Jeremy Nygaard

Join us tonight at 8:30 to talk Twins Baseball. Seth is back home, so he should be less tired (in theory). Ask us lots of Twins and Twins minor league questions. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BZrKkh0o4XU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> The show is also available on the too. You can view and all other episodes on our YouTube channel, download our shows on iTunes, or listen to them on our webpage.

It's a special Spring Training episode with Seth live in Fort Myers. If you have questions or comments, please leave them below. You can view and all other episodes on our YouTube channel, download our shows on iTunes, or listen to them on our webpage.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVTyvoEZREk

The Twins made their first round of cuts this morning. I figured this was as good of time as any to highlight some things that are important (to nerds like me) as the regular season opens and progresses. The Roster and Payroll page has been updated to include a lot of new information. It was mostly re-shuffling of where minor league guys might go. It also included the batch of most recent international signings. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] PAYROLL One of the reasons that I started this page was to keep updated tabs on what the Major League payroll is. We often get reports about what the "Opening Day payroll" is but then after that there aren't many updates. Payroll fluctuates whenever there is a transaction. The other thing is that only the 2014 salaries would be included when figuring that payroll. There are a couple other things that affect that number. OPENING DAY PAYROLL: Without knowing exactly what the final group of 25 is going to look like, it's impossible to say where that number is going to fall. At this moment, we're looking at the neighborhood of $83 million. OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER: The Twins have three players on their rosters that have an option year at the end of their contracts. Those years can either be picked up or bought out. The "buyout" portion of those contracts are paid out over the life of the contract (up until the option year). The Twins have a $1m buyout on the fifth year of Nolasco's contract. The Twins will pay him an additional $250,000 each year for the next four years. Both Glen Perkins and Jared Burton are owed an extra $100,000 this year. Burton's option year is next year, while Perkins's doesn't happen until 2016. That adds an extra $450,000 to payroll. ARTICLE XX( FREE AGENTS: The Twins signed both Jason Kubel and Matt Guerrier to minor league contracts. Because those players are coming directly off of major league deals, they would have to be paid $100,000 to be assigned to the minor leagues. Both of these players - as well as Jason Bartlett - will make significantly more than league minimum if and when they do suit up for the Twins. INCENTIVES: Perkins and Burton both have clauses in their contracts that pay them more for "games finished". Perkins also has a unique clause that will increase his salary for 2015 based on the incentives he earns in 2014. Mike Pelfrey and Phil Hughes can both earn more money if they hit innings-pitched milestones. Anthony Swarzak can earn more money by making 10 starts. Kurt Suzuki has triggers in his contract that will pay him more, basically, for being the starting catcher. And both Kubel and Guerrier have incentives that will pay them for their performances too. CREDITS: While it's not common to sell a player's rights, the Twins did just that this year. In agreeing to release Andrew Albers, the Twins were paid about $500,000 by a Korean team. The exact figure is not known, but two outlets have confirmed the amount was very close to that $500,000. There also always remains the possibility of trading a player under contract and having that team pick up the contract. That happened last year with Morneau and saved the Twins almost $3 million. LOOKING AHEAD ARBITRATION: The Twins avoided the arbitration process this past off-season by agreeing to deals with Brian Duensing, Trevor Plouffe and Swarzak. Next year, the Twins could face arbitration with as many as eight players. Duensing will enter his third and final year of arbitration. Swarzak will enter his second year of arbitration. Plouffe will enter his second year too, but has three years remaining as he was a Super Two player last year. Vance Worley would exceed three years of service if he plays a full year in the majors. Scott Diamond, Casey Fien, Eduardo Escobar and Alex Presley all currently have less than two years of experience, but with one more full season should have more than the Super Two cutoff and be eligible for arbitration the first time (of four). ROSTER ADDS: The Twins will have to add players to their roster in November to avoid exposure in the Rule 5 draft, and it's never too early to speculate who those guys might be. Alex Meyer, Miguel Sano and (the good) Eddie Rosario are must adds. Sean Gilmartin, Corey Williams, Brett Lee, Jason Wheeler, Matt Summers, Tyler Jones, Randy Rosario and Yorman Landa are some pitchers that will be discussed. I led off with Gilmartin, Williams and Lee because they're left-handed. Rosario and Landa have not yet played full-season ball, but might have upsides that aren't worth exposing. Aderlin Mejia and Niko Goodrum are two hitters worth mentioning. Former first-round pick Levi Michael would also be eligible for the first time. Let's hope Levi puts together a monster season. FREE AGENTS: The trio of Kevin Correia, Kurt Suzuki and Josh Willingham all are entering their final season under contract and will be eligible for free agency five days after the conclusion of the World Series. --- Obviously, that's a lot of information to try to digest. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments or contact me @jeremynygaard on Twitter. If there's anything that can't be covered on either of those avenues, send me an email at jeremynygaard1@gmail.com. Hope you enjoy!

Join Seth and Jeremy on Tuesday night at 8:30 to discuss the events of the last week. Obviously, Miguel Sano is going to be a discussion topic. But there will be many other things you might want to hear. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/iJOcOi-kLBs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]You can view live on this page (using the video link above) or you can view live on the where you'll have access to the live Q and A. You can view all past episodes here (YouTube link) and download all of the previous shows here (iTunes link) Please leave questions and comments below!

Join Seth and I tonight at 8:30 (central time) - along with special guest Brandon Warne - to talk about the recent happenings in Twins Territory. Please feel free to ask questions below. We will be sure to answer them. Download this episode - and all other episodes - on iTunes. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aMJNvJIhUbQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] YouTube page .Everyone has reported to spring training. Minor leaguers report next week. All is good in the world... right? Please leave your questions and/or comments below. We try to block out 15 minutes at the end to answer questions, so feel free to leave them here.

With the college season getting underway (where weather allowed), it's a good time to kick off the first of what will become a series of Draft Boards. These are not my draft boards. I've tried to gather as much information as possible from people involved in the actual decision-making process. Of course, at the end, I still have to try to slot them in an order. At this point, there is so much that can happen. The Twins draft 5th overall. The most recent info suggests there are around 20 guys on the radar and there are already a few that the Twins don't think will be available when they are on the clock. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] There are a couple of threads already on TwinsDaily about the draft, so feel free to chime in there as well as in the comments below. 1) Carlos Rodon, LHP, NC St Rodon has been considered the crown jewel of this class since dominating during his freshman season. On a number of occasions, John Manuel of Baseball America has said that, as a prospect, Rodon would ranked #2 or #3 already. Of course, Scout.com's Kiley McDaniel has pointed out that the gap between Rodon and the field isn't insurmountable. My take: It would be an upset for Rodon to fall from #1. Short of injury, he isn't falling much further. And even in the event of injury, chances are he would role the dice and come back to go #1 next year. With that being said, if he blew his arm out and dropped to #5, I'd take him without hesitation. 2) Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina Hoffman used an impressive showing in the Cape Cod League to catapult up draft boards. One might draw the parallel between Hoffman and Jonathan Gray from last year. While Rodon (and Appel) are better prospects right now, there is a ceiling that Hoffman has (and Gray had last year) that might make him more attractive to teams than Rodon. Some have thrown out Justin Verlander comps. That's high praise. My take: While it could be argued that drafting Hoffman may not be the Marlins style, I would be hard pressed to argue against him falling past the White Sox at #3. 3) Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt Ah, a wildcard. Beede was drafted out of high school in 2011 by the Blue Jays and went unsigned. While he's had success at Vanderbilt, he's also had control issues. At his best, he deserves to be mentioned with both of Rodon and Hoffman, but there's been too many times when he's not at his best. My take: personally - and I've been a fan of Beede for a long time - I wouldn't have him so high, but he's a name that's come up in regards to the Twins thinking he "won't be around". The caveat - because there needs to be one - is that if he drops to five, he'll drop further, because the control is an issue and the Twins wouldn't "risk that type of money". 4) Alex Jackson, C, California HS I have a feeling we're going to see Jackson all over the board. He got early comps to Bryce Harper and Wil Myers - prep catchers with bats that couldn't be held back long enough to fully learn how to catch. Now there are rumblings that his bat isn't as advanced and that teams could be patient with his glove. Either way, he's got a ton of value. My take: I haven't checked in lately, but I didn't get any impression that the Twins believe he would fail to hit or catch at the highest level. He should find himself squarely in the mix very early in the draft. 5) Trae Turner, SS, NC St The old college shortstop, eh? Do yourself a favor and check how many of the 30 starting shortstops came the major college route. I'll help you out: not many. While Turner should stick at shortstop at the professional level, he has a lot of value in his legs. With plus-plus speed, Turner could fit nicely at the top of the Twins order. There are questions about his bat (and strength), but he's shown well early this college season. My take: let's bring that college shortstop conversation even closer to home then let's bring it straight to Tobacco Road. Would you be gun-shy about making the same mistake that was made when Levi Michael was drafted? Would you trust that same signing scout? Interesting questions to consider, obviously, and while I think they are two completely different players, the microscope will be fixed closer on Trae Turner. 6) Luke Weaver, RHP, FSU Weaver is an interesting name to show up this high as he's not been rated as highly on national lists. I watched an FSU game late last season and was impressed with Weaver. To be honest, he reminded me a lot of Kevin Slowey. Not that I want to burn such a high pick on Kevin Slowey, but his command was superb. When I mentioned that to a Twins scout, I was told that it's a fair comp, but sells Weaver far short. Weaver's fastball is way better and that a better comp would be Zack Greinke. Hook. Line. Sinker. My take: if I was a betting man, I would put my money on Weaver and enjoy the payout. While he may not be the sexiest name, he has the potential to be a very, very good major league pitcher. 7) Tyler Kolek, RHP, Texas HS Why not go back to the same well as last year? Kolek spits fire. And his upside may be unmatched in this draft class. My take: as a high school pitcher, we could see so much happen to his draft stock. Right now, he possesses a plus-fastball. If he can turn one of his other offerings into a plus-pitch, he'll challenge for the #2 pick. But at this point, there is too much left unseen. One thing that needs to not go unnoticed is that area scout Greg Runser has had a hand in landing what seems like all of the most recent pitching draft picks. Runser also keeps his cards close to his chest. 8) Jacob Gatewood, 3B, California HS Gatewood snuck onto the list when I decided to expand it to eight players. Gatewood got on the map with an impressive home run display at Citi Field. There are still many questions about his game. He could stand to drive his stock through the roof or watch it drop. My take: some team will fall in love with Gatewood's power and take him early. I don't think it will be the Twins... at least, not yet. TWO OTHER NAMES TO KNOW: Dylan Cease, RHP, Georgia HS and Mac Marshall, LHP, Georgia HS While Georgia has been a hotbed for amateur talent, there hasn't been a ton of pitching to come from that state. The one name that sticks out in recent memory is Tampa Bay's Matt Moore. You know who signed Matt Moore? Jack Powell. You know who scouts Georgia for the Twins now? That's right - Jack Powell. While it remains to be seen how these guys perform in their senior seasons - Marshall doesn't pitch until next Friday - they both have a fan in the organization. Oh, did I mention that Powell is the guy responsible for making Buxton a Twin? Yeah, he's got the juice now. Obviously there are many names that can come and go when it comes to discussion about the #5 pick. These are just a few to remember as the season kicks off. So, what do you think?

Join Seth and I tonight along with special guest Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. We'll be live at 8:30 and promise to get you geared up for Spring Training... as if you weren't already. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aKeMLJs3SgQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> You can view the YouTube page , where you'll have access to the Q and A feature.Leave your questions and comments below!

Join Seth and Jeremy tonight at 8:30 right here to view the latest Twins Hangouts episode. Tonight's show will focus more on the minor league side of things. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tQ5qOU7SSMQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Please leave questions (or comments) below! You can watch live on the page as well.

Join Seth and Jeremy tonight at 8:30 on another edition of Hangout and Talk Twins. We've been asked by those in the Twitterverse to discuss the 25-man possibilities as well as the options that the Twins have with their open 40-man roster spot. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4Fk-gUM7KF8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> You can also view our page.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Of course, it's also the middle of the season where all publications are dropping their Top Prospects Lists, so we'll discuss that too. Leave us your questions here or on Twitter and we'll answer them during the show. To watch live, continue... Please leave your questions here!

Join Seth and I tonight at 8:30 for this week's episode of #HangoutandTalkTwins. We hope to be joined by MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. View live here: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7WG1oxXe2Fk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] We plan to cover the Diamond Awards, Twins Fest, Winter Meltdown and more. I'll also let you know what kind of progress I made in my attempt to #GetSethDrunk. Don't forget: You can follow us on Twitter at @twinshangouts. If you have any questions, please leave them below!

Join Seth and I tonight at 8:30 for another episode of #HangoutandTalkTwins. We're going to put the HOF talk to rest for once and for all and we'll also discuss the A-Roid suspension (which, if you follow Seth on Twitter, you know he's against). Though the Twins haven't done anything newsworthy lately, I'm sure we'll find a way to fit them in too. To watch this week's show, please keep reading...[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RxUgTpupTlY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Join Seth and Jeremy at 8:30 tonight as we discuss Twins Baseball. It will be viewable in link on this page as well as on Jeremy's Google+ page. We don't have a verified guest yet, and even if our planned guest falls through, we'll have plenty to talk about... we always do! See you tonight at 8:30 pm. (Click below to watch The Twins Hangout Live.) Feel free to send us your questions or thoughts. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sJOyhIUCJ-E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>