too. Tonkin, at this point, should absolutely stay in the bullpen where he can be dominant with his two plus-pitches. I could see Sano sticking in Ft. Myers all year, and that would not at all be a bad thing. He would then start next season in New Britain where best case would have him up mid-season. And, as with any and all prospects, not ALL of them will even get to the big leagues. You never know.

I'd say Hicks on Opening Day. Gibson by about May 15. Arcia by about June 25th. May and Rosario up in September 2013. Meyer up Opening Day of 2014. Sano and Tonkin probably June of 2014. Santana probably August of 2014, at the earliest. (all subject to change, of course, and all would be quickest case scenario.)

A year ago, Hendriks was ranked anywhere from #3 to #6 Twins prospect. Yes, that does somewhat speak to the farm system being down last year and rocketing forward this year, but it also speaks to what Hendriks did. In 2010, he pitched in Beloit and Ft. Myers and was dominant. In 2011, he pitched great for New Britain, pretty well for Rochester, and then due to injury, he made a couple of starts with the Twins. He was the minor league pitcher of the year. In 2012, he was very good in Rochester, and really struggled with the Twins, as a 23 year old. No shame in that! This spring, he had three really good starts where the coaching staff was raving about his improvements, and then the rough start most recently on the day when the wind is blowing out. he's still just 24. He throws 90-93, has a good CB and a good CU. His control is traditionally quite good. He's aggressive. Sounds like a solid #3 starter to me. Certainly not a guy to give up on after his Age 23 season. De Vries just turned 28, touches 90 and has a good CB. Gibson is absolutely a top prospect (ranking anywhere from #5-#7 depending on the source) and he will be very good. And, by the way... good job of (hopefully) changing the subject away from players that aren't in the Twins organization!

I'm kind of in agreement with you. I think I saw a corner turned. Control was always the issue. I guess since he's not on the 40 man roster, I don't think they'd do it on Opening Day. They'll make him prove himself for a month or so in AAA (like Gibson), but I'm impressed with what he's done since then. Feels real.

Bard may or may not prove to be worth a late supplemental first round pick... like any pick... but there's no reason to not believe he's got a chance to be quite good when healthy. He certainly has the pitches, so now it will come to the development and the health.

It's what I know they are doing with those guys. I don't know where they will start the season (Beloit or Ft. Myers). I know Bard will be worked into the starting role. Regarding Martinez, the Twins had agreed to pay him over-slot, but then they found something in his physical or something and ended up signing him for well below slot. He's very young, he'll definitely be in the extended spring training group. He'll get a chance to start at some point, I'm sure.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1448-Spring-Organizational-Depth-Chart-The-Starting-Pitchers

Last week, we began to look at the Minnesota Twins organizational depth by looking at all of the outfielders and then all of the infielders in the in the system. Yesterday, we reviewed all of the catchers. Today, we will be taking a look at the starting pitchers throughout the Twins system. Consider there are five starters on the big league team plus four full-season affiliates and several remaining in Extended Spring Training. There are lots of pitchers to get through. As pitchers move up the organizational ladder, they typically get put into either the starting pitcher or relief pitcher category. In the lower levels, the line is a little more blurry. Because all pitchers are a little different (age, mechanics, stuff, maturity), they are treated a little differently. A high school draft pick in his first full season will likely throw less innings than a 25-year-old in AAA. In the lower levels, it’s quite possible that one pitcher will start in the first half and pitch out of the bullpen in the second half, or once they hit a certain innings limit. Other pitchers may be stretched out in the bullpen and move into the rotation when scheduled. This also occurs when a pitcher is rehabbing an injury. In other words, it is important to remember that if a pitcher is not starting in April, it doesn’t mean that he’ll be in the bullpen the whole year. Here are (most of) the Starting Pitchers in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond (DL), Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano are gone. Last year’s best pitcher, Scott Diamond is likely to start the season on the Disabled List after having bone chips removed from his elbow in December. The Twins starting rotation in 2012 was a hodge-podge, thrown together with hope and prayers, and for the most part, things went horribly wrong. The front office did make a couple of offseason trades to make the future of the starting rotation look brighter, but they did little to instill confidence that the rotation will be much better in 2013. That said, there can be some reason for some minimal optimism, should you choose to think that way. In the Ben Revere trade, the Twins acquired Vance Worley who was clearly the #54 starter for the Phillies rotation the last couple of years (behind the likes of Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels), but he would have been the Twins top guy the last couple of seasons. He would be the odds-on favorite to be the team’s top starter in 2013. He also had bone chips removed, but his procedure was done last August. Kevin Correia is going to give up a ton of hits. We know that. But if he can find a way to give up four runs or less in his 5-6 innings most starts, the offense may have a chance to keep up. He got $10 million. He’ll be making starts. Mike Pelfrey was an innings-eater at least for the Mets for several years. That is, until 2012 when he had Tommy John surgery in May. His comeback has been nothing short of remarkable, though it will be interesting to see how his aggressive return plays out. If healthy, he can be an average starter. Liam Hendriks would likely be in the lead for the 5th starter job if it was decided today. (Yes, he also had bone chips removed, in October) He’s looking to take his immense minor league success and show it in the big leagues in 2013. Assuming Diamond starts on the DL, the Twins will need another starter, and I would say that would be Cole de Vries at this point. The Minnesota native has performed quite well this spring, and although expectations were low for him in his rookie season, he actually pitched well. Rochester Red Wings Kyle Gibson, Samuel Deduno, PJ Walters, Pedro Hernandez, Virgil Vasquez, Scott Elarton (Nick Blackburn – DL) There is a chance that Kyle Gibson still makes the Twins Opening Day roster, but I sense that he is going to begin the season with the Red Wings where they will be able to limit his innings early in the season. That way, when he comes up to the Twins, there will be no limitations. Samuel Deduno will certainly be an interesting pitcher to watch in 2013. He pitched much better than expected in 2012, even showing good control at times. He was terrific in the Dominican Winter League, and his one start in the WBC was very impressive, and no walks. PJ Walters is having a very good spring again, and may be trying to earn a spot as a long reliever. Assuming he doesn’t, he’ll again be part of the Red Wings starting staff. Pedro Hernandez came to the Twins in the Francisco Liriano deal, made a couple of starts for Rochester, and then his season ended with injury. He is yet to give up a run this spring and may be competing with Tyler Robertson for a third lefty reliever. Virgil Vasquez hasn’t played in the big leagues for a couple of years. The Twins signed him while he was pitching in the Australian Baseball League this past winter. Elarton is another veteran who has been around for many years. He’s looking to the Twins for another opportunity. As you know, Nick Blackburn will begin the season on the Disabled List. When healthy, he’ll get another chance to start. New Britain Rock Cats BJ Hermsen, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Logan Darnell, Pat Dean, Blake Martin, Tom Stuifbergen, Kyle Davies, (Alex Wimmers – DL) Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year last year. He spent April in Ft. Myers, but he moved up to New Britain and was an Eastern League All-Star. He earned his spot on the Twins 40 man roster. Trevor May came to the Twins with Vance Worley from the Phillies in the Ben Revere trade. The hard-throwing right hander pitched for Reading (AA) last year and will return to the league for 2013 because he struggled with control. If he can throw strikes, he has the pitches and the mid-90s fastball to become a top of the rotation type of starter. Alex Meyer came to the Twins in the Denard Span trade. As the Twins said, to get a top of the rotation pitcher, you have to give something significant up, and before he gets to the upper levels. The sky is the limit for Meyer as he has a fastball that reaches into the upper-90s and a devastating slider. Darnell is a lefty who has pitched for the Rock Cats each of the past two seasons. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League last year. Blake Martin is another lefty who sees time in the rotation and in the bullpen. He has generally pitched better as a starter. Kyle Davies was once a prospect with the Braves. He was traded to the Royals where he was even worse. He did not pitch at all in 2012 and hopes to stick in the Twins organization. Stuifbergen has pitched for Ft. Myers each of the last two seasons. He has the stuff to be a solid starter, but he has to stay healthy. He is pitching for The Netherlands in the WBC. Alex Wimmers had Tommy John surgery in July, and he will likely be rehabbing much of the season. Ft. Myers Miracle Adrian Salcedo, Jason Wheeler, Matt Summers, Madison Boer, David Hurlbut, Matt Tomshaw, Luke Bard Adrian Salcedo was one of the Twins Top 10 prospects a year ago at this time, but in 2012, he missed most of the season with shoulder and elbow injuries. When healthy, he is long and lanky and can throw 95. He’s very athletic and could move quickly when confident in his arm. Jason Wheeler led the Twins minor leagues in Wins in 2012 with the Beloit Snappers. The tall left-hander doesn’t throw hard but does have good control and three pitches. Matt Summers started last year with the Snappers, but he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he was solid but unspectacular. Eden Prairie’s Madison Boer moved up to Ft. Myers very early and really struggled. I think that he could move up the system really quickly if he moved to the bullpen, but he has the velocity and the pitches that make him intriguing still as a starter. Hurlbut and Tomshaw were both terrific in the Beloit rotation all season. The lefties don’t throw hard, but they know how to pitch. Tomshaw pitched well right for the Miracle right after he was drafted in 2011, and he will return again in 2013. Luke Bard was the Twins third, first-round pick in 2012 out of Georgia Tech. He pitched so little last year due to injury. He will begin the season as a bullpen guy, but he will get a chance to start at some point. Cedar Rapids Kernels JO Berrios, DJ Baxendale, Tyler Duffey, Mason Melotakis, Taylor Rogers, Christian Powell, Brett Lee The Twins’ draft strategy last year included taking top available talent. For the team, the meant a lot of hard-throwing college arms who could move up quickly in the bullpen, but the Twins want several of them to become starters. When JO Berrios was available with the first pick of the supplemental first round, the Twins were thrilled to select him. The youngster impressed the Twins brass in spring training before heading to the WBC to pitch for Puerto Rico. Taylor Rogers moved up to Beloit and made a few starts in 2012 after being drafted out of Kentucky. DJ Baxendale pitched for Arkansas in the College World Series last year. Upon signing, the Twins kept him pitching out of the bullpen to limit his innings. He was dominant for the Snappers in 2012. Melotakis was the Twins 2nd round pick. The hard-throwing lefty dominated out of the bullpen, but he will also be able to find out if he can be a starter. Tyler Duffey put up astonishing numbers in Elizabethton as a reliever. He pitched for the Snappers in the playoffs. He too will be getting an opportunity to start. Christian Powell worked just a handful of innings before being hurt, but the hard-thrower will get a chance to start. Brett Lee is a lefty who pitched well for Elizabethton last year. He was drafted three times, so I’d expect him to take a big step forward in 2013. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Hudson Boyd, Austin Malinowski, Josue Montanez, Hein Robb, Sam Gibbons, Felix Jorge, Yorman Landa, Kuo-Hua Lo. Hudson Boyd’s first pro season was full of ups and downs, and his numbers show it. The 20-year-old pitched in Elizabethton last year and posted a solid 2.95 ERA. However, he was just 2-5 and had a WHIP of 1.48 while striking out just 36 in 58 innings. He throws hard. He lost a lot of weight this offseason. Expect much improvement in his second season. Austin Malinowski is from Minnesota and gave up a ride to the University of Arizona to sign with the Twins. He went 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 11 games in the GCL. His WHIP was 1.45, but the southpaw struckout 32 batters in 31.2 innings. Josue Montanez fought some injuries last year, but when he pitched, he was terrific. In the GCL, the lefty went 2-0 with a 0.36 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He struckout 30 and walked just eight in 25 innings. Seems like lefty Hein Robb has been around for a long time. He has been. The Twins signed him as a 16-year-old from South Africa. He played for their national team in the 2009 WBC, before he even pitched in the States. Last year at E-Town (after two years in the GCL), the lefty went 2-4 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. In 41 innings, he walked 14 and struckout 38. Sam Gibbons is a 19-year-old from Australia who debuted in the States with the GCL Twins in 2012. He went 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 35.1 innings. He walked just eight but struckout just 22. Felix Jorge was signed as a highly-touted right-hander from the Dominican. He went 0-3 but posted a 2.34 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in the GCL. In 34.2 innings, he walked 12 and struckout 37. Jorge just recently turned 19. Yorman Landa is also highly-touted. He comes from Venezuela. He too pitched in the GCL in 2012, and he went 1-3 with a 2.43 ERA. In 33.1 innings, he walked too many (21) but struckout 27. He will turn 19 about the time the Elizabethton season starts. Kuo-Hua Lo signed from Taiwan near in 2011 and debuted in the GCL as a 19-year-old in 2012. He went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP in 11 games. In 39.2 innings, he walked seven and struckout 33. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Alex Meyer, 2.) Kyle Gibson, 3.) JO Berrios, 4.) Trevor May, 5.) Mason Melotakis, 6.) Luke Bard, 7.) BJ Hermsen, 8.) Felix Jorge. The Twins finally have a few pitchers in their system with some significant upside. Alex Meyer has true ace potential. Kyle Gibson is very close, and he can be a solid #2. The sky may be the limit for JO Berrios, and although he’s young, he could move quickly. May came to the organization, and he has #2 upside, and if he does wind up in the bullpen, he could be dominant. SUMMARY 2012 was a frustrating year for the Twins. Often, the team would find itself down by three or four runs before the third inning. It will be interesting to see how the new pitchers fit in and pitch in the American League. It will be interesting to see Hendriks and De Vries get their next shot in the big leagues. Some of those guys that were forced into action last year for the Twins are still around, hoping for another shot. In Sam Deduno and PJ Walters, they have good options. And, what is really exciting is the influx of talent that the Twins have had since the end of last year. A couple of guys came via trade The Twins drafted the talented Berrios, and then a bunch of strong-armed college pitchers. Some will get a chance to start. Others could move up quickly in the bullpen. And, there are some more high-ceiling, high potential pitchers who threw in the GCL a year ago. It will be interesting to watch their slow climb up the organizational ladder. The Twins minor league pitching depth hasn’t been this strong in a long time. Will they use that #4 pick in the 2013 draft to obtain more high-ceiling pitching talent? We shall see. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

Last week, we began to look at the Minnesota Twins organizational depth by looking at all of the outfielders and then all of the infielders in the in the system. Yesterday, we reviewed all of the catchers. Today, we will be taking a look at the starting pitchers throughout the Twins system. Consider there are five starters on the big league team plus four full-season affiliates and several remaining in Extended Spring Training. There are lots of pitchers to get through. As pitchers move up the organizational ladder, they typically get put into either the starting pitcher or relief pitcher category. In the lower levels, the line is a little more blurry. Because all pitchers are a little different (age, mechanics, stuff, maturity), they are treated a little differently. A high school draft pick in his first full season will likely throw less innings than a 25-year-old in AAA. In the lower levels, it’s quite possible that one pitcher will start in the first half and pitch out of the bullpen in the second half, or once they hit a certain innings limit. Other pitchers may be stretched out in the bullpen and move into the rotation when scheduled. This also occurs when a pitcher is rehabbing an injury. In other words, it is important to remember that if a pitcher is not starting in April, it doesn’t mean that he’ll be in the bullpen the whole year. Here are (most of) the Starting Pitchers in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond (DL), Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano are gone. Last year’s best pitcher, Scott Diamond is likely to start the season on the Disabled List after having bone chips removed from his elbow in December. The Twins starting rotation in 2012 was a hodge-podge, thrown together with hope and prayers, and for the most part, things went horribly wrong. The front office did make a couple of offseason trades to make the future of the starting rotation look brighter, but they did little to instill confidence that the rotation will be much better in 2013. That said, there can be some reason for some minimal optimism, should you choose to think that way. In the Ben Revere trade, the Twins acquired Vance Worley who was clearly the #54 starter for the Phillies rotation the last couple of years (behind the likes of Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels), but he would have been the Twins top guy the last couple of seasons. He would be the odds-on favorite to be the team’s top starter in 2013. He also had bone chips removed, but his procedure was done last August. Kevin Correia is going to give up a ton of hits. We know that. But if he can find a way to give up four runs or less in his 5-6 innings most starts, the offense may have a chance to keep up. He got $10 million. He’ll be making starts. Mike Pelfrey was an innings-eater at least for the Mets for several years. That is, until 2012 when he had Tommy John surgery in May. His comeback has been nothing short of remarkable, though it will be interesting to see how his aggressive return plays out. If healthy, he can be an average starter. Liam Hendriks would likely be in the lead for the 5th starter job if it was decided today. (Yes, he also had bone chips removed, in October) He’s looking to take his immense minor league success and show it in the big leagues in 2013. Assuming Diamond starts on the DL, the Twins will need another starter, and I would say that would be Cole de Vries at this point. The Minnesota native has performed quite well this spring, and although expectations were low for him in his rookie season, he actually pitched well. Rochester Red Wings Kyle Gibson, Samuel Deduno, PJ Walters, Pedro Hernandez, Virgil Vasquez, Scott Elarton (Nick Blackburn – DL) There is a chance that Kyle Gibson still makes the Twins Opening Day roster, but I sense that he is going to begin the season with the Red Wings where they will be able to limit his innings early in the season. That way, when he comes up to the Twins, there will be no limitations. Samuel Deduno will certainly be an interesting pitcher to watch in 2013. He pitched much better than expected in 2012, even showing good control at times. He was terrific in the Dominican Winter League, and his one start in the WBC was very impressive, and no walks. PJ Walters is having a very good spring again, and may be trying to earn a spot as a long reliever. Assuming he doesn’t, he’ll again be part of the Red Wings starting staff. Pedro Hernandez came to the Twins in the Francisco Liriano deal, made a couple of starts for Rochester, and then his season ended with injury. He is yet to give up a run this spring and may be competing with Tyler Robertson for a third lefty reliever. Virgil Vasquez hasn’t played in the big leagues for a couple of years. The Twins signed him while he was pitching in the Australian Baseball League this past winter. Elarton is another veteran who has been around for many years. He’s looking to the Twins for another opportunity. As you know, Nick Blackburn will begin the season on the Disabled List. When healthy, he’ll get another chance to start. New Britain Rock Cats BJ Hermsen, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Logan Darnell, Pat Dean, Blake Martin, Tom Stuifbergen, Kyle Davies, (Alex Wimmers – DL) Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year last year. He spent April in Ft. Myers, but he moved up to New Britain and was an Eastern League All-Star. He earned his spot on the Twins 40 man roster. Trevor May came to the Twins with Vance Worley from the Phillies in the Ben Revere trade. The hard-throwing right hander pitched for Reading (AA) last year and will return to the league for 2013 because he struggled with control. If he can throw strikes, he has the pitches and the mid-90s fastball to become a top of the rotation type of starter. Alex Meyer came to the Twins in the Denard Span trade. As the Twins said, to get a top of the rotation pitcher, you have to give something significant up, and before he gets to the upper levels. The sky is the limit for Meyer as he has a fastball that reaches into the upper-90s and a devastating slider. Darnell is a lefty who has pitched for the Rock Cats each of the past two seasons. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League last year. Blake Martin is another lefty who sees time in the rotation and in the bullpen. He has generally pitched better as a starter. Kyle Davies was once a prospect with the Braves. He was traded to the Royals where he was even worse. He did not pitch at all in 2012 and hopes to stick in the Twins organization. Stuifbergen has pitched for Ft. Myers each of the last two seasons. He has the stuff to be a solid starter, but he has to stay healthy. He is pitching for The Netherlands in the WBC. Alex Wimmers had Tommy John surgery in July, and he will likely be rehabbing much of the season. Ft. Myers Miracle Adrian Salcedo, Jason Wheeler, Matt Summers, Madison Boer, David Hurlbut, Matt Tomshaw, Luke Bard Adrian Salcedo was one of the Twins Top 10 prospects a year ago at this time, but in 2012, he missed most of the season with shoulder and elbow injuries. When healthy, he is long and lanky and can throw 95. He’s very athletic and could move quickly when confident in his arm. Jason Wheeler led the Twins minor leagues in Wins in 2012 with the Beloit Snappers. The tall left-hander doesn’t throw hard but does have good control and three pitches. Matt Summers started last year with the Snappers, but he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he was solid but unspectacular. Eden Prairie’s Madison Boer moved up to Ft. Myers very early and really struggled. I think that he could move up the system really quickly if he moved to the bullpen, but he has the velocity and the pitches that make him intriguing still as a starter. Hurlbut and Tomshaw were both terrific in the Beloit rotation all season. The lefties don’t throw hard, but they know how to pitch. Tomshaw pitched well right for the Miracle right after he was drafted in 2011, and he will return again in 2013. Luke Bard was the Twins third, first-round pick in 2012 out of Georgia Tech. He pitched so little last year due to injury. He will begin the season as a bullpen guy, but he will get a chance to start at some point. Cedar Rapids Kernels JO Berrios, DJ Baxendale, Tyler Duffey, Mason Melotakis, Taylor Rogers, Christian Powell, Brett Lee The Twins’ draft strategy last year included taking top available talent. For the team, the meant a lot of hard-throwing college arms who could move up quickly in the bullpen, but the Twins want several of them to become starters. When JO Berrios was available with the first pick of the supplemental first round, the Twins were thrilled to select him. The youngster impressed the Twins brass in spring training before heading to the WBC to pitch for Puerto Rico. Taylor Rogers moved up to Beloit and made a few starts in 2012 after being drafted out of Kentucky. DJ Baxendale pitched for Arkansas in the College World Series last year. Upon signing, the Twins kept him pitching out of the bullpen to limit his innings. He was dominant for the Snappers in 2012. Melotakis was the Twins 2nd round pick. The hard-throwing lefty dominated out of the bullpen, but he will also be able to find out if he can be a starter. Tyler Duffey put up astonishing numbers in Elizabethton as a reliever. He pitched for the Snappers in the playoffs. He too will be getting an opportunity to start. Christian Powell worked just a handful of innings before being hurt, but the hard-thrower will get a chance to start. Brett Lee is a lefty who pitched well for Elizabethton last year. He was drafted three times, so I’d expect him to take a big step forward in 2013. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Hudson Boyd, Austin Malinowski, Josue Montanez, Hein Robb, Sam Gibbons, Felix Jorge, Yorman Landa, Kuo-Hua Lo. Hudson Boyd’s first pro season was full of ups and downs, and his numbers show it. The 20-year-old pitched in Elizabethton last year and posted a solid 2.95 ERA. However, he was just 2-5 and had a WHIP of 1.48 while striking out just 36 in 58 innings. He throws hard. He lost a lot of weight this offseason. Expect much improvement in his second season. Austin Malinowski is from Minnesota and gave up a ride to the University of Arizona to sign with the Twins. He went 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 11 games in the GCL. His WHIP was 1.45, but the southpaw struckout 32 batters in 31.2 innings. Josue Montanez fought some injuries last year, but when he pitched, he was terrific. In the GCL, the lefty went 2-0 with a 0.36 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He struckout 30 and walked just eight in 25 innings. Seems like lefty Hein Robb has been around for a long time. He has been. The Twins signed him as a 16-year-old from South Africa. He played for their national team in the 2009 WBC, before he even pitched in the States. Last year at E-Town (after two years in the GCL), the lefty went 2-4 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. In 41 innings, he walked 14 and struckout 38. Sam Gibbons is a 19-year-old from Australia who debuted in the States with the GCL Twins in 2012. He went 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 35.1 innings. He walked just eight but struckout just 22. Felix Jorge was signed as a highly-touted right-hander from the Dominican. He went 0-3 but posted a 2.34 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in the GCL. In 34.2 innings, he walked 12 and struckout 37. Jorge just recently turned 19. Yorman Landa is also highly-touted. He comes from Venezuela. He too pitched in the GCL in 2012, and he went 1-3 with a 2.43 ERA. In 33.1 innings, he walked too many (21) but struckout 27. He will turn 19 about the time the Elizabethton season starts. Kuo-Hua Lo signed from Taiwan near in 2011 and debuted in the GCL as a 19-year-old in 2012. He went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP in 11 games. In 39.2 innings, he walked seven and struckout 33. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Alex Meyer, 2.) Kyle Gibson, 3.) JO Berrios, 4.) Trevor May, 5.) Mason Melotakis, 6.) Luke Bard, 7.) BJ Hermsen, 8.) Felix Jorge. The Twins finally have a few pitchers in their system with some significant upside. Alex Meyer has true ace potential. Kyle Gibson is very close, and he can be a solid #2. The sky may be the limit for JO Berrios, and although he’s young, he could move quickly. May came to the organization, and he has #2 upside, and if he does wind up in the bullpen, he could be dominant. SUMMARY 2012 was a frustrating year for the Twins. Often, the team would find itself down by three or four runs before the third inning. It will be interesting to see how the new pitchers fit in and pitch in the American League. It will be interesting to see Hendriks and De Vries get their next shot in the big leagues. Some of those guys that were forced into action last year for the Twins are still around, hoping for another shot. In Sam Deduno and PJ Walters, they have good options. And, what is really exciting is the influx of talent that the Twins have had since the end of last year. A couple of guys came via trade The Twins drafted the talented Berrios, and then a bunch of strong-armed college pitchers. Some will get a chance to start. Others could move up quickly in the bullpen. And, there are some more high-ceiling, high potential pitchers who threw in the GCL a year ago. It will be interesting to watch their slow climb up the organizational ladder. The Twins minor league pitching depth hasn’t been this strong in a long time. Will they use that #4 pick in the 2013 draft to obtain more high-ceiling pitching talent? We shall see. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section!

You make a good point. Achter has nothing to do with this. What I think I was trying to say was, if Tonkin wouldn't have been in camp, or if he would have had a bad outing or three, would it be so obvious that he should go right to New Britain after a half season at High-A. Achter was better than Tonkin last year, but people aren't clamoring for him to start at AA. Just trying to make the point that in spring training, people do get excited about things, and they should... but what's best for Tonkin is what should be done.

I definitely don't. I think the mix they did last year was just perfect. Maybe get him as many as 90, but no more than that!

Yes, he is an outfielder now.

Regarding Tonkin - 1.) If you think he should start at New Britain, I assume you also think that AJ Achter should start at New Britain because in their half-seasons at Ft. Myers, Achter was a little better. 2.) if they're going to stretch him out to start, that should absolutely be done in minor league camp, not big league camp. 3.) He's like 100 yards away in big league camp. They can and will still see him.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1444-Twins-Option-Six-Players-to-Minors

On Monday, the Minnesota Twins announced more roster cuts. After five non-roster players were assigned to minor league camp on Sunday, the Twins optioned six players from their 40 man roster. This leaves the Twins with 56 players in their MLB camp. Likely the biggest surprise is that catcher Chris Herrmann has been optioned to Triple-A Rochester (1st option). This is his third big league camp with the Twins, but it is the earliest that he has been sent to the minor league side of the complex. The reason? He is now on the 40 man roster. He was unlikely to make the Twins Opening Day roster. He will head down to make his Triple-A debut with the Rochester Red Wings. He will likely continue to catch quite a bit, but he will also get time in the outfield, and maybe even some at first base in an attempt to make him more versatile. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3459[/ATTACH] Trevor May showed his upside in camp, but he also had a couple of outings in which his control got away from him. That is to be expected because of nervousness, but it is also the biggest question out there for whether he can be a big league starter or reliever. He will likely go back to AA, this time with New Britain, to start the 2013 season, but he should debut in 2013 as well, if he throws strikes. BJ Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2012 when he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He showed his work ethic in his first big league camp, but he showed that he still has things to work on before he is ready. He will likely return to New Britain to start the season. Hard-throwing Michael Tonkin also made a strong impression during spring training, but he only spent the 2nd half of the 2012 season in Hi-A Ft. Myers. His strikeout numbers are noteworthy, and his pitches are sharp. He has a chance to advance quickly, but he may begin the season back in Ft. Myers. Shortstop Danny Santana jumped onto the prospect map with a strong showing offensively and defensively in 2012 in Ft. Myers. The speedy Santana showed the good and the bad in spring training. He showed tremendous range and a very strong arm, but he will have to improve his consistency to continue to advance toward the big leagues. He missed a couple of routine plays with the glove and made some aggressive mistakes on the base paths. He will likely start the season in New Britain. Josmil Pinto reclaimed his place as a prospect in the Twins system in 2012. He had a great season in Elizabethton a few years ago, but it wasn’t until his 2012 season in Ft. Myers that he put up solid offensive numbers again. He ended the season in New Britain, hitting well. He could have become a minor league free agent, but he re-signed quickly with the Twins and was added to the 40 man roster. He’ll return to New Britain to catch and DH. Hermsen, May, Tonkin, Pinto and Santana were optioned to AA New Britain. With 56 players in big league camp, 31 will still need to be sent to minor league camp, optioned, released of put on the Disabled List before April 1st, Opening Day.

If you get to the ballpark by about 9 a.m., there will be players practicing... probably most of the day, but at least until noon.

If he catches 120 games, the risk for injury increases significantly, and he will play a lot less and hit a lot less overall. They have him signed for like 6 more years, and I'd like to see him be in the lineup as much as possible over that time frame.

my point on the change from the in-game report (being evaluated, but day-to-day for now) to the post-game (he's been evaluated, it's going to be awhile) isn't on the training staff. They need to do the evaluation before having any confidence. They couldn't say that same thing until they had seen him.

I'd be fine with a .600+ OPS as well from SS, especially if it accounts for some great defense.

And people bash me for being so high on Daniel Ortiz!!! That was great to see! Wish I could have been there again with you and Topper! Michelbob's would make me jealous... Fernando the Bull was just a-ite! Welcome back to the great weather, and thanks for the great reports!

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1441-Spring-Training-Organizational-Depth-Chart-The-Catchers