Jeremy Nygaard

The Twins are taking a trip to the west coast to play the hapless Angels. Joe Mauer is getting a day off to rest his knee, which he fouled a ball off of yesterday. Today will be Mauer’s first day off this season. Yes, you read that right. One additional note: If you thought “Promotion Weekend” had drawn to a close, you thought wrong. LSP Luke French, who had been nothing short of dominant at New Britain, has been promoted to Rochester. Moving on, let’s look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from the last day of a forgetful April: ROCHESTER vs BUFFALO Monday’s game was postponed due to rain. NEW BRITAIN 1, HARRISBURG 0 (12 INNINGS) The first 11 innings went scoreless before the Rock Cats plated a runner in the top of 12. Obviously when you go 12 innings without giving up a run, you’ve done something right. David Bromberg started, went five innings and gave up only one hit, one walk and struck out eight. Bobby Lanigan, Lester Oliveros and Luis Perdomo combined to get the next twenty outs, striking out eight while only giving up one hit. Caleb Thielbar, making his AA debut, walked the first batter he faced before ending the game (and earning the save) on a shallow pop out to right field. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s 12 IP, 2 H, 2 BB and 16 Ks. Wow! Chris Herrmann, Aaron Hicks and Pedro Florimon all registered multi-hit games. All had two hits, all were singles. Florimon scored the game’s one and only run on a wild pitch in the top of the twelfth inning. FT. MYERS MIRACLE 1, ST. LUCIE 2 The Miracle lost a tough game, but what could be more significant, lost a player as starter Adrian Salcedo took a one-hopper off the face while pitching to the game’s second batter. He left the game, but there was no immediate word about the significance of the injury. Nelvin Fuentes made his high-A debut before anyone hoped he would, relieving Salcedo with one out in the first. He definitely held his own, pitching almost four innings and only allowing three hits and one run. Miguel Munoz took the loss despite pitching really well too. He went three innings, striking out two. He allowed only one run too, though it was a home run and the deciding run. Matt Hauser pitched the final two frames, striking out three, giving up a hit and hitting a batter. It should also be noted that St. Lucie was able to successfully double-steal with Hauser on the mound. The bats didn’t do much. The team only had five hits, but three of those came off the bat of rehabbing OF Wilkin Ramirez. Angel Morales and Daniel Rohlfing accounted for the other two. Morales also struck out three times. Josmil Pinto picked up two walks. When Danny Ortiz makes his way into the lineup – probably pushing Ramirez back to Rochester – we will most likely see an outfield of Ortiz, Morales and Oswaldo Arcia. BELOIT 7, DAYTON 0 The story of the game was LSP Jason Wheeler. The big-bodied 2011-draftee retired the last 14 batters he faced. He completed six innings of two-hit baseball, allowing one walk, while registering seven strikeouts. Wheeler might have entered the spring as a forgotten high pick, but he’s quickly making us take note. Matthew Tomshaw, Clinton Dempster and Bart Carter each notched a scoreless inning in relief to preserve the shutout. The bats were hot even though the weather wasn’t. Every starter except leadoff hitter Wang-Wei Lin registered a hit as the Snappers had 11 total. Rory Rhodes, who went 2-4, was the only one to have an extra base hit. He also led the team with three runs batted in. Miguel Sano went 2-3 with 2 RBI, a walk and a strikeout. Jhon Goncalves was the only other Snapper with multiple hits. He went 2-4. --- Players of the Day for Monday, April 30, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Rory Rhodes [ATTACH=CONFIG]817[/ATTACH] Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler (in a close 1-0 vote over the entire Rock Cats staff). [ATTACH=CONFIG]818[/ATTACH] --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, May 1, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Empire State – RHP Cole DeVries (0-1, 2.91) New Britain @ Harrisburg – RHP B.J. Hermsen (AA debut) appears to be the likely starter. Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach – RHP Marty Popham (2-0, 3.92) Beloit - OFF DAY ---

I think Lin - and really Pettersen and Bryant - provides some maturity and flexibility in the lineup. All three are guys that play hard, give good at-bats and (although I didn't see Pettersen in the field) are solid defenders. Lin didn't do anything great, but he played left and center and took a lot of pitches. We won't see any on Top 30 prospect lists, but those types of players are invaluable to the organization. I saw Hicks his first and second year in Beloit and I thought he looked more advanced both times than Sano. This weekend, I was really hoping that I'd see a guy that didn't belong... but I didn't. The Twins will do what's best for him and it will be a couple of years before he's truly in the conversation.

Thanks guys! I have the interview up on my adapt-a-prospect page.

Random thought based on two games... HITTERS *Miguel Sano has a long way to do. His bat's not ready. His glove's not ready. His head's not ready. Physically, he's a beast. He got one hit (a sharp grounder that slid under the third baseman's glove) in seven at bats. He struck out twice and looked susceptible to any ball that doesn't spin straight. He has time - and should be allowed it - to get that part of his game figured out. He did hit two flyballs that looked pretty routine, but ended up caught on the warning track. With the wind blowing in. Hard. Defensively, he shows flashes but also made a few routine mistakes - dropping a ball in a rundown, throwing to the wrong base to set up the rundown, failing to field a pretty routine grounder. He did some things well though too: fielding a weak roller to nail the runner at first, showing off his cannon arm. *Eddie Rosario was 2-8 with a 2B and a 3B. He made a boneheaded move on the triple when the ball skipped past the 3B and was thrown out easily at home, for the first out of the inning. He gets his bat through the zone in a hurry. Defensively, he was solid. He made a good turn on a double-play. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's been playing there his whole life. *JD Williams is fast. He DH'd and pinch ran, so I didn't get to see him in the field. But it was obvious the two times he reached base - an easy stolen base and, today before scoring the winning run, beating the throw to 3rd on a nearly-botched sacrifice. He's not Billy Hamilton-fast, but he's in the same category as Ben Revere. *Daniel Ortiz is a good hitter. His opposite field home run was impressive. *Tyler Grimes is a mess at shortstop. I hope he figures it out, his arm is stronger than Sano's. *AJ Pettersen reminds me of Nick Punto. He battled in all of his at-bats and always seems to come out ahead. He's not a big guy, but I'm not going to count him out. *Matt Koch hit the ball more squarely than any other Snapper this weekend. He only played Saturday, but the crack of the bat on the ball makes you look up if you're not paying attention. PITCHERS *Steven Gruver had a rough outing on Saturday. He didn't make it out of the 2nd and it looked like he was serving up batting practice. He seems to have a hard time consistently keeping the ball down. *AJ Achter looked good in relief. He abandoned runners and struck a few out. I wouldn't be surprised if he was back in the rotation sometime this year, but again, he's excelled in relief, so maybe he stays there. *Tim Shibuya was phenomenal. He pounded the lower half of the zone getting called strikes, but also missing bats. He seemed to tire towards the end of his outing, but he struck out 11 and was basically unhittable for five innings. If he continues to pitch like this, I would imagine he'll head to Fort Myers shortly. *Michael Tonkin was better than his stats show. He broke the only two bats I saw broken on consecutive batters. One reaching on a bleeding grounder and the other hitting a ball to Sano that he just failed to field. So while the "blown save" and 3 hits doesn't look great, he'll continue to be a go-to-guy in the bullpen. *Corey Williams came in a earned the win with a solid night. The lone hit he allowed actually hit Adam Bryant in the glove. He did fire a very wild pitch to the backstop. (I'll have more on him in the Adopt-A-Prospect forum later.) OTHER TID-BITS *Tom Kelly and Jim Rantz were sitting behind the plate. I don't know how Kelly sits still in the booth, he paced back and forth all game. He was mostly encouraging the hitters and pitchers, but got on Sano a little bit when he was misaligned and showed his frustration on Rosario's baserunning gaffe. *Big thanks to Chrissy Scaffidi for helping me set up an interview with Corey Williams. I know she's busy with the Snappers and their site, but maybe we can talk her into contributing more to this site. *If you head down, pick a time when it's not so stinking cold. It wasn't only cold, but windy too. But it was still fun to watch some future Twins.

Random thought based on two games... HITTERS *Miguel Sano has a long way to do. His bat's not ready. His glove's not ready. His head's not ready. Physically, he's a beast. He got one hit (a sharp grounder that slid under the third baseman's glove) in seven at bats. He struck out twice and looked susceptible to any ball that doesn't spin straight. He has time - and should be allowed it - to get that part of his game figured out. He did hit two flyballs that looked pretty routine, but ended up caught on the warning track. With the wind blowing in. Hard. Defensively, he shows flashes but also made a few routine mistakes - dropping a ball in a rundown, throwing to the wrong base to set up the rundown, failing to field a pretty routine grounder. He did some things well though too: fielding a weak roller to nail the runner at first, showing off his cannon arm. *Eddie Rosario was 2-8 with a 2B and a 3B. He made a boneheaded move on the triple when the ball skipped past the 3B and was thrown out easily at home, for the first out of the inning. He gets his bat through the zone in a hurry. Defensively, he was solid. He made a good turn on a double-play. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's been playing there his whole life. *JD Williams is fast. He DH'd and pinch ran, so I didn't get to see him in the field. But it was obvious the two times he reached base - an easy stolen base and, today before scoring the winning run, beating the throw to 3rd on a nearly-botched sacrifice. He's not Billy Hamilton-fast, but he's in the same category as Ben Revere. *Daniel Ortiz is a good hitter. His opposite field home run was impressive. *Tyler Grimes is a mess at shortstop. I hope he figures it out, his arm is stronger than Sano's. *AJ Pettersen reminds me of Nick Punto. He battled in all of his at-bats and always seems to come out ahead. He's not a big guy, but I'm not going to count him out. *Matt Koch hit the ball more squarely than any other Snapper this weekend. He only played Saturday, but the crack of the bat on the ball makes you look up if you're not paying attention. PITCHERS *Steven Gruver had a rough outing on Saturday. He didn't make it out of the 2nd and it looked like he was serving up batting practice. He seems to have a hard time consistently keeping the ball down. *AJ Achter looked good in relief. He abandoned runners and struck a few out. I wouldn't be surprised if he was back in the rotation sometime this year, but again, he's excelled in relief, so maybe he stays there. *Tim Shibuya was phenomenal. He pounded the lower half of the zone getting called strikes, but also missing bats. He seemed to tire towards the end of his outing, but he struck out 11 and was basically unhittable for five innings. If he continues to pitch like this, I would imagine he'll head to Fort Myers shortly. *Michael Tonkin was better than his stats show. He broke the only two bats I saw broken on consecutive batters. One reaching on a bleeding grounder and the other hitting a ball to Sano that he just failed to field. So while the "blown save" and 3 hits doesn't look great, he'll continue to be a go-to-guy in the bullpen. *Corey Williams came in a earned the win with a solid night. The lone hit he allowed actually hit Adam Bryant in the glove. He did fire a very wild pitch to the backstop. (I'll have more on him in the Adopt-A-Prospect forum later.) OTHER TID-BITS *Tom Kelly and Jim Rantz were sitting behind the plate. I don't know how Kelly sits still in the booth, he paced back and forth all game. He was mostly encouraging the hitters and pitchers, but got on Sano a little bit when he was misaligned and showed his frustration on Rosario's baserunning gaffe. *Big thanks to Chrissy Scaffidi for helping me set up an interview with Corey Williams. I know she's busy with the Snappers and their site, but maybe we can talk her into contributing more to this site. *If you head down, pick a time when it's not so stinking cold. It wasn't only cold, but windy too. But it was still fun to watch some future Twins.

Clete Thomas joined a long list of guys that the Twins drafted at one point, didn't/couldn't sign and joined the organization later. Some other names that are on this list are Steve Pearce, who was cut in Spring Training, and Michael Holliman, who made a push to be on the opening day roster and is now in Rochester. There are other players who left the state of Minnesota at some point, only to come back later, like Cole Nelson, who left the state to attend Auburn, but was acquired by the Twins from the Tigers in the Delmon Young trade. There are also countless of examples of guys who the Twins drafted twice, some of them never signing, most of them fizzling out before making a name for themselves. All of this got me wondering, "Who are the guys out there right now that the Twins once had their eye on?" There are some very interesting names on the following list: [TABLE=width: 851] ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Hi A (2011) Chris Odegaard RHP Minnesota State-Mankato MN [/TD] ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS AA Dan Kaczrowski SS Hamline (Minn.) MN ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Hi A Jonathan Griffin 1B Lakewood Ranch HS, Bradenton, Fla. FL 2011 21st Rd ATLANTA BRAVES Hi A Cody Martin RHP Gonzaga WA 2011 7th Rd ATLANTA BRAVES Rk (2011) Evan Danieli RHP Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, N.J. NJ 2010 24th Rd ATLANTA BRAVES A Joe Lucas RHP Dakota County Tech (Minn.) JC MN ATLANTA BRAVES A (2011) Tony Mueller OF Winona State (Minn.) MN BALTIMORE ORIOLES Hi A Aaron Baker C Denton (Texas) HS TX 2009 11th Rd CHICAGO WHITE SOX AAA Charles Leesman LHP Elder HS, Cincinnati OH 2008 11th Rd CHICAGO WHITE SOX Hi A Jake Petricka RHP Faribault (Minn.) HS MN CHICAGO WHITE SOX AA Jared Mitchell OF Westgate HS, New Iberia, La. LA 2009 1st Rd CHICAGO CUBS AA Elliot Soto SS Dundee-Crown HS, Carpentersville, Ill. IL 2010 15th Rd CHICAGO CUBS AAA (2011) Marquez Smith 3B Forest HS, Ocala, Fla. FL 2007 8th Rd CINCINNATI REDS A Nick O'Shea 1B Minnesota MN CLEVELAND INDIANS A Jordan Smith 3B St. Cloud State (Minn.) MN CLEVELAND INDIANS A (2011) Nathan Striz RHP Santa Fe Catholic HS, Lakeland, Fla. FL 2010 22nd Rd COLORADO ROCKIES Rk (2011) Ben Hughes RHP St. Olaf (Minn.) MN 2011 10th Rd COLORADO ROCKIES Tyler Anderson LHP Valley HS, Las Vegas Nev. 2011 1st Rd DETROIT TIGERS MLB Andy Oliver LHP Vermillion (Ohio) HS OH 2009 2nd Rd DETROIT TIGERS Rk (2011) Scott Matyas RHP Minnesota MN HOUSTON ASTROS Hi A George Springer OF Old Farms HS, Avon, Conn. CO 2011 1st Rd HOUSTON ASTROS A Justin Gominsky OF Minnesota MN HOUSTON ASTROS AAA Mickey Storey RHP Florida Atlantic FL 2008 31st Rd HOUSTON ASTROS A Mike Kvasnicka 3B/C North HS, Lakeville, Minn. MN 2010 1st Rd KANSAS CITY ROYALS A Mike Giovenco RHP North Park (Ill.) IL 2010 4th Rd LOS ANGELES ANGELS AA (2011) Dillon Baird 3B Prescott (Ariz.) HS AZ 2009 11th Rd LOS ANGELES DODGERS A (2011) Blake Dean OF Louisiana State LA 2010 8th Rd MIAMI MARLINS A Aaron Senne OF Missouri (drafted rd 13 out of HS) MO 2010 10th Rd MIAMI MARLINS A Adam Conley LHP Olympia (Wash.) HS WA 2011 2nd Rd MIAMI MARLINS Rk (2011) Beau Wright LHP Los Alamitos (Calif.) HS CA 2010 48th Rd MIAMI MARLINS MLB Brad Hand LHP Chaska (Minn.) HS MN MIAMI MARLINS A Josh Adams SS Eagle's View Academy, Jacksonville, Fla. FL 2011 13th Rd MILWAUKEE BREWERS A Tommy Toledo RHP Florida Fla. 2011 11th Rd NEW YORK METS Hi A Brant Rustich RHP Grossmont HS, San Diego CA 2007 2nd Rd NEW YORK METS Lo A (2011) Bret Mitchell RHP Minnesota State-Mankato MN OAKLAND A'S AA Mike Spina 1B Cincinnati OH 2009 11th Rd OAKLAND A'S Rk (2011) Thomas Girdwood RHP Elon N.C. 2011 28th Rd PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES MLB Ken Herndon RHP Gulf Coast (Fla.) CC FL 2006 5th Rd PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES A Mario Hollands LHP UC Santa Barbara CA 2010 10th Rd SAN DIEGO PADRES Hi A Adam Schrader RHP Southwest Minnesota State MN SAN DIEGO PADRES Hi A (2011) Robert Lara C Nova HS, Davie, Fla. FL 2008 19th Rd SAN DIEGO PADRES MLB Yonder Alonso 1B Coral Gables HS, Miami FL 2008 1st Rd SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AA Chris Heston RHP Seminole (Fla.) CC FL 2009 12th Rd SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Hi A Seth Rosin RHP Mounds View HS MN 2010 4th Rd SEATTLE MARINERS Hi A Steve Proscia 3B /1B Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. N.J. 2011 7th Rd ST LOUIS CARDINALS AA Kolten Wong 2B Kamehameha HS, Hilo, Hawaii HA 2011 1st Rd TAMPA BAY RAYS AAA John Gaub LHP Minnesota MN [TD]TORONTO BLUE JAYS Hi A John Stilson RHP Texarkana (Texas) CC TX 2011 3rd Rd TORONTO BLUE JAYS AAA (2011) Randy Boone RHP Texas TX 2007 7th Rd WASHINGTON NATIONALS A Aaron Barrett RHP Wabash Valley (Ill.) CC IL 2010 10th Rd WASHINGTON NATIONALS AA Mike Ballard LHP U. of Virginia VA 2006 14th Rd WASHINGTON NATIONALS AA Pat Lehman RHP George Washington D.C. 2009 13th Rd [/TABLE]

Clete Thomas joined a long list of guys that the Twins drafted at one point, didn't/couldn't sign and joined the organization later. Some other names that are on this list are Steve Pearce, who was cut in Spring Training, and Michael Holliman, who made a push to be on the opening day roster and is now in Rochester. There are other players who left the state of Minnesota at some point, only to come back later, like Cole Nelson, who left the state to attend Auburn, but was acquired by the Twins from the Tigers in the Delmon Young trade. There are also countless of examples of guys who the Twins drafted twice, some of them never signing, most of them fizzling out before making a name for themselves. All of this got me wondering, "Who are the guys out there right now that the Twins once had their eye on?" There are some very interesting names on the following list: [TABLE=width: 851] ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Hi A (2011) Chris Odegaard RHP Minnesota State-Mankato MN [/TD] ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS AA Dan Kaczrowski SS Hamline (Minn.) MN ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Hi A Jonathan Griffin 1B Lakewood Ranch HS, Bradenton, Fla. FL 2011 21st Rd ATLANTA BRAVES Hi A Cody Martin RHP Gonzaga WA 2011 7th Rd ATLANTA BRAVES Rk (2011) Evan Danieli RHP Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, N.J. NJ 2010 24th Rd ATLANTA BRAVES A Joe Lucas RHP Dakota County Tech (Minn.) JC MN ATLANTA BRAVES A (2011) Tony Mueller OF Winona State (Minn.) MN BALTIMORE ORIOLES Hi A Aaron Baker C Denton (Texas) HS TX 2009 11th Rd CHICAGO WHITE SOX AAA Charles Leesman LHP Elder HS, Cincinnati OH 2008 11th Rd CHICAGO WHITE SOX Hi A Jake Petricka RHP Faribault (Minn.) HS MN CHICAGO WHITE SOX AA Jared Mitchell OF Westgate HS, New Iberia, La. LA 2009 1st Rd CHICAGO CUBS AA Elliot Soto SS Dundee-Crown HS, Carpentersville, Ill. IL 2010 15th Rd CHICAGO CUBS AAA (2011) Marquez Smith 3B Forest HS, Ocala, Fla. FL 2007 8th Rd CINCINNATI REDS A Nick O'Shea 1B Minnesota MN CLEVELAND INDIANS A Jordan Smith 3B St. Cloud State (Minn.) MN CLEVELAND INDIANS A (2011) Nathan Striz RHP Santa Fe Catholic HS, Lakeland, Fla. FL 2010 22nd Rd COLORADO ROCKIES Rk (2011) Ben Hughes RHP St. Olaf (Minn.) MN 2011 10th Rd COLORADO ROCKIES Tyler Anderson LHP Valley HS, Las Vegas Nev. 2011 1st Rd DETROIT TIGERS MLB Andy Oliver LHP Vermillion (Ohio) HS OH 2009 2nd Rd DETROIT TIGERS Rk (2011) Scott Matyas RHP Minnesota MN HOUSTON ASTROS Hi A George Springer OF Old Farms HS, Avon, Conn. CO 2011 1st Rd HOUSTON ASTROS A Justin Gominsky OF Minnesota MN HOUSTON ASTROS AAA Mickey Storey RHP Florida Atlantic FL 2008 31st Rd HOUSTON ASTROS A Mike Kvasnicka 3B/C North HS, Lakeville, Minn. MN 2010 1st Rd KANSAS CITY ROYALS A Mike Giovenco RHP North Park (Ill.) IL 2010 4th Rd LOS ANGELES ANGELS AA (2011) Dillon Baird 3B Prescott (Ariz.) HS AZ 2009 11th Rd LOS ANGELES DODGERS A (2011) Blake Dean OF Louisiana State LA 2010 8th Rd MIAMI MARLINS A Aaron Senne OF Missouri (drafted rd 13 out of HS) MO 2010 10th Rd MIAMI MARLINS A Adam Conley LHP Olympia (Wash.) HS WA 2011 2nd Rd MIAMI MARLINS Rk (2011) Beau Wright LHP Los Alamitos (Calif.) HS CA 2010 48th Rd MIAMI MARLINS MLB Brad Hand LHP Chaska (Minn.) HS MN MIAMI MARLINS A Josh Adams SS Eagle's View Academy, Jacksonville, Fla. FL 2011 13th Rd MILWAUKEE BREWERS A Tommy Toledo RHP Florida Fla. 2011 11th Rd NEW YORK METS Hi A Brant Rustich RHP Grossmont HS, San Diego CA 2007 2nd Rd NEW YORK METS Lo A (2011) Bret Mitchell RHP Minnesota State-Mankato MN OAKLAND A'S AA Mike Spina 1B Cincinnati OH 2009 11th Rd OAKLAND A'S Rk (2011) Thomas Girdwood RHP Elon N.C. 2011 28th Rd PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES MLB Ken Herndon RHP Gulf Coast (Fla.) CC FL 2006 5th Rd PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES A Mario Hollands LHP UC Santa Barbara CA 2010 10th Rd SAN DIEGO PADRES Hi A Adam Schrader RHP Southwest Minnesota State MN SAN DIEGO PADRES Hi A (2011) Robert Lara C Nova HS, Davie, Fla. FL 2008 19th Rd SAN DIEGO PADRES MLB Yonder Alonso 1B Coral Gables HS, Miami FL 2008 1st Rd SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AA Chris Heston RHP Seminole (Fla.) CC FL 2009 12th Rd SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Hi A Seth Rosin RHP Mounds View HS MN 2010 4th Rd SEATTLE MARINERS Hi A Steve Proscia 3B /1B Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. N.J. 2011 7th Rd ST LOUIS CARDINALS AA Kolten Wong 2B Kamehameha HS, Hilo, Hawaii HA 2011 1st Rd TAMPA BAY RAYS AAA John Gaub LHP Minnesota MN [TD]TORONTO BLUE JAYS Hi A John Stilson RHP Texarkana (Texas) CC TX 2011 3rd Rd TORONTO BLUE JAYS AAA (2011) Randy Boone RHP Texas TX 2007 7th Rd WASHINGTON NATIONALS A Aaron Barrett RHP Wabash Valley (Ill.) CC IL 2010 10th Rd WASHINGTON NATIONALS AA Mike Ballard LHP U. of Virginia VA 2006 14th Rd WASHINGTON NATIONALS AA Pat Lehman RHP George Washington D.C. 2009 13th Rd [/TABLE]

For a random Saturday in April, there sure was an awful lot that seemed to happen. Most of these topics have been touched on at Twins Daily, but I'm just going to (briefly) condense them. This morning we learned that OF Darin Mastroianni was promoted from New Britain to Rochester. Not exactly headline news, but Twins news nonetheless. Before today's game against Rangers P Yu Darvish (news in itself), the Twins unveiled a statue outside of Gate 14 of Kent Hrbek. During today's game, in which the Twins left what seem like a hundred runners on base, we learned that the Twins were awarded a waiver claim on former Tiger OF Clete Thomas. To make room for Thomas on the 40-man, Scott Baker was transferred to the 60-day DL. Speculation then began on how room would be created on the 25-man roster. (I also started a forum thread about the potential addition of RHRP Rich Thompson. I would claim him. DFA Nishi - who will clear waivers - and option Burnett. Easy calls.) Starting P Nick Blackburn left his start in the 6th inning due to a shoulder injury. He had been pitching pretty well and it seems that his shoulder is going to be okay after preliminary reports are that there is "no structural damage". Ben Revere was optioned to Rochester to make room for Clete Thomas and now we wonder how Rochester makes room on their roster for Revere. (Assuming that Revere and Benson play LF and CF, and Matt Carson continues to play RF, that squeezes time for Brian Dinkelman and the aforementioned Darin Mastroianni. Both can also play 2B, so maybe Nishi's time gets squeezed too... who knows?) Potential Twin Draftee Kyle Zimmer (P, San Francisco) pitched against Loyola Marymount in front of Twins scouts and wasn't great (7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 K... or something like that). Whew. Did I miss anything? Let's hope tomorrow's news instead goes something like this: Twins win.

For a random Saturday in April, there sure was an awful lot that seemed to happen. Most of these topics have been touched on at Twins Daily, but I'm just going to (briefly) condense them. This morning we learned that OF Darin Mastroianni was promoted from New Britain to Rochester. Not exactly headline news, but Twins news nonetheless. Before today's game against Rangers P Yu Darvish (news in itself), the Twins unveiled a statue outside of Gate 14 of Kent Hrbek. During today's game, in which the Twins left what seem like a hundred runners on base, we learned that the Twins were awarded a waiver claim on former Tiger OF Clete Thomas. To make room for Thomas on the 40-man, Scott Baker was transferred to the 60-day DL. Speculation then began on how room would be created on the 25-man roster. (I also started a forum thread about the potential addition of RHRP Rich Thompson. I would claim him. DFA Nishi - who will clear waivers - and option Burnett. Easy calls.) Starting P Nick Blackburn left his start in the 6th inning due to a shoulder injury. He had been pitching pretty well and it seems that his shoulder is going to be okay after preliminary reports are that there is "no structural damage". Ben Revere was optioned to Rochester to make room for Clete Thomas and now we wonder how Rochester makes room on their roster for Revere. (Assuming that Revere and Benson play LF and CF, and Matt Carson continues to play RF, that squeezes time for Brian Dinkelman and the aforementioned Darin Mastroianni. Both can also play 2B, so maybe Nishi's time gets squeezed too... who knows?) Potential Twin Draftee Kyle Zimmer (P, San Francisco) pitched against Loyola Marymount in front of Twins scouts and wasn't great (7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 K... or something like that). Whew. Did I miss anything? Let's hope tomorrow's news instead goes something like this: Twins win.

That is cool. Good luck with Blyleven. A buddy of mine sent something to him a couple years ago and he got back a list of his prices. And that was before he was in the HOF.

That makes sense. I had picked up the 8x10 at a booth where if you bought X, you got one free. So I figured I'd give it a shot. I just edited the post to reflect the three I got in the mail today: Parmelee, Herrmann and Arcia.

Though I’ve never been a huge “autograph-hound”, I have enjoyed hanging around the “Down on the Farm” section at TwinsFest. I do that mostly to get a chance to converse with the players, but I also usually get a ball or 8x10 signed as well. As I started to find 8x10 photos of players online and at TwinsFest, I figured it would be worth a shot to send them down to Spring Training and see what happened. I thought I’d start a list and share it; maybe it will help some of you who are interested. Please share your stories as well. Sent out on February 27th (8x10 photo unless noted): Brian Dozier Sent out on March 7th (8x10 photo unless noted): Dan Gladden (World Series Sports Illustrated) Unsent: Kyle Gibson (photo with Gibson; plan to send to Ft. Myers during rehab) Kent Hrbek (plan to send to Target Field) Francisco Liriano (have heard he doesn’t sign) Jim Thome (plan to send to Phillies complex) Previously successful: Niko Goodrum (sent 3/7; received 3/17, outer plastic was signed, I'll give him a pass; he's still learning.) Max Kepler (sent 3/7; received 3/17) Eddie Rosario (sent 3/7; received 3/17) Miguel Sano (sent 3/7; received 3/17) Denard Span (photo of myself with Span taken at TwinsFest; sent 3/7, received 3/15 personalized with note, "Jeremy, I'm definitely better looking than you! :)" Funny stuff!) Oswaldo Arcia (sent 2/27; received 3/10) Chris Herrmann (sent 2/27; received 3/10) Chris Parmelee (sent 2/27; received 3/10) Tom Kelly Jason Kubel (playoff scorecard) Pat Neshek Angel Morales Joe Mauer (returned, unsigned with a small card) Successes in person: Aaron Hicks (game ball in Beloit) Dan Osterbrock (ticket stub after no-hitter in Beloit) Previously unsuccessful: Rod Carew

Though I’ve never been a huge “autograph-hound”, I have enjoyed hanging around the “Down on the Farm” section at TwinsFest. I do that mostly to get a chance to converse with the players, but I also usually get a ball or 8x10 signed as well. As I started to find 8x10 photos of players online and at TwinsFest, I figured it would be worth a shot to send them down to Spring Training and see what happened. I thought I’d start a list and share it; maybe it will help some of you who are interested. Please share your stories as well. Sent out on February 27th (8x10 photo unless noted): Brian Dozier Sent out on March 7th (8x10 photo unless noted): Dan Gladden (World Series Sports Illustrated) Unsent: Kyle Gibson (photo with Gibson; plan to send to Ft. Myers during rehab) Kent Hrbek (plan to send to Target Field) Francisco Liriano (have heard he doesn’t sign) Jim Thome (plan to send to Phillies complex) Previously successful: Niko Goodrum (sent 3/7; received 3/17, outer plastic was signed, I'll give him a pass; he's still learning.) Max Kepler (sent 3/7; received 3/17) Eddie Rosario (sent 3/7; received 3/17) Miguel Sano (sent 3/7; received 3/17) Denard Span (photo of myself with Span taken at TwinsFest; sent 3/7, received 3/15 personalized with note, "Jeremy, I'm definitely better looking than you! :)" Funny stuff!) Oswaldo Arcia (sent 2/27; received 3/10) Chris Herrmann (sent 2/27; received 3/10) Chris Parmelee (sent 2/27; received 3/10) Tom Kelly Jason Kubel (playoff scorecard) Pat Neshek Angel Morales Joe Mauer (returned, unsigned with a small card) Successes in person: Aaron Hicks (game ball in Beloit) Dan Osterbrock (ticket stub after no-hitter in Beloit) Previously unsuccessful: Rod Carew

It sounds like Stuif is dealing with a shoulder and foot thing coming into camp too.

Not that it matters right now, but… It’s always nice to know what you’re going to be dealing with going into next offseason. And although teams might say the service clock doesn’t matter… we all know that it does. The Twins have 5 pending Free Agents: C Ryan Doumit, SP Carl Pavano, LSP Francisco Liriano, SP Jason Marquis and recently injured RP Joel Zumaya. The Twins have options on 2 players next offseason: SP Scott Baker ($9.25m team option or free agency) and RP Matt Capps ($6m team option or $250,000 buyout, free agency and no draft pick compensation). As of today, the Twins will have 4 players arbitration eligible: 2B Alexi Casilla (3rd and final time), LRP Glen Perkins (3rd and final time), LP Brian Duensing (1st time), C Drew Butera (1st time*) With the new CBA, it’s is possible that 3B Danny Valencia reaches Super-2 status. While the team control wouldn’t change, it would allow Valencia to go through the arbitration process four times. RP Alex Burnett will likely be a Super-2 if he spends all year in the majors. However, if he spends less than 46 days in the majors, the team would gain an additional year of control (through 2017). *Butera is in an interesting position. He has exactly 2 years of service time. He is under team control through the 2015 season. If he were to spend 10 or more days in the minor leagues, it would give the team another year of control. If that were to happen, he would have less than 3 years of service time, but would still be a Super-2. SP Nick Blackburn – the only starting pitcher under contract and team control through 2013 – could be under team control for an additional year if he spends 27 days in the minor leagues this season. Blackburn could be optioned at any point before September 7th. After that, he could refuse the assignment. (This would make for an interesting case because the Twins would then have the choice of paying him the $8m for 2014 or taking him to arbitration.) OF Joe Benson and 1B Chris Parmelee are both under team control through 2018. However, if either are brought up on May 10th or before and never get sent back down, the team would lose a year of control. Minor leaguers who would need to be added to the 40-man in November to avoid the Rule V draft: INF Brian Dozier, C/OF Chris Herrmann, OF Aaron Hicks, SP Kyle Gibson, SP Adrian Salcedo as well as TwinsDaily’s own registered users/contributors LRP Tony Davis and RP Dakota Watts among others.

Not that it matters right now, but… It’s always nice to know what you’re going to be dealing with going into next offseason. And although teams might say the service clock doesn’t matter… we all know that it does. The Twins have 5 pending Free Agents: C Ryan Doumit, SP Carl Pavano, LSP Francisco Liriano, SP Jason Marquis and recently injured RP Joel Zumaya. The Twins have options on 2 players next offseason: SP Scott Baker ($9.25m team option or free agency) and RP Matt Capps ($6m team option or $250,000 buyout, free agency and no draft pick compensation). As of today, the Twins will have 4 players arbitration eligible: 2B Alexi Casilla (3rd and final time), LRP Glen Perkins (3rd and final time), LP Brian Duensing (1st time), C Drew Butera (1st time*) With the new CBA, it’s is possible that 3B Danny Valencia reaches Super-2 status. While the team control wouldn’t change, it would allow Valencia to go through the arbitration process four times. RP Alex Burnett will likely be a Super-2 if he spends all year in the majors. However, if he spends less than 46 days in the majors, the team would gain an additional year of control (through 2017). *Butera is in an interesting position. He has exactly 2 years of service time. He is under team control through the 2015 season. If he were to spend 10 or more days in the minor leagues, it would give the team another year of control. If that were to happen, he would have less than 3 years of service time, but would still be a Super-2. SP Nick Blackburn – the only starting pitcher under contract and team control through 2013 – could be under team control for an additional year if he spends 27 days in the minor leagues this season. Blackburn could be optioned at any point before September 7th. After that, he could refuse the assignment. (This would make for an interesting case because the Twins would then have the choice of paying him the $8m for 2014 or taking him to arbitration.) OF Joe Benson and 1B Chris Parmelee are both under team control through 2018. However, if either are brought up on May 10th or before and never get sent back down, the team would lose a year of control. Minor leaguers who would need to be added to the 40-man in November to avoid the Rule V draft: INF Brian Dozier, C/OF Chris Herrmann, OF Aaron Hicks, SP Kyle Gibson, SP Adrian Salcedo as well as TwinsDaily’s own registered users/contributors LRP Tony Davis and RP Dakota Watts among others.

If you're at all looking forward to the June Rule IV baseball draft as a Twins fans, there is no doubt that you're already familiar with a handful of names: Appel, Giolito, Buxton, Zunino, and most recently, Zimmer. If you're a fan of following the Twins draft at all, there are some terms you're probably familiar with: "strike-thrower", "long and lean", "wiry/athletic" or (my personal favorite Gardyism) "a grinder". You're always going to find draft picks that are breaks from the normal "that's-what-I'd-expect-from-the-Twins"-type draft picks. But there is always going to be a lot of draft picks where you read a scouting report and think, "Wow, he sounds like someone the Twins would draft." Or the one I think the most, "Isn't there enough 'toolsy outfielders' in the system." The Twins are also bound to draft that guy that "profiles similar to Glen Perkins." Why? Because these are "Twins-type guys". Let's get started with a quick run through the Northeast part of the United States. I'm starting here because in 2009 I became enamored with a "toolsy outfielder" from a little town in New Jersey who had his senior season basically wiped out because of rain. He was a guy I liked more and more every time I read anything about him, yet someone that wasn't gaining a lot of helium because he wasn't playing as much as your typical prospect. The Twins passed on him at 22 to take Kyle Gibson (which I was thrilled about) and the Angels ended up taking him at 25. Him being Mike Trout. And the Angels being more thrilled than anyone. I believed at the time - and still do - that the Northeast, while not a hotbed for talent, is a great place for the Twins to look for it, simply because there is no "how he's going to adjust to playing in the cold?" projection. The other thing that stands out to me is that the scouting for this area is handled by John Wilson. With 2011 serving as an exception, the last handful of years have been heavy with picks from this region - high picks, late signs - which shows how much Wilson's opinion is valued. Five college names to watch: “The Re-draft” Pat Light, P, Monmouth. Light was discussed more at length a couple of weeks ago. We know the Twins like him because they drafted him out of high school. “The Stony Brook Guys” If you’re asking, “Why Stony Brook?” you must not know its Joe Nathan’s alma mater. And although they didn’t draft him, the fact that he was so good for the Twins doesn’t hurt. Travis Jankowski, OF, Stony Brook: I was extremely high on Brandon Nimmo last June. Jankowski is this year’s college version of Nimmo. “Long and lean”, “athletic”, “football background” are all “Twins ways” to describe this true center fielder. Jankowski has four solid tools (only missing power), but all the tools the Twins typically look for. Another thing the Twins would love – he led the wood-bat Cape Cod League in triples last summer. He’d be a perfect fit in the sandwich round for a team looking for a “toolsy outfielder.” Pat Cantwell, C, Stony Brook: Look at this picture and tell me he doesn’t look like somebody the Twins would like. Cantwell was drafted by the Orioles in the 39th round last year, but elected to return for his senior season. So the Twins could get a “grinder” on the cheap. Sign this guy up. Seeing the one picture was enough for me. Other names to remember Mike LeBel, SS/P, Rhode Island: Another senior, but this one went undrafted last year. LeBel, who’s been a really good shortstop at URI, is coming off a solid showing in the Cape where he was clocked at 93mph off the mound. He’s yet to pitch in a game – where he’s expected to close – but he has been swinging a hot bat and blogging, of course. Pavano could help him with the ‘stache too. Kyle Hansen, P, St. John's: A big righty (6’ 8”) who has that “workhorse” body. Although he currently struggles with command, he could still fill out, add velocity and become a innings-eater. If not, he could prove to be a valuable bullpen asset with a mid-90mph fastball. Next up on the tour will be the Midwest. Jeremy Nygaard is the co-founder of ManCenter.com.

If you're at all looking forward to the June Rule IV baseball draft as a Twins fans, there is no doubt that you're already familiar with a handful of names: Appel, Giolito, Buxton, Zunino, and most recently, Zimmer. If you're a fan of following the Twins draft at all, there are some terms you're probably familiar with: "strike-thrower", "long and lean", "wiry/athletic" or (my personal favorite Gardyism) "a grinder". You're always going to find draft picks that are breaks from the normal "that's-what-I'd-expect-from-the-Twins"-type draft picks. But there is always going to be a lot of draft picks where you read a scouting report and think, "Wow, he sounds like someone the Twins would draft." Or the one I think the most, "Isn't there enough 'toolsy outfielders' in the system." The Twins are also bound to draft that guy that "profiles similar to Glen Perkins." Why? Because these are "Twins-type guys". Let's get started with a quick run through the Northeast part of the United States. I'm starting here because in 2009 I became enamored with a "toolsy outfielder" from a little town in New Jersey who had his senior season basically wiped out because of rain. He was a guy I liked more and more every time I read anything about him, yet someone that wasn't gaining a lot of helium because he wasn't playing as much as your typical prospect. The Twins passed on him at 22 to take Kyle Gibson (which I was thrilled about) and the Angels ended up taking him at 25. Him being Mike Trout. And the Angels being more thrilled than anyone. I believed at the time - and still do - that the Northeast, while not a hotbed for talent, is a great place for the Twins to look for it, simply because there is no "how he's going to adjust to playing in the cold?" projection. The other thing that stands out to me is that the scouting for this area is handled by John Wilson. With 2011 serving as an exception, the last handful of years have been heavy with picks from this region - high picks, late signs - which shows how much Wilson's opinion is valued. Five college names to watch: “The Re-draft” Pat Light, P, Monmouth. Light was discussed more at length a couple of weeks ago. We know the Twins like him because they drafted him out of high school. “The Stony Brook Guys” If you’re asking, “Why Stony Brook?” you must not know its Joe Nathan’s alma mater. And although they didn’t draft him, the fact that he was so good for the Twins doesn’t hurt. Travis Jankowski, OF, Stony Brook: I was extremely high on Brandon Nimmo last June. Jankowski is this year’s college version of Nimmo. “Long and lean”, “athletic”, “football background” are all “Twins ways” to describe this true center fielder. Jankowski has four solid tools (only missing power), but all the tools the Twins typically look for. Another thing the Twins would love – he led the wood-bat Cape Cod League in triples last summer. He’d be a perfect fit in the sandwich round for a team looking for a “toolsy outfielder.” Pat Cantwell, C, Stony Brook: Look at this picture and tell me he doesn’t look like somebody the Twins would like. Cantwell was drafted by the Orioles in the 39th round last year, but elected to return for his senior season. So the Twins could get a “grinder” on the cheap. Sign this guy up. Seeing the one picture was enough for me. Other names to remember Mike LeBel, SS/P, Rhode Island: Another senior, but this one went undrafted last year. LeBel, who’s been a really good shortstop at URI, is coming off a solid showing in the Cape where he was clocked at 93mph off the mound. He’s yet to pitch in a game – where he’s expected to close – but he has been swinging a hot bat and blogging, of course. Pavano could help him with the ‘stache too. Kyle Hansen, P, St. John's: A big righty (6’ 8”) who has that “workhorse” body. Although he currently struggles with command, he could still fill out, add velocity and become a innings-eater. If not, he could prove to be a valuable bullpen asset with a mid-90mph fastball. Next up on the tour will be the Midwest. Jeremy Nygaard is the co-founder of ManCenter.com.

The reports I've read on Appel, and probably the reason that people are "down" on him, is that his results don't match up with his stuff. If last night is any indication, it looks like the results are starting to catch up - took a shutout into the eighth, scattered three hits and three walks, struckout a career-high 10 batters. If he keeps it up, I think there will be very little debate about who goes 1-1. At that point are the Twins left choosing between a high school arm (been burned by that at this spot before) and a toolsy high-school outfielder? Or do they take another highly rated college pitcher like Gausman? It's not that I don't like the thought of having an "Upton-type" in the outfield. I just like the thought of having a "Verlander-type" on the mound every fifth day.

The Twins just have to take an arm. Whoever the Astros don't take has to be the guy. If the Astros mess up and don't take a pitcher... well, then I'm not sure who I like more...

Last week, I examined some trends the team has exhibited while drafting. This week, I’m going to look at the construction of both the MLB and AAA rosters. Many people like to “project” what they think the Opening Day roster will look like. I’m no different. However, I’m also going to consider how past rosters have been put together coming out of the spring – at least at the highest two levels – to make an educated guess at what players, especially those currently in big league camp, will need to have a good spring to stick around in the Twins organization. Every fall, at the conclusion of the season, I try to project where I think guys will start the next year. It is pretty typical to for the organization to have around 225 total players. Or if you’d prefer to look at it as 200 minor leaguers, that works too. Last year, the Twins released between 15-20 players in the spring. This year, I think it’s a fair belief to think that number inflates to the 25-30 player range. Currently, I have the organization at 250 players, but by no means do I believe that to absolutely accurate. I do think its pretty close though. We’re going to take a position-by-position look and see which players are fighting for their organizational lives – not only at the higher levels, but also some of the lower level guys on the “organizational roster bubble”. We’re going to try and fit these guys on the MLB (25-man) and AAA (24-man) rosters, but the disabled list provides for a little bit of wiggle room. So while the target is 49, we’re going to end up with a number a little bit more than that. CATCHERS Background: I was actually very shocked when I realized the Twins have released or not brought back seven catchers from this time last season. They’ve also converted a few (now pitchers) while only adding one through the draft and two through free agency. They still have 18 from Rookie ball up, so there will be some competition to stay on the roster, though the pre-season exodus of the four catchers we saw last year will not be repeated. MLB: Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit and Drew Butera. I don’t think there is a lot of mystery here. Butera, having two options left, provides the club with some flexibility if they choose to use it. That still leaves five catchers in camp and I believe they will be split between AA and AAA. AAA: Danny Lehmann, J.R. Towles and Rene Rivera. Chris Herrmann, and his ability to catch and play outfield, could play his way into the AAA conversation, but I believe he starts in New Britain. Dan Rohlfing, who has half a season of AA experience, will likely join him there. Roster Bubble: If Herrmann starts the season at AAA (which is possible), either Rivera or Towles will have to go. Towles is expected to push Butera for the 3rd catching spot in Minnesota, so I think that puts Rene Rivera on the organization roster bubble. That would leave two catchers per level, but also six in Extended Spring, which may be too many (especially after adding a few in the draft) once the short seasons start. I think that leaves players such as Jairo Rodriguez and Matt Parker on the roster bubble as well. FIRST BASEMEN Background: As recently as 2009, it appeared that there wouldn’t be a need at first base for the foreseeable future. Well, a few blows to the head of the MVP first baseman plus an avoidance to the position in the draft equals an organizational weakness. MLB: Justin Morneau. I really believe that when Morneau isn’t the first baseman, Joe Mauer will be. Rotate the M&M boys and Doumit through the C, 1B and DH positions, pray for no injuries (would that be a miracle?!) and hope for the best. I actually really like the depth at this position with what remains in camp. AAA: Chris Parmelee, Aaron Bates and Steve Pearce. In an ideal world, there would be no need to keep three first basemen on the AAA roster when one is a prospect who will need to play every day. The fact that Parmelee and Pearce could both steal some innings in the OF allows for a little flexibility; however, the long and the short of it is that the Twins need to have backup options lined up in case there is an big-time, big-league emergency. Roster Bubble: Adding Indi-baller Chris Colabello to the mix likely means a Collabello vs Nate Hanson roster battle in AA. There is also a Kennys Vargas-sized hole in the lower levels while he finishes up his suspension. That will force the Twins to get creative in their roster shaping in Beloit when the team breaks camp. MIDDLE INFIELDERS Background: These positions are dysfunctional enough that they have to be lumped together. I think that sums it up nicely. MLB: Jamey Carroll, Alexi Casilla, Luke Hughes and Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Hughes will probably see time at every infield spot besides shortstop. Nishioka could be sent down, but that would inhibit the ability to get good looks at guys that might actual be able to help. AAA: Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, Ray Chang and Michael Holliman. Dozier has 350 plate appearances above A-ball, but will be given every shot to be the everyday SS in Rochester. Roster Bubble: Is there room on the Rochester roster for Ray Chang and Mike Holliman? I think Chang will stick, but Holliman, who would have never made it through the year last year if not for all the injuries, is definitely on the roster bubble. Chris Cates, the shortest player in professional baseball, also will need a good spring. THIRD BASEMEN Background: The future of 3B will be debuting in Beloit this year. MLB: Danny Valencia. Last year, there was no disputing that Valencia would be the starting 3B. But after the sophomore slump, there may be a little doubt. Luke Hughes will probably get some starts and don’t sleep on Sean Burroughs. I think the best thing for Valencia is to know that he’s being pushed. That will keep Burroughs in AAA and a phone call away. AAA: Burroughs. Ray Chang also brings some experience at 3B to the roster. Roster Bubble: While there isn’t anyone high on the prospect radar until you get to Miguel Sano, there still are a number of third basemen on the roster. I would think it’s fair to say that Reggie Williams, Andrew Leer and Roy Larson are on the roster bubble. OUTFIELDERS Background: Even with the loss of Kubel and Cuddy, this is still the deepest position in the organization. There are eleven in big league camp and another that is in the mix for Rochester’s roster. MLB: Denard Span, Josh Willingham, Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe. As much as I would like to see Revere get some substantial time at AAA, it appears he’ll be the almost-everyday left fielder. Plouffe will be the 4th OF and potential corner infielder. In my opinion, the AAA (and AA) outfield is going to be the most interesting storyline in the shaping of the rosters this spring. AAA: Rene Tosoni, Dustin Martin, Brian Dinkelman. Darrin Mastroianni, Matt Carson, Wilkin Ramirez are all in the mix, as is Joe Benson, who for now, I project to start at AA. Oswaldo Arcia will be a future starter, but will probably start the year in Fort Myers. Roster Bubble: I really consider Martin, Dinkelman, Mastroianni, Carson and Ramirez all on the bubble. There are two (maybe three) spots for these five guys. If Benson starts at Rochester, now you’re talking about one spot. I like Dinkleman because of his versatility. I am also intrigued by Ramirez, who is still relatively young. Further down the line guys like Mark Dolenc, Wang-Wei Lin, Jonathan Goncalves, Kelvin Mention and Drew Leachman could all find themselves in the roster crunch. We’re going to look at pitchers a little bit differently… STARTING PITCHERS Background: Last year was a terrible year for the starting pitchers and right now, 80% of the projected rotation is coming into a contract year (three FAs and an option). To make matters worse, there isn’t a lot of help on the horizon. MLB: Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Jason Marquis, Nick Blackburn. Brian Duensing and Anthony Swarzak could be stretched out, if needed. AAA: Liam Hendriks and Scott Diamond are the only two I’m ready to pencil in right now. RELIEF PITCHERS Background: The Twins literally brought in a boat load of guys to see if they can help contribute to a bullpen that isn’t considered the worst in the league. MLB: Duensing, Swarzak, Matt Capps, Glen Perkins, Joel Zumaya. That leaves two spots. AAA: Carlos Gutierrez, Deolis Guerra, Kyle Waldrop, Lester Oliveros, Jeff Manship, Tyler Robertson can also be penciled into the AAA bullpen. Doing some quick math, that leaves two major league spots and two to three AAA spots. Counting up the pitchers competing for these spots are 15 in big-league camp and up to nine guys in minor league camp. It doesn’t take a mathematician to know that getting from 24 to five will require some deep cutting. Chances are the Twins will stash a handful of guys on the disabled list, but we’ll still need to get rid of close to 15 guys. Alex Burnett will most likely make the big club. Terry Doyle, a Rule V acquisition remains likely to make a team. Daryl Thompson will likely have a spot in Rochester’s rotation. Roster Bubble: Everybody else is on the roster bubble, here’s my list in order of sticking in the organization: Phil Dumatrait – a familiar name, one of the few lefty options for the AAA bullpen. Jeff Gray – on the 40 and out of options, could be a good guy to have around. Jared Burton – has a shot to break camp with the big club. Jason Bulger – has a shot to break camp with the big club. Luke French – starter who will compete for a chance in Rochester’s rotation. Steven Hirschfield – will remain in the organization in AA. Brett Jacobson – will remain in the organization in AA. Cole Devries – will compete for a Rochester ‘pen spot; New Britain likely. On the outside looking in: Matt Maloney – on the 40 and out of options, could be a back of the bullpen-type guy. P.J. Walters – starter who will compete for a chance in Rochester’s rotation. Esmerling Vazquez – recently passed through waivers, doesn’t look good. Anthony Slama – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Sam Deduno – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Casey Fien – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Luis Perdomo – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Aaron Thompson – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Brendan Wise – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Brad Thompson – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Some other guys fighting the number squeeze: Spencer Steedley, Blake Martin, Michael Tarsi, Edgar Ibarra, Tobias Streich (converted C) and Jhonathan Arias (converted C) Summary: If you do that math, you’ll notice that we have 48 players on the MLB or AAA rosters before the list of eight pitchers I think will stick around. Take the three pitchers away I think will be at AA and we’re at 53. That allows for a little wiggle room. But overall I think it’s a pretty good snapshot. Next week we’re going to take a look at some college players who appear to be Twin-type guys. Jeremy Nygaard is the co-founder of ManCenter.com.

Last week, I examined some trends the team has exhibited while drafting. This week, I’m going to look at the construction of both the MLB and AAA rosters. Many people like to “project” what they think the Opening Day roster will look like. I’m no different. However, I’m also going to consider how past rosters have been put together coming out of the spring – at least at the highest two levels – to make an educated guess at what players, especially those currently in big league camp, will need to have a good spring to stick around in the Twins organization. Every fall, at the conclusion of the season, I try to project where I think guys will start the next year. It is pretty typical to for the organization to have around 225 total players. Or if you’d prefer to look at it as 200 minor leaguers, that works too. Last year, the Twins released between 15-20 players in the spring. This year, I think it’s a fair belief to think that number inflates to the 25-30 player range. Currently, I have the organization at 250 players, but by no means do I believe that to absolutely accurate. I do think its pretty close though. We’re going to take a position-by-position look and see which players are fighting for their organizational lives – not only at the higher levels, but also some of the lower level guys on the “organizational roster bubble”. We’re going to try and fit these guys on the MLB (25-man) and AAA (24-man) rosters, but the disabled list provides for a little bit of wiggle room. So while the target is 49, we’re going to end up with a number a little bit more than that. CATCHERS Background: I was actually very shocked when I realized the Twins have released or not brought back seven catchers from this time last season. They’ve also converted a few (now pitchers) while only adding one through the draft and two through free agency. They still have 18 from Rookie ball up, so there will be some competition to stay on the roster, though the pre-season exodus of the four catchers we saw last year will not be repeated. MLB: Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit and Drew Butera. I don’t think there is a lot of mystery here. Butera, having two options left, provides the club with some flexibility if they choose to use it. That still leaves five catchers in camp and I believe they will be split between AA and AAA. AAA: Danny Lehmann, J.R. Towles and Rene Rivera. Chris Herrmann, and his ability to catch and play outfield, could play his way into the AAA conversation, but I believe he starts in New Britain. Dan Rohlfing, who has half a season of AA experience, will likely join him there. Roster Bubble: If Herrmann starts the season at AAA (which is possible), either Rivera or Towles will have to go. Towles is expected to push Butera for the 3rd catching spot in Minnesota, so I think that puts Rene Rivera on the organization roster bubble. That would leave two catchers per level, but also six in Extended Spring, which may be too many (especially after adding a few in the draft) once the short seasons start. I think that leaves players such as Jairo Rodriguez and Matt Parker on the roster bubble as well. FIRST BASEMEN Background: As recently as 2009, it appeared that there wouldn’t be a need at first base for the foreseeable future. Well, a few blows to the head of the MVP first baseman plus an avoidance to the position in the draft equals an organizational weakness. MLB: Justin Morneau. I really believe that when Morneau isn’t the first baseman, Joe Mauer will be. Rotate the M&M boys and Doumit through the C, 1B and DH positions, pray for no injuries (would that be a miracle?!) and hope for the best. I actually really like the depth at this position with what remains in camp. AAA: Chris Parmelee, Aaron Bates and Steve Pearce. In an ideal world, there would be no need to keep three first basemen on the AAA roster when one is a prospect who will need to play every day. The fact that Parmelee and Pearce could both steal some innings in the OF allows for a little flexibility; however, the long and the short of it is that the Twins need to have backup options lined up in case there is an big-time, big-league emergency. Roster Bubble: Adding Indi-baller Chris Colabello to the mix likely means a Collabello vs Nate Hanson roster battle in AA. There is also a Kennys Vargas-sized hole in the lower levels while he finishes up his suspension. That will force the Twins to get creative in their roster shaping in Beloit when the team breaks camp. MIDDLE INFIELDERS Background: These positions are dysfunctional enough that they have to be lumped together. I think that sums it up nicely. MLB: Jamey Carroll, Alexi Casilla, Luke Hughes and Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Hughes will probably see time at every infield spot besides shortstop. Nishioka could be sent down, but that would inhibit the ability to get good looks at guys that might actual be able to help. AAA: Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, Ray Chang and Michael Holliman. Dozier has 350 plate appearances above A-ball, but will be given every shot to be the everyday SS in Rochester. Roster Bubble: Is there room on the Rochester roster for Ray Chang and Mike Holliman? I think Chang will stick, but Holliman, who would have never made it through the year last year if not for all the injuries, is definitely on the roster bubble. Chris Cates, the shortest player in professional baseball, also will need a good spring. THIRD BASEMEN Background: The future of 3B will be debuting in Beloit this year. MLB: Danny Valencia. Last year, there was no disputing that Valencia would be the starting 3B. But after the sophomore slump, there may be a little doubt. Luke Hughes will probably get some starts and don’t sleep on Sean Burroughs. I think the best thing for Valencia is to know that he’s being pushed. That will keep Burroughs in AAA and a phone call away. AAA: Burroughs. Ray Chang also brings some experience at 3B to the roster. Roster Bubble: While there isn’t anyone high on the prospect radar until you get to Miguel Sano, there still are a number of third basemen on the roster. I would think it’s fair to say that Reggie Williams, Andrew Leer and Roy Larson are on the roster bubble. OUTFIELDERS Background: Even with the loss of Kubel and Cuddy, this is still the deepest position in the organization. There are eleven in big league camp and another that is in the mix for Rochester’s roster. MLB: Denard Span, Josh Willingham, Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe. As much as I would like to see Revere get some substantial time at AAA, it appears he’ll be the almost-everyday left fielder. Plouffe will be the 4th OF and potential corner infielder. In my opinion, the AAA (and AA) outfield is going to be the most interesting storyline in the shaping of the rosters this spring. AAA: Rene Tosoni, Dustin Martin, Brian Dinkelman. Darrin Mastroianni, Matt Carson, Wilkin Ramirez are all in the mix, as is Joe Benson, who for now, I project to start at AA. Oswaldo Arcia will be a future starter, but will probably start the year in Fort Myers. Roster Bubble: I really consider Martin, Dinkelman, Mastroianni, Carson and Ramirez all on the bubble. There are two (maybe three) spots for these five guys. If Benson starts at Rochester, now you’re talking about one spot. I like Dinkleman because of his versatility. I am also intrigued by Ramirez, who is still relatively young. Further down the line guys like Mark Dolenc, Wang-Wei Lin, Jonathan Goncalves, Kelvin Mention and Drew Leachman could all find themselves in the roster crunch. We’re going to look at pitchers a little bit differently… STARTING PITCHERS Background: Last year was a terrible year for the starting pitchers and right now, 80% of the projected rotation is coming into a contract year (three FAs and an option). To make matters worse, there isn’t a lot of help on the horizon. MLB: Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Jason Marquis, Nick Blackburn. Brian Duensing and Anthony Swarzak could be stretched out, if needed. AAA: Liam Hendriks and Scott Diamond are the only two I’m ready to pencil in right now. RELIEF PITCHERS Background: The Twins literally brought in a boat load of guys to see if they can help contribute to a bullpen that isn’t considered the worst in the league. MLB: Duensing, Swarzak, Matt Capps, Glen Perkins, Joel Zumaya. That leaves two spots. AAA: Carlos Gutierrez, Deolis Guerra, Kyle Waldrop, Lester Oliveros, Jeff Manship, Tyler Robertson can also be penciled into the AAA bullpen. Doing some quick math, that leaves two major league spots and two to three AAA spots. Counting up the pitchers competing for these spots are 15 in big-league camp and up to nine guys in minor league camp. It doesn’t take a mathematician to know that getting from 24 to five will require some deep cutting. Chances are the Twins will stash a handful of guys on the disabled list, but we’ll still need to get rid of close to 15 guys. Alex Burnett will most likely make the big club. Terry Doyle, a Rule V acquisition remains likely to make a team. Daryl Thompson will likely have a spot in Rochester’s rotation. Roster Bubble: Everybody else is on the roster bubble, here’s my list in order of sticking in the organization: Phil Dumatrait – a familiar name, one of the few lefty options for the AAA bullpen. Jeff Gray – on the 40 and out of options, could be a good guy to have around. Jared Burton – has a shot to break camp with the big club. Jason Bulger – has a shot to break camp with the big club. Luke French – starter who will compete for a chance in Rochester’s rotation. Steven Hirschfield – will remain in the organization in AA. Brett Jacobson – will remain in the organization in AA. Cole Devries – will compete for a Rochester ‘pen spot; New Britain likely. On the outside looking in: Matt Maloney – on the 40 and out of options, could be a back of the bullpen-type guy. P.J. Walters – starter who will compete for a chance in Rochester’s rotation. Esmerling Vazquez – recently passed through waivers, doesn’t look good. Anthony Slama – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Sam Deduno – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Casey Fien – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Luis Perdomo – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Aaron Thompson – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Brendan Wise – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Brad Thompson – fighting for a chance to make the Rochester bullpen. Some other guys fighting the number squeeze: Spencer Steedley, Blake Martin, Michael Tarsi, Edgar Ibarra, Tobias Streich (converted C) and Jhonathan Arias (converted C) Summary: If you do that math, you’ll notice that we have 48 players on the MLB or AAA rosters before the list of eight pitchers I think will stick around. Take the three pitchers away I think will be at AA and we’re at 53. That allows for a little wiggle room. But overall I think it’s a pretty good snapshot. Next week we’re going to take a look at some college players who appear to be Twin-type guys. Jeremy Nygaard is the co-founder of ManCenter.com.