mnfanforlife

Looks pretty accurate. Perhaps they draft a college catcher at #4? Jon Denney worth it? Plouffe will be gone. 3B - Sano. 2B should be Rosario by 2015. SS could be Dozier or Santana? As for the OF, I would bet on a competition between Joe Benson and Nate Roberts maybe? I think Kepler and Buxton make them all expendable by 2016.

Roger...very good post. There are so many younger prospects ready to pitch in low-A, that I am hoping the organization will eventually cut bait with some upper level guys (if promotions are warranted) to make room for the influx coming through E-town and Cedar Rapids right now. I like your candidates for promotion to C.R. (Lo would prob make the best starter at this point, don't you think?)

Yes, we should be very deep by 2015. I see Niko Goodrum and Candido Pimentel being added to your list. Maybe the Twins draft O. Mercado or JP Crawford with the #4 pick? Our current struggles with MLB depth at SS/2B will soon be over!

True. Maybe there is another SS prospect out there buried behind an established major leaguer

The nice thing about the players you'd give up here....is that all are expendable based on what the Twins will have remaining.

This would help Minnesota sooooo much! We dont have a single standout SS prospect in our entire system. I cannot count Santana as a "standout"

Are you able to watch most of the E-town games?

Okay kab21....My question was simple. ABSOLUTELY NO PART of my question expresses ANY opinion I may have about ANYONE. So stop reading into things and taking personal shots..... and simply answer the bleeping question. As for my opinion on Harrison, he is a top 100 draft pick that should be able to move up quickly. His pro-debut was ok, nothing spectacular. MLB scouts love his upside as a hitter. If Sano moves, Travis could move up to fill in.

I threw the name Lincecum out there based on body type and "stuff" And...I agree that Kershaw and King Felix are poor comparisons for Berrios. Pedro Martinez is a better comparison as far as body-type. But nobody that is sane would predict Berrios' MLB production would even approach Pedro or Lincecum for that matter.

Sounds like youre a "I'll believe it when I see it" kinda guy. And that's fine! Nothing wrong with wanting a prospect to prove himself through the levels of the minor leagues. But let me point something out.....Buxton's Rookie ball production did not look great on paper. Yet, Bux was chosen by Base. Amer. as the #1 prospect in both rookie leagues. Berrios was not nearly as highly-touted as Byron, but his rookie numbers were ridiculous. I know, we are talking about rookie stats. My question for you....if Bux is going to be compared to anyone named Upton, then who can we compare Berrios to? Hey, I may be disappointed if Berrios doesn't become an MLB #3, but I can certainly hope for more than that from him. I am NOT AFRAID TO BE DISAPPOINTED ABOUT ANY BASEBALL PROSPECT. Please let me dream.

Thank you lightfoot!! I share your optimism about Walker. The ELZ team last year was absolutely loaded. Cedar Rapids should be equally powerful this summer. You got Walker bringing home another trophy after 2013??

Thanks for your opinions on Berrios. And kab21, I am sincerely sorry if any of my posts have offended you in any way. As for your accusation of me having "super high optimism" about Jose's projections....I have posted several of my 2015 Twins pitching rotations on this site, and none of them have Berrios as our #1 or #2 starter. So, I definitely agree he is probably not an ace (even by Twins' standards). But until he actually does struggle in the minors, I will be hopeful he proves all the doubters wrong and becomes an MLB-caliber ACE. I see nothing wrong with that. Am I thinking critically about him? not so much, but I doubt that J. Berrios sees himself as a #3 starter. He surely wants to be #1, and he is really the most influential person on this topic of projection. Not you, or me, or any scout out there.

Yes Seth, I must agree. His batting average isn't going to go up from the Appy to Midwest League.

I couldn't agree more Paul. Our farm system is loaded with 18-22-yr-olds that hold mountains of promise. Looks like 2015 will be the first year we have all the pieces we need in Minnesota.

And Arcia will be the long-term solution in RF....NOT Parmelee....just saying....Morneau or Parmelee does not fit into this equation. I didn't even mention the possibility of Joe Mauer becoming a full-time 1B with the Twins. That might happen sooner than later.

I agree. There are too many 1B prospects in this ORG. Parmalee, Colabello, Vargas, maybe even Sano and Harrison end up at 1B. As much as I root for Morneau, I can't see him sticking around past the trade deadline. I think Terry Ryan is planning this, and he is praying that Morneau increases his own trade value before the deadline. There are just too many guys that can play 1B if Morneau gets dealt, that it mirrors the embarrassment of CF's we had before the trading of Span/Revere. Stupid to pay him so much if a cheaper replacement can produce similar numbers.

Oh man, if Berrios even approaches the level of PJ Martinez then we have an ace

Is it really 2013 already? Yes. And don't try to change the subject. We are talking baseball here, and no one cares that you've squandered all of 2012 worrying about doomsday prophecies. All we have is "right now." So lets live in the present for a moment, and assess the future of the Twins utility infielder role. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3084[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3085[/ATTACH] Every team's gotta have one. A guy that can play anywhere on the infield, and be placed in the outfield if need be. This is the guy you put behind the plate in a catcher emergency (like if Mauer, Doumit, and Butera all have to use the restroom, together). He is a bench guy, but would be a terrific regular if he is needed. This club has had some dandy utility guys in years past. The first one that comes to mind is Denny Hocking. There have been many more, but none may have defined the job better than the recent Twin named Nick Punto. "Nicky" could play outstanding defense anywhere, and come up with a big single late in the game. Then he'd steal second and later score. He was scrappy, and I really miss him. He could play 3B too: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3361101&c_id=mlb Most people I talk about baseball with hated Punto. Even my buddy who is a Giants fan bashed him constantly. In general, they hated his inability to hit. I tried to explain that his defensive ability is a highly valuable trait for a major league team to have. Evermore, they spewed hatred for his name (Punto is a nice name in my opinion). But let's get back to "right now." Jamey Carroll is the guy most likely to fill the utility role this coming season. After 2013, its anybody's guess. So, the search for a new solution should begin now. Let me introduce my first choice to be a long-term solution for the club's utility role...my #9 prospect, Jorge Polanco. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3087[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3088[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]3086[/ATTACH] Check out Jorge in the Appy League: I know. He is still at least three years away. But he played every position save for pitcher, catcher and first-base in 2011, including 10 error-free games in the outfield. His infield defense in 2012 was outstanding at 2B, and adequate at SS. Unlike Punto, Polanco can hit! The Domincan switch-hitter out-slugged fellow Twins prospects Adam Walker and Travis Harrison (and most of the Appy League) in 2012. Not bad at all for a guy listed at 5'11 165 lbs. If he reproduces numbers like 2012 at the higher minor league levels, then we could be talking about an everyday guy in Minnesota. In order to pertain to my title, I am going to predict that Polanco breaks in with the big-league club as a utility infielder in 2016. He will be playing behind Eddie Rosario at 2B and Daniel Santana at SS, but will find plenty of AB's by spelling any infielder that needs a breather. Imagine that Twins fans...a utility guy with a mind to do damage offensively!

With Buxton's talent, anything is possible! Anyone see Bux making it out of low-A next summer?

So, you think Berrios will fizzle out in Double-A?

Good grief, if JJ Hardy ends up in the AL Central he will hit 10 bombs vs. Minnesota next year.

Haha! Thank you Darin. Walker will only be 26-27 around that time.

Is anyone else as excited as I am about the Twins 3rd-round-pick last June? I am talking about the 97th overall selection named Adam Walker. This guy barely made the top 100 players drafted in 2012, but his initial return showed immense power promise. So much so, that I wanted to upset some people (and bring joy to others) by comparing him favorably to Giancarlo Stanton. Dang right people. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3081[/ATTACH] Even for a casual baseball fan, Stanton is a recognizable figure. He stands 6'5 at a healthy weight and hits baseballs several city blocks at a time. Walker has him matched in height and could someday match Giancarlo in hitting power as well. Adam did not waste his time at Jacksonville in the weight room. But he is two years younger than Stanton at 21, and can be projected to get even stronger. He signed quickly with the Twins and flexed his muscle with 14 HR's in 58 games of Rookie ball. Yes, as a 21-yr-old, Stanton hit 34 bombs for the Marlins. So we cannot expect Walker to be the type of special talent that Stanton was and is. But we do have a special rightfielder in Walker. This is a player that will combine elite power with great speed at his spot in the lineup. He merely stole four bases last summer, but he also hit four triples. So, one can see how his speed will show up in his stat line. Adam may never match the production of the superstar that is Giancarlo Stanton. But, if Walker progresses from his pro-debut season by getting his strikeouts under control....he could be a 30 HR guy in a full season. That would get him moving towards Minnesota in a hurry! However, his strikeouts at the plate were definitely out-of-control last summer. So there is the chance that Walker will not make the necessary adjustments to keep hitting for power at the low-A level. But I want to believe in this guy! It sounds like he will get a fair shot alongside Max Kepler in Cedar Rapids next spring. Can Walker hit enough bombs to cover up his unsightly strikeout totals and meager batting average? Hope and projections are what we have. Check out Adam's long levers at work here: [ATTACH=CONFIG]3082[/ATTACH]