Jeremy Nygaard

Though I don't disagree the organization could probably come out further ahead if they do this, I don't think anyone feels secure enough in their job to punt on this year's pick.

All spring the Twins have been rumored to be interested in any and all high school pitchers, with the focus, essentially, being on “power arms.” The unique thing about this group is they’re also the players most-heavily connected to rumors of high price tags, which may allow them to drop to the teams with the largest draft pools.WHO ARE THEY? The headliners of the group, Jason Groome (LHP, New Jersey HS) and Riley Pint (RHP, Kansas HS) are both expected to be long gone by the time the Twins come to the podium. (Though there has been some recent chatter of Groome sliding.) The second tier of prep pitchers has a few more names in it: Ian Anderson (RHP, New York HS), Braxton Garrett (LHP, Alabama HS), Matt Manning (RHP, California HS), Kyle Muller (RHP, Texas HS), Joey Wentz (LHP, Kansas HS), and Forrest Whitley (RHP, Texas HS) WHY THE TWINS WILL DRAFT ONE OF THEM Each of these young hurlers has something you could absolutely fall in love with. Ian Anderson is 6’ 4”, 175 pounds and has hit as high as 97 on the radar gun. He also throws an advanced changeup and curveball for where you’d project a cold-weather prep to be at his age. To top it off, Anderson has a body that offers projection. Braxton Garrett, according to a veteran scout, is “one of - if not the best - left-handed high school pitcher I’ve ever seen.” Garrett doesn’t throw particularly hard - 91-92 mph - but offers a curveball that is almost unanimously viewed as the best in the prep class. His changeup is a potential plus pitch as well. Matt Manning is a big body (6’ 6”, 200 lb) that has a huge fastball. It’s been clocked in the upper-90s, though he sits in the mid-90s. His secondary pitches have taken a back seat to his dominant fastball, but both his curveball and changeup offer projection. Kyle Muller can lay claim to the fact that he recorded 36 consecutive outs on strikeouts at one point this spring. He’s not overpowering - throwing in the low-90s - but he’s very deceptive and left-handed hitters will struggle with his fastball. His secondary pitches don’t project as above-average. Joey Wentz is a big lefty (6’ 5”) who throws hard (up to 96 mph) and has a potentially plus curveball. He’s got great control and a low-effort, easily-repeatable delivery. Forrest Whitley is the guy on this list I could see most likely to be both a) available and willing to sign at #15. Whitley is all of 6’ 7” and depending on the food intake of the day, tips the scale at around 240 pounds. The big Texan has a full mix of pitches, though. A fastball that has been clocked as high as 97 mph, a slider that projects as plus and a curveball and changeup that still need work, but he’s shown a feel for. WHY THE TWINS WON'T DRAFT ANY OF THEM In addition to the rumored high asking prices, none of these pitchers come without warts. Anderson had a rough spring, dealing with an oblique injury, pneumonia and wet weather that made it hard for him to get on the mound. He’s a Vanderbilt commit, one of the hardest schools to sign kids away from. Another Vanderbilt commit, Garrett is also a Scott Boras client which means, as one scout says, “we won’t know what he’ll cost until the draft.” The question about Manning has also been his price tag. Recently I was informed that the Twins slot “wasn’t going to get it done.” My personal belief is that the Padres are working to get both Manning and Stanford pitcher Cal Quantrill as a package in some combination at #8, #23 and #24. Manning also plans to play both baseball and basketball at Loyola Marymount. Muller lacks the ceiling of the other pitchers on this list, though he’d probably be the most signable. Twins fans would likely be disappointed with a first-round pitcher who Baseball America suggests is a “future No. 3 or No. 4 starter.” Wentz is committed to Virginia and it’s going to take big money to sign him away from that commitment. Though he did lose a lot of weight this spring, Whitley is going to battle conditioning issues (and that didn’t work well for the Twins and Hudson Boyd). He also broke a finger right before the season started and missed a few weeks. There’s also talk of an email that was sent from Whitley’s dad that seemed to blast professional baseball, though I haven’t been able to substantiate that report. --- In the most recent mock drafts, Baseball America projects the Indians taking Anderson the pick before the Twins at #14. Keith Law and MLB Pipeline have Anderson going to the Yankees at #18. Law and MLB Pipeline both project the Marlins taking Garrett at #7, while the Baseball America crew has him dropping all the way to the Nationals at #29. Law has Manning going to the Padres at #8. MLB Pipeline connects him to the Twins at #15, but warns of the high price tag. Baseball America has Manning falling to the Cardinals, who have three picks in the top 34, at #23. Law projects the Twins take Muller at #15, while Baseball America (#32 to Dodgers) and MLB Pipeline (not in top 34) have him going later. Wentz does not appear on any of the three mock drafts. MLB Pipeline connects the Padres to Whitley at #8 (my note: likely under slot), while Law makes the same connection, only at #25 (my note: probably over slot). Baseball America goes in between, slotting Whitley in at #21 to the Blue Jays. If every one of these pitchers was available at #15 and willing to sign for slot, I’d order them in this way (with a significant gap between the top half and bottom half): Braxton Garrett Ian Anderson Matt Manning Joey Wentz Garrett Whitley Kyle Muller Other draft-related articles: Local Profiles Zack Burdi Zack Collins Click here to view the article

It's probably not a fair comparison, but I was considering the first post that asked how bad the D could be if you're posting an 800 OPS. As I recall, Perkins complained about his receiving skills more than his arm. Even if he's Kyle Schwarber, I still don't think the Twins would stick him behind the plate. So that leads to another post - play him at a corner spot... sure, but athletically he's almost certainly limited to first base. There are very few first basemen I would ever draft in the top 15.

Probably over 50% chance he's gone, but mostly because of the complete lack of college hitters.

Fair enough. But the Twins had a bat-first (and maybe bat-only) catcher before that put up a 162-game average over 2 big league seasons of 23 HRs, 50 XBH and a triple-slash of .257/.339/.445 (.784). His name was Josmil Pinto and pitchers hated throwing to him. I think Collins should be at least comparable with the bat and hopefully better with the glove, but the Twins couldn't find a spot for him.

It’s been fifteen years since the Twins called a catcher’s name in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. Though it doesn’t seem likely that the streak will come to an end next week, the first catcher to be selected will probably be Zack Collins from the University of Miami.WHO IS HE? Zack Collins is an offensive-minded catcher. So far in 2016, Collins has hit .364/.540/.630 (1.170). He and the rest of the Hurricanes will begin their postseason hosting on Friday evening in the Coral Gables Region. It’s not a one-year thing either. Collins has hit double-digit home runs in each of his three seasons. He’s increased his batting average, on-base percentage and slugging in each season, though his lowest OPS (as a freshman) was still a robust .983. Impressively, Collins has walked more times (165) than he’s struck out (155) as a collegiate. One mark against Collins - and it’s a tiny one - is that in his limited exposure to wood-bat leagues - the Cape Cod League in 2015 - he struggled in 13 at-bats. It’s a tiny sample, but the Twins have always kept a close eye on how players perform in that league. WHY THE TWINS WILL DRAFT HIM The bat is powerful and elite. Collins has the 39th-highest slugging percentage in the nation. Not many of the 38 above him are from power conferences. Not many above him put the catching gear on. We’ve seen teams - such as the Cubs - take impactful bats in the draft recently even though those bats came with defensive question marks. Kyle Schwarber, a “catcher” in college, played less than 150 minor league games before getting the call to the Bigs. Why did he get that call? Because he had posted an OPS over 1.000 in four of the five levels he made stops at. Who does Collins get compared to the most? Schwarber, of course. Defensive questions or not, Schwarber posted a 1.2 WAR in less than 70 games in 2015. Any lineup could use a bat like Collins. A catcher who could add that much offensive potential to a lineup would be fantastic... WHY THE TWINS WON'T DRAFT HIM ...but he’s not likely to stick at catcher. Collins has shown a significant amount of improvement behind the plate. But most scouts don’t think he’ll ever be more than an average defender, if he’s even that good. One suggested that he could maybe be a “(Steven) Vogt-type if he hits enough.” Athletically, Collins is average at best. Though he has plenty of arm strength, his receiving needs a lot of work. For an organization that doesn’t have a clear long-term answer behind the plate, it would be difficult to make a $2.8m bet that he’ll stick and provide the team with a solution for the future. If you miss, you’re stuck with a(nother) first baseman. Download attachment: Collins_RL24312.jpg Image courtesy of Richard Lewis / Miami Athletics Collins has been all over in recent mock drafts, going as high as #10 overall in Baseball America’s most recent mock and as low as #19 in Keith Law’s last projection. I had him going to the Mariners at #11 in my second mock draft. The last communication I got about Collins was that he was an “offensive force” but the Twins appeared to be “targeting a different batch of players.” But if that “batch” prices themselves out of the Twins range and Collins is still available, who knows...? Other draft-related articles: Local Profiles Zack Burdi Click here to view the article

His spot lines up with Omar Bencomo, so I would assume him. The move wasn't made official til after the Lookouts had sent out their game notes for the day.

When he was drafted, the comp that Twins had on Wade was David DeJesus. Had he not been injured for much of the year - and playing a significant amount of time unnecessarily at first base - Wade would have went much higher in the draft.

Lux will be gone before the Twins get back on the clock. Ben Rortvedt will be taken later on Thursday. He could be in the mix if he's available. It will be interesting to see what his price tag is.

After all the Twitter angst I read about when the Twins celebrated whatever North Dakota team they celebrated, I decided against two nodakers. I included Muckenhirn mostly cause he has unique options. I haven't gotten any Thursday/Friday vibes about the UMD guys, so I passed on them. Not to say it's impossible but I took the eight I wanted. Thought about including some Twins relatives or former picks too, but no one wants to read THAT much.

There’s always plenty of interest in draft-eligible local players and this year is no different, with a couple of possibilities hoping to hear their names called on the first day. Today we’ll look at eight prospects with local ties.Logan Shore (RHP, Florida) - The Twins drafted Shore out of Coon Rapids High School in the 29th round of the 2013 draft. He didn’t sign and has starred at Florida now for three seasons. Shore lacks projectability - he is what he is - but features what might be the best change-up in the draft. He’s not overpowering; his fastball sits in the low-90s. He fits the profile of what the Twins used to draft perfectly. Recently, though, the Twins have focused more on power arms and Shore seems likely to come off of the board between the the club’s first and second picks. Ryan Boldt (OF, Nebraska) - Boldt entered his senior season in 2013 looking like a possible Top 10 pick. He injured his knee, missed the season and dropped to the 22nd round. The Red Sox drafted him and made a late push to sign him, but he ultimately went to Nebraska. Boldt tore it up as a freshman and scouts drooled over what he could become. But part of that projection was the anticipation that Boldt would develop power. He hasn’t. Despite that, Boldt is still likely to be drafted in the second or third round. Nick Hanson (RHP, Prior Lake HS; Savage MN) - A Kentucky commit, Hanson is a late-bloomer. He started throwing over 90 mph in the last year and also features a power-curve that is among the best any prep offers. Hanson is young - he’s still 17 - and the Twins have to have the most thorough scouting report since he hasn’t been doing too much pitching on the national circuit and he’s right in their backyard. Hanson should go on Day 1 and given the Twins multiple picks later in the day, there’s a decent chance the Twins could pop him. Austin Athmann (C, Minnesota) - Athmann has battled injury issues but has managed to stay healthy last summer through this season and he’s done some serious damage with his bat. The junior backstop will lead the Gophers into the regionals batting .367/.438/.622 with 11 home runs. Athmann could hear his name called on the second day of the draft. Zach Muckenhirn (LHP, North Dakota; Delano, MN prep) - Muckenhirn is in a unique position. A potential Day Two pick, Muckenhirn could leave the disbanded UND program and join any team he wants next season without sitting out. Muckenhirn started off the season with a bang but slowed as the season progressed, which may suggest that his smallish frame is built better for a bullpen role, where his low-90s fastball could see a jump as well. Dalton Sawyer (LHP, Minnesota) - The Twins drafted Sawyer in the 27th round last year, but couldn’t agree on a bonus. This year, Sawyer will find himself drafted much higher and get a bonus for much less than the Twins offered last year… because he’s a senior. The big lefty who throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball could find himself drafted in the Top 10 rounds as teams look to get creative with their draft pools. Alex Call (OF, Ball State; River Falls, WI prep) - Call played his prep ball about 40 miles from Target Field before heading to Ball State where he was named MAC Player of the Year this season. Call does a little bit of everything from hitting dingers (13) to stealing bases (17). Call is a similar prospect to current Twin farmhand Max Murphy. Spencer Van Scoyoc (LHP/OF, Thomas Jefferson HS, Cedar Rapids, IA) - Not as local as the rest, but Van Scoyoc plays baseball just a few hours away in the same city as a lot of Twins prospects - where we have a lot of readers. Van Scoyoc is committed to Arizona State and is all about projection. Skinny and 6-4, Van Scoyoc throws in the high-80s but has more in the tank. He throws a good curveball for his current stage of development. He also offers a powerful left-handed swing. The likelihood is that MLB teams recognize Van Scoyoc needs the development of college ball, but he’ll make an interesting prospect to follow three years from now. We’ll start profiling some players that might hear their named called at #15 tomorrow. Click here to view the article

While I don't disagree with a strategy like that, the current Twins brass (whether you like it or not) have always played the draft straight. On another note, two well-known draft writers - Eric Longenhagen and Hudson Belinsky both tweeted about high school pitchers dropping. Longenhagen tweeted that the Braves could be looking to cut a deal and to keep an eye on Muller, Whitley or Gowdy. He was asked if Whitley could fall that far and responded that he could if he had $3m waiting for him. Shortly after that Belinsky tweeted that Manning and Wentz had high price tags and could fall to a team that had big bonus pools. Regardless of all of that, the Twins just need to find one high school pitcher they like that will sign for around slot... and that's still a lot of money. It's just unusual to hear THIS MANY guys have inflating price tags.

Though your local post office wasn’t open today, the Twins' transaction wire was bustling with activity. Congrats to Byron Buxton, who was named International League Batter of the Week. Buxton had an OPS of 1.564 over the six-game period. We’ll circle back to talk more about Buxton in a bit.The first move - though not an actual transaction - was the news that Phil Hughes was being moved into the bullpen and Kyle Gibson will return to the rotation and start on Wednesday. Shortly after that, came the news that the Red Wings were activating Max Kepler, who had been sidelined with a groin strain. Lower down the organizational ladder, the Fort Myers Miracle tweeted that Kohl Stewart would be promoted to Chattanooga tomorrow. Congrats to Kohl! Finally, taking Stewart’s spot in Fort Myers will be Randy LeBlanc, who’s receiving a long-deserved promotion. Cedar Rapids also is sending C.K. Irby and Andro Cutura to Fort Myers to rehab injuries on the extended spring side Oh, and then there was this from Phil Miller: Santana to DL, Buxton up. Yes, Santana injured a hamstring in Oakland on Monday and Buxton will be flying from Indianapolis to join the Twins there on Tuesday. And then there were baseball games today too. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Indianapolis 0 Box Score Jason Wheeler continued to put his 2015 season in the rearview and look like the 2014 version. On Monday, he was dominant over eight shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out five. The Red Wings scored in the third inning when Jorge Polanco drove in John Ryan Murphy. Buxton was replaced in the field by Buck Britton in the bottom of the inning. Rochester tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning. Buck Britton walked and James Beresford was hit by a pitch. They later scored on Polanco's and Kennys Vargas' ground outs. Not that they needed them, but Rochester scored four more runs in the seventh inning. Polanco, again, was involved. This time with a one-out double. Eddie Rosario drove in Polanco with a single and Max Kepler singled to drive in Vargas, who had reached on an error and Wilfredo Tovar tripled, driving in Rosario and Kepler. Ryan O'Rourke closed out the game with a scoreless one-hit inning. Polanco's three hits led the charge with two RBIs. Kepler had two hits as did Tovar. The Red Wings start their seven-game road trip with a victory. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga - Day off MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers - Day off KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Wisconsin 2 Box Score The Kernels won in dramatic fashion on Monday afternoon, improving to 29-21 on the season. This is the second consecutive walk-off win for the Kernels and third in the last eight days. Cedar Rapids scored first when LaMonte Wade drove in Sean Miller with a third inning single. Wade extended his streak to 30 straight games of reaching base safely. If he is able to extend his streak one more game, he’ll have reached base in every game in May. Wade added a walk later. The Kernels added a second run in the eighth inning. Zander Wiel hit a one-out double and later came around to score on a throwing error. Randy LeBlanc (mentioned above) pitched eight scoreless innings. In his last six starts, LeBlanc has allowed one earned run in 43 innings (an ERA of 0.21). LeBlanc allowed six hits and struck out six. Michael Cederoth gave up a two-run home run in the ninth inning to blow the save and tie the game. It also set up the bottom of the ninth heroics. Sean Miller, who drove in Sunday’s winning run, singled to start the inning, his second of the game. Miller advanced to second when Luis Arraez drew a walk and later stole third. A wild pitch allowed Miller to score, winning the game for the Kernels. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher(s) of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Rochester and Randy LeBlanc, Cedar Rapids Hitter of the Day – Jorge Polanco, Rochester TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Indianapolis (6:05PM CST) – RHP Jose Berrios (3-1, 1.61 ERA) Chattanooga at Birmingham (7:05PM CST) - RHP D.J. Baxendale (4-5, 3.06 ERA) St. Lucie at Fort Myers (6:05 CST) – LHP Tyler Jay (3-4, 2.89 ERA) Cedar Rapids at Beloit (6:30PM CST) – LHP Sam Clay (3-2, 2.47 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Former reliever. And his numbers are really good... including the complete-game, nine K, no walk game he threw last week. I'd take Craig on an underslot deal. But he won't.

You're aware that Daz Cameron, the Astros third pick and the draft's 37th overall pick last year, got the fifth-biggest bonus in last year's draft right? No other team could pay him the $4m that the Astros promised him. Smart agents with smart teams will be doing that again this year.

There is a way. Scott Boras calls the Twins and says, "Garrett isn't signing for less than $4.5 million."

re CBA talk There is NO WAY the system doesn't change. It gives a huge advantage to the teams with the biggest pools and turns the draft into somewhat of a mockery. Everyone will be pushing to change it. Yeah, you'll still get comp picks if your guy doesn't sign. What they should do is hard cap every pick and make players declare for the draft. Of course, then you'll get agents working to package players. There's no perfect way to solve the problem.

Collins won't stick at catcher. Thaiss is 50/50 at best. Okey probably has the best chance to stick and I slotted him in as an underslot deal. Bats are so bad overall that Collins and Thaiss will be drafted higher with teams knowing they'll probably have to move them.

We hit on this in the extra session on GatG yesterday. I don't think anyone in the organization feels completely secure in the future of their job. It would be really hard to flub up your first-round pick when your team is historically bad and you might lose your job.

The Twins love Garrett and would love for him to be available at #15. But he's a Vandy and Boras guy, so it's increasingly likely that if he's "available", it's because of a high asking price the Twins wouldn't be able to match. He would be a steal at $2.8m at #15.

As price tags of guys are coming out, teams have begun to re-evaluate earlier plans. You know more about the Braves thinking, to be sure, but what I've heard is that college bats and college arms continuing to climb up the draft. They could go Pint, which wouldn't be terrible.