John Bonnes

Download attachment: tv-baseball1.jpg Can you come out and play? We're having a last-minute meetup to watch the Twins-Rangers game at 7:00 PM this Thursday night at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park. John, The Voice of Reason, Nick, Parker, Brock (I think), Aaron Gleeman, Lindsay Guentzel and a bunch of other luminaries will all be there. So show up, wear some Twins gear and join us for general merriment. We would love to meet you. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Morneau_Justin_600_321.JPG It was the second big trade of the offseason for the Minnesota Twins, and the second concrete indicator to the league and to fans that General Manager Terry Ryan is looking beyond 2013. Indeed, it was the second time in which a trade likely made the Twins worse for the 2013, instead of better. Which is odd, because this is a great trade. Ben Revere has plenty of value, but was not without question marks and could be replaceable as early as the second half of this year. The pitchers the Twins received in return, Vance Worley and Trevor May, are also not without question marks, but they’re exactly what the Twins needed to get – young, cheap pitching that can contribute in the majors. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]But the Twins offseason has seemingly pivoted since the TwinsCentric interview with Terry Ryan. If the focus for the organization is not on 2013, then what does the future hold for Justin Morneau, who becomes a free agent following this season? Let’s see have a looks at the pros and cons with which the front office might be wrestling… Pro: 2013 is toast…. Con: ….but you might still want people to come to the ballpark. As starting pitching free agents are snapped up, the Twins are increasingly unlikely to compete in 2013. But the Twins are also just starting their fourth year in their new stadium, have the All-Star Game coming in 2014, and are looking to rebound soon after with the prospects that are brimming from their minor leagues. It’s always a lot easier to retain customers than to get new ones. Morneau, besides serving as a veteran presence in the clubhouse for new players, can bridge that competitive gap for fans, especially those casual fans who might be more cynical about the future of the team. It doesn’t hurt that he and his wife are well-liked and active in the community. He is more than just another bat – he’s an ambassador at an especially fragile time for the organization. Pro: He can be replaced by Chris Parmelee…. Con: ….but who replaces Chris Parmelee? The Twins have a left-handed first baseman in the wings, Chris Parmelee, who launched himself up the prospect charts with a monster season in AAA-Rochester last year. But with both Denard Span and Revere gone, Parmelee already has a spot waiting for him in the outfield. What’s more, the prospect mostly likely to be ready in 2013, Aaron Hicks, is already earmarked to move into center field. If Parmelee moves to first, that means filling his spot with either Joe Benson, who had a terrible 2012 in Rochester and AA-New Britain, or Oswaldo Arcia, who is only a half year removed from High A-Fort Myers. Both COULD get a shot, and both might if the Twins look at 2013 as a year to invest in youngsters. But neither is a great bet to thrive real soon. Pro: Teams are looking for big bats… Con: ….but will be looking for big bats at the trade deadline, too. There is really only one good first baseman on the free agent market – Adam LaRoche – and he seems to have no lack of suitors. One of them, the Orioles, has already been linked to Morneau in trade rumors, for whatever that is worth. The Twins told reporters not to believe everything they hear, but they said that about trading Revere, too. There is a market for Morneau. But the market could be there in July, too. At that point, he’ll hopefully have four more healthy months behind him. If he hits like he did the second half of last year, he’ll have a track record to generate plenty of interest. (Hell, if that’s the case, the Twins might even think of extending him.) Finally, he won’t cost his new team $14M, but closer to $5M, making him that much more attractive. Hmm… speaking of money….. Pro: He’s owed $14M this season…. Con: ….but the Twins aren’t going to spend it anyway…. Pro: ….unless they use it to pay Morneau on his new team. The biggest single reason to consider trading Morneau this offseason was to free up $14M to spend on starting pitching. Even if the Twins traded Morneau for nothing, the $14M would have been enough to get a top flight pitcher, like Dan Haren, who signed a one-year deal this week for less than that. But now, that $14M likely isn’t leaving the Twins coffers. Frontline starting pitching isn’t just expensive – it’s expensive long-term. Ryan fears giving players contracts that are one or two years longer than is sane, and it appears that will be the case for the majority of top pitchers remaining. At this point, it’s debatable if the Twins are going to spend the $20-30M we thought they would. An extra $14M isn’t going to help. But on the third hand, this would free up the Twins to make the kind of trade that (to my knowledge) they have NEVER done. They could trade away a big contract, but pick up a chunk of the cost for an excellent prospect. The Orioles might not be willing to give up much for a $14M Morneau. The might give up a tremendous amount for a $10M Morneau. So which way do you go? To me, the path isn’t clear, but the answer is. The answer? “He’s available, for the right price.” That’s what the answer has been for the better part of six months now, and the price has been too high. With the Twins new focus on 2014 and beyond, I won’t be surprised if some new customers don’t stop by to see just how available Morneau might be. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Terry Ryan_600-321.jpg In our TwinsCentric Offseason Handbook, we’re including a transcript from a 45-minute meeting "State of the Twins" interview with Terry Ryan. As you can imagine, an 8000-word interview covers a lot of topics, including: the strengths of the new coaching staff, Joe Mauer’s future at catcher, additional offseason priorities beyond starting pitching, how Twins approach waiver wire or minor league free agents, thoughts on the state of the Twins minor leagues, his evaluation of the Twins middle infield,[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] whether Trevor Plouffe can stay at third base, how the Twins will fit Chris Parmelee into the lineup, and of course how the Twins will try to fix their starting rotation. One encouraging note, at least in my opinion, is that Ryan seems to be open to adding free agent pitchers who are a few cuts above Jason Marquis, who the Twins signed to a one-year, $3M. TWINSCENTRIC: As you look at the pitchers who are likely to become free agents or are scheduled to be free agents, do you think it’s a deep free agency class? TERRY RYAN: Thin. TWINSCENTRIC: You think it’s thin? TERRY RYAN: Sure. You tell me who you’re thinking about. I can’t comment on who is out there. There’s a few guys out there who are pretty darn good. TWINSCENTRIC: Are you likely to be chasing some players who are pretty darn good? TERRY RYAN: We better. TWINSCENTRIC: So you’re looking to add a top of the rotation, maybe not a #1 guy, but maybe a #2 guy or a top half of the rotation? TERRY RYAN: We’ll see. We’ll figure out how many years he’s looking for and how many dollars they want to get. TWINSCENTRIC: Are you willing to give multi-year deals to pitchers? TERRY RYAN: You aren’t going to get a pitcher unless you give a multi-year deal. So who qualifies as a “pretty darn good” pitcher? Despite Ryan’s characterization of the market as thin, there are no shortage of candidate that could be viewed as an asset to a rotation. Beyond ace Zach Greinke, the following will all likely get a contract in excess of $20 million dollars this offseason: Jake Peavy, Ryan Dempster, Dan Haren, Anibal Sanchez, Edwin Jackson, and Kyle Lohse. Another half dozen could get contracts in excess of $10 million: Hideki Kuroda, Brandon McCarthy, Hisashi Iwakuma, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Jeremy Guthrie and Shaun Marcum. That’s fourteen pitchers, most of whom would raise the eyebrows of even the most skeptical Twins fan. However, Ryan was also hesitant to commit to a payroll number and again emphasized that the Twins rotation woes won’t be solved solely through free agency. Does this mean the Twins may only have the funds to make one major signing and look to fill the other spots via other means? We likely won’t need to wait too long to find out. Ryan hinted that he plans to be aggressive with players that they think are going to be a good fit. That is consistent with the Twins approach last offseason, when players like Ryan Doumit and Jamey Carroll were signed even though there were still players in higher demand available. ~~~ After this last season, don't you deserve to enjoy the offseason? The full interview (as well as profiles of all the above pitchers) will be available in the TwinsCentric Offseason Handbook, which comes out tomorrow. You can still get it at its presale discount price through the World Series. And if you’re still on the fence, you can download a sample here. Click here to view the article

Fueled by interviews with assistant GM Rob Antony and manager Ron Gardenhire, yesterday became the best day of the year for Twins spring training news. The result? Almost every projected lineup you saw this offseason was probably wrong. Instead, you’ll like see a whole lot of Josh Willingham playing left field, Ryan Doumit playing right field, Justin Morneau as the designated hitter and Chris Parmelee playing first base. Download attachment: chris1.jpg The shakeup happens twelve days before the regular season starts and about a week before the Twins break camp. Like any reorg, it resulted in some good days and bad days: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Good Day: Parmelee Not only does it look like Parmelee made the major league team, it looks like he is in position to be a regular without ever having played a game at AAA. That speaks highly of the organization’s confidence in him, confidence which is fueled by his second half in New Britain, a tremendous September call-up and a spring training where he has continued to show power. But make no mistake, this plan hinges on Parmelee being a productive major league player. That is an open question. Parmelee has averaged just twelve home runs and a .266 batting average over his six years in he minors. That’s not nearly enough production for a first base prospect. If he falls flat, this plan looks a hell of a lot worse than any of those offseason projections. That’s because this next guy is suddenly a guy without a position. Bad Day: Ben Revere When Gardenhire announced yesterday that Willingham was going to be his everyday left fielder and Span his everyday center fielder, Revere was left without a position. Revere’s defensive strength is his range and his weakness is his arm. In Target Field that makes him a fantastic left fielder and a decent center fielder. But putting him in Target Field’s tiny right field negates his biggest strength and exposes his biggest weakness. The Twins say he’s competing for right field, but were he to win it, Gardenhire would look borderline insane. They also say he’s competing for a roster spot, but without him on the roster, there isn’t a backup center fielder, unless the Twins decide to go with Darin Mastroianni. I almost hope they do, because I think Revere needs to get everyday at-bats if he’s going to develop into the water bug he could become. Good Day: Gardenhire Though He may not feel like it, because filling out the lineup sheet just got a lot more complicated. But provided PFOHF (Parmelee doesn’t fall on his face), Gardy’s roster has a ton of flexibility and offensive options to protect his two biggest guns, Morneau and Joe Mauer. With Doumit on the roster, Mauer can play less at catcher, but still be in the lineup at first or DH. Morneau can take the spot that Mauer doesn’t and Parmelee can add his offense in right field. If Morneau needs a day off, Parmelee or Doumit can DH and Trevor Plouffe can play first base and punish a southpaw or two. Gardenhire also essentially replaces a bottom of the order bat (Revere) with a middle-of-the-order bat (Parmelee) for most games. My best guess on the lineup now looks like this: Span (LH) Jamey Carroll (RH) Mauer (LH) Morneau (LH) Willingham (RH) Parmelee/Doumit (LH) Danny Valencia (RH) Doumit/Parmelee (LH) Alexi Casilla (SH) If Doumit or Parmelee is hitting eighth, that’s a deep lineup. Congrats, Ron. Bad Day: The Pitching Staff The Twins offense just went from one of the better defensive outfields in the majors to one of the worst. That’s how big of an impact Revere’s range could have had. And if PFOHF then there is a real mess. Either Gardenhire has to move Willingham back to right field or the staff has to deal with a bad outfield AND know that it has been designed in almost the worst possible way. Bad Day: Nearly everyone hoping for a bench spot For a four-man bench, it appears three spots are taken: Luke Hughes & Plouffe (both of whom are useful and out of options) and Revere. That leaves one spot for either another catcher or a utility guy. Both could be classified as luxuries. The third catcher position doesn’t seem to be as critical now that we know Morneau will likely be seeing most of the at-bats at DH. If Doumit was the DH, and Mauer got hurt during a game, then they Twins would have had to have the pitcher bat if Doumit moved to catcher. That seems less likely now. And the utility infielder role was mostly about backing up the shortstop, but the Twins do have two other players, Plouffe and Casilla, who can play shortstop. If Casilla plays short then Hughes, who is having a monster spring, could play second base. And while the Twins claim they want Plouffe to stay away from the middle infield, Parmelee’s emergence likely means less platoon opportunities for Plouffe. Maybe he needs to be looking at a super-utility role. Click here to view the article

Paragon Sports Marketing Agency tweeted today that the Minnesota Twins are promoting Matt Carson from AAA-Rochester to complete the roster moves they started after yesterday’s afternoon game. Carson, who has primarily played right field in Rochester, was likely added to provide outfield depth due to the day-to-day status of outfielders Denard Span and Ben Revere. Span hurt his shoulder in a game on Sunday and had not played since. Revere hurt his ankle in yesterday’s game. Download attachment: Carson-Matt.jpg This is not Carson’s first time in the majors. The 31-year-old had exactly 100 at-bats with the A’s in 2009 and 2010, hitting .200. This year with Rochester, he was hitting .277 with a 785 OPS, including 14 HR, 102 strikeouts and 33 walks. In his career in AAA, he has hit .280 with a .500 slugging percentage. According to Seth Stohs, he is often lauded by for his attitude, work effort and class, as well as his play on the field. The Twins chose to promote Carson over first base/right field prospect Chris Parmelee, who is tearing up AAA with a .348 batting average and 15 home runs in just 181 at-bats. This likely indicates the Twins feel that Span and Revere are healthy enough to be playing regularly soon. It is likely better for Parmelee, who is just 24 ear old, to develop by playing every day in AAA than only occasionally with the Twins. However, Parmelee could still be an option soon. The Twins have been slow to place their players on the Disabled List this season and it’s certainly possible they could do so with Span retroactively. Also, after September 1st, rosters can expand to up to 40 players. It is likely Parmelee would be promoted at that time. Yesterday, the Twins demoted pitchers Luis Perdomo and Jeff Manship to Rochester and reactivated pitcher Anthony Swarzak from the disabled list. An additional move was anticipated to fill out the 25-man roster. The delay was likely to give the Twins an extra day to evaluate the status of Revere and Span and their ability to play regularly. Also, the Twins will need to make a subsequent 40 man roster move as Pedro Florimon grabbed the final spot when he was called up on Wednesday. Matt Capps could go to the 60 Day DL, or someone will need to be DFAd. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: HIcks_Aaron_Stealing_US_720.jpg Aaron and John talk about the Twins' surprisingly decent first quarter of the season, management calling out Aaron Hicks through the media, Brian Dozier being one of the league's best players, Oswaldo Arcia going back to the minors, Chris Colabello turning back into a pumpkin, Kurt Suzuki proving to be a fine investment, and whether the Twins have something in Eduardo Escobar. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: prasa.jpg Welcome to the Twins Daily Newsroom! We're providing the RSS feeds below as a service to our members, but it would be much appreciated if you use it to help the community generate discussion. If you find a story you like, head over to the forums and check to see if anyone else has added a story. If not, kick off the discussion! [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here's the template we suggest: 1. Write up a one or two sentence summary and where it's from. 2. Pull the most controversial or interesting part of the story. 3. Give your opinion on it and 4. Provide the URL so people can click on it themselves. (Here's an example: http://twinsdaily.co...ks-too?p=229036) Congratulations - now YOU'RE an ink-stained wretch! ~~~ Click for "Twins Daily Newsroom Feed".Powered by RSS Feed Informer Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Morneau_uspw_6519778_600_321.jpg According to the Washington Post, the only legitimately good first baseman on the free agent market, Adam LaRoche, is in talks to re-sign with the Nationals. In the 2013 Offseason Handbook, I think the next best option we found was Carlos Lee, who slugged just .365 (and is 36 years old.) What’s more, there aren’t a lot of good options on the free agent market to move to first base. For instance, Kevin Youkilis is available at third base, but if he can play third base (and it looks like he can) he’ll be signed as a third baseman. The last couple of years, the market has not been so thin. Last year, of course, was epically good, with Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder leading the charge. 2010 had Paul Konerko, but also Aubrey Huff, LaRoche, Carlos Pena and Lance Berkman. 2009 was thin, but 2008 had Mark Teixeira leading the class. It’s been years since we had a free agent first baseman sign for less than $6M, but that will almost certainly happen if LaRoche returns to the Nationals. This presents a unique opportunity to the Twins, if they choose to embrace it. In our 45-minute interview with Terry Ryan for the Offseason Handbook, he stated that 1B/OF Chris Parmelee will get every opportunity to play every day. While manager Ron Gardenhire says he’s satisfied with Parmelee’s defense in right field, the rest of the organization has shown no such endorsement. Indeed, in AAA-Rochester this year, he didn’t play a single game there. Moving incumbent Justin Morneau would not only make space for Parmelee, but free up $14 million to purchase starting pitching in a free agent market thick with it. Even if the Twins received nothing in return, that’s enough money to sign any starter except Zach Greinke. Ask yourself, would you trade Morneau for Jake Peavy, Dan Haren, or Anibal Sanchez? If you would, it makes sense to trade away Morneau for nothing more than a bag of bricks. Fortunately, for the Twins, that might not be necessary. There are not shortage of teams that struggled mightily at first base last year. SEVEN teams had an OPS lower less than 700 last year, and even the Rangers first basemen hit just .251/.301/.399. For a team struggling to fill major needs on a lower budget, the thin first base market is a godsend. If the Twins can find the will, there is almost certainly a way to bounce back quickly. Click here to view the article

Sponsored by Switch My Trip Download attachment: Correia_Kevin_Pitching_US_720.jpg May arrived three days late, but Saturday The Sun found clouds it could occasionally hurdle. The gloom passed and Twins Territory awoke from abad dream, one filled with wind and rain and Dodgers and losing baseball stacked on top of losing baseball on top of desperate roster moves and game-winning line drives that die an early death, suffocated by leather. But on Saturday The Sun shone, warming the fans who sat down the third base line, which was almost all of them, because SUN. It warmed Twins bats and fueled the ongoing transformation of Trevor Caterpillar to Butterfly Plouffe, who sprung forth and staked the Twins to an early 1-0 lead in a very unbutterfly-like way, because butterflies don't know what a gapper is, let alone how to hit one. The Twins are looking to switch things around this year. Every week, Metro Transit recognizes a Twins player who successfully switched the outcome of a game for the better. The Sun softened Brian Dozier's glove and quickened his twitchy wrists which offered a sacrifice in the form of white horsehide, launched to the upper facing of the left field bleachers. And Dozier's sacrifice pleased The Sun. The Sun relieved the bilateral weakness from Joe Mauer's manhood, empowering all 6-feet 3-inches of man muscles to slug an opposite field home run that delivered Dozier and Pedro Florimon and a lead incapable of dissipation. But mostly The Sun shone brightest on Kevin Correia, who reflected it and dazzled Orioles batters for seven innings. It warmed his hands and it strengthened his grip and his pitches played with The Sun, darting away from lefties bats...Download attachment: Correia v lefies.png and even further away from right-handers. Download attachment: Correia vs righties.png The Sun brought back memories of last year, when Correia was younger and effective and a bargain and – dare I say – the staff leader. And it dissolved last Friday’s nightmare of artillery shots bouncing off outfield walls and an overmatched Chris Colabello in right field, running for his life. And it melted the 7.33 ERA over a full point - still a bad dream but a dream in which Correia still has a major league career, which is not an unpleasant slumber. And the Twins won and spring returned and Byron Buxton was healthy again and reporting to the home of The Sun, Fort Myers. For who better to entrust with his future? And who better to provide our Big Switch? Why fight traffic and parking? Say Switch My Trip for the next Twins game. Metro Transit can provide you and your whole family a train ride to the game. Planning your trip is as easy as clicking on this link. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: jeans_butt400x300.jpg Aaron and John talk about going to Twins spring training in Florida, Byron Buxton and the first batch of Twins cuts, drunken women debating the quality of their butts, Johan Santana signing with the Orioles, hanging out at Mason's Restaurant downtown, housewarming gifts, singing bartenders, the Miguel Sano aftermath, giving shoutouts, and Twitter tabs.You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Gardenhire Jerry White_600-321.jpg The Minnesota Twins blow up their coaching staff, so Seth Stohs joins Aaron and John to talk about Ron Gardenhire's leash, the TwinsCentric Offseason Handbook, what the shopping plans are for free agent pitching, casting ballots for team MVP, why no one seems to want Paul Molitor, the futures of Trevor Plouffe and Liam Hendriks, how to lessen the upcoming outfield logjam, and why long podcasts are the best podcasts. Here are: the podcaststhe rss feed if you want to subscribe andthe podcast on iTunes.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article

Download attachment: gleemanstartribune.jpg Aaron and John are at GleeManor being filmed for a documentary and talk about Scott Baker signing with the Cubs, Torii Hunter's post-Twins career and return to the AL Central, poor Mike Redmond, how the local media has and hasn't changed in their decade of blogging, why the Tigers and Blue Jays seem more willing to make big moves than the Twins, and their planned trip to see Hannibal Buress. Here are: the podcaststhe rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: 1985 All-Star Game.jpg Well, this is just precious. The last time the All-Star game to be held in Minnesota was in 1985. The night of the game, just prior to the national broadcast, Channel 11 (when they were WUSA, not KARE) had a special that covered it. It's a half-hour long, so make yourself comfortable if you want to watch it. You won't regret it. Among other gems, it includes.... A lead story about how the Metrodome is a terrible ballpark. Tom Ryther, out of breath and in short shorts, trying to catch flyballs in the outfield. Coverage of the pregame events. I did not remember that Tom Brunansky won the home run derby. Of course, I also didn't remember that Jefferson's Marching Band played in the pregame, which I should probably have known since I likely knew several people in that band. Jeff Passolt and Randy Shaver are assistant sports guys, doing on-site introductions for features. A review of "the last time" Minnesota hosted the All-Star game: 1985. Lots of 80s-tastic hair. Interviews with both Calvin Griffith and also with Carl Pohlad after owning the team for one year. It includes a great quote about how he never anticipates the team being a great financial investment. The main theme in the pregame show? "A Family Gathering" that shows how important family life has been in Minnesota throughout its history. It was put together by Tommy Walker, who "also did the opening ceremonies for the Olympics." Tom Brunansky and Kent Hrbek dressed up as the "Bruise Brothers." All-star memories from ex-Twins like Jim Perry, Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison. And a musical salute to the Twins and their 1985 All-Stars. It will be interesting to see the corresponding coverage that the 2014 game garnishes now that it includes all the hype the internet can generate it. Let me hear your favorite parts of the video or your ideas of how Twins Daily can add to the absurdity of it all. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: car-stuck-in-snow.jpg Aaron and John go on a tour of Aaron's new place in Uptown and talk about Matt Garza reportedly turning down the Twins' sizable offer, Pedro Florimon's grasp on the shortstop job, when not to use someone's bathroom, Liam Hendriks' waiver wire tour, investing in a marriage, working from coffee shops, Josh Willingham's future, our survey, mailbag questions from listeners, hanging out at Bar Abilene with Meatsauce, speed dating, and the joys of parking. You can listen by clicking below, or download us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here's the breakdown: 0:30 – Aaron’s new Uptown Bachelor Pad tour. 6:00 – Getting stuck in the snow 11:30 – Aaron Gleeman = Scott Seekins 13:30 – Coffee shop etiquette 16:05 – Bar Abilene 19:00 – Pedro Florimon 21:30 – Shortstop options 25:30 – Becoming Yankee fans 27:40 – Matt Garza 38:00 – Josh Willingham Wants To Stay 41:20 – Matt Guerrier delay 43:30 – Matt Capps is hurt 45:30 – CC Sabathia 48:00 – Playing basketball 51:15 - Liam Hendriks 53:30 – CenturyLink and bathroom etiquette 1:02:00 – Working from a coffee house 1:05:00 – Modern Marriage 1:17:00 – Uptown Notes 1:18:40 – Speed Dating Event 1:21:20 – Our Survey 1:23:00 – Mailbag Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Target_Field_ASG_US_720.jpg Aaron has the sniffles, so John, Parker Hageman & Kate Butler discuss the Kurt Suzki dilemna, the Twins buy/stand-pat decision, how to rework the home run derby and then play the much-rumored-but-rarely-heard "Beauty and the Beast" version of the Gleeman and the Geek theme song. For the second half, John goes to the Futures Game where he joins Jeremy Nygard and Seth Stohs in reviewing the progress and decline of the top prospects in the Twins systems at the traditional midway point while John tries not to dance to Panic At The Disco. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Target_Field.jpg John and Aaron talk about loving Opening Day at the ballpark and on the couch, the Minnesota Twins' lowest expectations ever, moving Joe Mauer up and Brian Dozier down in the batting order, what to do with Justin Morneau, appreciating the greatness of Johan Santana, bullpen and bench usage issues, finding what you need on Ticket King, exactly how bad the rotation can get, and why baseball is so damn comforting. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Here are: the podcaststhe rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes.Or just click below: Click here to view the article

Download attachment: top-prospects-04-kohl-stewart.jpg The 2013 Draft is going to be judged almost completely on the ascension of pitcher Kohl Stewart. That’s as intriguing as a $4.5 million bet on a roulette ball, hopping red to black. So much reward. So much risk. So little control. The 100 Word Primer Stewart was last year’s first round draft choice, fourth overall. After signing with the Twins, his first couple of months as a professional did not disappoint. He had the mid-90s fastball. He struck out 24 guys (both as a reliever and as a starter) and walked only four in 20 innings. He made one start in the higher of the two rookie leagues, a level below A-ball. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] He’s high reward, high risk. The high risk is that he’s an 18-year-old pitcher – and there are lots of risks, both developmental and physical, associated with pitchers that young. On the other hand, it's hard to pass up someone with his upside and athleticism, either. They don't come along very often. 200 Words Deeper The Twins have been criticized plenty for focusing on control pitchers without big arms, but with this draft pick (and the $4.5M price tag that went with it) they got the consensus highest upside arm in the draft. Stewart’s fastball supposedly works around 93 mph and can go as high as 97, and he’s still just 18 years old. That’s the good news. The better news is that it’s not his best pitch. Stewart’s slider moves at 80mph, has a hard, late break, and looks a lot like his fastball until it’s too late. And he has worked with a changeup and a curveball, too. But what really gets people excited is that he could become much, much better. He’s very athletic, turning down a scholarship to play quarterback at Texas A&M to sign with the Twins. He’s still considered a thrower instead of a pitcher – an athlete who has never really focused solely on baseball or the craft of pitching. To have someone already be so talented and also so raw – that’s the stuff daydreams are made of. Of course, it’s also the stuff of nightmares. Another word for “raw” is “crude”, which is how Keith Law described him in his prospect rankings this year. He still listed him as #76 overall, though. The 300 Word Question When does the roulette wheel stop? If you listen to Law, not very soon. Law posited that Stewart could be “a good five years away from the majors.” That would likely mean putting in a full year at Low-A Cedar Rapids this year. Then he would spend another year each at Fort Myers, New Britain and Rochester, as well as maybe a repeat year as he irons out some things a la Trevor May or Alex Meyer. Or – shudder – losing a year to an injury like Kyle Gibson or Alex Wimmers. That means waiting until 2018 or 2019. Ugh. I suspect that might induce a little grumbling for those interested in a more Kershawesome path to the majors. When the Dodgers drafted Clayton Kershaw seventh overall in 2006, they also started him in rookie leagues, just like the Twins did Stewart last year. And they started him the next year in Low-A, just like Stewart probably will this year. But that’s where things changed. After dominating Low A for 20 starts, Los Angeles promoted Kershaw straight to AA to end the season. The next years, he began the season in AA, made 11 starts, and was promoted to the majors as a 20-year-old. That’s super-aggressive for any team, let alone the Twins. If Stewart strikes out 134 batters in 97 innings like Kershaw did in the Midwest League, then maybe it’s worth some debate. But given the Twins history, Stewart’s initial condition and a healthy dose of caution, Law’s scenario is far more likely. Put the over/under at July of 2018 for now. And even that much optimism has me looking for wood to knock. The assumption implicit in that estimate is that he makes it at all, which is far from guaranteed. Don’t let it be said that the Twins are not willing to gamble when the opportunity presents itself. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: baby-girl-robe.jpg Aaron and John's take a break from KFAN at Mason's and walk through the Twins various DL moves, review the trade for Eduardo Nunez, convince David Brauer to listen to the Talk To Contact podcast, wonder at the world going bat s*** crazy about Joe Mauer, notice Brian Dozier's power surge, call random strangers "Babygirl," consider surgery on Aaron's torn ACL, and find out how to sell Joe Mauer a car. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here's the breakdown: 2 Twins Game 4 Torn ACL 14 Rib Tips 18 DL Moves 26 Masons Food 27 Twins Trade 38 Bartlett’s Future 42 Babygirl 44 Trevor’s Defense 46 Aaron’s Stories 48 More Babygirl 56 Talk To Contact Podcast 64 Our Bar 68 Twitter’s Brand 74 Brian Dozier 76 Aaron Hicks 79 Return of Tanya 81 Buxton’s Wrist 83 Where’s Eddie? 84 Lou’s Return 86 Mauer’s Week 91 Mauer Buying A Car 98 Rioting Roommates 101 Hiring Randballstu 103 Why Taxis Stink ~~~ Thanks to the Twins win over the Royals on Sunday, it means that on Monday you can get 50% off a Large or Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about how thin the ice is for Ron Gardenhire and maybe even Terry Ryan, trading Kendrys Morales to Seattle, other potential trades before the July 31 deadline, John's rap knowledge, Chuck Knoblauch, Kirby Puckett and the Twins' Hall of Fame, broken clocks being right, cutting Matt Guerrier, and the beauty of mini donuts.You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click on the "play" button below. Click here to view the article

According to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com, the Minnesota Twins have reached an agreement with free agent starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco. However, the Twins have not confirmed the deal. If true, the deal is likely to be the largest contract the Twins have ever given to a free agent. UPDATE - According to Yahoo's Jeff Passan, it is a four year, $49 million contract, with an option for the fifth year at $13 million (with a $1 million buyout). Nolasco will turn 31 years old in the next two weeks and has spend most of his career with the Marlins. He has posted peripheral numbers (such as a 7.4K/9 strikeout rate and a 2.1 BB/9 walk rate) that suggest he should be better than his 4.37 career ERA. In 2013, while pitching with the Marlins and the Dodgers, he recorded a 3.70 ERA over 199.1 innings between the two teams. Download attachment: Nolasco_Ricky_Dodgers_Un_700.jpg His durability makes him one of the top names on the free agent starting pitching market, a step below Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana, but still in line for a average salary in excess of $10 million. The TwinsCentric Offseason Handbook estimated he would receive a 4-year deal of $52 million. That total would more than double the largest deal the Twins have ever made with a free agent, which was Josh Willingham’s 3-year, $21 million deal two years ago. Indeed, Nolasco represents a significant investment for any MLB team. His contract will likely be one of the top five given to any free agent starting pitcher this year. For those looking for someone that defies the highly publicized "pitch to contact" philosophy the Twins have embraced, Nolasco would be a step in the right direction. His strikeout rate, while being average for major league baseball, will be at the top of the Twins rotation. And among this group of free agent starters, he was third in overall strikeouts last year, only behind AJ Burnett and Ubaldo Jimenez. Finally, the likely length of the contract will mean Nolasco is a Twin until at least 2016 and possibly as long as 2018. He represents a financial commitment to anchor the next wave of Twins prospects to their next competitive team. It's not dissimilar to the 4-year, $36 million contract the Twins gave Brad Radke prior to the 2001 season. In fact, I'll be a little surprised if they don't reference that in relation to this signing when they're ready to talk about it. Click here to view the article

It ain't fancy. It is fun. If you're looking to get together for a lot of irreverent and fun Twins talk, I'd invite you to attend the 4th Annual LAST Hot Stove League Banquet and Charity Auction next Friday night. It's not the fourth annual - it's the fourth annual LAST, because this has been going on for decades now and they keep trying to stop doing it. The image contains all the info (click to enlarge). Download attachment: Hot Stove Banquet.jpg You'll see both The Voice of Reason and I there and we'll probably be taking the party someplace else immediately afterwards. I hope you can make it. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article

I saw several tweets yesterday bemoaning the fact that the Twins didn't get Jeff Francis considering he signed a minor league deal with the Reds. I've certainly cast a skeptical eye towards the Twins aggressive stance early in this offseason, especially in the bullpen. But the Francis signing, IMHO, points out the risk/reward of waiting out the musical chairs game that is the free agent market: Download attachment: 1804757-bin.jpg Reward - when the music stops, there can be an awful lot of players anxious to take a seat in your remaining chair Risk - all of those players might kinda suck. (This is not Jeff Francis. But it might be soon.)==> When I look at Francis, I wonder why anyone would bemoan missing out on him. MLB GMs seem to agree - he just signed a minor league deal with a team in which there is no guarantee of a rotation spot. All by itself, that's revealing. But there is plenty of other evidence: 1. His fastball lost a couple of mph and tops out at about 84 according to rotowire.com 2. His k rate was down in the mid 4s last year. 3. He was hit like a pinata at a ADHD kids birthday party last year. I expect that last point is why so many analysts kind of like him - it's almost unfathomable that a guy can give up 220+ hits in 180 innings without some bad luck being involved. That may be true, but there is another explanation - a pitcher can just kinda suck. Those guys get weeded out in a hurry and thus don't impact Voros McCracken's correlation coefficient much, but there is no question they exist. I suspect yesterday's deal reflects MLB's organic weeding process more than it reflects the Twins cluelessness. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Kolek_Tyler_Pitching2_Rinaldi_Orig.jpg Updated 5/24 - While all the previous mocks had the Minnesota Twins selecting shortstop Nick Gordon with the 5th overall pick in the MLB Draft, neither of the two released on Friday did. And the second hinted that the Twins could have some tough (but fruitful) decisions ahead. First, John Manuel released his 3rd mock draft and took things a step farther than he had in Mock 2, when he had high school pitcher Tyler Kolek falling to the Twins but the Twins passing on him to stick with Gordon. This time, they didn't pass: Then MLB.com released another mock draft, but this one was by Jim Callis, who is known as one of the more plugged-in writers in Major League Baseball. He also had the Twins selecting Tyler Kolek, but there really was no decision to be made - Nick Gordon had been selected by the Cubs the pick before. He also hinted that if things break right, the Twins could have their choice between Kolek, Gordon and prep catcher Alex Jackson depending on how the Cubs and Marlins feel about high school players. Photo courtesy of Rinaldi Photos [/hr] Updated 5/20 - Who will the Twins choose as the fifth overall pick in the upcoming MLB draft? Oddly enough, in their latest mock drafts, Keith Law (ESPN.com), Jonathan Mayo (MLB.com), John Manuel (Baseball America) and Kiley McDaniel (Scout.com) all have the Twins picking the same guy. But how each gets to that point is very different. Download attachment: draft-2014.jpg Overview This year’s draft features three high-upside pitchers that are at or near the top of almost everyone’s list. (There were four, by the way, but one needed Tommy John surgery.) Carlos Rodon – College left-hander from North Carolina State that everyone expected at the beginning of the year to be the #1 pick. He’s been good enough to still be, but others have also risen. Brady Aiken – A very polished high school left-hander from San Diego that has risen sharply to be one of the top pitching prospects. Tyler Kolek – A 250-pound high school right-hander with 101 mph fastball who will need to work on his command. Then there are some position players that are perhaps a half step lower, including Nick Gordon – a high school shortstop, Bradley Zimmer – a college center fielder and Alex Jackson – a high school catcher/outfielder. Arms First Two of the mock drafts have those three high–upside pitchers going first, second and third and in the same order. Both MLB.com and Scout.com have Rodon going first to the Astros, Kolek going second to the Marlins and Aiken going third to the White Sox. They vary in their fourth pick. Jonathan Mayo has the Cubs choosing Jackson, who many feel is the best all-around hitter in the class (and some feel might not stay at catcher because teams will want to promote his bat quickly). But Kiley McDaniel has the Cubs going with what many consider the safest pitcher in the draft – Aaron Nola, a right-hander out of Louisiana State. Nola is also a pitcher in whom the Twins reportedly have some interest. But both agree that the Twins would then choose Nick Gordon, who should be able to stay at shortstop throughout his career and has added strength. There have been lots of reports about the Twins zeroing in on him. One question raised by McDaniel is what the Twins do if he's not available – if he’s sniped by one of the teams in front of the Twins, particularly, the Cubs. Another question not raised is whether the Twins might take Jackson over Gordon as in McDaniel’s draft. Close But Not Quite Keith Law jumbles the picks a bit and has Jackson sneaking into the second spot, nabbed by the Marlins. In his scenario, the Astros grab Aiken, the catcher Jackson is grabbed by the Marlins and the White Sox grab the hefty Kolek. That gives the Cubs a shot at one of the three big pitchers – Rodon, oddly enough – and they snap him up. So by the time the Twins draft, the same names are on the board as they were for the MLB.com draft. The Twins still take Gordon in his scenario. An Arm Falls John Manuel, however, sees a scenario in which one of the bigger arms falls to the Twins and they need to make a decision. In his scenario, Rodon goes first, as he has in three of these four mock drafts. The Marlins grab the catcher/outfielder Jackson. Interestingly, Manuel mentions that he thinks the White Sox, who pick next, covet Jackson if he gets past the Marlins. In this scenario, he’s gone, so they take the left-handed prep pitcher Aiken. When the Cubs choose at fourth, Manuel has them passing on Kolek because a 250-pound high schooler officially qualifies as an “outlier,” especially for an organization that prefer’s college pitchers. So they go with Kyle Freeland, a college left-hander who is moving up the boards fast and provides the right mix of upside and risk. (The other drafts have Freeland being taken soon after the Twins, in the seventh or eighth pick.) That leaves the Twins with a big decision. They certainly haven’t shied away from prep pitchers like Kolek. But they have also spent a lot of time scouting Gordon. Manuel lays out the decision: “The Twins have done their due diligence on the top prep arms, and their emphasis on finding velocity in recent drafts could lead them to Kolek. But they’ve also done a lot of work on Gordon, whose middle-of-the-diamond athleticism is too much to turn down.” The Twins once again end up with the athletic high school shortstop, but I don’t think this will be the last time we’ll talk about a tough decision regarding Kolek and Gordon. We’ll update this story as more mock drafts are released. You can also check out the 46-page(!) MLB Draft thread on Twins Daily with several other mock drafts being noted throughout. Finally, you’ll find daily draft coverage on Twins Daily through the 2014 MLB Draft on June 5-7. Previous coverage included: Twins Daily’s scouting insider Jeremy Nygaard gave his Mock Draft v 1.0. Click here to view the article

Last week, I had an interesting conversation with a potential sponsor. It went something like this: Download attachment: survey-robot.jpg Sponsor: We need to know something about your readers. Me: Sure, what do you want to know? Sponsor: Well, who comes to your site? Me: Well, there's Jim, who watches baseball in Iowa and Shane who talks about prospects and we have a guy from New Britain and.... Sponsor (rubbing temples): Let me explain to you the concept of demographics.... So could you all PLEASE take this survey? It would help up out a lot. And I promise, it won't take more than 30 seconds. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article