Seth Stohs

Whether he starts there or not, we can all assume that Roberts will spend plenty of time in New Britain this season. he doesn't have to be added to the 40 man roster until after this upcoming season, so in reality, there isn't a huge rush. That said, his plate approach and discipline certainly make him intriguing as yet another outfielder to watch in the system.

If he had walked even 20-25 fewer batters over the course of the season, he's probably closer to the 4-6 rankings, but instead, he should be in people's 7-9 range... I do like the upside here though!

That's about right... Gardy has done a terrific job managing the Twins since he started in 2002. He's the same person and the same manager that won an AL Manager of the Year award and finished second five times. But if it's going to be guys like Correia in his rotation or guys like we saw last year, there's not a thing he can do. No manager alive, even Larussa or Maddon could have won with the Twins issues (injury and talent) the last two seasons. It's the way baseball works, and it may be a change for change sake is good, but it won't be because Gardy suddenly became a bad manager.

He's been incredible in the Mexican Winter League and had a very solid first year in affiliated ball last year at AA. I'd think his ceiling is a nice, right-handed bench bat. That said, with the Twins acquisition of Jeff Clement, I'm not certain where Colabello will start the season.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1248-12-Questions-With-Nate-Roberts

Raise your hand, Minnesota Twins fans, if you knew who Nate Roberts was before the Arizona Fall League. Well, if you follow Twins Daily, you found the outfielder’s name on these pages frequently. But it is fair to say that Roberts gained a lot of respect and notoriety around Twins Territory with his incredible performance with the Peoria Javelinas. He led the Arizona Fall League in Batting Average (.446), On Base Percentage (.565), Slugging Percentage (.662), and of course, OBP (1.226). In 84 plate appearances, he walked 12 times and was hit by seven pitches while striking out just seven times. He stole six bases in eight attempts. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2859[/ATTACH] Anything can happen in the small sample size of the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League, but the types of skills that Roberts showed are consistent with what he has shown since the Twins drafted him with their 5th round pick in 2010. In 35 Appalachian League games that season, he hit .336/.444/.547 (.991) with ten doubles, a triple, and five homers. Because of knee injuries, he has spent the past two seasons in Beloit. In 2011, he hit .302/.443/.446 (.889) with 12 doubles, four triples and four home runs. In 2012, he hit .299/.433/.427 (.860) with 18 doubles, three triples and four homers. He walked 44 times and struckout 37 times. In the past two seasons, he has been hit by 52 pitches. Roberts epitomizes what it means to be a leadoff hitter. He also grows a fantastic mustache. Today, Twins Daily is thrilled to bring you 12 Questions With… Nate Roberts. --- [ATTACH=CONFIG]2860[/ATTACH]Twins Daily (TD): Growing up in Illinois, who was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Nate Roberts (NR): I was a Cubs fan growing up and as a kid my favorite player was Mark Grace. Most recent Cubs that I enjoyed watching were Kerry Wood, Mark Derosa, and Reed Johnson. TD: Tell us about your high school career (baseball and/or other extra-curriculars). NR: In high school, I played football, basketball, and baseball. Baseball was actually my third favorite of the three, believe it or not. TD: What were some of the highlights of your college playing days at various schools, culminating with a tremendous season High Point? NR: JUCO was a great time as we won the national championship that year. My year at High Point was also memorable as we worked extremely hard to obtain the first winning record in the Div 1 history of the school. TD: The Twins drafted you in the 5th round in 2010... is that about where you were expecting to go, and did you have much communication with Twins scouts before that? NR: I was happy to be drafted by the Twins that early because I was expecting to go that soon, so that was cool. I was in contact with the Twins scout, Ricky Taylor, more than anyone else so I was happy to be picked by the Twins. TD: You signed quickly and went to Elizabethton. How would you describe your adjustment to pro baseball and what did you learn from that first season? NR: It was a good experience to minor league ball, especially the living on the road part. It was a fun transition to playing better competition and the coaches and players there were a lot of fun to be around. TD: You have spent the last two seasons in Beloit battling knee injuries, but when you're in the lineup, you are the consummate leadoff hitter, getting on-base over 40% of the time, even if it means getting hit by a ton of pitches. Is that your philosophy as a hitter? (Get on base) NR: My philosophy at the plate is to get on in any way I can and to see a lot of pitches. I adopted the HBP mentality at HPU and it continues to work. I also enjoy it too. TD: Were you surprised when you heard you were going to the Arizona Fall League? What were your expectations going into that season? NR: I was very surprised to be going to the AFL as I was scheduled to be in instructs. So I was grateful for the opportunity. I didn't go in with any high expectation as I was happy to still be playing ball. I just wanted to try and get better, play hard, and have fun. It was a great experience playing there with some good competition. TD: Fair to say that things went well for you there as you led the AFL in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage. What were some of the big take-aways for you from your time in Arizona? NR: My biggest take away from there is that I competed well against some top players which will help my confidence going into next season. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2861[/ATTACH] TD: Looking to 2013, what are some of your goals? Do you think you'll start in Ft. Myers or jump up to New Britain? NR: My number one goal is to play a full season as I have yet to do so. I also want to help my team win a championship as we have come close in the past. I'm not worried about where I'll play next season. The Twins will decide that, and I'll be happy to continue to be a part of their club. TD: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career as a baseball player? NR: Many coaches throughout my life have been influential, so I can’t just name a few. My parents have definitely been the most help. TD: If you weren't playing baseball, what would you be doing (your career of choice)? NR: Once I'm done playing, I plan on teaching and coaching high school. TD: Favorite baseball movie? NR: Favorite baseball movie: For Love of the Game. --- Thank you very much to Nate Roberts for taking time out of his offseason schedule to answer our questions. We wish him the best in spring training and wherever the 2013 season brings him.

According to Al Skorupa of Bullpen Banter, the Twins have signed right-handed pitcher Scott Elarton. When spring training starts in February, Scott Elarton will be 37 years old. In 2011, he went 6-11 with a 5.41 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP for Lehigh Valley (Phillies AAA). His last big league experience was eight games with Cleveland in 2008. He has pitched in parts of ten big league seasons, including time with the Astros, Rockies, Indians and Royals. I am trying to verify the signing elsewhere and find out whether or not he received a spring training invite.

there are a lot of very talented players in the independent leagues. Sometimes they come from small schools. Some just need a chance. Organizations put time and effort into the players that they draft or sign internationally. That's a lot of players, so there may only be a couple of org needs for each team each year. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle.

Mientkiewicz is on 1500espn with Reusse and Mackey. May be too late to catch it now, but you'll want to listen to the podcast later. Terrific answers. He's quite talkative.

Actually yes... and from 2nd base instead of home plate.

I'm good with their spotting of Meyer. That's where I had him. With May, I think he could be anywhere from 6-9, so this is fine. Without digging into other team's minor leagues, I'm comfortable with them being in the top 10. More important, I just like the top 10 (regardless of how others rank them) and along with those 2012 hard throwers, I think there is reason for optimism, for sure!

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1246-Twins-Week-in-the-Winter-Leagues-(Dec-3-9)

As we get a little bit closer to the holidays, more of the American players will be leaving their winter baseball homes. At the same time, more and more veterans will start warming up for spring training by playing in a winter league. That means many of the younger players will be playing in the Parallel League or sitting on the bench more. That said, there continue to be a lot of players from the Twins farm system getting at bats and getting innings. Here’s how players from the Twins system did during the week from December 3 through December 9: [ATTACH=CONFIG]2854[/ATTACH] VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Oswaldo Arcia, OF For the second straight week, Arcia grabs the top spot in Venezuela. Although he hit just .263 (5-19) in five games, he hit two doubles, two homers and drove in nine runs. In 43 games, he is hitting .260/.319/.493 with eight doubles and eight home runs. Eduardo Escobar – 4 Games, 3-11 (.273), 2B, 2 BB, 3 RBI Darin Mastroianni – 3 Games, 2-7 (.286), BB, 3 R, RBI Josmil Pinto – 3 Games, 2-6 (.333), BB, HR, RBI Deolis Guerra – 2 Games, 0-1, 3.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts Shairon Martis – 2 Games Started, 9.2 innings, 4 earned runs, 11 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts. Angel Mata – 2 Games, 0.2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Bruce Pugh – 3 Games, 1-0, 3.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Dakota Watts – 4 Games, 3.2 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 5 walks, 1 strikeout. MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Chris Colabello, 1B For the fifth straight week, my choice for player of the week in Mexico is Chris Colabello. On the week, he played in six games. He went 9-19 (.474) with five walks, two home runs and 7 RBI. Overall in Mexico, he has had 173 at bats in 49 games played. He is hitting .347/.422/.653 (1.075) with 11 doubles, 14 home runs and 37 RBI. According to Top Prospect Alert, Colabello’s .347 batting average leads the league. Marlon Byrd is second at .339, while Karim Garcia is third. Gonzalo Sanudo – 3 Games, 3.1 innings, 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout. Anthony Slama returned to the States. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Miguel Sano, 3B Sano actually played in four games, although he didn’t get an at bat in two of them. In the two games he started, he went 5-7 with three doubles, a homer and five RBI. In 16 sporadic games, he is 12-36. He is hitting .333/.467/.667 with three doubles and three home runs. Jhonathan Arias – 3 Games, 0-6, 3 K Pedro Florimon – 5 Games, 5-17 (.294), 2B, RBI and 5 K. Wilkin Ramirez – 3 Games , 0-2 (.000), Sam Deduno – 1 Game Started, 5.0 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts. Luis Perdomo – 2 Games, 2.0 innings, 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts. PUERTO RICO WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Eddie Rosario, OF For the second straight week, Eddie Rosario is the choice for hitter of the week. In three games, he went 4-12 (.333) with two walks and two doubles. In 18 games, he is hitting .345/.391/.552 with three doubles and three home runs. Jorge Fernandez – 1 Game, 0-0 Angel Morales – 1 Game, 0-2, K Danny Ortiz – 3 Games, 4=12 (.333), 2 K. Kennys Vargas – 3 Games, 1-2, 2-BB, HR Nelvin Fuentes – 1 Game, 1 IP, 4 hits, 4 earned runs, 0 BB, 2 K Josue Montanez – 1 Game, 1 Save, 1 IP, 0 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 0 K. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE Player of the Week – Tim Atherton, RHP Atherton came back to the Twins in 2010 as a pitcher after previously having been an infielder in the organization. Since his return, the hard-thrower has been effective, primarily out of the bullpen. In the ABL, he has been starting. He pitched one game this week and threw 5.2 scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struckout four. Logan Wade – 2 Games, 0-7 (.000), RBI, 4 K Josh Hendricks – 4 Games, 2-12 (.167), 1 BB Jacob Younis – 3 Games, 1-11 (.091), 5 K JD Williams – 4 Games, 3-11 (.283), 2 BB, 7 K Sam Gibbons – 1 Game Started, 4.1 innings, 10 hits, 2 BB, 9 earned runs, 4 K Tyler Herr – 1 Game, 1 inning, 1 hit, 0 BB, 0 earned runs, 2 K Feel free to discuss or ask any questions that you like. Also, feel free to pick a player of the week. Here were the nominees: Venezuela – Oswaldo Arcia Mexico – Chris Colabello Dominican – Miguel Sano Puerto Rico – Eddie Rosario Australia – Tim Atherton

Uhhhmmm, can you repeat the part, about the stuff?

I'm the positive blogger, by many accounts. I got nothing. $5 million is apparently what a #4/5 starter is getting (although Feldman got $6 million +, and I would take Correia over him... if I absolutely had to). I just don't get the second year.

Tweeted by Parker: Last 3 years: Correia 4.66 xFIP, 13.9% K%, 1.23 HR/9. Guthrie 4.66 xFIP, 13.7% K%, 1.22 HR/9.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1243-Twins-to-sign-RHP-Kevin-Correia

According to sources, the Twins have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Kevin Correia. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is saying that the deal is a two-year deal and $10 million. The 32-year-old right-hander has gone 12-11 the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His ERA in 2011 was 4.79, and it was 4.21 in 2012. He was originally a 4th round pick by the San Francisco Giants. He has spent time with the Giants, Padres and Pirates. In 10 big league seasons, he is a combined 60-65 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His career strikeout rate is 6.0. However, the last two seasons, his K/9 has been 4.5 and 4.7. He made his first, and only, All Star appearance in 2011 with the Pirates. The past two seasons, he has thrown 154 and 171 innings. His career high innings were 198 with the Padres in 2009. Correia comes in as the veteran of a pitching staff that includes Scott Diamond and Vance Worley. Of those three, he's clearly the third best. Best case scenario, he can find a way to be just about league average in 2013 and the Twins can trade him for a C-level prospect in July.

According to sources, the Twins have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Kevin Correia. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is saying that the deal is a two-year deal and $10 million. The 32-year-old right-hander has gone 12-11 the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His ERA in 2011 was 4.79, and it was 4.21 in 2012. He was originally a 4th round pick by the San Francisco Giants. He has spent time with the Giants, Padres and Pirates. In 10 big league seasons, he is a combined 60-65 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His career strikeout rate is 6.0. However, the last two seasons, his K/9 has been 4.5 and 4.7. He made his first, and only, All Star appearance in 2011 with the Pirates. The past two seasons, he has thrown 154 and 171 innings. His career high innings were 198 with the Padres in 2009. Correia comes in as the veteran of a pitching staff that includes Scott Diamond and Vance Worley. Of those three, he's clearly the third best. Best case scenario, he can find a way to be just about league average in 2013 and the Twins can trade him for a C-level prospect in July.

But this also goes back to your thoughts on Benson... Was calling him up from AA for a September right? Were his struggles in AAA last year related to that experience? I just think all prospects are different and need to be handled on an individual basis. No one knows whether or not Aaron Hicks is big-league ready than the Twins brass, and because of the whole human factor, no one really knows. If they go with Hicks, I will be really excited as I think he's got a chance to be a very solid major leaguer, maybe even play in a couple of All Star games. If they go with Mastroianni, I'll certainly understand that too. If they go with Benson, I will also be excited because it wasn't long ago (9-10 months ago), that we (many) had him ranked higher than we rank Hicks now and I for one would love to see him reach his immense potential. It's a no-lose situation really.