bwille

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4196[/ATTACH] Image courtesy of: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports Originally published on www.rantsports.com The Major League Baseball Amateur Draft is fast approaching and the Minnesota Twins are currently slotted to pick fourth overall. With the way the season has been going for the Twins, many fans are already setting their sights back on the future and the draft is always a good place to drum up optimism and hope for a struggling team’s future. Last season, the Twins took outfielder Byron Buxton with the number two overall pick in the draft and early indications are that the Twins hit a “homerun” with their selection. Buxton has lived up to the hype so far by hitting .324 with 59 hits, seven HR, 38 RBI, an astounding 35 walks and an OBP of .432 over 182 at-bats in 48 games for low Class-A Cedar Rapids. Buxton certainly has embraced playing at this level, but it soon may be time for the Twins to send Buxton on his way to high Class-A to see how Buxton matches up against better competition. Could the Twins have a fast-track outfielder on their hands like the Los Angeles Angels did with Mike Trout? It’s possible, but time will tell. When the Twins selected Buxton, he was widely considered the “best available” player on the board and some even argued that he was the most talented player in the draft; so by getting him with the number two overall pick, the Twins were very fortunate. Often, however, teams seem to debate whether or not to draft for “need” and “major-league readiness” or to take the “best player available” which may mean waiting a few years before the prospect is “major-league ready”. The Twins have often claimed to be subscribers to the “best player available” theory with their high picks and last year’s draft seems to fit that mold; but with another season underway and the Twins still struggling from a talent deficiency in their starting rotation, will need and “major-league readiness” overcome “best available” this year? There are plenty of pitching prospects that have been rumored to be on the Twins radar ranging from Mark Appel, Jonathan Gray, Ryne Stanek and Sean Manaea to Braden Shipley and Kohl Stewart. As of late, Stewart has been a hot name associated with the Twins; but no matter which prospect you take out of this list of pitchers—if the Twins decide to go in that direction—each comes with a certain amount of risk, weaknesses and talent. The same goes for position players like Austin Meadows, Kris Bryant and Reese McGuire who all have obvious talent, but are still raw and have their fair share of question marks surrounding their potential and future. So with that in mind, what should the Twins’ strategy be for the upcoming draft? Do they draft a pitcher simply because the rotation is in such bad shape or do they take the best available player and then continue to build pitching depth in the later rounds? For a team that is starting to restock its minor league system with some very talented players, I would personally subscribe to the “best available” theory once again for the Twins. Although money will play a significant role in who the Twins decide to choose, the position they play and their immediate readiness for the majors should not. The question the Twins should ask themselves, regardless of position, is which player is going to have the best overall career when it is all said and done; not which player will get here the soonest? I personally think a pitcher will still be the best player available when the time comes for the Twins to draft at number four and that is the position I believe they will choose from. The Twins are couple years away from returning to contention; not a few years from returning to the World Series, but a few from just returning to contention. With that in mind, the team has time to draft the best available prospect and let them develop in a timely fashion. There seems to be enough talented starting pitchers in the organization—albeit at low levels—that will soon be coming up to improve the major league staff; so drafting additional talent for the lineup would be ok as well. It is a crucial draft for the Twins, make no mistake about it; but if the team can continue to employ their theory of drafting the best available prospect, they will continue to inch closer to their return to contention and dominance. Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 For more articles by Brian Wille check out his latest articles about Carlos Gomez's Departure from the Twins Nearly Three Years Later or Kyle Gibson Not Getting a Call to the Majors

Let me clarify and say that I made a mistake. I thought for some odd reason that Sano was on the 40 man roster already and thus, a promotion wouldn't hurt his service time. I was mistaken and I apologize. I do however, think if he was on a 40 man roster, a 7 day promotion wouldn't hurt his development and it'd allow the team to see where he is at. ONLY a seven day audition is all I was advocating for, not a full time. I absolutely 100% agree that his next step should be Double-A, not straight to the majors full time. I'm not that irrational of a fan and I wrote the article for a good discussion piece, which it has done and I appreciate all of your thoughts. But again, I made a mistake thinking he was on the 40 man roster, I was only advocating for a 7 day call up for promotional/see where he is at purposes and then to send him back to High-A or Double-A. Thanks again for all your comments!

With the news of Trevor Plouffe's concussion symptoms and the demotion of Vance Worley, changes are coming in bunches to the Twins' roster. When the Twins elected to promote Chris Colabello to replace Plouffe while he is injures, I began to wonder if the seven-day period that Plouffe is projected to be out would be a good time for the Twins to promote and check out what they have in Miguel Sano at this moment. "In case you haven’t heard, Sano is currently hitting .359 with 13 HR and 36 RBI with 55 hits and 40 runs over 153 at-bats in 42 games at high Class-A. Many analysts and baseball executives would say that Sano is not ready for the majors and that certainly may be correct, but would it hurt to promote Sano to the majors for the projected seven day period that Plouffe would be on the disabled list?" What do you think Twins Centric, is my idea crazy or am I on to something? I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Miguel Sano: Minnesota Twins Squander Chance to Reward Top Prospect

While watching the Twins this weekend, it was obvious that the pitching staff is in rough shape. The bullpen looked tired and overworked and the starting rotation looked ineffective, which resulted in the bullpen getting even more overworked. It was then that I started to wonder if a switch to a six-man rotation would be good for the Twins moving forward to help alleviate some of these problems. Couple this thought with the fact that Kyle Gibson is pitching well and it made for an intriguing topic to write an article on. "Since the Twins have struggled to have their starters go deep into ballgames and their bullpen is becoming overworked, why not try out a six-man rotation to see if that improves the performance of the current starters, who now will get an extra day of rest, while also giving a pitcher like Kyle Gibson an opportunity to establish himself as a big-league starter?" What do you think Twins Centric, would a six-man rotation work? If you agree with the idea of a six-man rotation, who would be your six starters? Mine would be Worley, Correia, Diamond, Gibson, Pelfrey and Deduno/De Vries whenever they are healthy. Kyle Gibson: Minnesota Twins Should Consider Six-Man Rotation Soon

No disrespect taken. I talked with those in charge of the blog and got permission to post things in this format on the forum for discussion. I made sure it was ok before ever posting anything as I would not want to ruin the good thing that this site has going in any way.

After watching Hernandez struggle with his command over the past two starts and with Samuel Deduno and Cole De Vries getting healthy, I have started to wonder if Hernandez should remain in the rotation long-term with the Twins. "Hernandez proved he could be of value on the Twins’ roster and the team decided to keep him around longer than expected. However, over his past two appearances, Hernandez has struggled mightily and his role in the rotation long-term should be called into question." Do you think Hernandez's struggles have been related to personal performance or the teams he has had to face? Do you think his struggles are simply a slump or a trend that shows he doesn't belong in the rotation long-term as of yet? What do you think Twins Centric? Pedro Hernandez: Minnesota Twins Should Consider a Move to Bullpen

While watching the Twins unleash a barrage of hits on the Red Sox on Wednesday night, especially Joe Mauer, I started to wonder what kind of a career Mauer could of had if he had ever ended up in Boston. "I hope that the Twins never have to worry about the problems that Mauer could create if he ever had the chance to play at Fenway for 81 games a season. Currently, Mauer has 1,304 hits entering play on Wednesday. Those numbers were accumulated despite the numerous injuries that Mauer has dealt with over his career. Think of the amount of hits that Mauer could have in his career if he were in Boston?" What do you think Twins Centric, what kind of stats could Mauer have accumulated if he played in Boston and how would his career have been different? Would his legacy as a player change at all? I look forward to your thoughts! I appreciate all of the feedback and discussion I have received from my posts; thank you! Joe Mauer: Minnesota Twins Fortunate Catcher Stayed in Minnesota

With the recent surge of Justin Morneau over the last few games and with Joe Mauer showing signs of beginning to break out of his slump, I began to wonder if the two "faces of the Twins' franchise" were worth building around. Granted, a huge reason I started thinking about this was because this may be the last year the two play together in a Twins' uniform, but I thought it was an interesting topic and I decided to write an article voicing my opinion about it. In addition, with every loss, the Twins--in my opinion--get closer and closer to saying goodbye to Morneau. "For all of the criticism that Mauer and Morneau have received, 2013 has the makings of another productive year which should remind fans why the Twins have chosen to build around these two stars. When healthy, these two players can produce and make the Twins’ lineup one of the best in all of baseball as long as they are surrounded by a quality supporting cast." Joe Mauer: Minnesota Twins Must Decide if M&M Boys Can Be Built Around What do you think Twins' Centric, were Mauer and Morneau worth building a franchise around?

With the struggles of Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey showing no signs of letting up in the short-term, I have started to wonder if the Twins would replace either of the pitchers in the rotation for the short-term while Worley and Pelfrey attempt to figure out and correct their mistakes. As a result, I wrote an article examining whether or not Anthony Swarzak would be a legitimate candidate to enter the rotation and be successful. "Swarzak has shown enough over the last two seasons—and especially this season—to merit another chance at pitching as a starter. If the Twins are willing to give multiple chances to Hendriks to figure it out, Swarzak should also receive another chance." What do you think Twins Centric, could Swarzak be a legitimate candidate to enter the rotation if the Twins decide to make a change? Anthony Swarzak: Minnesota Twins Should Reward Righty with Promotion

After seeing manager Ron Gardenhire choose to sit starting third basemen Trevor Plouffe in consecutive games for a more defensively strong lineup, I began to wonder if this change is going to become a trend or a short-term motivational wake-up call. As a result, my latest article discusses why Gardy chose to sit Plouffe in the first place and what options the Twins can use with Plouffe. "The bottom line is this: Plouffe needs to take a more serious approach to improving his defensive skills if he wants to regain the trust of his manager and organization." What do you think Twins Centric, what should the Twins do with Plouffe? Trevor Plouffe: Minnesota Twins Frustrated by Lack of Progress

There probably isn't a lot of reason to sign Gardy to an extension now, but the reason I wrote to article was more to point to the reason Gardy should be extended for a few more years regardless of how the team performs this year (even though I have been impressed by their promising start). The title may have indicated that I wanted Gardy to be signed to an extension today--which I wouldn't mind--but I more meant at some point during the season, preferably sooner rather than later. I apologize for the poor wording. Logically, I'd have to agree that an extension is better negotiated and signed later in the season. However, I believe the Twins' should hold off judgment on Gardy until he is given a talented roster to compete with, which should be on its way from our minor leagues. For that reason, I'd say to sign Gardy to an extension, at some point this season (preferably sooner, rather than later just to avoid the headache and possibly to get him at a lesser price), through the 2015 season. That gives him a two year window to show signs of progress with the youth movement that is coming and he won't have the excuses of a depleted roster, due to a poor GM like Bill Smith, to hide behind. This is solely my opinion and I respect everyone else's thoughts about why you shouldn't extend Gardy, but I truly believe he is one of the best managers in baseball and should be shown the confidence that his track record has earned. This means withstanding a few bad years so that we can experience good ones in the years to come. I appreciate all of the feedback! Thanks for taking the time to chime in on your thoughts.

It would be an honor

As the Twins have gotten off to a fast start this season, I have began to wonder if the team should consider resigning manager Ron Gardenhire who is entering the final year of his contract. As a result, I wrote an article analyzing the criticism of Gardenhire over the past two seasons and whether or not it has been justified and whether or not Gardy still deserves an extension. "During the 2000s, the Twins gave him some talented rosters and a deep farm system and what did he do? He won six division championships. Now that the organization has neglected its farm system and has had to focus on restocking it, what has he done? He almost lost 100 games in back-to-back seasons; but does that mean Gardenhire is a bad coach or has forgotten how to coach?" Do you think it's time for Gardy to go or is it time to extend his contract for a few more years? I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Ron Gardenhire: Minnesota Twins Would Be Wise to Re-Sign Manager

Well put. I must of not been very clear with my article as I didn't mean that the pitch toward Sano was an "unwritten rule" but that usually when a pitch like that happens it is in retaliation by a pitcher for his batter being hit earlier in the game. That and Mienkiewicz's comments made me think about the "unwritten rule" of throwing at a player, which I find ridiculous. Again, I didn't mean the Sano pitch was a case of the "unwritten rule", but it merely reminded me of it in addition to Mientkiewicz's post-game comments. I apologize for any confusion!

I just read the story about Miguel Sano and Doug Mientkiewicz's ejections and Mientkiewicz's comments after the game prompted me to write an article addressing baseball's "unwritten rules" and how they could potentially end a career if they are not ended. "Mientkiewicz went on to say that, “Hit him in the back, I won’t like it, but it’s part of the game. Throw at his head and it messes with his future and I have a problem with it. It’s an embarrassment to the game of baseball." What do you think Twins Daily, am I making too big of a deal out of this mishap or do you think this "unwritten rule" is as ridiculous as I do? Miguel Sano: Minnesota Twins Fortunate Prospect Was Ejected, Not Hurt

One of the things that I noticed from Sunday's game was the lack of defensive ability for our backup catcher Ryan Doumit. As a result, I wrote an article that examines whether or not we need to address this issue or if we have been spoiled by Mauer and instead must accept Doumit's shortcomings for what they are. "Doumit does a decent job behind the plate and for what the Twins ask him to do, he does a serviceable job. All I am saying is that Doumit’s struggles behind the plate really does demonstrate how valuable Mauer is to the Twins as a catcher and the difference he makes on a game when he is behind the plate." What do you think Twins Daily, should the Twins use a roster spot on a better defensive backup catcher or will Doumit's shortcomings not play as big of a factor in the Twins' success as I assume? Ryan Doumit: Minnesota Twins Must Look at Liability of Backup Catcher

In my latest article, I wrote about the possibility of Eduardo Escobar taking over for Pedro Florimon as the starting shortstop for the Twins. I gave five reasons why I believe Escobar deserves the opportunity to start everyday and why it would benefit the Twins. "While it may only be a small sample size, Escobar seems to have the clutch factor in him that Florimon doesn’t appear to have." What do you think Twins' Daily followers? Do I have a legitimate argument or is Escobar merely off to a hot start in limited opportunities? Eduardo Escoba: Minnesota Twins Must Make Move Most Beneficial to Team

I recently wrote an article discussing the progress of Alex Meyer in Double-A so far this season. I posed the question towards the end of the article as to when Twins' fans can expect Meyer in the big leagues. "This season, in two starts, Meyer has done nothing short of live up to expectations. In his two starts, Meyer is 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings pitched. During those starts, Meyer has given up a total of 12 hits and three earned runs, while issuing three walks and striking out an impressive 14 batters." Alex Meyer: Minnesota Twins' Prized Pitcher Dominant in Early Starts When do you think Meyer will make his big league debut and in what type of capacity? Should he have an innings limit? Should he start out of the bullpen? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

On my blog for RantSports.com, I wrote a story today about the concept of moving Joe Mauer into the leadoff spot for the Minnesota Twins and the positives it could have on the Twins' lineup. "Other hitters like Paul Molitor, Wade Boggs and Pete Rose were dominant leadoff hitters who weren’t the fleetest of foot and yet, they still succeeded and became some of the best leadoff hitters in history. Mauer could fit into a similar mold with the Twins and have the same career trajectory as some of baseball’s greats." What do you think Twins Daily Community? Have I gone off the deep end? Take a look and let me know what you think! Joe Mauer: Minnesota Twins Would Be Wise To Move Top Hitter to Leadoff

http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/files/2013/04/Mauer1.jpgPeter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports He has hit third in the batting order and is now being asked to hit in the number two spot. He has a career .323 batting average, a .405 on-base percentage and averages 84 walks and 73 strikeouts a year. If you haven’t figured out by the headline or the description, the player being described is Joe Mauer. For the Minnesota Twins, Mauer stands as their franchise player, their starting catcher, normally hits third and earns a hefty $23 million a year. When you look at his career statistics listed above and take into consideration that Mauer has only 96 career HR and 591 RBI with only one season of 20 or more HR and zero seasons of 100 plus RBI, you begin to wonder how an organization can allow him to hit as their number three hitter in their lineup. The time has come to move Mauer out of the third spot in the batting order and into the place he should have been all along, leadoff. For most of Mauer’s career with the Twins, the team has had solid options to bat leadoff in front of him and thus, the need for Mauer to bat first was unnecessary. Players like Denard Span and Shannon Stewart were all better suited to hit leadoff in front of Mauer because they had the best blend of discipline, patience, speed and ability to make consistent contact; thus, Mauer predominantly hit second or third in those lineups. Traditionally in baseball, managers put their best hitter in the third spot in the batting order, their power hitters in their fourth and fifth spots and their fastest and top player at getting on base batting leadoff. While Mauer fits the mold as the Twins’ best hitter, he does not hit enough for power to merit remaining in the number three spot for the Twins in part because there rarely is enough players on base in front of him to drive in. This problem has been magnified even further this season with the struggles of Aaron Hicks hitting in front of Mauer, who is now hitting in the number two spot. Even there, the Twins have struggled to put enough players in front of him to utilize his hitting talents. With all of that in mind, if players aren’t getting on in front of Mauer, why not let Mauer get on base and let others drive him in? Why not use Mauer at the top of the lineup and let your best hitter accumulate more at-bats over the season while also driving in players who get on base at the bottom of the order? Quite frankly, I don’t know why not. If Mauer becomes the Twins’ leadoff hitter, the team can slide Hicks down to the bottom of the order where he can hit with less pressure and remain the starter in centerfield where the team needs him most. If Hicks doesn’t produce at the bottom of the order, then his shortcomings are less magnified because Hicks isn’t hitting at the top of the order. The Twins then could slide a high contact player like Eduardo Escobar into the number two spot for opportunities to advance Mauer into scoring position. Another intriguing option would be to move Chris Parmelee or Trevor Plouffe into the number two spot as solid contact hitters with less pressure to produce in the middle of the order. Whatever manager Ron Gardenhire decides to do in the number two spot is irrelevant if Mauer isn’t hitting at the top. Other hitters like Paul Molitor, Wade Boggs and Pete Rose were dominant leadoff hitters who weren’t the fleetest of foot and yet, they still succeeded and became some of the best leadoff hitters in history. Mauer could fit into a similar mold with the Twins and have the same career trajectory as some of baseball’s greats. His swing, plate discipline and consistency are ideal for a leadoff hitter, so what’s the big hold up? Gardenhire mustn’t fret about putting his best hitter at the top of his lineup because wherever he hits, he will produce; but if Gardenhire wants to get the most production out of his lineup as a whole and fully maximize the talents of Mauer on the Twins as they are currently constructed, he must install Mauer as the Twins’ leadoff hitter. So enough messing around Gardenhire, let Mauer leadoff! Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/files/2013/04/Mauer1.jpgPeter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports He has hit third in the batting order and is now being asked to hit in the number two spot. He has a career .323 batting average, a .405 on-base percentage and averages 84 walks and 73 strikeouts a year. If you haven’t figured out by the headline or the description, the player being described is Joe Mauer. For the Minnesota Twins, Mauer stands as their franchise player, their starting catcher, normally hits third and earns a hefty $23 million a year. When you look at his career statistics listed above and take into consideration that Mauer has only 96 career HR and 591 RBI with only one season of 20 or more HR and zero seasons of 100 plus RBI, you begin to wonder how an organization can allow him to hit as their number three hitter in their lineup. The time has come to move Mauer out of the third spot in the batting order and into the place he should have been all along, leadoff. For most of Mauer’s career with the Twins, the team has had solid options to bat leadoff in front of him and thus, the need for Mauer to bat first was unnecessary. Players like Denard Span and Shannon Stewart were all better suited to hit leadoff in front of Mauer because they had the best blend of discipline, patience, speed and ability to make consistent contact; thus, Mauer predominantly hit second or third in those lineups. Traditionally in baseball, managers put their best hitter in the third spot in the batting order, their power hitters in their fourth and fifth spots and their fastest and top player at getting on base batting leadoff. While Mauer fits the mold as the Twins’ best hitter, he does not hit enough for power to merit remaining in the number three spot for the Twins in part because there rarely is enough players on base in front of him to drive in. This problem has been magnified even further this season with the struggles of Aaron Hicks hitting in front of Mauer, who is now hitting in the number two spot. Even there, the Twins have struggled to put enough players in front of him to utilize his hitting talents. With all of that in mind, if players aren’t getting on in front of Mauer, why not let Mauer get on base and let others drive him in? Why not use Mauer at the top of the lineup and let your best hitter accumulate more at-bats over the season while also driving in players who get on base at the bottom of the order? Quite frankly, I don’t know why not. If Mauer becomes the Twins’ leadoff hitter, the team can slide Hicks down to the bottom of the order where he can hit with less pressure and remain the starter in centerfield where the team needs him most. If Hicks doesn’t produce at the bottom of the order, then his shortcomings are less magnified because Hicks isn’t hitting at the top of the order. The Twins then could slide a high contact player like Eduardo Escobar into the number two spot for opportunities to advance Mauer into scoring position. Another intriguing option would be to move Chris Parmelee or Trevor Plouffe into the number two spot as solid contact hitters with less pressure to produce in the middle of the order. Whatever manager Ron Gardenhire decides to do in the number two spot is irrelevant if Mauer isn’t hitting at the top. Other hitters like Paul Molitor, Wade Boggs and Pete Rose were dominant leadoff hitters who weren’t the fleetest of foot and yet, they still succeeded and became some of the best leadoff hitters in history. Mauer could fit into a similar mold with the Twins and have the same career trajectory as some of baseball’s greats. His swing, plate discipline and consistency are ideal for a leadoff hitter, so what’s the big hold up? Gardenhire mustn’t fret about putting his best hitter at the top of his lineup because wherever he hits, he will produce; but if Gardenhire wants to get the most production out of his lineup as a whole and fully maximize the talents of Mauer on the Twins as they are currently constructed, he must install Mauer as the Twins’ leadoff hitter. So enough messing around Gardenhire, let Mauer leadoff! Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google