goulik

This seems more like the beginning after the beginning or is this the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning, or something else?

One word on Palacios last year, he had some injury issues just when he was starting to come around. Yes he started real slow but I still look at last year as more a lost year then time to give up on him. He does need to step up this year though, (And stay healthy while doing it)

Dang it, you said Arraez before me...

Arraez Palacios Murray

Stubbs messed up two plays that I saw... Lost one in the sun and took a bad route on another. He looked like me out there. Yeah, THAT bad!

With Stubbs defense today, I think DSan is in trouble... We found our other backup outfielder to go with Grossman I think

Since its Spring Training and I'm in camp (with no chance of making the 40 man) I will make this my one (awkward) appearance on the MLB game day thread before being the first sent to the MiLB side of camp leaving everyone else wondering"why was he even here" and "was he actually invited?"

Thanks for the laugh!!

Is how well certain catchers work with certain pitchers going to factor in at all to who even makes the MLB roster as a catcher? If Garver and Berrios connect well in AAA to start the season, does Garver come up with Berrios when Hughes goes down injured again? If we don't know who will make the MLB roster, (pitchers or catchers) how does this discussion even happen yet? Also it seems that some of this discussion is platoon which would be Batter vs Pitcher not battery mates. A catcher assigned to a certain pitcher(s) would not necessarily line up well in a platoon discussion... Maybe it is just Friday but I don't fully get this conversation... BTW, I am still rooting for Garver to FORCE his way onto the roster with a monster ST season to follow up his AFL experience. (Its February, and I can dream right?)

LETS GO!!

Frankly, having a 30+ homer 2nd base guy on my team for the next few years with Sano, Kepler, and Buxton in that same line up excites me. I can take a defense first catcher and a declining first baseman if those other guys all are what we hope they are offensively. That just leaves me worried about defense at Short and Pitching...

I think likelihood of actually making the majors and what they will do when they get there has a lot of weight on rankings which would push Javier down a list if I were to make one. That is part of the fun of these lists, they vary so much from person to person based on what they value more or less than the next guy and his list...

Lets set a date and time for a draft to begin. I am ready to start now but that is a little silly since the MiLB seasons are so far away from starting. Maybe a week or so before the actual MiLB seasons start? I like using Thrylos' list as he has a set of standards on what a prospect is/is not. Thrylos, can you attach those standards and your list to the Draft page when this begins? AAP Rules 1: You Can only draft one person first day from a preset list of prospects. 2: After the first day, you can select anyone/as many additional as you want from the list or beyond as long as they remain rookie eligible. 3: Prospect pages are updated every 2 weeks during their playing season. 4: If your prospect ends up in ExST, your first update would be after they go to DSL, GCL or Elizabethton. Begin updates after the first week of rookie ball. 5: If they go on the DL, let us know how long you think they will be out and updates can be suspended until a week after they return. 6: If you miss 2 updates your prospect goes on the waiver wire to be claimed by anyone that wants him. An AAP authority will warn you in a direct message after the first 2 week deadline is missed and announce the Waiver Wire after the second one. (AAP moderators do not have to be official TD moderators and do not need their power(s) as moderators...maybe a different word could be used other than moderator. I just have not thought of that word yet. These guardians of AAP could be appointed by Seth/otherTD owner/moderator from a list of volunteers?) 7: Within 3 days of draft, start a page with a brief bio. (Thrylos/Seth/Anyone Else, can we copy and paste your bios if we also put a link to the page we borrow it from?) 8: When the season ends, put a wrap on the year and your projection for the next year. Did I miss anything? Should anything be changed? When do we start?

Unfortunately a raw prospect like this won't be to the Majors for 4 years and that would be a fast timetable. This is an AAP to follow for the next several years.

Congratulations, Happy Anniversary, Happy Birthday, Happy Valentines day!

Im hoping that a lot of names disappear off this list at AAA and MLB by mid season as AA guys push up and push others out. We can hope some names like Santiago, Santana, and Hughes do so well that we can trade them for more upside depth in the system as well. I believe our hopes and prayers rest with the ability of Falvey/Lavine to change our system so that our pitchers develop for a change.

3 top 100 would be average, 5 is very nice except none in the top 40. 6 in the top 200 is okay. I think this is all just a sign of all the high talent recent grads and how far down the system the REALLY talented guys are still. I think our minors system is fine and we at TD have just been spoiled by the last couple years. What we REALLY need as a team is the rookies and sophomores to develop into all star vets and some Starting pitching talent to pan out for once.

Thanks for sharing that article Thrylos. Fascinating. You would think the Twins could afford to send a million that way some day for some upgrades and amenities.

I think you are talking about last years organization and I for one am a lot less certain this is true with this years organization.

I have also been higher on Vielma than most but your write up makes it sound like even I am a little lower than I should be. I am all about having star defense at SS before star offense. Good defense can make average pitchers look better than they actually are. One reason I was rooting for a Dozier trade was Polanco to second, and Vielma getting a shot sooner than later. Especially with Gordon behind him.

I agree that Dozier could be around when we are in our nextWorld Series. Just because his contract runs out does not mean he's leaving but I don't see him moving to third.

Interesting stuff but I am not betting for anyone projected to lose more than they win just because Vegas thinks they will be more under 500 than the others predicting outcomes. (besides the fact that I don't gamble ever...)

There are pictures of him here: http://twinsdaily.com/topic/24855-hammond-happenin/ already in FM working out and getting ready to try to make the team out of Spring Training so it does not sound like he is trying to, wants to, or expects to leave the organization.

Seeing only 4 OF at AA, 5 at MLB, AAA, and A+ and 6 at A-... Any chance of one moving up from A+ to fill out AA and one of the 6 moving up from A- to fill the new hole at A+? Seeing this shortage of AA ready players helps me understand the FA MiLB signings as filler especially when none of the AA to AAA guys wow me. Looks like the best we have is 4th and 5th outfielders in our future. We NEED Rosario, Buxton, and Kepler to succeed!