goulik

THE DRAFT IS OPEN! SETH GAVE THE OK!! THIS IS OFFICIAL!! Any pitcher at EST, Cedar Rapids, Chatanooga, or Fort Meyers not named VanSteensel, Jay, Westphal, or Stewart is open to be drafted. Any EST, Chattanooga, or Rochester hitter is open to be drafted!! Draft up two per day!! Just post your selections below!!

In support of prospects, Always33 and Adopting TDers everywhere, and hoping the powers that be (AKA moderators) do not become too angry with me, I am declaring draft day beginning 6AM Monday morning May 9th. Revolution rules 1)Previously adopted prospects are off the board unless waived by current owners. Current owners can waive their prospects by declaring they only want to keep certain prospects. There are no limits to the number of prospects they want to keep. -Hrbowski has Rochester Pitchers. -Always33 has Fort Meyers but has already opened up all but Westphal, Van Steensel, Stewart, and Jay. -ShaneWahl has Chatanooga hitters. -Seth has Cedar Rapids hitters. I would like to apologize to him at this time for missing his post claiming them. Since I started one for all of them already, I have second shot at any/all Seth waives 2) Prospect pages not up within a week of the draft are back open for anyone else to claim by creating a page 3) Any prospect not updated for a month can be claimed by anyone else by posting on that page their claim with an update on the prospect from the past month. 4)two prospects can be drafted per day with no limit on the total number of prospects owned by one poster I am open to further rules and hope to get a stamp of approval. Hopefully this is a peaceful revolution... G

Copied and pasted from Seths post MiLB hitter of the Month April 2016: "And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Cedar Rapids – OF LaMonte Wade - .361/.430/.542 (.972). 26-72 with six doubles, two triples, one home run and ten RBI. LaMonte Wade was the Twins ninth-round draft pick last June out of the University of Maryland. Many experts, including Twins Daily’s draft guru Jeremy Nygaard, believe he could have been drafted much higher if not for a broken hamate bone that cost him significant playing time in his junior season. In 64 games at Elizabethton last year he hit .312/.428/.506 (.934) with eight doubles, five triples and nine home runs. As impressive, he walked 46 times while striking out just 34 times. That ability has continued into his 2015 season. In April, he walked ten times and struck out just eight times. However, Wade doesn’t go to the plate looking to walk, and he isn’t just a contact-hitting slap hitter. Wade explained, “I’m always looking for a fastball elevated up over the plate to drive until I get two strikes. Then I just try to get the ball in play and do a job for the team.” Following his E-Town season last year, Wade was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he played for the Kernels through their run to the Midwest League championship series. The half-dozen games helped prepare him for the league. “Every game is hard-fought and filled with talented players. It comes down to which team can do the little things more consistently and play clean defense.” What playing in Cedar Rapids in September couldn’t prepare him for was playing in Cedar Rapids in April. As you can tell, based on him being our choice for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month, he handled the conditions just fine. “The weather has been fine for the most part. Some days are better than others as far as the cold, but we don’t use that as an excuse because we know the other team has to compete in it as well.” Wade may not have any one tool that is elite, but he also doesn’t really have a glaring weakness in his game. He can hit for average. He has a good approach at the plate. He isn’t a big home run hitter, but he does have gap-to-gap power. He has a little above average speed. He is a good defensive outfielder, capable of playing center field, though he profiles more in the corners. He also has an average-to-slightly above average arm. Wade’s goals for the season include “to be more consistent at the plate and get back to the playoffs and win it all this time. I believe we have the team to do it.” Wade is off to a fast start, which is great to see. What will be very interesting is to see how long he stays in Cedar Rapids, particularly if he continues at a similar offensive pace. It may not be real long before he joins the Miracle in Ft. Myers"

Copied and pasted from Seths #4 MiLB hitter of the month: "Number 4 - Cedar Rapids – 2B/C Rafael Valera - .239/.365/.437 (.801). 17-71 with six doubles, four triples and eight RBI. Valera came up to Cedar Rapids midway through the 2015 season and ended up being their primary second baseman the remainder of the season. At Instructional league, however, he spent his time working behind the plate. To start this season, Valera has already played second base, third base, left field and catcher. The 21-year-old didn’t hit for average, but he got on base and showed a lot of extra base power. He walked 12 times in the month. He was a triples machine early in the month. He had two in one game." I'm impressed with his 365 OBP when compared to his BA

Copied and pasted from Seths honorable mention for April MiLB hitter of the month. 2B Luis Arraez (Cedar Rapids) – .313/.393/.479 (.872). 15-48 with two doubles, two homers and five RBI For being young for this level, this guy may be on top 30 Twins prospect lists in the not too distant future...

Copied and pasted from Seths hitter of the month honorable mentions: C AJ Murray (Cedar Rapids) - .231/.370/.400 (.770). 15-65 with five doubles, two homers and 10 RBI. Hopefully May will end with more than honorable mention.

Murray was 2 for 4 with his 3rd home run last night. His slash is improving as he now sits at 247/378/438 and he leads the team with 12 RBI's

I was excited by Palacios being in Cedar Rapids and close enough to go see play once in a while. Unfortunately, he has not prospered at low A at this point. His slash is 192/268/219 in 73 AB. His BB/K is not bad at 8/11 but 6 errors in 20 games is a little rough.

Many on this CR team are here sooner than predicted by the TD team in the prospect handbook and this includes Guzman. Before going on the DL, he was batting 172/226/172 with 3 errors in 9 games. That's a SSS for sure but it is a pretty rough start. CR seems a lot like the MLB team. Lots of guys not adjusting to the next level well yet.

After 76 at bats, his slash is now 342/418/513 with 6 doubles, 2 triples and a homer. He has 10 runs and 10 RBIs. He has the same number of walks as strikeouts, 11. He has committed 1 error.

Arraez is batting 313/393/479 in 48 at bats with a 985 fielding percentage (1 error)

Center Field- Cedar Rapids Born Oct. 1, 1993 Drafted 18th Round in 2015 out of Wichita State 273/404/392 at Elizabethton last year, his first year in the organization. Kihle is currently on the DL at Cedar Rapids

Outfield-Cedar Rapids Born March 30, 1994 Drafted 7th round 2012 out of International Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. 215/268/241 Last year for Cedar Rapids in 214 at bats. Originally a catcher, Fernandez spent a lot of time at first base last year and is now listed as an Outfielder on the Cedar Rapids Roster. Fernandez spent all of 2012 and 13 with the GCL Twins, 2014 in Elizabethton, and all of last year with Cedar Rapids.

Outfield-Cedar Rapids Born Dec. 7, 1994 Undrafted Free Agent signed 2015 out of Lindenwood-Bellevue 323/421/538 mostly with the GCL Twins but a bonus 4 game stint with Elizabethton last year, his first in the organization.

Short Stop- Cedar Rapids Born July 19, 1996 International Free Agent in 2013 out of Venezuela 370/398/540 for the GCL Twins and Elizabethton last year. Placios spent 2014 in the DSL.

Short Stop-Cedar Rapids Born Feb. 10, 1995 International Free Agent 2013, Dominican Republic 275/377/337 at Elizabethton last year This is Guzman's 4th year in the organization. He has moved up one level each year starting with the DSL in 2013. Guzman is currently on the DL in Cedar Rapids.

Short Stop-Cedar Rapids Born Oct. 10, 1994 Drafted 10th round, 2015 from USC-Aiken 262/296/303 at Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids last year, his first in the organization.

Third Base- Cedar Rapids Born April 30, 1995 Drafted 11th round 2013 Antonio Luchetti HS, Puerto Rico 207/271/250 at Elizabethton last year. Molina spent two seasons with the GCL Twins.

Second Base-Cedar Rapids Born Aug. 15, 1994 International Free Agent from Venezuela in 2011 283/378/338 Valera plays 2B, SS, and 3B. He was at the GCL most of last year but had two call ups to Fort Myers Miracle

Second Base Born April 9, 1997 309/377/391 at GCL in 2015 International Free Agent signed out of Venezuela Beginning 2016 at Cedar Rapids Arraez played for the DSL Twin in 2014, his first year in the organization. In the TD handbook, He was expected to move up to Elizabethton.

Catcher Born April 4, 1993 Drafted 2015 14th Round from Georgia Tech 288/397/424 at Elizabethton last year. Threw out 32% of base runners last year Murray will begin the year in Cedar Rapids

Born Oct. 13, 1992 Undrafted Free Agent from Valdosta State Catcher beginning 2016 in Cedar Rapids 256/361/463 At GCL last year in 150 innings 39% Stolen base rate against him in 23 attempts

COMPLETELY agree with this. Young developing players: SSS. These guys are at various stages of their development and until they are well into year 3, we won't really know where they are at. They will adjust, then the other team will adjust, then they will have to readjust. It's just how it works. I see these guys all falling into that picture... Adjusting to Majors: Meyer, O'Rourke, Buxton,Berrios, Park, Polanco Other teams adjusting after some success: Duffey, Sano, Murphy, Rosario, May Needing to readjust: Santana, Pressly, Arcia I think we know what we have with the rest of them on the roster. The exciting part is we are not only VERY young, there are more young guys on the way. As this all shakes out this year, I think we will see 2-3 midseason trades, possibly some DFA's, and some promotions of more prospects, bullpen AND hitters. I was hoping for a playoff year but that is probably out of the cards. In no way did I think this was going to be the year to make a run but I hoped and still hope next year and for the next decade this is a team that could make several runs if managed correctly. I think it is way too early to judge Molly or Terry on this years team yet. Has anyone seen the Astros regression this year? Yes, SSS and youth...

I was more referring to Meyer NOT getting the long relief and riding the pine for a week than the other decisions Besides,. How do we know Ryan didn't call Molitor and say "I called him up because I want Meyer to start instead of Milone"? As was stated, he is the boss... I don't mind ripping people for valid complaints and mistakes. I don't like the retread veterans when we have guys that need the time in the field. (David Murphy? Really?) I do get annoyed by assumptions about things we don't know.

One thing to remember, Ryan calls up the players, the manager fields the team.