Seth Stohs

Late this afternoon, Glen Perkins tweeted that he had just got off the phone with Joe Torre who informed him that he would be joining Joe Mauer on Team USA in the WBC.

No, I get and understand your point, but I think way too many people look at the salary number as if salary alone is what the team needs to compete. Spending just to spend makes no sense. And, younger players cost less by nature. That's just how it is. My main comeback to this, and again I don't really even disagree, but I think that the Twins are going to finish 4th or 5th no matter who they would have added. I also think that they are smart enough to know that 2015 is at best when they will be contending in September again. They have to make decisions on some people and this is the year to do that. They need to know what they can count on from guys like Trevor Plouffe, Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, Eduardo Escobar, Chris Parmelee, Joe Benson, Liam Hendriks, Casey Fien, Cole De Vries, Tyler Robertson, Anthony Slama, and some others. The only way to find out is to play them. My assumption is that a few of them will make positive strides in 2013 and show that they can be relied upon. Some of them will flame out and they'll know that they need to find someone else. But there isn't a player on that list that doesn't deserve an opportunity. Add in that at some point, Kyle Gibson, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia and others will continue to be coming up. Again, I'll agree. I would rather they would have spent their money on Blanton than Correia and Lannan than Pelfrey. That would have made about a $2 million change. I would have been fine with them giving big money to Sanchez or Jackson, but they weren't going to come here. We don't know the story on Marcum, but he is hurt a lot and has lost velocity. I mean, it's not like there was a sure-thing on the market. I'm disappointed in what it looks like 2013 will be, and I fully expect the young guys to have their ups and downs into 2014 and 2015 when they'll add more of those 2012 college flame-throwers, and guys like Rosario, Sano, Wimmers, who will also have struggles. I just have a hard time getting incredibly upset about anything that I have absolutely no ability to alter.

Ummm... Brent Gates and Terry Tiffee were both better than Hughes... But I do agree that neither of those guys are really competition for Plouffe other than as bodies who will also take ground balls. (and Hughes is better than Romero or Sobolewski, for what that's worth!) Nice write up, Jeremy!

I'm not going to defend Mr. Ryan for not getting someone like Jackson at that price, but I'm good with not giving some of the contracts that have been given. And, I'm very hopeful for Liam Hendriks to take a step forward in 2013. I'm very excited to see how Kyle Gibson does as he breaks into the big leagues. Can Scott Diamond come close to duplicating his 2012 season? What do the Twins really have in Alex Meyer and Trevor May? How quickly can some of those college relievers get up here? Will Anthony Slama get a chance? There are reasons for optimism, and that's not even talking about the likes of Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Parmelee and others. I certainly wouldn't give up on Brian Dozier at this point. I don't think the Twins were legitimately going to compete in 2013 regardless. Detroit is too good. But I am very excited about the direction of the team. And frankly, young, talented players are much more valuable than just spending money to spend money. Sometimes I feel like a few people would be happier if the Twins would have given Correia 2 years and $50 million because then the payroll would be back at $100 million and "at least the Pohlad's won't pocket it."

Quite possible!! And, hopefully the word of mouth of the Twins Daily community will help us to a record high sales volume!!

It's a Sano/Buxton Question for #1... I don't know if it needs to be a 2-day process for each spot. That will take awhile. And Dave, thanks for running this.

To ericchri: I just saw him play 3B in two games in June and four games in August. My comment on his speed was more, home to first, and from 1st to 3rd or home. A couple of times, I really saw going. I'm not comparing him to Billy Hamilton, to be sure, but for someone with that much power, I was quite impressed. You make a good point about the first-step quickness. That is very important at 3B. That may have been why Cuddyer didn't last there, and frankly, it may be why Sano won't stay there. I didn't personally see it as an issue in the 6 games I saw, but that's clearly not enough for me to make any strong judgment either way. I was really referring to the pre-pitch prep that I saw him. early in the season, he was kind of all over the place. Later in the season, every pitch, he was into. The footwork looked good, and the focus definitely was more there. I really believe that if he puts his mind to it, he can be solid over there. As others have said since then, they can't move everyone to RF or 1B, so my main point is that I saw enough to definitely keep working with him. I didn't see hard hands. I did see him working in BP at shortstop. Tommy Watkins said that once he started doing that, he got back to being more athletic, and playing 3B more like SS, which I think is a good thing. No one is questioning his arm. Absolute rocket! And yes, the power is definitely there in the bat.

I definitely think that Short LeBron can stay at 3B, as long as he doesn't get taller! His athleticism, arm and shortstop history will help a lot. I think the big thing with him will be in his head. If he wants to be a good fielder, he can be. It's as much about focus/concentration than anything. As for his strikeouts, there are a couple of reasons. I said he was better at laying off of those tough breaking pitches just off the outside corner (remember Torii Hunter in his early years)... I also saw a guy who was trying to be patient at the plate, and sometimes too patient. This is going to sound dumb for a power hitter, but a couple of times I saw him strikeout because his swing at times can get too big, too long. I mean, lots of people think he went back to Instructs to work on his defense at 3B, but no one should think he's ready as a hitter yet either. I brought up the Mauer timeline comparison, but I do agree with others that say it is unlikely that he would be able to do the same, in large part due to the strikeout rate. Mauer, even at age 19, was able to control the strike zone, take walks while not striking out at lot. His approach and demeanor made it possible for him to be in the big leagues at 20. I don't see that with Sano. Some may be disappointed by that, but if he's ready at 21 or 22, that's still really good. That said, and I hate to over-play anything, he is a special player with special talent, so if he did do it, I wouldn't be completely shocked either.

Without as many tattoos? Having stood next to him several times, shaken his hand, the man is a beast. He is strong. No body fat (also, I think, a slight exaggeration). Yet, he is incredibly athletic.

Getting very close... Should be able to order them and get them before Twins Fest... Four of the five players pictured on the front cover will be at Twins Fest.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1295-For-Better-of-Worse-Miguel-Sano

Following in John’s footsteps, I thought the For Better or Worse series might be fun to bring to a couple of the minor leaguers. Today, we’ll take a look at Twins top prospect Miguel Sano. I’ll take a look at his 2012 season, give a few reasons why he could be better in 2013 and a few reasons why he could be worse in 2013. And then at the end of the article, you’ll be asked, “What do you think? Will he be better, or will he be worse?” 2012 Recap Coming off of a 20 home run season in 2011 in short-season Elizabethton, Sano was one of the youngest players in the Midwest League in 2012. He began the season as an 18-year-old. He led the league in walks and strikeouts, but he also led the league in home runs. He came into the season as the Twins top prospect, and Baseball America ranked him as the 18th best prospect in baseball. He did nothing to lessen his prospect status on the field. In 129 games, he hit .258/.373/.521 (.893) with 28 doubles, four triples, 28 home runs and 100 RBI. He made the transition from third base to shortstop full time. He played 125 games at third base and committed 42 errors. His fielding percentage was just .884. He was the #1 overall pick in the Dominican Winter League. Although he has not played a lot for Estrellas de Orientes. Although his playing time has been somewhat sporadic, he has had 49 at bats in 20 games. He hit .265/.373/.571 (.944) with three doubles and four home runs. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3030[/ATTACH] Why He’ll Be Worse First and foremost, he will be moving up a level to play in Ft. Myers. The Florida State League is more advanced than the Midwest League. He will again be one, if not the, youngest players in the league. Although he has the world of potential, he did strikeout 144 times, or ever 26.0% of his plate appearances. He has tremendous power, but the ball parks in the Florida State League are bigger than in the Midwest League as well. Why He’ll Be Better In reality, if Sano puts up the same numbers in a more advanced league, that is like an improvement. Sano is an incredible athlete. He’s about 6-3 and assumed to be around 245 pounds. He is like a shorter version of Lebron James. He has tremendous power to all fields. He may hit a few less home runs, but he also could hit a bunch of doubles. Although his strikeout rate is high, observers noted that he seemed to have much better control of the strike zone in 2012 than in 2011. He will need to continue to lay off tough pitches. However, Sano also walked 14.5% of the time in 2012 and had an Isolated Discipline of .115. That said, having Kennys Vargas hitting behind him all season should allow him to see a few more pitches. Sano is huge and powerful, but he is quite fast and runs the bases very well. Defensively, Sano had a lot of errors, but he was much improved in the second half. After posting 30 errors in the season’s first half, he had just 12 in the second half. Having seen him play in early June and then again in early August, he looked so much better at the hot corner, much more relaxed, and ready before each pitch. If he would stop growing, he could take big strides with the glove on the immaculate fields in the Florida State League. So, which will it be? Will Miguel Sano get better or worse in 2013? Let us know what you think. Something to Consider In 2002, Joe Mauer spent the entire season in the Midwest League (for Quad Cities). He turned 19 in mid-April. In 2012, Miguel Sano spent the entire season in the Midwest League (for Beloit). He turned 19 in mid-May. In 2003, Joe Mauer spent the first half of the season in the Florida State League for Ft. Myers. He then spent the second half in New Britain. The Twins traded AJ Pierzynski following the season so that Joe Mauer could be their Opening Day starting catcher in 2004, at the age of 20. Is it possible, in your mind, that Miguel Sano could be on the same path? If he starts the season in Ft. Myers and plays in New Britain in the second half, could he be the Twins Opening Day starting third baseman in 2014, at the age of 20?

I don't mind people sending in blank ballots IF they truly believe that no one is Hall of Fame worthy. Of course, i would have voted for the full ten this year, so I think it's crazy, but I think it's a fair vote. I think it's way better than not sending in a ballot at all. Along with Maddux, Glavine and Thomas, next year's ballot will add Jeff Kent and Mike Mussina.

Doesn't change my vote at all... but my opinion is if the choice is to not vote for any of these guys, then voters shouldn't vote for anyone because no one knows for sure.

I've always said I'd be fine with Trammell being in the Hall of Fame AFTER Lou Whitaker gets in... (and Whitaker didn't even get to a 2nd year on the ballot)

Tomorrow, MLB and the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce whether or not any players will be inducted into the Hall. The announcement typically comes at 1:00 central time. Here is the 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot: 2013 Official Hall of Fame Ballot - Baseball-Reference.com If you had a vote, who would get your vote? Like the writers, you can vote for zero to ten of the candidates. Pete Rose is not on the ballot, so you can write him in if you feel he should. I'd like to have people use the below thread to "cast your vote" and tell us your reasons for your vote. I'll be curious to see how Twins Daily's vote lines up with the actual vote. So, for me... My vote is for: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmiero, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, Tim Raines, Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell... If he's reading this, my sincere apologies to Fred McGriff, who I certainly think deserves strong consideration. I just can't put him above any of those above.

I really hope that they do. I think it makes a lot of sense to have one series each year at Target Field. A nice perk, so to speak, for those players and something they'll never forget. It would have been great to do that this past year when Beloit had such a good roster, including Sano, Rosario, etc. I personally think it will happen at some point.

Here's a starting point. Jeremy did a ton of work on the rosters and payrolls... http://twinsdaily.com/section/901-roster-payroll.html But I try not to get too into any one stat or any one prospect criteria. Have to look at it all together. I just think that prospects like Sano, Buxton and Arcia are few and far between.

NY-Penn League - Hitters (21.8), Pitchers (21.2) Northwest League - Hitters (21.0), Pitchers (21.3) I would say that fits right between the Appy League and the Midwest League.

I personally think that he'll remain in that same BA/OPS range... Naturally, I think that the OBP comes down a little because it was just so high last year, but I think he can add a few more doubles. I personally really like the idea of him catching no more than half of the games. I think that's more than enough. That way, he's able to play in 145-155 games (assuming health) rather than 120-130. And yes, I also think that Gardy is wise to give guys days off throughout the season. Catchers should not catch the day after a night game more than a handful of times in a season, at least until the last two months of the season if they're in contention. I think that his ability to play 1B 20-30 games will help him and help Morneau and help the team by keeping them healthy.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1288-What-is-Average

The following data will be included in the upcoming Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2013. Check back later this week for details on how you can get a copy. One of the many ways to look at and find meaning in minor league statistics is to compare them to the league average. It’s just one piece to the prospect puzzle. Below you will find league average numbers, but consider the age of individuals on a team. For instance, the average age of a hitter in the Midwest League was 21.6. Then realize that Miguel Sano, who put up numbers well above league average, turned 19 years old a month into the 2012 season. The other side is someone like catcher Matt Koch who was 23 ½ years old when the season started. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3020[/ATTACH] Below you will find the league averages for each of the leagues the Twins have an affiliate along with the Twins affiliates. This is shown for both hitters and pitchers. I’ll give some thoughts after each grouping but certainly welcome your additional comments, feedback and questions. For hitters, I’ll show, average age, BA/OBP/SLG (OPS). For pitchers, I’ll show, average age, ERA, WHIP. ROCHESTER RED WINGS • Int’l Hitters – 27.3, .257/.328/.389 (.717) • ROCH Hitters – 27.1, .251/.315/.377 (.692) • Int’l Pitchers – 27.1, 3.92 ERA, 1.36 WHIP • ROCH Pitchers – 26.1, 4.43 ERA, 1.38 WHIP AAA is always an interesting league when it comes to ages. For instance, the Red Wings had 24-year-olds like Joe Benson, Chris Parmelee and Brian Dozier on their roster, but they also had 32-year-old Matt Carson. The Red Wings pitchers youth compared to league average was likely brought down by 23-year-olds Liam Hendriks and Deolis Guerra. NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS • Eastern Hitters – 24.5, .260/.330/.392 (.723) • Rock Cats Hitters – 24.6, .262/.333/.395 (.728) • Eastern Pitchers – 24.7, 3.92 ERA, 1.35 WHIP • Rock Cats Pitchers – 24.6, 4.00 ERA, 1.36 WHIP As you can see, the Rock Cats ages were pretty much equal to the Eastern League average. Their performance was also right around league average as well. 28-year-old Chris Colabello’s age was evened out by some other key players on the Rock Cats roster. 22-year-old Aaron Hicks filled the stat line very well and was a terrific leadoff hitter. Minor League Hitter of the Year Oswaldo Arcia turned 21 years old just before he came up to the Rock Cats. Minor League Pitcher of the Year BJ Hermsen was 22 years old all season. FT. MYERS MIRACLE • FSL Hitters – 22.7, .255/.326/.373 (.699) • FM Hitters – 22.5, .250/.329/.371 (.700) • FSL Pitchers – 22.9, 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP • FM Pitchers – 23.1, 4.23 ERA, 1.43 WHIP As you can see, the Ft. Myers hitters performed at league average. So why were the Miracle so bad? Well, their pitchers were much worse than league average. Also, as you can see, if Arcia or Hermsen has spent the full seasons at Ft. Myers, they still would have been younger than league average and yet they were both terrific at AA. The same can be said for Danny Santana who had a breakout season in 2012. And as much as Levi Michael struggled, he would still be younger than league average in 2013 if he stayed with the Miracle. BELOIT SNAPPERS • MWL Hitters – 21.6, .254/.326/.379 (.705) • Beloit Hitters – 22.0, .260/.349/.395 (.736) • MWL Pitchers – 21.9, 3.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP • Beloit Pitchers – 22.1, 3.58 ERA, 1.30 WHIP It surprised me that the Beloit hitters were older than league average because of how young Miguel Sano is compared to league average. Eddie Rosario also did not turn 21 until after the season completed. People often wonder why I don’t have Nate Roberts ranked higher on my Twins prospect lists. He had turned 23 years old before spring training started. For him to be about league average age, he will need to skip Ft. Myers and go right to New Britain, which may be possible. Why were the Snappers so good in 2012? Well, the offense was well better than average, and their pitching was very good compared to league average. Starters like Jason Wheeler, Matt Tomshaw, David Hurlbut, and Cole Johnson were all 2011 draft picks, pitching in their first full season, but pitching very well. ELIZABETHTON TWINS • Appy Hitters – 20.2, .254/.329/.382 (.711) • E-Town Hitters – 20.1, .279/.360/.449 (.809) • Appy Pitchers – 20.6, 4.15 ERA, 1.36 WHIP • E-Town Pitchers – 20.5, 3.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP One thing we hear all the time is that Elizabethton is always so good because their players are kept there too long. Well, based on 2012 data, the E-Twins hitters and pitchers were just slightly younger than league average. Sure, the college pitchers just drafted were about 21, but a lot of the other players, international signings such as Max Kepler or Jorge Polanco or high school picks from previous years. At the end of the day, the E-Twins are not older than other teams in the league. That said, look at the discrepancy in performance. Hitters had nearly a .100 point OPS better than league average. Pitchers’ ERA was a full run less than league average. Another tremendous job by manager Ray Smith and hitting coach Jeff Reed. GCL TWINS • GCL Hitters – 19.6, .242/.318/.338 (.656) • GCL Twins Hitters – 20.1, .239/.310/.338 (.647) • GCL Pitchers – 20.1, 3.43 ERA, 1.26 WHIP • GCL Twins Pitchers – 19.6, 2.75 ERA, 1.18 WHIP The Twins GCL hitters were a little older than average while the pitchers were a little bit younger. The pitchers did very well relative to league average while the hitters were just shy of league average. Again, this is one of many tools that I use to help develop prospect rankings. Does a player who is a little older than league average not have a chance to become a quality big leaguer? Of course he can. Is a player who is playing way above where his age would indicate he should be automatically going to be a solid big league performer? Of course not. Each player needs to be evaluated individually and based on his own merits. This information is just a good tool to understand where the player is age-wise relative to where he is playing.