Cody Christie

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3381[/ATTACH] Earlier this week a post went up on ESPN's Sweetspot Blog about the importance of one player to the future of baseball in Europe. Mariners infielder Alex Liddi has only played 53 games in the major leagues but he is the first player born and raised in Italy. He has hit .224/.278/.397 during that stretch which aren't exactly eye-popping numbers. Still the article said, "If baseball is going to grow in Europe, it's going to be because of people like him." There are other important players with European heritage. Heck, the Twins already have one Hall of Fame player, Bert Blyleven, that was born across the pond. He spent most of his youth in California so it wasn't exactly like he grew up over seas. Major League Baseball wants the World Baseball Classic to help spread the game of baseball to an international market. Europe has been dominated by soccer for decades and it has been hard for baseball to gain its footing. If baseball is going to take off in Europe, there needs to be more European born players making an impact at the top level of the game. One country not represented in this year's WBC is Germany. Following World War II, youth in Germany started playing baseball because of America's servicemen stationed in Europe. The game has gone through its ups and downs in that country but there could be room for growth in the coming years. There have been a handful of players with German backgrounds to play in the major leagues. Since 1972, thirteen players born in German have made their major league debut. Most of these players were children of American service members stationed in the country. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is one of those players and he became the first German born manager since 1897. The Twins have a current player in their minor league system that could be very important to the growth of baseball in Europe. Max Kepler was considered one of the best prospects to every come out of Europe when the Twins signed him as a 16-year old. The German born Kepler is the son of ballet dancers and this athletic heritage helps him on the field. During his first couple of years in the minor leagues, it looked like Kepler was still trying to figure things out. He only hit one home run to go along with 21 other extra-base hits. He on-base percentage was over .345 and he hit .272 over 331 at-bats. There were positive signs and some hope for more power to emerge in the future. After spending all of 2011 with the Elizabethton, the Twins sent Kepler back to the rookie leagues to get some more seasoning. This turned out to be a great decision as he put together his best year as a professional. He hit .297/.387/.539 with 10 home runs and 16 doubles over 59 games. These were all career high marks for the teenager. His breakout performance has helped him to move up the ladder of Twins prospects. Minnesota's farm system is considered by many to be one of the best in the game. Here is where he ranks on a variety of top 10 lists for the Twins: Baseball America: 8th Baseball Prospectus: 8th ESPN's Keith Law: 9th There is no way that baseball will ever compete with soccer in Europe but it can solidify itself as a solid alternative in some countries. For baseball to gain a following in Europe, there needs to be stars to follow in the big leagues. It won't take a superstar but a solid player to look up to for the youth of Europe. Will Kepler be a star for Europeans to follow? He is still a few years away from the big leagues but he might have the skills to take Europe by storm. I mean... …he has to be better than Alex Liddi, right?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3364[/ATTACH] With a variety of top prospect list coming out at this time of year, there is plenty of talk about the high-ranking prospects in the Twins farm system. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton could be on their way to multiple All-Star appearances. Alex Meyer and Kyle Gibson could make up the starting rotation of the future. The Twins have some talent at the top of their farm system and this makes the next couple years of development very important. Some of these younger players will be working through their most important years in the minor leagues before they make their debut. An injury or poor play could see their stock fall exponentially. Plenty of the big name prospects for the Twins haven't made an appearance above the Single-A level. Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Alex Meyer are just a few of the players that will be trying to get to Double-A at some point in 2013. When it comes to minor league players, the Twins tend to take a conservative approach to moving players from one level to the next. The team doesn't want to rush players before they find success at their current level. This can help their confidence for the future and it can hurt their development if they are rushed. One player that could be a fast riser in the next couple of years is Eddie Rosario. He is considered a top 10 prospect in the organization but he has some attributes that could make it easier for him to rise to the top. Last season, the 20-year old spent the entire year in Beloit. This could be the year for him to jump multiple levels. Rosario was a fourth round pick by the Twins back in 2010. He signed quickly and got into over 50 games that year with the GCL Twins. He showed the ability to hit for average and mix in some power. These were great signs from an 18-year old but the best was yet to come. The 2011 season was amazing for Rosario. He had a stretch of baseball to finish the year that was eye-popping. As I wrote in the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, "Rosario went on a hitting hot streak for the ages to help lead the E-Twins to the playoffs. During the team’s last 17 games, he hit 10 home runs to go along with four triples, a double, and an eye-popping .477 batting average." 
His swing is very advanced for the level he is at in the minor leagues. Rosario's quick wrist allow him to power the ball to all fields and this could help him get to the top faster than his peers. For his career in the minor leagues, he is .310/.362/.538 hitter. The only thing holding him back at this point might be the Twins decision to move him to second base. He was a fine defender in center field but the team has a surplus of other prospects at that position. It seems like the Twins always need middle infield help. If he can continue his strong offensive showing and play adequate defense, he could be well on his way to Target Field. Another item helping Rosario in his development is his inclusion on Team Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic. He gets to spend the first few weeks of spring training in big league camp. This gives some of the coaches and front office personnel a closer look at him. His performance has been very good so it will be interesting to see how he does in the WBC. For the coming year, Rosario will likely start the year in Fort Myers but this shouldn't be his only stopping point in 2013. Getting to New Britain should not be out of the question for Rosario and he could even go as far as Rochester. Either way, Rosario should be knocking on the door to the big leagues by season’s end...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3358[/ATTACH] When a club is in the rebuilding process like the Minnesota Twins, it can be tough to know which players need to stay and which players need to go. Fans are connected to a lot of the players that have been here for multiple seasons and it can be tough for the team to part ways with some fan favorites. In the end, it is up to Terry Ryan to decided what is best for the future of the franchise. He had to make the tough decision to trade away Denard Span and Ben Revere this offseason. Those were tough calls to make but they were important moves for the future of the franchise. Rebuilding can be frustrating for fans to watch. It isn't a fast process and it will most likely take multiple seasons for the team to get back to the top of the AL Central. When going through this rebuilding process, it is interesting to consider which players are critical to the future of the club. This brings out an interesting question... If you were the General Manager of a team and you had the opportunity to start a franchise, which player in the Twins organization would you pick to be your cornerstone player? There choices from the big league roster all the way down to the rookie leagues so let's take a look at some of the candidates. The Catcher: Joe Mauer could be in the midst of a Hall of Fame career. This would be a hard player to ignore when starting a franchise. His ability to play an important defensive position also helps his candidacy. There will continue to be questions about his lack of power and one has to wonder how long he will stay behind the plate. For now, Twins fans get to watch one of the sweetest swings in the game even if it doesn't result in a bunch of home runs. The Top Prospect: He might still be at the Single-A level but Miguel Sano has already put together some impressive numbers in the minors. His power swing is the stuff of legend but there are some flaws with his game. On the defensive side of the ball, he is a little shaky at third base but his arm is great from that position. He's a couple years away from Target Field but he could be the cornerstone of the future. The Number Two Pick: Byron Buxton might have been the best player in last year's draft and the Twins were happy to select him with the number two pick. He has all of the skills to be a five-tool player in the Twins outfield for a big chunk of the next decade. His speed is amazing and his power was better than the Twins thought in his first season. He's further away than Sano but he could be quite the player to build around. The Flamethrower: The Twins didn't have a ton of arms with some upside until the team traded away their two center fielders. Alex Meyer can hit in the upper 90's with his fastball and he has the breaking pitches to make him scary for any batter. He is a rarity in the game of baseball and many teams go searching for someone with his pitching talent. There are still questions about him but he could be a future ace. The Others: There are other candidates in the organization. Each one might have some flaws but they could be stars of the future for the franchise. Kyle Gibson looks ready for the big leagues but does he have the stuff to be an ace? Oswaldo Arcia has the swing to be in the middle of the Twins line-up for multiple years. Aaron Hicks is supposed to have all of the tools and he should get an opportunity to prove himself this year. J.O. Berrios has impressed the coaches in camp with his raw stuff but he has a long way to go to get to the top. Eddie Rosario is trying to get comfortable in the middle infield while his bat continues to be very advanced for his age. There are some of the top candidates from the Twins system. If you had to pick one player to start a franchise, who would it be? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Which Twins Player Would You Pick to Start a Franchise?http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel?a.1=p-18-mFEk4J448M&a.2=p-ab3gTb8xb3dLg&labels.1=type.polldaddy.poll

One of the biggest surprises in the 2012 season was the performance of Josh Willingham. The veteran outfielder signed a free agent deal with the club before the season and he went on to have the best offensive campaign of his career. He led the Twins in a variety of offensive categories including home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage. After a season that stands out like Willingham's, there can be some questions about whether he will be able to replicate his fantastic numbers. The 34-year old will be entering his tenth year at the big league level. His age and track record at the big league level might leave fans wondering what he will be able to do for an encore. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3347[/ATTACH] Being able to stay on the field for an entire season has been a little bit of a challenge for Willingham in the past. Last year, he played in a career high 145 games. It was the first time he had played over 140 games since 2007, his second full year in the league. In the four seasons from 2008-2011, Willingham averaged 121 games played. He only made it into 102 games in 2008 and 114 games in 2010. This means he was missing a fourth of the season on average due to injury and other causes. That can be scary to think about after how healthy he was able to stay in 2012. One way the Twins could try to keep Willingham healthy is by having him spend more time at DH. He only played 25 games last year but look for that number to go up this season. Joe Mauer wants to spend more time behind the plate and Justin Morneau seems to be healthy. If those players aren't being used at DH, Willingham might get a few more opportunities to stay out of the outfield. Keeping Willingham out of the outfield could also help the team's defense. Of course, that depends on who takes his place in the outfield. The thought of having Willingham and Chris Parmalee in the corner outfield spots had to be a nightmare for the starting staff. If a more athletic fielder like Joe Benson or Darin Mastroianni took left field, it could stabilize the defense. While Willingham did set personal bests in a variety of offensive categories, his batting average of .260 was very close to his career mark. His on-base percentage was only a couple points higher than his career mark. This means that fans can expect him to be close to those numbers again. After the Twins signed Willingham, it seemed like his swing was built for Target Field. That proved to be true as he hit 21 of his 35 home runs in Minneapolis. To get the ball out of Target Field, it is important to pull the ball. Willingham is the perfect example of a dead pull hitter with none of his home runs last season going to opposite field. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3348[/ATTACH] Willingham's contract with the club runs through the 2014 season for a very reasonable rate. The slugger will average $7 million over the next two years. If the Twins can get the same production level out of him over the life of the contract, it will be a steal. His health and some rising outfield prospects might mean a change in the next couple of years. A trade involving Willingham could be possible in the next two years. It is hard to imagine the Twins pushing for a World Series title in 2013 or 2014. The club is in the middle of a rebuilding process and Willingham might not be part of the next winning team in Minnesota. If the club gets the right deal for the slugger, he could be packing his bags. For now, Twins fans will have to wait to see what "The Hammer" can do for an encore. He clobbered a home run in his first spring training game so maybe it is a sign of some more good things to come in 2013.

There are more than a few question marks when it comes to the 2013 Twins starting rotation. Two potential starters are coming off of Tommy John surgery, two other players had bone chips removed in the offseason, and three players are trying to make the switch from the National League to the American League. This could cause a lot of headaches when it comes time for the Twins to hammer out a projected Opening Day starting rotation. Some players might end up on the disabled list because they need extra time to get ready. Others might end up in the minor leagues to show they are ready for big league action. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3343[/ATTACH] Who gets the start on Opening Day? The most logical choice for Twins fans would be Scott Diamond. He is coming off a very good rookie campaign where he went 12-9 with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Diamond also had the lowest BB/9 rate in the American League. Unfortunately, Diamond had surgery on his elbow in December and he might not be ready for the first week or two of the regular season. This leaves the door wide open for another starter to get the Opening Day gig against Justin Verlander and the Tigers. Mike Pelfrey, a free agent acquisition by the club, has looked good as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. There can be some speed bumps on the road to recovery so there could be some hiccups throughout the rest of the spring. If he continues to look good, he might be the front-runner for the Opening Day job. His competition for the first start of the year could be Vance Worley, one of the pitchers acquired from Philadelphia for Ben Revere. Like Diamond, Worley had some bone chips removed from his arm but his surgery was at the end of last season. This means he should be ready for Opening Day. Which players will fit into the middle of the rotation? If Pelfrey and Worley are set to take the first two spots in the rotation, the middle of the rotation will present some interesting battles. There are a handful of men vying for these spots and a couple names should rise above the rest. Kevin Correia was the only free agent starter to get a multi-year contract from the club this winter. His two-year, $10 million contract has been scrutinized by fans and the media. This deal should almost guarantee him a spot in the rotation to start the year. The Twins have used Liam Hendriks for over 100 innings in the last two seasons. Since there are some openings in the rotation, it could be his first chance to play at the big league level for an entire season. He had great success at the Triple-A level last year and it's time to show he can find success at the next level. Who gets Diamond's spot in the rotation? With the possibility of Diamond missing time to start the year, a spot could be available for someone to sneak in and grab it. There are a few options at the Twins disposal and it will be interesting to see which direction the club decides to go. Kyle Gibson, a former first round pick, is coming off Tommy John surgery and he has looked very good in camp so far. From the team's point of view, they might want to keep him in the minor leagues to start the year so they can control over his contract for a longer. This could mean he won't debut with the club until a few months into the season. At the end of last season, the Twins used Sam Deduno for almost 80 innings. His 15 starts with the club were full of some ups-and-downs but it still might be enough for him to earn the fifth starter job. When Diamond is ready for the rotation, Deduno will likely end up back in Rochester. There is still plenty of spring training left to hash out some of the battles for the starting rotation but here is what it could look like if today was Opening Day. 1. RHP Mike Pelfrey 2. RHP Vance Worley 3. RHP Kevin Correia 4. RHP Liam Hendriks 5. RHP Sam Deduno That's a whole lot of right-handed pitching action...

The Twins are in the lull time of spring training after players have reported and before the start of games. There are plenty of players making adjustments to being in a new organization. Other players are sliding into the daily routines that help them prepare for the coming season. It is hard to get a lot of information about players at this stage in the spring training process. This still doesn't mean that there aren't some positive signs coming out of Fort Myers. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3310[/ATTACH] Two pitchers have already made a strong impression in the first week of workouts. JO Berrios and Kyle Gibson were both high draft picks by the Twins but they are on opposite ends of the organization’s minor league system. Gibson will be fighting for a big league job and Berrios will be in the lower levels of the minors. For Gibson, this isn't his first time being in camp with the big league club. It is, however, his first time in camp since he has recovered from Tommy John surgery. The coaches might remember the Gibson from before he went under the knife and now they have to familiarize themselves with Gibson version 2.0. In his first opportunity to face live hitters since the end of the Arizona Fall League, Gibson got plenty of swings and misses. He wasn't exactly squaring off with the heart of Minnesota's order. Joe Benson, Brian Dinkelman, and Eric Fryer stepped in against him and there were some good sliders thrown at them.. Gibson would tell reporters after the session that his changeup is "pretty much where I want it." His fastball has been good in the bullpen but he missed some spots during his live throwing sessions. It will be critical for Gibson to hit his spots with his fastball so this is one area for him to improve in the coming weeks. Since the Twins only drafted Berrios in June, this is his first real opportunity to be in camp with the club. He didn't have a formal invite to big league camp but he is preparing to play in the World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico. This gives many of the coaches a first chance to see the 18-year old. His breaking balls were sharp and he had good control of his other pitches. During his throwing session, Twins coach Scott Ullger asked, "And this kid is 18-years old?" I thought this quote from La Velle E. Neal summed up the situation quite nicely. "The guy looks like a clubhouse attendant when he walks around. But he has grown man stuff" It will be interesting to see how far Berrios will be able to rise this season. He did very well in both rookie leagues last year so he should get the opportunity to start in Cedar Rapids. If things go well there, he could find himself in Fort Myers by the end of the year. There is no reason to rush him since he is so young. Gibson will be another story. There isn't a whole lot left for him to prove in the minor leagues and he will be 25-years old for this entire season. He might end up in the minors to start the year but fans are anxious to see what he can do with the big league club. The future looks bright for both of these players even if they are at opposite ends of the Twins minor league system.

When Twins position players reported to camp at the end of last week, Justin Morneau was one of the first people that the media hunted down. There was good reason to do this since he is in the last year of his contract with the club and his future is unclear at this point. According to Morneau, there haven't been any discussions about an extension between his agent and the club. This means that he is anticipating playing out the rest of his contract and testing the free agent market at season's end. As part of Morneau's interview, he talked about the Twins having plenty of prospects working their way to the major leagues. This is great for the club but it isn't so great for a 31-year old former MVP. After ten years in the big leagues and some recent injury concerns, the future is not certain at this point. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3299[/ATTACH] Any player that is getting closer to the end of their career is going to want to find a way to win. Morneau and his agent are probably looking at the Twins current rebuilding job and wondering if the Canadian slugger is part of the equation. There could be younger, cheaper options to take his spot on the roster. During last offseason, the Twins saw Joe Nathan leave in free agency to head to Texas. The opportunity to be on a contending team was too much for Nathan to ignore. If the same situation plays out this coming offseason, it could mean that Morneau will find himself in a different uniform by next year. With one year left on his deal and free agency loom, there is plenty of uncertainty for 2013. Will the Twins trade Morneau before the deadline? Is he fully healthy after a slough of injuries in the last handful of years? And should there be a Morneau contract controversy? A couple of seasons ago, the Twins had another former MVP getting close to free agency. The team needed to hash out a new contract with Joe Mauer before the start of the year. He had just come off his best season where he put together a historically good offensive campaign for a catcher. It seemed like the time was right for a deal. The Twins front office hasn't been in a position to offer Morneau a contract because his health has been so much of a concern. It would have looked silly to extend a deal when the team wasn't sure if he would be able to play first base or get back to his old ways at the plate. Morneau proved his ability to stay healthy last season. This offseason he was able to complete his full workout routine for the first time in years. These are all good signs but it still doesn't mean that the Twins are going to be jumping to sign him to a long-term extension. A motivated and healthy Morneau could be fun to watch. He is working towards an important contract in his career and that could mean some big numbers on the field. If he wants teams to spend some money on him next offseason, it will be crucial for him to show he can get back to his old mashing ways. It was made clear by Morneau that he won't discuss a new contract once the season starts because he doesn't want the deal to be a distraction. He seems content to play out the next few months and see what the future will bring. Morneau has done some great things for the Twin Cities community while he has been a member of the Twins. Those charitable works might be heading to a different market at some point this year. This could leave Twins fans with only a few more opportunities to see Morneau cracking home runs out near the flagpole. Enjoy the last few months of Morneau because there doesn't seem to be a contract controversy brewing anytime soon...

The Twins have a few full squad workouts under their belt and the team's first spring training game will be this weekend. Spring has sprung in Fort Myers even if the 40-degree weather this weekend didn't agree. Baseball season is back and there are plenty of things to be excited about for the Twins. Last week, I looked at some of the story lines for pitchers and catchers since they were the first to report. Later in the week, I dissected some of the headlines for position players as they got ready for their first practice. These stories are important for the 2013 roster but there are some other stories worth watching in the minor league system for the Twins. When it came to pitchers and catchers, there were a few names to keep an eye on in the minor leagues. The Twins have a couple of young catchers working their way up the ladder and they could both play important roles for the future of the club. There are also some pitchers that could be looking to have even more of a breakout year. Here are some position players to watch in the minor leagues in 2013. These might not be the biggest names in the farm system but they are players that could surprise during the coming season. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3290[/ATTACH] Infielders: The Twins are trying to patch together a middle infield for this season after some dreadful play at those spots. High-ranking prospect Eddie Rosario has switched from the outfield to the infield in an attempt for the organization to get more depth at these spots. Miguel Sano will certainly be a name to watch for the future but here are a couple other candidates. Danny Santana: He is already on the 40-man roster and he put together a very productive year at Fort Myers last season. As a 22-year old, he should be given a starting middle infield job at the Double-A level. This would mean that he is getting closer to making his big league debut. Santana, a switch-hitter, does better from the left side of the plate, which is good since that is where he will get the majority of his at-bats. He hit nearly .300 versus right-handed pitchers last season. There is a little pop in his bat as he hit 38 extra-base hits last season including 21 doubles. His fielding has made small improvements since he was a 17-year old shortstop in the Dominican Summer League. He had 13 errors in 35 games at that position in 2008. Last year, Santana had 18 errors over 85 games at shortstop so there is still work to be done on the defensive side of the ball. Levi Michael: Usually, a first round pick wouldn't be too much of a surprise on a list like this but Michael is coming off a rough season. The Twins first pick in the 2011 draft was suppose to be a fast riser after his college experience at the University of North Carolina. He struggled in his first full season of professional ball. Most of his offensive struggles came against right-handed pitchers. He only hit .212/.306/.271 over 288 at-bats versus righties. After posting a .216 batting average before the All-Star Game, he hit .272 down the stretch. He was able to make some adjustments and it showed on the field. On the defensive side of the ball, Baseball America ranks him as the best defensive infielder in the Twins farm system. He split time between shortstop and second base last year and his path to the big leagues might come from his strong defense. Michael and Santana could form the middle infield duo for the Rock Cats. Outfielders: There are plenty of eyes on the battle for center field in big league camp. Can Joe Benson or Aaron Hicks beat out the competition and win the Opening Day gig? There is another other name in the organization to watch this year. Daniel Ortiz: As a 22-year old Oritz played at two different levels last season. Most of his playing time came with the Fort Myers Miracle but he did play a little with the Beloit Snappers. The former fourth round pick has been slowly working his way through the Twins system and he has made some improvements along the way. After struggling to make constant contact in 2011 at Beloit, the Twins sent him back there to start last season. He gained some confidence and hit close to .300 in his 22 games with that club. When he was promoted to Fort Myers, his average dropped a little to .269 but he showed some power with 37 extra-base hits. Ortiz can be used at all three outfield positions but most of his games in the minor leagues have been at a corner outfield spot. The Twins have plenty of other center fielders ahead of him so he will likely settle into a corner spot as he moves up the ladder.

Happy President's Day! Getting past this day means that the start of the baseball season is one step closer. Fans could start purchasing Twins single game tickets over the weekend. This is always a fun day for people across Twins Territory to pick out the games they want to attend and where they want to sit. Since today is a day set up to honor some of the greatest leaders in our countries history, I only thought it fitting to write a post that fit with that theme. Here is a look at the best players with presidential names to play with the Twins organization. There are a couple fan favorites and some other lesser-known players but it is a fun list to explore. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3279[/ATTACH] 1. Lew Ford CF, OF: Any Twins list with Lew Ford at the top is pretty cool. The scrappy outfielder had some very good years with the Twins. Fans would echo his name off the Teflon roof of the Metrodome. His comeback story with Baltimore last season was great to see. WAR 7.3 2. Mudcat Grant, RHP: He played for seven different organizations in his 14 year professional career but some of his best years were in a Twins uniform. He won 21 games for the 1965 Twins team that went to the World Series. He also picked up the win in two of those World Series games against the Dodgers. 5.0 WAR 3. Tom Johnson, RHP: Johnson only started one game during his five-year career with the Twins but he was able to have a couple of good seasons. In 1977, he won 16 games and had a 3.31 ERA out of the bullpen. His 1976 season was also good as he had a 1.08 WHIP and a 2.61 ERA. 2.8 WAR 4. Ron Washington SS, 2B: The current manager of the Rangers played the bulk of his career in a Twins uniform. He only played over 100 games in one season and his best year was probably the 1984 campaign. He hit almost .300 that season with 19 extra-base hits over 88 games. WAR 0.9 5(t). Mike Adams OF: He only played 58 games for the Twins and he had a .222 career batting average with the club. Adams played 55 games with 1973 Twins, the most games he ever played in one season. He did hit 21 homers in his last Triple-A season for the Twins. 0.2 WAR 5(t). Brian Buchanan OF: Buchanan didn't break into the big leagues until age 26. In 2001, he hit 10 home runs and 12 doubles while posting a .274 batting average. He was part of two important trades in club history. He came to the Twins along with Eric Milton and Cristian Guzman for Chuck Knoblach. Later he would be dealt for Jason Bartlett. 0.2 WAR 6(t). Otis Nixon OF: His lone season in a Twins uniform wasn't too bad. He hit for a high average but basically no power. Nixon was also third in stolen base percentage in 1998. 0.1 WAR 6(t). Randy Bush OF: Bush would be a staple in a Twins uniform from 1982-1993. He would be part of both championship teams with the club. He had three stolen bases and a triple during the 1987 ALCS. 0.1 WAR 7. Tack Wilson OF: It was a brief big league career for Mr. Wilson. He only made four plate appearances with the Twins and he had one hit to his name. 0.0 WAR 8. Roric Harrison RHP: His five-year big league career would come to an end in Minnesota. He threw 12 innings with the club and gave up 10 earned runs and 11 walks. -0.2 WAR 9. Mike Lincoln RHP: The Twins took Lincoln in the 13th round of the 1996 MLB Draft. He would break into the big leagues three years later and pitch a couple of seasons with the club. He fared much better when he switched to the NL later in his career. -0.6 WAR 10. Glen Adams DH: Someone had to be at the bottom of this list and it just happened to be Mr. Glen Adams. He played five years for Minnesota and he hit over .280 with the club. Most of his poor WAR comes from not being very good on the defensive side of the ball. WAR -1.7

It's official. Twins position players are required to report to Fort Myers today. The team's first official workout will be held tomorrow morning. Quite a few of the players have already reported for duty and have been taking part in informal workouts. The road to the Opening Day 2013 officially starts now and it's time to get the bad taste out of their mouths from the last two seasons. This could be quite the challenge with the roster that has been compiled by the front office and the AL Central is looking a little tougher these days. Earlier in the week, I profiled some of the story lines to follow with pitchers and catcher reporting. There are also some intriguing stories when it comes to the other players on the roster. Here are some of the top headlines that fans will be following as the team prepares for 2013. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3264[/ATTACH] Who will win the starting job in center field? With Denard Span and Ben Revere shipped out of town, there will be some change over in the middle of the Twins defense and at the top of the batting order. Span and Revere have spent the majority of the last two years in those spots and these will be some tough shoes to fill in the hearts of Twins fans. Three men will be battling to win the starting job. Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks, and Darin Mastroanni will attempt to prove they belong as the replacement for Span and Revere. All of these men took different paths to get to this point and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Benson and Hicks might have to prove themselves at Triple-A before getting the starting job. Hicks is a top prospect that fans have been waiting to see. Like Hicks, Benson was considered a top prospect before injuries derailed his 2012 season. Mastroanni could have the upper hand at this point while the other two get a chance to prove they belong. Which Trevor Plouffe will show up? Fans got excited last season when Trevor Plouffe looked like Babe Ruth for a couple weeks in the middle of the season. He went on quite the tear at the plate and his defense even looked okay in the field. This allowed the Twins to part ways with struggling third baseman Danny Valencia. The end of last season wasn't the greatest as Plouffe struggled through a hand injury. This might have been one of the biggest causes for his drop in power. With the full offseason to recover, the Twins hope Plouffe is ready to take the next step and prove he can be the third baseman for the future. Plouffe has been down in Florida early and this could be to his advantage. There was talk for most of the offseason about bringing in someone to challenge Plouffe at third. It doesn't look like there will be much of a challenge for him to win the starting spot but the Twins could use other infielders at third if necessary. Who wants to play middle infield? On Opening Day, the Twins are going to have two players penciled in to the middle infield but some things need to get sorted out by that point. The team used multiple players at shortstop and second base last season to try and find someone that could stick. Unfortunately, there were plenty of unmemorable performances but a new season brings new optimism. Brian Dozier and Pedro Florimon got long looks at shortstop last year and it sounds like Florimon has the inside track to win that position. His slick glove was fun to watch in the field at the end of the year. Compared to how good his glove looked, his approach at the plate was on the opposite end of the spectrum. That being said, he should still have enough to start the year at shortstop. This leaves Dozier, Jamey Carroll, and Eduardo Escobar to fight it out for second base. It could be intriguing to see if Dozier can find success at a different middle infield position. Carroll would make a good utility man since he can play all over the infield. Can Chris Parmelee adjust to being an everyday player? There have been flashes of greatness from Parmelee over the last two seasons. In 2011, he was a September call-up and he looked great in the last month of the season. This was a great sign for a player that was trying to find a permanent position with the big league squad. He broke camp with the team in 2012 and things were continuing to look up for Parmelee. The team wasn't getting him into the line-up and he was sent back to Triple-A so he could play everyday. Over the next couple months, he would destroy the ball in the minor leagues. The Twins had to find a spot for him. Parmelee will get most of his playing time in right field this year and there shouldn't be too many players challenging him for that spot. If the Twins trade Justin Morneau before the deadline, he could be moved to first base. For now, he will have to show that his flashes of greatness over the last two seasons can translate to consistent performance at the big league level. Will Justin Morneau be able to continue his success from the end of last season? After back-to-back season of struggling with concussions and other injuries, Morneau is having a normal offseason where he can get through his entire routine. This is great news after the team wasn't sure if Morneau was even going to be able to play in the field last year. In the second half of last season, Morneau looked to be getting back to his old ways. He was hitting for power and his batting average was actually higher than his career mark. These were steps in the right direction after a couple of nightmare years for Mr. Morneau. Fans hope that his performance can continue over from the end of last year. It will be an interesting year for Morneau as he is in the last year of his contract. If he performs well at the beginning of the year, he could increase his trade value at the deadline. Morneau has been a cornerstone of the franchise since the early 2000s but his time could be running out in Minnesota.