curt1965

I have to confess I do not know how to feel about the lack of movement at the deadline.  I am glad we did not give up quality prospects in order to secure average MLB talent that will not significantly impact this years results. At the same time it is very disallusioning (is that a word?) to see we did absolutely NOTHING to address the blatant issues we have with this offense.
This disallusionment (again is that a word) makes me seriously consider how I want the rest of the year to go.  Am I not a "true" fan if a part of me wants us to collapse, IF that means that "Falvine" will be gone after this year? If it means other changes will happen? Such as Baldelli gone, Hitting coach gone, and we can install a new brand of baseball?  Is wanting short term failure for long term success mean I am not a "true fan"? 
 
I do not expect us to win every game, I do not expect us to spend on the best players in the game, I do not expect us to lead MLB in HR and batting average, and OPS, and SB. I do not expect us to lead MLB in ERA, WHIP, CGs etc.  I onyl want us to TRY!!!!
 
If we had a balanced lineup that we just need players to play better, then I coudl possibly understand, but we have built a flawed team, and if the FO cannot see that, and cannot seem to do things to admit a failure, fix it and move on, then it looks like we are not even trying.
We still have an extremely LH dominated lineup, we still hit LH pitching worst in baseball, we still have the players with the highest K rate in the history of baseball. We still have mediocre palyers blocking slightly better mediocre players that do not allow us to truly evaluate talent for next year. we still have middling talent ready to be out next wave.  
We still have Gallo on this team. Who takes away AB's from potentially both Wallner and Larnach. We still have an upcoming IF crunch to address when Lewis comes back in a  short bit.
We still have zero apparent plan going forward into next year to compete.  Gallo gone next year (addition by subtraction) Kepler, unless he stays on fire the rest of the year will be gone, Taylor is a FA, we have no established 3B at the moment for next year. With Kiriloff's injury we still have noone we can count on all year long at 1B next year, we are still handcuffed at DH as who knows if Buxton will be able to play the field next year. Our pitching still has Gray gone as a FA, if we think we will get a draft pick with a QO forget it. nobody will sign Gray to a multi year deal at his age with draft pick compensation tied to him, so we will lose him for nothing. If you cannot see that coming as a FO guy you should not be a FO guy. Maeda will be gone, Keuchle, if we add him will not be here next year.
 
At least the Indina made moves to improve the future while still being able to contend in this division!!
 
So back to my original question, is it OK to hope for a collapse if it means the longterm health (or at least a better chance at long term health) of the team I love?

I know we have a playoff spot to chase and we should worry about what is happening on the field right now, but I think that it's never a bad idea to look ahead a little bit, especially since the Twins are fading fast and the teams competing with us are probably a little bit better, Toronto for example. With that being said, here is a look at some ideas I have for this offseason.
 
Likely to leave via Free Agency:
 
SP Mike Pelfrey: Pelfrey has been a pleasant surprise in the Twins starting rotation this season, posting a 3.65 ERA in 118.1 innings, but that spot in the rotation should belong to Trevor May now, and most certainly should in the future. I have nothing against Palfrey, but Trevor May is a piece of the future that can't keep rotting away in the bullpen.
 
LHP Brian Duensing: Brian Duensing has had his ups and downs this season, but as a whole he has complied a 5.88 ERA in just 26.0 innings. He had some injuries earlier in the season and has been better lately, but I would be surprised if he stays in Minnesota after putting up lackluster numbers in an already abysmal bullpen.
 
 
Might be gone:
 
RF Torii Hunter: Torii Hunter has most certainly been a positive energy for this team. His presence I do believe has helped Aaron Hicks blossom and I'm sure has been an influence on Byron Buxton while he has been up. However, Torii is finally showing signs of slowing down, as evidenced by his .188/.231/.329 slash in the month of July, equaling a lackluster .560 OPS. The Twins should look to keep Torii in an instructor's role or a coaching role, but I think right field should go to someone like an Aaron Hicks or a Max Kepler.
 
 
Top On-Roster Trade Chips:
 
OF Aaron Hicks: Aaron Hicks has finally blossomed, at least it seems, into the player we all thought he was going to be. He managed a 1.001 OPS in July and had looked good in center field as well. With Byron Buxton right on Hicks's heals, this winter may be a good time to shop Hicks. If not, moving him to right field is a good option as well.
 
SP Tommy Milone: Milone has been another pleasant surprise for the Twins this year, pitching to a 3.76 ERA in 81.1 Innings this year. He has looked especially good since being recalled from Rochester in early June. Tommy might not net a large prospect return, but if the Twins could get a nice relief pitcher in return, the trade might be worth it, as the Twins have a log jam of starters right now and not enough quality relievers.
 
3B Trevor Plouffe: While Plouffe has developed into an above-average third baseman, it may be worthwhile to look into moving him. An OPS+ of 107 puts him at 7% above league average. Trading Plouffe could net a decent return while opening up third base for Miguel Sano. Terry Ryan will be reluctant to do this, but it makes sense if the price is right.
 
 
DFA Candidates:
 
A.J. Achter
Logan Darnell
Aaron Thompson
Chris Herrmann
Eric Fryer
Eduardo Nunez
Shane Robinson
 
 
Potential Free Agent Targets:
 
C Alex Avila: We all know this guy. Alex Avila has offensive potential, but has not lived up to the hope he showed in 2011. He has missed a lot of time due to injury this year, but he has a carer OPS+ of 102, though that was largely helped by his 142 OPS+ in 2011. Defensively, he is a solid backstop. His dWar the last several years have been higher than Kurt Suzuki's, so he would be a cheap upgrade from Suzuki, but not a significant one.
 
C Matt Wieters: Matt Wieters playing like Matt Wieters would be a significant upgrade both at the plate and behind it. The biggest concerns with Wieters is whether or not his arm can withstand being the everyday catcher and also what kind of contract he might demand. It is not everyday that an All-Star catcher hits the open market, so it is kind of a long shot that the Twins will have a shot at him, but it absolutely must be considered. He would provide a force in the middle of the lineup and be a rock behind the plate. That could make Kurt Suzuki into a solid backup catcher.
 
SS Ian Desmond: Ian Desmond is in the midst of his worst season ever, with a slash of .217/.263/.358 with 11 home runs. Sadly, those numbers would still be an upgrade from the Twins shortstops this season, but a veteran shortstop like Ian Desmond could very easily be a low risk/ high reward project for the Twins and provide them with some stability up the middle which has been needed for so many years.
 
RHP Tyler Clippard: Tyler Clippard has always been a reliable relief pitcher, posing a career 2.85 ERA in 9 MLB seasons. The Twins are in need of quality relief pitching.
 
RHP Darren O'Day: Same story as above, a quality reliever who has a good track record, a career 2.35 ERA in 8 seasons.
 
The Twins really should consider adding two quality set up men in front of Glen Perkins. We see what Kansas City is able to do with Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Greg Holland. Ned Yost only has to manage a 6 inning game. It takes a ton of pressure off the starting pitchers if you have a shutdown 7th-8th-9th inning bullpen that can be relied on every day.
 
Terry Ryan certainly has some decisions to make this coming offseason. The Twins are entering a phase where they are about to have more talent than places to put it, leading for some interesting decisions for Terry Ryan.
 
Thank You to all who read.

With the depth of the Twins system, they will have several players that need to be put on the 40 man roster this winter to avoid the rule 5 draft. Are there so many that the Twins should consider trading some of them this summer? How many spots will reasonably be available this winter?
 
With the DFA of Tim Stauffer, the Twins currently have 40 men on their 40 man roster. There is one spot available as Ervin Santana will not count until he return in July.
 
The Twins will have some players entering free agency following the season. Those spots will be open. Those players include
 
Torii Hunter
Blaine Boyer
Mike Pelfrey
Brian Duensing
 
Any of those players can be replaced. The Twins should not feel the urgency to extend them this summer. They might consider trading them for whatever the market will return. That is 4 spots.
 
The remaining 36 are under team control in some form or another. Some will be eligible for arbitration. The Twins may elect not to take them to arbitration.
 
Trevor Plouffe
Jordan Schafer
Tommy Milone
Shane Robinson
Eduardo Nunez
Casey Fien
Eduardo Escobar
 
I would think that Plouffe, Fien and Escobar would be offered arbitration. If Milone isn't traded, he may also be offered arbitration. I would think Schafer, Robinson and Nunez can be replaced.
 
Adding those three that is 7 spots
 
The Twins have some players on the 40 man roster that might be considered close to replacement level. They include
 
A.J. Achter
Logan Darnell
J.R. Graham
Ryan Pressly
Caleb Thielbar
Aaron Thompson
Michael Tonkin
Jason Wheeler
Chris Herrmann
Josmil Pinto
Doug Bernier
Aaron Hicks
 
Darnell and Wheeler are lefthanded and may not make it through rule 5 but have little upside. The Twins really need to see what they have in Achter, Thielbar and Tonkin this season. At their age, if they don't feel Achter and Thielbar are worth a long look on the roster, they probably feel like they can be replaced. Pinto now has red flags due to concussions. If he can't catch does he have a spot? Among this list, I think Graham, Pressly, Tonkin, Pinto and Hicks are safe. The rest can be thrown with the group that will need to be put on the 40.
 
That is 7 more spots for a total of 14.
 
You could probably add Suzuki, Mauer and Nolasco to the performing near replacement level list but they have too much money tied into their contract. The Twins could free up a spot if they found a way to dump their contracts.
 
There are two players that don't need to be added to the 40 until the following year, but could get called to the majors in 2015. Buxton and Berrios. They would not be a good candidate for a September call up because of the 40 man status. The only reason to call them up would be to help the team soon. I think they will call up Buxton. With Ervin Santana's return, I don't think we will see Berrios until 2016.
 
13 spots
 
These are the players will be eligible for the rule 5 draft if they are not put on the 40.
 
Bard, Luke
Baxendale, D.J.
Duffey, Tyler
Haar, Bryan
Harrison, Travis
Hicks, Dalton
Jones, Zack
Melotakis, Mason
Muren, Alexander
Polanco, Joel
Rogers, Taylor
Valera, Rafael
Vielma, Engelb
Wade, Logan
Walker, Adam
 
Michael, Levi
Johnson, Cole
Goodrum, Niko
 
13 spots for those and players above not yet added.
 
I think adding Baxendale, Duffey, Harrison, Jones, Rogers and Walker are givens.
 
7 spots
 
Achter, Thielbar and Herrman should be safe.
 
4 spots
 
In summary...
 
Hunter, Pelfey, Boyer, Duensing, Schafer, Robinson, Nunez, Darnell, Thompson, Wheeler and Bernier were removed
 
Buxton, Baxendale, Duffey, Harrison, Jones, Rogers and Walker were added
 
There are 4 more spots. Are there more than 4 players that urgently need to be added? Do the Twins need to trade away prospects due to 40 man roster decision this winter?
 
Note: Thanks to TD and the organizational report. It is very likely I missed something or someone in doing this article. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Edit: Schafer released. Buxton added to 40. Bernier removed. Fryer added. I would remove Fryer at end of season.

Aaron Thompson marches to the beat of his own drum. That probably isn’t a shock to many, as he falls under a number of subsets that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing oddities from. Bert Blyleven will frequently suggest pitchers are a different sort on Twins telecasts, but beyond that Thompson is also a reliever as well as left handed — two things that push him further down the oddball spectrum in baseball circles.
 
Twins general manager Terry Ryan — a fellow former left-handed pitcher in his own right — said as much in a pregame chat with the media earlier this month. “He’s a unique personality, I can tell you that,” Ryan said. “He’s a little different egg, in a good way. He’s just a good fella. He’s a good worker and a good teammate. He’s left-handed, too, don’t ever forget that.” Ryan also hinted in a later chat that Thompson is one of the more heady players on the team, and opined that if he wanted a future in coaching, that it’d probably be there for the taking for him in the future. More on that later.
 
Thompson also has a pretty good left-handed confidant out there in the bullpen in coach Eddie Guardado. Guardado was the first name off Torii Hunter’s lips in a recent chat with Cold Omaha on what the difference was between this year’s team and last year’s. “Guardado is huge,” Hunter remarked. “A lot of guys go to them and ask him questions and he gives it to them. I think he’s probably one of the biggest parts of that bullpen down there; he gives them that bulldog mentality.” It’s not just bark, but also bite for Guardado, even at age 44. When diminutive utility man Eduardo Escobar got a little lippy before Wednesday’s series finale against the Red Sox, the former closer — with the aid of catcher Kurt Suzuki — gave the infielder turned outfielder a bit of a beatdown. All in good fun of course, but it simply feeds the notion that this is part of what has contributed to a much looser and carefree clubhouse atmosphere so far this season. Winning also helps.
 
And the funny thing is that as loose as the roster is, it’s one Thompson nearly didn’t make. In fact, he didn’t, but once rosters were set and he was on his way to Rochester, word of the Ervin Santana suspension came down and suddenly Thompson was a lefty in luck.
 
Thompson surely hasn’t been used like a 25th man, however. Only Seth Maness of the Cardinals and Jeremy Jeffress of the Brewers have appeared in more games than Thompson coming into Thursday’s action. He’s not really being used as a LOOGY — lefty one-out guy — either, as he has more appearances recording four or more outs (eight) than he does recording one or zero outs (six). The splits back it up, too, as he’s faced 56 right-handed hitters and 39 lefties.
 
To Thompson’s credit, he doesn’t do too much differently against righties or lefties either, with one interesting exception. He scorns the changeup against left-handed hitters as most pitchers will to same-side hitters — “I don’t use a lot of changeups and stuff to lefties. It’s a real specific thing. You think lefties like it down and in, and you throw a pitch if they’re out in front of and fooled, it’s still down and in. Bad news.” — but the real interesting thing he does is that he moves on the rubber based on the handedness of the hitter he’s about to face. The reasoning is simple, but intuitive: “That’s the way I practice is to execute angles and things that have worked for me. I don’t move pitch to pitch, just batter to batter. It’s really not like a trick.”
 
One should note that Thompson has, despite his usage, nuked lefties (.121/.205/.152) and has been somewhat pedestrian against righties (.308/.339/.423). He also hasn’t been used for a full inning in his last eight appearances as well, so perhaps his role is and will continue evolving. And maybe that’s more about his teammates — the continued excellence of Blaine Boyer for instance — than it is him. It’s hard to say.
 
So where did Thompson come from? It might surprise you that 10 years ago, Thompson was a first-round pick (22nd overall) of the Florida Marlins. In fact, Thompson was one of five first-round picks — including the supplemental round — for the Marlins that year, along with Chris Volstad (No. 16), Jacob Marceaux (No. 29), Ryan Tucker (No. 34) and Sean West (No. 44). For comparison’s sake, the Twins nabbed Matt Garza (No. 25) and a hulking slugger named Hank Sanchez (No. 39) who barely made it out of Rookie League that year. Current Twin Mike Pelfrey was the No. 9 pick in that draft as well. Only Marceaux never made the big leagues of those five picks for the Marlins, and the sheer number of picks came thanks to losing Armando Benitez and Carl Pavano in free agency the previous winter.
 
Thompson is the last one still kicking around in the big leagues, with Volstad still active in Triple-A with the Pirates (3-1, 3.60 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 1.42 WHIP). It wasn’t always an easy road for Thompson either; in fact, it’s really never been easy for him. It seems sort of crazy to think about it, but this free spirit of sorts was caught being a yes man for a very long time before things clicked.
 
Thompson remembers the day when the light flipped on, and he decided he was just fed up and was going to start doing things differently. “You all remember Logan Darnell, right?” Thompson said of his former teammate and current 40-man lefty down at Rochester. “I was in Double-A in 2012 with him and I was still starting. And it was like the fourth or fifth start in a row where it was in the sixth inning, and I had given up a run or two with two outs and two guys on and we’re up one or two — basically a pitch away from having a quality, good outing — and I give up a homer. I remember sitting in the shower with Logan, saying, ‘I don’t know if I want to cry or quit, but something’s gonna effin’ change.’ At that moment, I was just like, ‘It doesn’t have to be like that.’ Why did I feel like I had failed? Because we lost. If we won the game and I gave up nine runs, I don’t care because the team won. In the end, that’s really all that matters.'”
 
The story checks out, and seems to correspond with a time around late July in that season where he allowed five or more earned runs three times in a five-start span. Interestingly, with his season ERA at 5.74 at that point, the Rock Cats shifted him to the bullpen the rest of the way, and he closed out the season with a 2.19 ERA and an opponents’ batting line of .277/.320/.362. That seems like a heck of a place to start out from.
 
But to fully grasp Thompson’s struggles is to see that he was a former first rounder being moved to the pen, and that was hardly the biggest of his issues. That was the fifth season Thompson has spent time at Double-A, and looking back it’s a level that didn’t treat him very well: 18-46, 4.95 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and a 1.54 WHIP. None of that resembles the look of a future big leaguer, let alone someone who has pitched in what BaseballReference.com terms ‘high pressure situations’ in 14 of his 24 appearances so far this season.
 
Thompson’s struggles at Double-A go back to him being a yes man, and they have to do with his repertoire. No pitcher who has thrown 20 or more innings this year relies on their slider more than Thompson, who has thrown it 50.9 percent of the time via PITCHf/x. It’s been a very good pitch for Thompson in a couple respects, as it has induced a solid whiff rate of 17.9 percent, while opponents are hitting just .200/.255/.340 against it.
 
It’s a pitch that was taught to him by current Marlins bullpen coach Reid Cornelius; it’s also a pitch that his next organization took away. “It was a cutter when I learned it,” Thompson said, reflecting on how different speeds on the pitch reflect different breaks, and throwing it slower like he has in 2015 can give it added depth. That typically reflects in it being termed a slider (slower, longer sweeping break) as opposed to a cutter (firmer, less break and depth at the plate). “I call it a cutter because of the mentality of it. It’s as though you’re throwing a fastball — an aggressive pitch. When I think slider, that’s like deception. I think of it as a cutter, though, a fastball that moves.” Thompson said he’s thrown it at times between 87-89 mph — “faster than my four-seamer” — and then it’s a true cutter, but in an effort to miss more bats, he’ll slow it down to get more movement, though he relies heavily on what Suzuki has to say on a day-to-day, or perhaps pitch-by-pitch basis.
 
Thompson found himself with the Nationals in 2009, traded straight up for OBP machine Nick Johnson at the trade deadline that season. And in the lefty’s mind, that’s sort of where the trouble started. “They didn’t want me to throw it,” Thompson said of the cutter/slider hybrid. “So I was trying to please them. I had something I knew worked for me and threw it in the trash for two years. With the Pirates (two years later), I didn’t even bring it back. Then it’s funny, because the Pirates DFA’d me and put me in the bullpen in Double-A in my fourth or fifth year in Double-A. So I said, ‘Screw this. I’m going to throw that pitch again.’ I remember, I was good when I did that. It was funny, because I was in the big leagues a month and a half later. I’m not saying I said, ‘Screw them.’ I said no, they told me to believe in myself, and that’s really all I’m going to do. It’s funny how, there’s obviously been some downs since then, too, but none of it had to do with the pitch.”
 
Speaking of ups and downs, it’s sort of ironic that Thompson’s first big break with the Twins came due to a suspension; it’s also how his time started with the team. Thompson was dinged 50 games at the beginning of the 2012 season for recreational drug use, and that makes for sort of an interesting parallel on each side of his Twins stint. The Twins stood by him — water under the bridge according to Ryan — and it’s paying dividends thus far, even if it’s been probably a longer play than either side anticipated.
 
But even with the various struggles, Thompson said all he wants to do on the mound is compete. It wasn’t always that easy, either. “I think for a long time in my career I tried to pitch to what would appease a coach or a front office, and the funny thing is if you get the guy out, everybody is happy,” Thompson said. “I was a yes man for a long time, I think finally it got to a point where if I could just compete out there, everybody could at least appreciate that. It’s the guys who don’t appear to be competing that guys get fed up with. I think for a while I might have looked that way in my past, but that wasn’t the case. I just didn’t really know how to compete. I had to learn how to do that, I guess, at a higher level.”
 
In a way it’s sort of funny that a guy who can be known to skateboard to the ballpark could ever be a yes man, but Thompson’s personal evolution has been anything but conventional.
 
This post originated at Cold Omaha here; please consider clicking through to support the content.

This is my first post for TwinsDaily.com. It also marks my first time writing about the Rochester Red Wings. But being a Rochester native, it certainly is not my first time seeing them play -- which is to say it is not my first time developing an opinion about the team.
 
Not that I’m constantly critical of the Wings but rather I am always intrigued by the success of a minor league team in an objectively minor league city (I’m allowed to say that since I’m from here).
Past summers have seen forgettable campaigns that don’t drum up much interest for the public. Poor records, lack of exciting prospects among other things just have been lacking here in Rochester. But this year is different.
 
There certainly is a different air about the team than has been seen in past years. A certain buzz I have not noticed in some time probably since Justin Morneau was on the team (not that anyone on the team will be Morneau but just that that was the last time there seemed to be any semblance of a vested interest).
 
Aaron Hicks got the pot stirring with his impressive .336/.415/.561 line through 27 games in 2015. After a 2014 season that placed him at three different levels of professional baseball, it was exciting to see him earn his way back up to The Show. While everyone knows and hopes that Byron Buxton will be the future general of the Twins’ outfield, Hicks is no slouch. Hes’s a solid piece to have in an outfield that can best be described as beleaguered in past years. And at the very least can hold the fort down until Buxton debuts.
 
Danny Ortiz is the other name that has Rochesterians talking. The 25-year-old is also an outfielder He leads the organization in RBI’s with 25 and is tied for second in the International League with six home runs. If he sustains the numbers, I can see him appearing for the Twins at some point this season maybe to replace a struggling Eddie Rosario but I think Ortiz needs some more ABs before that conversation becomes more serious.
 
Pitching wise, there isn’t as much buzz. Alex Meyer is having a rough start in 2015 with his 7.01 ERA after seven starts. Pat Dean and Taylor Rodgers are doing plugging along nicely but not sure if it’s good enough to get the call from Minneapolis. Maybe, though, if only to right the ship until Ervin Santana returns.
 
One name to keep your eye out for though is Chih-Wei Hu. The 21-year-old Taiwanese right-hander is making the jump from Fort Meyers to Rochester for a spot start on Tuesday, May 19 in the Wings’ first game of a doubleheader against Durham. With the Miracle so far this year he’s 4-0 with a 1.04 era in 35.0 innings pitched, has delivered only six walks and a monstrous 36 strikeouts.
 
More important than these prospects is that the Red Wings are winning. They’re hovering around .500 right now but I believe the pieces are here to finish above what’s been done in past seasons. At the very least, the playoffs look very much within reach with the talent that seems to be in the dugout. And I know all twins fans would like to see that, not just the city of Rochester.
 
I don’t think there’s a way to quantify it but there certainly is a correlation between the subjective “buzz” around the Wings and the success of the subsequent teams in the organization. The Twins might not be in the hunt for a pennant this year but their improvement certainly trickles down to the stadium here in Western NY, a sign of healthy farm system which is something to look forward to.

Today the posts have mostly been negative with three young players optioned to AAA. Many have pointed out that the rebuilding Twins won't have a single rookie from their system on the 25-man roster going north. The average age of the team won't be considerably different.
 
Despite all of this, I'm optimistic that the Twins will improve. The next wave is very close and they could provide a real boost. I have predicted/advocated for Hicks to be demoted since the end of the regular season and while Schafer/Robinson isn't optimum, the better of Hicks or Rosario should be ready before mid-season.
 
The pitching rotation will be better. Any regression from Hughes should be matched by regression for Nolasco. I think Gibson will be really good and Santana will be the best #4 starter the Twins have had since the 90s. I hope the leash isn't long for the bullpen.
 
I have predicted 85 wins, really against all odds. I think there is enough talent there to improve even though the division will be tough. It will take filling of inside straights and rolling sevens, but I'm sticking with 85 wins, with or without Meyer, May, Rosario or Hicks and a bunch of relievers.

Today we skipped the major league game and spent our morning and afternoon on the back fields. But only after watching some of the major leaguers doing drills on the front field. Looked like they were concentrating on the pitchers making their throws to bases - I wonder if the snafus in yesterday's game had anything to do with that.
 
Had a nice chat there with TDers John Bonnes, Jim Crikket, Halsey Hall, and beckmt (I believe only one of these names appears on any of these gentlemen's birth certificates). Baseball on a warm southwest Florida day is even better with friends old and new.
 
The two "A" games started at 1 pm, both against corresponding Rays affiliates. We mainly watched the nominal Cedar Rapids team managed by Jake Mauer, and I took one short peek at the Ft Myers team managed by Jeff Smith. I mention the teams this way, rather than a hard and fast A/A+ classification, because the players themselves were a mishmash from the rosters that were published only a few days earlier. Things change fast in spring training as the major league roster gets pared down and the ripple effect works its way down the organization. I'm sure what we saw today was a close approximation to the final assignments.
 
I didn't keep a scoresheet, but I did jot down a few thoughts. (Oh, and you'll notice there are no photos; bummer, I forgot to reinsert the memory card into my camera after downloading last night.)
 
Baby faced Stephen Gonsalves started for the Kernels. He proved to be a very tough draw for the Rays batters, just as a highly touted prospect should be. He notched two strikeouts to start the game, and then had a truly wicked liner come right back to him, one that somehow ended up in his mitt instead of somewhere less lucky. That was probably the hardest hit ball against him - I think he gave up one seeing-eye hit and altogether he had a sparkling day.
 
My one look at the other field was in what I assume to be starter Chih-Wei Hu's final inning of work. When I strolled over, it was first and third with nobody out. I don't know for sure how he got into the jam - a Rays coach briefed me as maybe a hit and an error - but he worked his way out nicely, with the batters having difficulty dealing with the movement on the ball. Hu doesn't have the fastball that evaluators like, but so far he has had nothing but success in his two years in the low minors, and like a fool I am thinking his ceiling could be front of the rotation. No one else on the planet has expressed such optimism - so I'll be gloating when he starts Game One of a World Series - one of these days Real Soon Now.
 
Catcher Brian Navarreto nailed a runner trying to steal second, to end one inning, and I'm not sure I ever saw a bigger grin on a player's face when he headed back to his dugout. And he had a right to be pleased, I thought - a really good throw.
 
Jorge Fernandez contributed a no-doubter home run to left.
 
Late in the game Brandon Poulson came in to pitch for one inning. His reputation for wildness appeared deserved - and while sometimes you hear "effectively wild" he wasn't very effective either. Jose Velez preceded Poulson and seemed to have good velocity (AshburySteven groaned when I attempted "Velezity") but he was pretty hittable, yet he escaped without too much damage. Kuo Hua Lo pitched a couple of innings and gave up some solid shots that I think plated a run. I haven't given you a very good idea of the scoring, because I fail to keep track in games like this, but I think the final score was about 4-2 in our favor.
 
Tanner English legged out a single, hit to short, that many other players would not have.
 
And speaking of short players, Rays 2B prospect Oscar Sanay is listed on b-r.com as 5'7" but at the plate he looked not much taller than substitute catcher Brett Doe crouching. The above-mentioned Tanner, listed at a generous 5'10", no doubt towers over him. I don't remember much about what he did, he just caught my eye.
 
Much more the prototypical looking player is first baseman Tyler Kuresa. His fiancee sat near us, and we chatted pleasantly about him and random other topics, as the game went along. Hint to Seth - he might be a good one to interview in depth - I know now for instance he takes pride in his defense at 1B. (Another of those Spring Training pleasures is watching Tom Kelly proceed onto the field in foul territory and coach his defense, in-game. Kuresa got a tip or two that way today.) The lefty looked good at the plate today, hitting an at'em ball to CF for an out and getting a nice sharp single to RF, suggesting that his good showing in Elizabethton was no fluke last year. A Rays lefty with a vicious sidearm delivery did strike him out on what appeared to be a low offspeed pitch on 3-2 after an otherwise good battle. So he's someone I'll add to my Players I'll Be Watching list this year.

Air travel isn't fun and while I am not a frequent flier, I have flown enough no longer to be fascinated by small aisles, nuts and soda, and the people watching. I sat alone in coach and was joined by an delightful Floridian/Minnesotan returning to Minnesota for a funeral. It passed the time and temporarily made me forget about the nasty URI I managed to get in the sunshine state.
 
We looked out the window and saw snow, probably starting somewhere around the Iowa/Minnesota border, maybe north of that. We were back in cold climate, where the jacket I brought with me could be put to use for the first time in seven days.
 
I have been wondering how to summarize the (likely final) trip I made to Fort Myers. There is a bit of melancholy because I think I have figured out the driving--I know the major arteries and where they are in relation to most of the places I want to get to. Now, I probably won't use that information soon, if at all. I feel comfortable at Twins' Spring Training. I mostly know where to go to see what I want to see. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the young players in the back fields.
 
This year, I met more Twins Daily regulars than ever before. It is great to put a face to a screen name and to know more about a fan than whether he liked Gardy or Rick Anderson. Specifically, I met Halsey Hall, Ashbury John and thrylos, along with three other people who read but don't post. Good guys all, with disparate views on most issues in baseball (and probably world view). I know I owe Ashbury a beer, so I guess I'll have to pay up at Target Field this summer if he and I are at the same game.
 
Some singular thoughts: Aaron Hicks is a bigger man than Torii Hunter. I saw them take BP together and Hicks is definitely taller and probably just as wide as Torii. Speaking of size, Ervin Santana is not a big guy. He is listed at 6'2" 185, and I think especially the weight might be an exaggeration. Ricky Nolasco looks a bit trimmer than last year, perhaps yielding better results because of that. The Twins have a lot of big 'uns--Meyer, May, Tonkin, Pelfrey, Wheeler, Hughes, Gibson to name a few.
 
Hard throwers are not far off: Burdi and Reed both seem to be ticketed for AA, and both throw hard. Meyer will start in Rochester and Oliveros, Tonkin, and more will be laboring in the 'pen.
 
The Twins long-term and short-term future will probably be answered en español. Along with the already arrived Vargas, Santana, Pinto, and Arcia, both the upper and lower minors are filled with Hispanic ballplayers with Berrios, Sano, Polanco, Rosario, and more poised to contribute as soon as this year. In spring training, minor leaguers not participating watch the minor league games. The language amongst the viewers and in the dugouts is principally Spanish.
 
I understand that the Twins are working hard to accommodate this influx. There are more coaches with Hispanic names and the team demands the players take English lessons. The cultural change isn't easy and I hope the club continues to go out of their way to help these young men in a new country with different standards and a different language.
 
I am going with an optimistic view for 2015, based on rolling a bunch of sevens and filling inside straights. The talent is abundant at Century Link Complex. Some way, somehow, that is going to equate to many more wins in 2015 for the Minnesota Twins.

Originally posted at The Tenth Inning Stretch
----
Today the Twins were playing against the Philadelphia Phillies at Clearwater, so it was a back field day at Fort Myers, to have a better look at the Twins' prospects. Blustery and overcast day, which rained up in Clearwater enough to delay the Twins-Phillies start time and later in Fort Myers to wash everything out in the back fields at around the 8th inning.
 
But there was some great action: At field three, the AAA players were playing against the Orioles AAA team and at field four, the AA players against another Oriole team. Later at field two the Twins high A and A teams had a scrimmage. Because of the weather situation at Clearwater, Ervin Santana stayed at Fort Myers, to join the AAA team, and it was the focus of attention. I am certain that there will be reports about his pitching, LEN3 was there, among others, and was watching carefully, but my attention was at field four at the Chattanooga team. I did see Santana throw 4 sliders in a row, which left a wide-eyed Orioles played unable to do anything but strike out looking (one was in the ground for a ball) and I had enough.
 
For the Lookouts, the starter was DJ Baxendale, a pitcher who pitched the single most dominating game I have ever seen two years minus a day ago, and made it all the way to number 15 in my 2014 off-season Twins prospects list, but struggled mightly once he reached New Britain, so I was eager to see how he was pitching. He pitched with mixed results. His fastball was from 88-92 with excellent movement and excellent command in the first 3 innings. He threw (not enough times) a low 70s curve that did make knees buckle and he commanded it pretty well. However his high 70s slider was lacking command and his low 80s changeup was inconsistent. I am not sure whether that slider is a new introduction to his repertoire (did not have it back then) but it does not seem like it is working. Some of the changeups were great, with a lot of tailing movement away from LHBs, but others were on the ground. Most of the mistakes were on hanging sliders, and one happened with 2 outs, after Niko Goodrum dropped an easy double play ball while trying to take it out of his glove. I think that Baxendale has shown flashes, but was not the same commanding pitcher I saw previously.
 
Staying with the pitching side for the lookouts, he was replaced by Madison Boer who was once a borderline Twins' top ten prospect, but looked really tentative. His fastball was at 89-92 with not much movement, but did induce a couple of fly outs, and was supplemented by a violent mid-80s slider that has a lot of bite and the makings of a really filthy offering, but at this point it is not a well commanded pitch. This season is a make or break season for Boer, I believe. With a couple more miles on his fastballs and command of his slider, I do see him as a potential reliever, but the problem is that the Twins have at least half a dozen more ready righty pen arms at this point. Tim Shibuya relieved Boer and did not change my mind from what I wrote about him a couple days ago here.
 
This Chattanooga team is a powerful one. There were 5 home runs hit at that game. Two, one from Michael Gonzalez and Adam Walker (the Twins' number 31 prospect, who had a second one to the right field) hit the middle of the batter's eye at dead center, beyond the 405 feet fence, with Walker's being a screeching line drive, while Gonzalez' a monster fly. DJ Hicks added another one to the right center, which landed at the next field and Jason Kanzler, who is doing all he can to impress while keeping Buxton's Centerfield position warm, until the major league CF job is done and the AA outfielders get demoted, hit a fifth over the left field fence. Even though the home runs were impressive, I think that the best plate appearance was by the most powerful member of the Lookouts' team and it was not a home run: with Terry Doyle, a familiar face, on the mound for the Orioles, Miguel Sano went 0-2 on a questionable inside looking strike one and a swinging strike two. He took the next four pitches (all balls and some close) and walked right before the DJ Hicks' home run. This shows that Sano is maturing as a hitter and recognizing the strike zone, which is a great thing to see from the Twins' top prospect who has been criticized about "striking out too much" by some.
 
 
 
..

 
A few interesting sightings at Field Two:
 
Felix Jorge was back on the mound throwing his pitches with good velocity and excellent command after a fairly disastrous season split between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids.
 

 
Also at hand was the Twins' number six prospect, Amaurys Minier who played left field. He made an excellent fielding play at left on a ball that was caught by the (by then really heavy) wind and moved towards the infield and his swing can generate a lot of power. He has a very powerful build, but still a lot of athleticism. In a way similar to Sano at that age, he appeared like a man among boys in that field:
 

 
 
A couple of parting thoughts from Field Four about the Twins' number 2 and 3 prospects: Jorge Polanco made a couple of difficult plays at shortstop look routine. I am not sure how the rumors about him not being a good shortstop fielder are spread and why, but every time I see him, I am looking at an above average shortstop play. Byron Buxton has a hard time with off-speed pitches. His last plate appearance went like this: FB- Looking Strike, CH - Swinging Strike, CH (dirt in front plate) - Ball, FB (high) - Ball, FB (inside) - Ball, CH - Swinging Strike - K. Interesting situation in the outfield involving Mike Kvasnicka who played left and Buxton: There was a play at left close to center and both were going for the ball, with Kvasnicka, very loudly yelling "I got it" and Buxton letting him get it. Good to see that the lesson from the last time those guys went after the same ball was fully learned.
 
You can find all the 2015 Spring Training coverage from Fort Myers and beyond, here.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch
----The Twins has a couple split squad games today, against the Rays at Port Charlotte and at the Hammond Stadium against the Orioles. Here are my notes from the home game:
 
After Alex Meyers' demotion yesterday, there are only 3 pitchers left in the battle for the 5th rotation spot: Mike Pelfrey, Tommy Milone and Trevor May. The last 2 started the respective games today, with Milone taking the node for the home game. While May ended up pitching a no-hit 4 innings at Port Charlotte, Milone had an adventurous start in Fort Myers. He is a pitcher who really needs to be spot on and if he is not, it is like a batting practice, and the Orioles showed that in the second inning, when they timed perfectly his 83-87 mph Fastballs, hitting them all over the park, and one (by former Twin Steve Pearce) off the staircase that leads to the RF berm, for a HR. He complemented his fastball with a 79-81 mph change and a 73-75 mph curve that were hit and miss. Totally unimpressed with Milone, maybe because I do not think much about LH junk ball pitchers, but I think that after today Milone took a step back from Pelfrey and May in that competition.
 
To be noted: in the Orioles 4-run second inning, Josmil Pinto was hit three times! by Adam Jones' back swing on the head and left the game after the inning was over. Mildly surprised that the Twins' pitchers did not retaliate for their catcher, but the next pitcher who faced Adam Jones, was Glen Perkins... Perkins had a decent outing, other than hanging an 82 mph slider to Delmon Young for a HR in the 5th. 9 pitches, 6 FBs (90-92,) 3 SLs (81-82) all but one strikes, but a strike was a long one too. He was pounding the zone, but he is at least 4-5 mph with both of his pitches from where he needs to be.
 
Brian Duensing pitched 2 scoreless innings and he seems in mid-season form with all 4 of his pitches working: His Fastball was 89-91, threw 2 curves at 73, one for a looking strike, got a ground out and a couple of looking strikes with a mid 80s change and his slider was fairly lively at the low 80s, inducing a couple of jammed pop ups. Watching JR Graham pitch was a treat and I think that the Twins have found a good one. Will be very surprised if he does not make the team. He pitched 2 scoreless innings, and here is the sequence of his pitches (fastball unless mentioned) : First inning: 91-ball ( B ), 93 swinging strike (SS), 94 ground out (GO). 94 fly out (FO). 94 Foul (F), 84 (SLider) Looking Strike (LS), 86 (SL) SS. Second inning: 92 Hit. 95 B, 91 B, 93 LS, 94 F, 95 F, 81 (CHange up) B, 93 LS - K. To Mr Parmelee: 91 B, 96 F, 85 (SL) B, 84 (SL) F, 85 (SL) SS - K. 95 SS, 92 B, 95 B, 96 GO. Very good movement with the fastball, and, as you can see, he does very his speeds. Changeup is not his stronger pitch and he threw only one, but his slider is above average. Looking forward to seeing him this season with the Twins.
 
As far as position players, disappointed with Torii Hunter who killed a couple of Twins' rallies, the first by hitting into a double play with the bases loaded and one out on the first and the second by striking out with runners in scoring position and one out. If you read the box score, you'd think that Danny Santana had a good day with two hits, but what the box score does not show is a couple of awful swinging strike outs and a dropped ball when Rohlfing tried to throw the runner away that ended up moving the runner to third. I think that the battle for the starting Shortstop position is neck to neck as far as Santana and Eduardo Escobar are concerned. Hicks had a bad day at the plate and had a mishap (took a bad route and the ball dropped inches from his foot, but was too shallow) at the outfield that went for a double and a trapped ball that he could have caught. Between the four centerfield contenders nobody has really pulled ahead at this point. Eddie Rosario is hitting .242/.235/.515, Shane Robinson .269/.345/.385, Hicks .222/.313/.370 and Jordan Schafer .217/.357/.261. Pick your poison. Oswaldo Arcia had a good play with the glove on a shallow fly ball that he aggressively called Hicks away and fielded cleanly; that ball would had been an adventure for Willingham last season.
 
Really impressed with the improvements at Hammond Stadium, but there are a few things sorely missing: A couple of (small) infield boards; one to indicate balls and strikes and outs and the other pitch velocity. The main board is not visible from all outfield seats well. But there is always next year.
 
Tomorrow and Monday, there are no home games for the Twins, so expect full coverage of the action at the minor league fields.
 

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch
-----
 
Today the Minnesota Twins played against the Rays at Fort Charlotte, which meant minor league side by side double-header action of Rochester and Chattanooga against the Red Sox' AAA and AA squads at fields 4 and 5 of the Complex.
 
The much anticipated moment today was the return of Glen Perkins who got the first inning with the AAA club against the PawSox. Based on reports from people who were at Fort Charlotte, he did not feel any pain. He was carted to and fro field number 4, which is the furthest away from Hammond Stadium and he threw warmup tosses to Kyle Knudson, who was also the starting Catcher for the Red Wings. During the game, he threw 14 pitches, most strikes. His fastball was sitting at 90-91, hitting 92 and 93 once each. His slider was at 81-82, all figures that are a good 4-5 mph below his season form, but it is still the second (he pitched against the Gophers) game for him. During his warm ups he did seem to throw a couple of changeups, but could had just been slow fastballs. All in all a good appearance, but he has to ramp up pretty quickly.
 

 
 
The second biggest name, as far as players are concerned, was Miguel Sano who played at Field number 5 with the Chatanooga squad. His agent, Rob Plummer, was on site and had a change to have a very enlightening (but off the record) conversation with him. Interesting guy and he seems really proud of the fact that he signed Sano when he was 14. Miguel answered with a three-run monster home run that likely broke a window or two at the subdivision past the fence, with this swing, off William Cuevas :
 

 
 
As a side note, Sano appears fitter than last season.
 
Speaking of celebrities, Tom Kelly was at hand and had a chance to meet with one of his former pitchers, Paul Abbott, who pitched for Kelly's Twins from 1990-1992:
 

 
 
 
I had a chance to see several other prospects and here are quick notes:
 
Greg Peavey was selected by the Twins from the Mets in the AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft last winter. He came in to pitch after Glen Perkins in the AAA side and was pretty impressive. He has three pitches: A 90-91 mph Fastball, a low 70s slow curve and a low 80s change. Pitching mostly with the first 2, but his change did produce strikeouts. Good control and command of all his pitches, very fluid motion; he is definitely a dark horse. A mature pitcher. Also in the AAA side of things, Cole Johnson made a good appearance. He is a fastball slider pitcher with his FB hitting 94 but his slider location was inconsistent. Pretty early in Spring training for that.
 
On the AA side of things, both Nico Goodrum and Michael Gonzalez appear different. Gonzalez appears much fitter and for the 27 year old, this might be his last chance in a Twins' uniform. Goodrum has been working with a personal trainer this off-season and he got some muscle. He is also taking much more robust at bats, than last Spring Training. If you squint really hard, you might confuse him with Byron Buxton, as far as physique goes:
 
 

 
As far as the pitchers at the AA side went, Tyler Duffey started, but I chose to look at Glen Perkins and Greg Peavey next door. I did have a good look at Jeff Reed, who was unhittable at the Arizona Fall League and was really impressed. His fastball was at 95-96 this early and his slider at high 80s. I will not be surprised is he and Nick Burdi are with the big club come August or so. Interesting 3/4 delivery with a fairly aggressive motion. Tim Shibuya pitched a couple good innings. He is really deceptive and one of those "rubber arm" guys. Good repeatable mechanics, good control and command, I really see him as the long man in a major league bullpen some day.
 
It was a treat seeing Jorge Fernandez, my 19th Twins' prospect, to catch today. Really good hands , excellent feet (he got a guy out on a difficult high bounce off the home plate) and very good receiving ability. I never had any doubts about his bat, but really liked what I saw with the glove today. He is a guy who is not considered a prospect, does not get many praises, but I really enjoyed watching Stephen Wickens play today. Good fundamentals and instincts on both sides of the ball, good glove and versatility, might get the 26 year old into the big leagues some day, if he gets his contact rate and plate discipline a bit higher.
 
As a parting shot, here is Sam Perlozzo, the long time major league coach and manager, who started his playing career with the Twins, having an 1 on 2 base-running tutoring session with the Twins' number 2 and 3 prospects.
 

 
Tomorrow the Twins are hosting the Pirates at Hammond Stadium and I will be there. You can find all my 2015 Spring Training posts here.

Day 3 in Fort Myers yielded similar weather and the start of a pattern before heading to the ball fields. The morning ritual would be "bathroom, blog, breakfast".
 
The minor league activity yesterday was well covered by Thrylos and Ashbury John. I will add only a couple things: when Perkins pitched, standing behind the screen with us common folk, were Strib writers Lavelle E Neale and Patrick Reusse. I shook Patrick's hand and chatted with him for a moment. The scribes left when Perk did.
 
We arrived early enough to watch some major league BP. Hicks, Robinson and Torii were one group. We watched five or six turns and Hicks hit rightly for all but one turn versus Phil Roof, a rightly. The other group we watched was Mauer, Suzuki, and Plouffe. Tom Kelly was at the minor league games, in uniform with his fungo bat, but not sitting in the dugout. He looks pretty good, but isn't moving real fast.
 
That's all for today. More tomorrow.

Over the past few years the Twins have made several roster moves which I would charitably call "puzzling". The addition of Matt Guerrier when the club needed multiple outfielders, the carrying of alternately three catchers or thirteen pitchers, the recall of Polanco from Single A, the recalls of Kris Johnson and Logan Darnell to start games when acknowledged better prospects are in Triple A are just some examples.
 
I suggest that many of these decisions are based on a flawed 40-man roster. Some candidates worthy of promotion are not on the expanded roster, too many minor leaguers on the 40-man are not worthy of being in the majors, and too many marginal players on the active roster are frozen there because they can't be optioned to the minors. Several players who may have been optioned at one point can't be because they would have to be DFAed, and if they cleared they would have the option to declare free agency.
 
Anthony Swarzak, Samuel Deduno, Chris Parmelee and Eduardo Escobar are all out of options. Escobar has cemented his status as a major leaguer and Parmelee may have, but it would have been in the Twins' best interests to demote either or both of the pitchers at some point this season. That is why next year, I am hoping one or both of pitchers is traded, non-tendered or released so that a player with flexibility (for example Yohan Pino) could take their place.
 
The Twins were so thin in outfield depth that they were forced to use several infielders in the outfield this year. They have lost centerfield depth because the 40-man was filled and they attempted to designate players (Alex Presley, Darrin Mastroianni, Kenny Wilson) off either the active roster or 40-man.
 
I respect Terry Ryan's ability to judge talent and I expect the next twelve months will be better in respect to roster issues than the past year has been. However, it cripples a team to have so little roster flexibility and the Twins need to do better.