Shane Wahl

Odd that Pedro Hernandez wasn't the choice. Hendriks isn't going to get better at AAA. Pedro Hernandez might.

I would tell him that he should be a bit more free-swinging before I would move him in the order or demote him. They probably should have told him that a few games ago. I can imagine it being difficult with one's first taste of the big leagues as having to be a patient leadoff hitter while struggling at the plate. That's gotta be hectic. Compare that to Brian Dinkelman who hit .300 in his limited time because it was basically his only shot, he knew it, and he was a honey badger at the plate. Hicks needs to get more honey badger in him.

It's pretty amazing that Pinto has now gotten to the point to attract the attention from Sickels. Good for him. I definitely think Mauer-Herrmann-Pinto will be a good combination.

Thankfully, Hicks gets to bat RH tonight.

Career minor league OPS for Boggs? .814. Borbon? .770. Other things are pretty comparable, though Borbon can steal some bases. Boggs is also a switch hitter and played some CF as recently as a year ago . . . But Julio Borbon is the answer!

Um, they already have fill-ins ready. Borbon is not good. Why are people so eager to add players who aren't good to the team? Brandon Boggs is actually better than Borbon, for instance. Look, the Twins, as I said, should have just sent Hicks to AAA. They didn't, but they now have to live with the decision.

Again, if Sean Manaea is there at 4, they have to pick him. He has done nothing this season to discourage that. A lefty in this system is a major need. To those talking about drafting HS catchers . . . really? Those don't pan out much and we would basically be talking about the end of the Mauer era before that catcher is even ready.

Milb.com now has a link for minor league scores by MLB affiliation.

Herrmann is a catcher and OF and should be in almost every day if healthy. Regardless, it doesn't answer the initial question. Why on earth are they batting 7th and 8th!? They don't have to bat 1-2, but I have a hard time understanding why Herrmann isn't batting 2nd and Benson 4th when Arcia is playing. The most plate appearances should go to prospects and potential fill-in players like Boggs. End of story.

One then has to wonder what the projection is like for Rodriguez. He will be 21 soon and you think he will stay in rookie ball after two seasons with the GC Twins? Yikes. E-Town is a small step for him.

Tonight for Rochester. Just racking up the plate appearances!!! For dumb.

Looks like the rain is going to wait there for awhile. At least until 10.

You consistently put the smack down around here.

There is an awful lot of instant gratification culture up in here, esp. with regard to Dozier and Hicks. Seven games into a new season with a position change. Chill out.

Hicks will get it together soon.

I would say that the Twins need to give 2013 to Dozier. By 2014, Santana and Beresford could be given chances to succeed at SS or 2B depending on Dozier's 2013 season.

Last year's crew didn't do so well overall, especially the pitchers. This year only one of the 10 players returns to the list. These are guys under the radar a bit, but could have breakout or breakthrough seasons (from bottom to top of system): 1. Dereck Rodriguez (EST, E-Town or CR): Rodriguez had a solid 2012 season when healthy. He is turning 21 in June and has been moved very cautiously in the Twins system (much like Nate Roberts). I have to imagine that he ends 2013 with Cedar Rapids, especially if Buxton and/or Kepler are promoted to Fort Myers. Rodriguez needs to cut out the strike outs to be successful. J.D. Williams (CR): Williams is the only one to return to the list this year. After an excellent 2011 season he turned in a bad one in low-A ball in 2012. He is off to a fast start in 2013. Speaking of fast, Williams is the one guy who might be able to take Byron Buxton in a foot race. Anyway, Williams is 22.5 years old and repeating at low-A is hopefully not a year-long process. He could be one of three OF for Cedar Rapids promoted to Fort Myers this year. Dalton Hicks (CR): The 23-year-old had a solid season in 2012 and is pounding the ball in 18 at bats this year. Could be a fast-riser and be another player challenging to make a move up to Fort Myers this season. Michael Gonzales (FM): Speaking of Fort Myers and first base, I have been pleased with Gonzales early numbers after an OK performance in 2012. He will finish the season in New Britain, undoubtedly. He turns 25 in June and has tremendous power, but he needs to make contact. Tom Stuifbergen (FM): Stuifbergen was a bright spot in the system a few years ago and in the 2009 WBC. He has battled injuries the past few seasons and the K/rate is falling. If he gets that back up this year, he could be ending the season in AAA. He turns 25 in September. Daniel Ortiz (NB): Twins fans may now know who Ortiz is after this spring's extended stay with the Twins in spring training. Ortiz has been consistent in his minor league career and the Twins have rewarded him with promotions. He really probably has fourth outfielder potential, but he can play all three positions out there and could develop some pop. In any event, he has more upside than Boggs, Ramirez, and Mastroianni. A.J. Achter (NB): Achter put up ridiculous numbers in 2012 in Fort Myers. He may be less well-known than Michael Tonkin, but he should rise with Tonkin in the system this year. He is part of a class of relievers (Tonkin, Watts, Pugh, Thielbar) who will challenge for spots in the bullpen this year and next. Dakota Watts (NB): Watts was solid in 2012 and in winter ball. He has some good velocity and will be knocking on the door this year for a promotion to AAA after he gets off the DL. He could likely be in the bullpen for the Twins in 2014. Bruce Pugh ®: Pugh was great in 2012 and will be up with the Twins at some point in 2013. He whiffs a lot of batters and could be a viable setup man down the road. Andrew Albers ®: Albers is the elder statesman of this group and I hope he gets a chance to make the big leagues soon. He is a crafty, command lefty who has been very good the past two seasons in the system. Likely long relief down the road. I wanted him to pair with Gibson too keep Gibson's inning load down, but Albers was forced into the rotation.

Last year's crew didn't do so well overall, especially the pitchers. This year only one of the 10 players returns to the list. These are guys under the radar a bit, but could have breakout or breakthrough seasons (from bottom to top of system): 1. Dereck Rodriguez (EST, E-Town or CR): Rodriguez had a solid 2012 season when healthy. He is turning 21 in June and has been moved very cautiously in the Twins system (much like Nate Roberts). I have to imagine that he ends 2013 with Cedar Rapids, especially if Buxton and/or Kepler are promoted to Fort Myers. Rodriguez needs to cut out the strike outs to be successful. J.D. Williams (CR): Williams is the only one to return to the list this year. After an excellent 2011 season he turned in a bad one in low-A ball in 2012. He is off to a fast start in 2013. Speaking of fast, Williams is the one guy who might be able to take Byron Buxton in a foot race. Anyway, Williams is 22.5 years old and repeating at low-A is hopefully not a year-long process. He could be one of three OF for Cedar Rapids promoted to Fort Myers this year. Dalton Hicks (CR): The 23-year-old had a solid season in 2012 and is pounding the ball in 18 at bats this year. Could be a fast-riser and be another player challenging to make a move up to Fort Myers this season. Michael Gonzales (FM): Speaking of Fort Myers and first base, I have been pleased with Gonzales early numbers after an OK performance in 2012. He will finish the season in New Britain, undoubtedly. He turns 25 in June and has tremendous power, but he needs to make contact. Tom Stuifbergen (FM): Stuifbergen was a bright spot in the system a few years ago and in the 2009 WBC. He has battled injuries the past few seasons and the K/rate is falling. If he gets that back up this year, he could be ending the season in AAA. He turns 25 in September. Daniel Ortiz (NB): Twins fans may now know who Ortiz is after this spring's extended stay with the Twins in spring training. Ortiz has been consistent in his minor league career and the Twins have rewarded him with promotions. He really probably has fourth outfielder potential, but he can play all three positions out there and could develop some pop. In any event, he has more upside than Boggs, Ramirez, and Mastroianni. A.J. Achter (NB): Achter put up ridiculous numbers in 2012 in Fort Myers. He may be less well-known than Michael Tonkin, but he should rise with Tonkin in the system this year. He is part of a class of relievers (Tonkin, Watts, Pugh, Thielbar) who will challenge for spots in the bullpen this year and next. Dakota Watts (NB): Watts was solid in 2012 and in winter ball. He has some good velocity and will be knocking on the door this year for a promotion to AAA after he gets off the DL. He could likely be in the bullpen for the Twins in 2014. Bruce Pugh ®: Pugh was great in 2012 and will be up with the Twins at some point in 2013. He whiffs a lot of batters and could be a viable setup man down the road. Andrew Albers ®: Albers is the elder statesman of this group and I hope he gets a chance to make the big leagues soon. He is a crafty, command lefty who has been very good the past two seasons in the system. Likely long relief down the road. I wanted him to pair with Gibson too keep Gibson's inning load down, but Albers was forced into the rotation.

Arcia can play right field. I mentioned awhile ago trading both Morneau and Parmelee, much like the Span and Revere trades. The return will be not as impressive, but it will still be significant (of course M & P have to be good this year). Colabello would be a placeholder for Sano or Harrison.

Let's hope he doesn't have to be a key anything. He is replacement level and always will be. I am still surprised by his place on the roster.

If Sean Manaea is available at four, there's no OF worthy of discussion.

Gardenhire doesn't know what he's talking about. Also, we know Correia is not actually a good pitcher. There is zero reason to let him try to get out of the 8th. Burton should have been brought in to start the inning. You get 7 innings like that out of a mediocre pitcher . . . you don't test fate.

It is time to return to an analysis of the farm system in terms of how prospects by position are moving up, moving down, appearing, disappearing, or reappearing on this year's list. This is an attempt to gauge the overall status of the system from year to year and entails, indirectly, an analysis of the 2012 draft, but also the development of players still in the system and the emergence of talent up into the big leagues. I used the 2012 compilation list from myself, Seth Stohs, and Twinkie Town. For 2013, I stuck with my list, in part because both of the other lists, as well as Gleeman's list, are pretty similar to mine anyway. In fact they tend to exactly embellish--perhaps appropriately--the main conclusion of this analysis anyway. In sum, the results are not that dramatic. By position, a simple way to view the prospect list movement between 2012 and 2013 is as follows: OF: even C: even 1B: even 2B: even (lower number resulting from Dozier moving to the Twins) 3B: slightly downward (this with Sano and Harrison still candidates) SS: slightly upward RHS: upward RHR: upward LHS: downward LHR: even This projects to be an overall improvement in the system, and I have been conservative in the impact, to some degree, in three areas: 1) right-handed pitching may be vastly improved as only 2013 can tell, 2) Danny Santana and Niko Goodrum both staying at SS could be huge, 3) Sano *or* Harrison staying at third creates much more balance. Methodology: I analyzed the list by tiers: top 5, 15, 25, 35, and 50 and then counted the number of prospects at each tier by position. Right-handed starters has supplanted outfielders as appearing the most on the list in the top 50, though outfielders are still very well represented. RHS also appear most in the top 35 and top 25 as well. This might not be so surprising given the last two drafts, but keep in mind that people like Manuel Soliman, Adrian Salcedo, and Alex Wimmers have plummeted in the meantime. The system stagnated a bit at catcher, first base, and second base. Herrmann and Pinto are the only clear prospects at the catcher position, Dalton Hicks needs to establish himself this year to be a full-fledged prospect and Chris Colabello is aging, and finally, only Eddie Rosario makes the second base spot bright. The big problem spots are in left-handed pitching (especially starters), 3B (really a big problem if neither Sano nor Harrison stay there), and catching (especially if neither Matt Koch nor Danny Rohlfing develop quickly). There will be a mid-season update on the system as the 2013 year plays out and how the June draft affects everything.

It is time to return to an analysis of the farm system in terms of how prospects by position are moving up, moving down, appearing, disappearing, or reappearing on this year's list. This is an attempt to gauge the overall status of the system from year to year and entails, indirectly, an analysis of the 2012 draft, but also the development of players still in the system and the emergence of talent up into the big leagues. I used the 2012 compilation list from myself, Seth Stohs, and Twinkie Town. For 2013, I stuck with my list, in part because both of the other lists, as well as Gleeman's list, are pretty similar to mine anyway. In fact they tend to exactly embellish--perhaps appropriately--the main conclusion of this analysis anyway. In sum, the results are not that dramatic. By position, a simple way to view the prospect list movement between 2012 and 2013 is as follows: OF: even C: even 1B: even 2B: even (lower number resulting from Dozier moving to the Twins) 3B: slightly downward (this with Sano and Harrison still candidates) SS: slightly upward RHS: upward RHR: upward LHS: downward LHR: even This projects to be an overall improvement in the system, and I have been conservative in the impact, to some degree, in three areas: 1) right-handed pitching may be vastly improved as only 2013 can tell, 2) Danny Santana and Niko Goodrum both staying at SS could be huge, 3) Sano *or* Harrison staying at third creates much more balance. Methodology: I analyzed the list by tiers: top 5, 15, 25, 35, and 50 and then counted the number of prospects at each tier by position. Right-handed starters has supplanted outfielders as appearing the most on the list in the top 50, though outfielders are still very well represented. RHS also appear most in the top 35 and top 25 as well. This might not be so surprising given the last two drafts, but keep in mind that people like Manuel Soliman, Adrian Salcedo, and Alex Wimmers have plummeted in the meantime. The system stagnated a bit at catcher, first base, and second base. Herrmann and Pinto are the only clear prospects at the catcher position, Dalton Hicks needs to establish himself this year to be a full-fledged prospect and Chris Colabello is aging, and finally, only Eddie Rosario makes the second base spot bright. The big problem spots are in left-handed pitching (especially starters), 3B (really a big problem if neither Sano nor Harrison stay there), and catching (especially if neither Matt Koch nor Danny Rohlfing develop quickly). There will be a mid-season update on the system as the 2013 year plays out and how the June draft affects everything.

Am I just an idiot or merely wondering why Correia came out for the 8th? Even Fien would have been a better option.