Jeremy Nygaard

That is the biggest penalty. If they exceed the pool up to a certain percentage, they are taxed on the overage. The Pirates were willing to pay up to the dollar that would have lost them their 2013 pick, but not more. Boras wanted more. If the Twins pick goes unsigned, their pool will decrease by $4.5m. The Pirates saved as much money as they could and went to the deadline with Appel. They didn't have any time after that to spend the money they had saved. I've suggested similar, but no one is sure how this would work under the new CBA which prohibits Major-league deals. If he signs a lesser-bonus and is called up immediately, someone will cry foul... which would be exactly what Boras wants, because he'd claim Appel should then be a free agent.

With Windle's strikeout numbers, he could absolutely drop. Gunnarthor's link at minorleagueball has him ranked #58 because of his lack of an out pitch. But I think what the Twins do at #4 will somewhat dictate what they do at #43 as well. If they go Appel at #4, they probably take the college senior they like the most (GT's P Buck Farmer?), if they go college lefty at #4 (Manaea), would they do it again at #43? If I had to guess, I'd say no... but that's the fun of the draft. Regardless, if Windle is available at #43, there will be mutual interest.

Twins Terp says it well on this thread. Appel should definitely be in the discussion if he's on the board at #4, but I'll stand by what I said on the Original Draft Board: I would have an extremely hard time losing him - and the money attached to the pick - for the same reasons that Twins Terp pointed out. Mainly - the team that drafts Appel is going to structure their entire draft differently. You're not just punting that pick; you're punting your whole draft. Appel's worth it, but you have to get him...

The Pioneer Press made a great hire in Berardino. Good for the Pioneer Press, better for Twins fans. Berardino's information was used to update the R&P Page earlier this morning. (Only discrepancy was previous info on Swarzak - Doogie says $502,500 vs. Berardino's "about $510,000".)

The last time he appeared in BA's Prospect Handbook, here was the summary of his outfield defense: So not good...

Hmmm... that would have been a good one to include. I think Grady and his whole staff make it through the year, regardless of record. If there are changes next offseason, they will happen just like they did this offseason. (For the record, I think Gardy will leave on his own if they suffer through another 90-loss season.)

I agree wholeheartedly with the first half of the quote. The reason I think Thomas gets the nod has more to do with his ability to fill in at Center Field. In the last two seasons, he's played 150 minor league games in CF. Boggs has played 6 and Ramirez 4. If two of Mastorianni, Hicks and Benson make the roster, then Thomas won't. But if Hicks and Benson start in the minors who is the backup CF? It could be someone that ends up on the waiver-wire and I'd be absolutely be ok with that.

I listened to it on the radio, really only faced any sort of resistance in one inning. He gave up a long fly ball out to Aaron Judge (who homered off of him twice last year), but worked very, very quick. Cut back a little on his flyball-outs this game (as compared to last).

Thomas will be up for a month, then Hicks comes up and struggles. Mastro will still be up. Thomas goes down. Arcia may be up if Hammer gets hurt or Parmelee struggles, but comes up for good when Morneau or Hammer gets traded. Hicks will still get a lot of at-bats, but will struggle offensively. I don't think Arcia will, whether that's at RF, LF or DH. An OF of Willingham-Thomas-Parmeless isn't interesting. It's both bad and sad.

Though Windle, a lefty, isn't considered to be a top pick, the local product is likely to be off the board by the end of Round 1. Game Log: 2/15 vs #2 UCLA - 4 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K, WP, 5:1 FO:GO (ND) (*When you beat the #2 team at their place, people recognize) 2/22 vs Western Michigan - 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HBP, 8:3 GO/FO. 78 pitches, 51 strikes. (Win, 1-0) (*Another solid performance) 3/1 vs Dartmouth - 4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 3 WP(!). 79/49. (Loss, 1-1) (*Not a good performance, the head-to-head with Manaea is going to be big) 3/8 vs W. Illinois - 9 IP, BB, 8 K, WP. 94/60. (Win, 2-1) (*Obviously a huge performance, though next week's game will be much more heavily scouted) 3/15 vs Indiana St - 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, BB, K, 2 HBP. 114/74. (Loss, 2-2) 3/22 vs Texas - 9 IP, 5 H, ER, 12 K, 9:6 FO:GO, 119/83. (Win, 3-2) 3/29 vs Michigan - 9 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 13 K, 7:6 FO:GO, WP, Balk. (Win, 4-2) 4/5 vs Ohio - 5 IP, 2 H, 5 K, 56/40. (Win, 5-2) 4/12 vs Northwestern - 5 IP, 7 H, ER, 5 BB, 7 K, 2 WP, Balk, 113/69. (No decision) *This post will be updated throughout the season. Please link game stories or other related Windle-themed posts below.

Friend of TwinsDaily/Twins Scouting Supervisor Sean Johnson is watching Appel right now. Sixty to seventy scouts there to watch Appel come out throwing 97 mph. Appel went 1-2-3 and ironically, the radio announcer said he was "pitching-to-contact".

On a tier slightly lower than Manaea and Appel is Arkansas hurler Ryne Stanek. Stanek narrowly missed being a draft-eligible sophomore last year, where he would have been considered a Top 5 pick. Perfect Game Draft Profile (subscription required) Game Log: 2/15 vs Western Illinois - 4 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 4 K. 66 pitches/36 strikes (Win, 1-0) (*Ranked 3 on initial draft board) 2/22 vs Evansville - 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HBP. 76 pitchers/47 strikes (ND, 1-0) (*Definitely wasn't an impressive outing, averaging 25+ pitches/inning) 2/28 vs Arizona State - 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HBP. 85 pitches/57 strikes (L, 1-1) (*from scout, Stanek was "just ok") 3/8 vs San Diego State - 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, WP, 91/51 (ND, 1-1) (*How Stanek does against the SEC will undoubtedly carry more significance, but he has failed to impress over his first four starts) 3/17 vs Ole Miss - 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 WP, 71/44 (ND, 1-1) (*Another ho-hum stat-line, though the reports were that Stanek looked better than the week before. He was also dropped to the Sunday spot in their rotation) 3/23 vs South Carolina - 9 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 7 K, 124/78. (Win, 2-1) 3/30 vs Mississippi St - 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, ER, 2 BB, 6 K, WP, HBP, 92/56. (Loss, 2-2) 4/5 vs Alabama - 8 IP, 4 H, 5 K, 97/58. (Win, 3-2) 4/13 vs #2 LSU - 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 103/57. (Win, 4-2) (*Back on the prospect map) *This post will be updated throughout the season. Please link game stories or other related Stanek-themed posts below.

Game story from 2/15 Appel on not signing with Pittsburgh

One year ago, Appel sat atop many draft boards. A year later, his status remains similar. After not signing with Pittsburgh, the big righty will re-enter the draft after his senior season at Stanford. Perfect Game Draft Profile (subscription required) Game Log: 2/15 vs Rice - 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, WP, 5:1 FO:GO (Loss, 0-1) (*Ranked 1A on initial draft board) 2/22 vs Fresno State - 9 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 11 K, 7:9 FO:GO, 105/75 (Pitches/strikes) (Win, 1-1) (*Made a great impression on the 60-70 scouts in attendance) 3/1 vs Texas - 9 IP, 3 H, BB, 14 K, 7:7 FO:GO, 110/74. (Win, 2-1) (*Scott Boras laughing all the way to the bank) 3/8 vs UNLV - 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, BB, 15 K(!), 2 WP, 2:7 FO:GO (Loss, 2-2) (*Undone by errors, Appel is solidifying his spot on draft boards) 3/22 vs Utah - 8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, ER, BB, 11 K, HBP, 3:12 FO:GO, 107/71 (Win, 3-2) 3/28 vs Washington St - 9 IP, 4 H, BB, 10 K, WP, 3 HBP. 110/79. (Win, 4-2) 4/5 vs USC - 8.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K, 2 WP, 108 pitches. (Win, 5-2) 4/12 vs 8 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, WP, HBP, 115/77. (Win, 6-2) *This post will be updated throughout the season. Please link game stories or other related Appel-themed posts below.

We would have said the same thing about Appel at this time last year.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1400-I-ll-Say-It

Strive, eh... I'm going to have to change that. He'll "make strides" and "thrive"... or strive. New meaning.

Parker? Parker? PARKER?!

The Twins spring schedule kicks off tomorrow. I know many are looking forward to it, even without the belief that the Twins will be competing for an AL Central crown this fall. That doesn't make this spring any less interesting. So with that in mind, I'm going on record and making predictions... some bold, some not. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3327[/ATTACH] (www.examiner.com) TEAM *The Twins will finish in last place in the AL Central. They'll win between 69-72 games. *The Twins will be sellers at the deadline. Justin Morneau, Josh Willingham and Mike Pelfrey will bid farewell before the end of July. HITTERS *The battle to start in CF is already over. After trading Span and Revere, we've been led to believe Darrin Mastroianni, Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson are in a three-way battle to be the everyday centerfielder. Benson, who is far removed from a successful minor league year and not as far removed from microfracture surgery, has no shot at being the Opening Day Centerfielder. Hicks, for both service reasons and having taken zero at-bats at AAA, will get sent down until a) he absolutely proves he's ready or Mastroianni proves he absolutely isn't the answer. *The opening-day 4th OF will be a guy not currently on the 40-man roster. Clete Thomas, who blew our mind for about two at-bats last year, before making us want to blow our brains out, is the likely frontrunner. (I think the bigger question is, when Thomas gets DFA'd and clears waivers, does he accept his assignment to Rochester or elect free agency?) *Chris Parmelee will be the everyday Right-Fielder... until it's Oswaldo Arcia. It's going to be an interesting first couple of months. Parmelee isn't best-suited to play the outfield. He's likely good enough to keep the seat warm for Arcia, and that's likely - hopefully, in the Twins mind - going to happen when Morneau is traded away and Parmelee moves to First Base. But what happens if Parmelee can't get it done offensively or defensively? Who knows... *Oswaldo Arcia will have more impact on the 2013 Twins than Aaron Hicks. Arcia will hit and play serviceable D. Hicks will play a solid D but struggle to hit. Next year at this time, I see discussions being the same... is Hicks ready to be a leadoff hitter at the major league level? While the RF job is not up-for-grabs in Spring Training (only this time because Arcia has a stranglehold on it). *Chris Colabello will be a major-league player this year. Another guy that just rakes. Sign him up. *Trevor Ploufee will be frustratingly hot-and-cold both offensively and defensively, but TwinsDaily readers will rejoice that he's not Danny Valencia. *Drew Butera will spend less time in the major leagues in 2013 than any season since debuting in 2010... and TwinsDaily readers will still complain! *Jamey Carroll's option will vest with 401 plate appearances despite the Twins making an effort to see that it doesn't happen. *Pedro Florimon and Brian Dozier will leave the fanbase wishing for Luis Rivas and Cristian Guzman. Or Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy. Or basically any 2B/SS combination you can think of. *Joe Mauer will be Joe Mauer. Many will be unhappy. PITCHERS *The rotation will be better than last year. Hardly went out on a limb there... *One year from now we'll feel really good about the rotation. 2014 will include Kyle Gibson (who won't compete for ROY, but be solid amid a limited-innings year), Scott Diamond (who will regress, but still be a solid lefty), Vance Worley (who fans will love because he goes after hitters and works quick), Liam Hendriks (who will actually look like he belongs in the major leagues this year) and Kevin Correia (who was signed to be a #5 pitcher). This isn't mentioning any of the prospects who could be knocking on the door. *The bullpen will be good - again. Glen Perkins and Jared Burton will be fantastic in their late-inning roles. *Brian Duensing will continue to thrive and/or make strides as a left-handed reliever. *Tim Wood will absolutely be in the Opening Day bullpen. This isn't the second coming of Jeff Gray. Tim Wood signed a $675,000 contract with the Twins. He has less than a year of service. Anthony Swarzak, who has over 2 years of service, got $502,500. No Twin who had their contract renewed got over $530,000. That makes Tim Wood, who has had no MLB success - and almost as little experience - the 12th highest-paid Twins player this year. Crazy? Just a little bit. *Sam Deduno will figure something out this year. Either, "Hey, I do know how to throw it through the zone" or "You know what, this baseball thing isn't for me." *Trevor May makes his September debut coming out of the bullpen. *Ryan Pressly doesn't make the team... and the Red Sox will not be willing to work out a trade, unfortunately. Go ahead, be bold... or not bold.

Links from 2/22 game: Indiana State Recap [video=youtube;6DWsBflcyLw]

Indiana State Recap IPFW Recap Kiley McDaniel Tweet

Manaea is a long, projectable lefty from Indiana State who tore up the Cape Cod League last year to rocket his way up draft boards. Though he's struggled with command - repeating his delivery and keeping his release point consistent - he is expected to go off the board in the first handful of picks. Perfect Game Draft Profile (subscription required) Game Log: 2/15 vs IPFW - 4 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 6 K. (Loss, 0-1) (*Ranked 1B on initial draft board) 2/22 vs College of Charleston - 6 IP, H, 2 BB, 10 K, WP. 97 pitchers (ND, 0-1) (*Improved stock) 3/9 vs Mercer - 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, HBP. 97 pitches/63 strikes. (Win, 1-1) 3/15 vs Minnesota - 9 IP, 6 H, R, 0 ER, BB, 9 K, HBP. 111 pitches/87 strikes. (Win, 2-1) 3/22 vs S. Illinois - 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K, 2 WP, HBP, Balk. 100/68. (Win, 3-1) 3/29 vs Missouri St - 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 114/71. (Loss, 3-2) 4/7 vs Wichita St - 6 IP, 5 H, 9 K, 92/65. (Win, 4-2) 4/13 vs Creighton - 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 95/60. (Win, 5-2) *This post will be updated throughout the season. Please link game stories or other related Manaea-themed posts below.

I think the Twins believe in BPA, but slotted their board according to BVA (value). Appel high in talent, low on value. My guess is if Buxton was gone the Twins were taking Correa or Gausman.