Brad Swanson

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Back in 1989, the Twins ripped my tiny heart out and traded my favorite person from New York for a bunch of crap that I didn't care about. Let's investigate why they would devastate a child in such a manner. I also recapped the Tom Brunansky for Tom Herr trade on Thursday. If you want to, you can read it here. The Trade: BREAKDOWN! On July 31, 1989, the Minnesota Twins traded the truly beautiful Frank Viola to the New York Mets for Rick Aguilera, Kevin Tapani, Tim Drummond, David West and Jack Savage. Viola continued to be a fantastic human being and pitcher for the Mets over the next two-and-a-half seasons. Aguilera started 11 games for the Twins in 1989, but quickly became their closer the following season. Tapani would become a good, reliable starter for the Twins. Drummond, Savage and West didn't deserve to be in a trade with the great Frank Viola. How did I feel at the time? I think it's quite clear that I was upset. In fact, I cried when I heard. That's right, I actually cried. WHO WANTS TO FIGHT ME??? Well, I was seven and I was a kid and I was kind of emotional about my second favorite player. In addition, I hadn't heard of any of the losers the Twins got for Viola and I didn't really care anyway because I loved Frank Viola and I wanted to pitch like him even though I was right-handed and I sucked at pitching. Grrr, it's angering up my blood right now. Anyway, I did cry and I don't even care. I was seven; it was traumatizing. I'LL CRY RIGHT NOW, I DON'T CARE!!! Why make the trade? Ok monster, explain why this trade should have been made: "Minnesota general manager Andy MacPhail says he traded Frank Viola partially because he believes the left-hander's ability is diminishing." This came from this New York Times, AP story on the trade. Of course, this statement reveals MacPhail as a heartless monster who doesn't know how to evaluate his talent or understand when he has a wonderful player with a great mustache under contract for a reasonable rate. Here's more: "Anytime you deal a guy who has done all Frankie has done for us, it's tough," MacPhail told the St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch. "But the velocity of his fastball was diminishing. It seemed they were catching up with him." Surely, Viola would see diminished returns in 1990, due to this abhorrent decrease in velocity. Oh wait, 20 wins and almost 250 innings is FANTASTIC! FANTASTIC! Good grief., you called him "Frankie," you clearly love him too. Now this New York Times piece on the trade explains why the Mets would make this Shaq slam dunk of a trade, breaking the proverbial backboard of awesome lefties with great facial hair and accents. Or whatever. ''I know we gave up a lot,'' Johnson said, ''but he's one of the best.'' Twins Wanted More Johnson is Mets' manager Davey Johnson and he's clearly a genius. Yeah, he was one of the best. He was coming off a Cy Young season. I guess the Twins wanting more shows that they weren't complete jerkstores, but they should have asked for even more than they did. It's Frank Viola. Ask for the World. Ok, I feel better now. Clearly, I cannot reconcile the fan part of me with the blog-guy part of me on this issue. Analysis Emotions aside, this was a good trade for the Twins. Viola had been signed to a rich contract, but the Twins were not a great team, so shedding the payroll was a logical move. It was still a sucky move, though. On the field, the Twins basically turned Viola into five new pitchers. Tapani did a decent job taking the place of Viola in the rotation and Aguilera became one of the best closers in franchise history. The other three guys didn't really pan out, but just Aguilera and Tapani alone made this a good trade for the Twins. However, MacPhail was wrong about Viola. His stuff may have been diminishing, but he certainly pitched well for three-and-a-half more seasons, fulfilling that contract as best as he could. In 1990, he won 20 games for the Mets and finished third in Cy Young voting. In 1991, he regressed a bit, but still won 13 games. He bounced back and had two more good seasons with Boston in '92 and '93, but was basically done after those two seasons. He and I lost touch after he left for the Red Sox. The trade worked out well, but he was Sweet Music! How could the Twins do this to the fans? How could they do this to the clubhouse? Most importantly, how could they do this me? I deserved better. I pretty much disliked Aguilera for the next few seasons, just because he was acquired for my beloved Viola. Who won the WAR? Viola for the Mets: 9.7 Aguilera for the Twins: 16.1 Tapani for the Twins: 18.7 West for the Twins: 0.0 Drummond for the Twins: 0.9 Savage for the Twins: -1.1 Total for the Twins: 34.6 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary Frank Viola transcends WAR, so this trade was terrible.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Back in 1989, the Twins ripped my tiny heart out and traded my favorite person from New York for a bunch of crap that I didn't care about. Let's investigate why they would devastate a child in such a manner. I also recapped the Tom Brunansky for Tom Herr trade on Thursday. If you want to, you can read it here. The Trade: BREAKDOWN! On July 31, 1989, the Minnesota Twins traded the truly beautiful Frank Viola to the New York Mets for Rick Aguilera, Kevin Tapani, Tim Drummond, David West and Jack Savage. Viola continued to be a fantastic human being and pitcher for the Mets over the next two-and-a-half seasons. Aguilera started 11 games for the Twins in 1989, but quickly became their closer the following season. Tapani would become a good, reliable starter for the Twins. Drummond, Savage and West didn't deserve to be in a trade with the great Frank Viola. How did I feel at the time? I think it's quite clear that I was upset. In fact, I cried when I heard. That's right, I actually cried. WHO WANTS TO FIGHT ME??? Well, I was seven and I was a kid and I was kind of emotional about my second favorite player. In addition, I hadn't heard of any of the losers the Twins got for Viola and I didn't really care anyway because I loved Frank Viola and I wanted to pitch like him even though I was right-handed and I sucked at pitching. Grrr, it's angering up my blood right now. Anyway, I did cry and I don't even care. I was seven; it was traumatizing. I'LL CRY RIGHT NOW, I DON'T CARE!!! Why make the trade? Ok monster, explain why this trade should have been made: "Minnesota general manager Andy MacPhail says he traded Frank Viola partially because he believes the left-hander's ability is diminishing." This came from this New York Times, AP story on the trade. Of course, this statement reveals MacPhail as a heartless monster who doesn't know how to evaluate his talent or understand when he has a wonderful player with a great mustache under contract for a reasonable rate. Here's more: "Anytime you deal a guy who has done all Frankie has done for us, it's tough," MacPhail told the St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch. "But the velocity of his fastball was diminishing. It seemed they were catching up with him." Surely, Viola would see diminished returns in 1990, due to this abhorrent decrease in velocity. Oh wait, 20 wins and almost 250 innings is FANTASTIC! FANTASTIC! Good grief., you called him "Frankie," you clearly love him too. Now this New York Times piece on the trade explains why the Mets would make this Shaq slam dunk of a trade, breaking the proverbial backboard of awesome lefties with great facial hair and accents. Or whatever. ''I know we gave up a lot,'' Johnson said, ''but he's one of the best.'' Twins Wanted More Johnson is Mets' manager Davey Johnson and he's clearly a genius. Yeah, he was one of the best. He was coming off a Cy Young season. I guess the Twins wanting more shows that they weren't complete jerkstores, but they should have asked for even more than they did. It's Frank Viola. Ask for the World. Ok, I feel better now. Clearly, I cannot reconcile the fan part of me with the blog-guy part of me on this issue. Analysis Emotions aside, this was a good trade for the Twins. Viola had been signed to a rich contract, but the Twins were not a great team, so shedding the payroll was a logical move. It was still a sucky move, though. On the field, the Twins basically turned Viola into five new pitchers. Tapani did a decent job taking the place of Viola in the rotation and Aguilera became one of the best closers in franchise history. The other three guys didn't really pan out, but just Aguilera and Tapani alone made this a good trade for the Twins. However, MacPhail was wrong about Viola. His stuff may have been diminishing, but he certainly pitched well for three-and-a-half more seasons, fulfilling that contract as best as he could. In 1990, he won 20 games for the Mets and finished third in Cy Young voting. In 1991, he regressed a bit, but still won 13 games. He bounced back and had two more good seasons with Boston in '92 and '93, but was basically done after those two seasons. He and I lost touch after he left for the Red Sox. The trade worked out well, but he was Sweet Music! How could the Twins do this to the fans? How could they do this to the clubhouse? Most importantly, how could they do this me? I deserved better. I pretty much disliked Aguilera for the next few seasons, just because he was acquired for my beloved Viola. Who won the WAR? Viola for the Mets: 9.7 Aguilera for the Twins: 16.1 Tapani for the Twins: 18.7 West for the Twins: 0.0 Drummond for the Twins: 0.9 Savage for the Twins: -1.1 Total for the Twins: 34.6 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary Frank Viola transcends WAR, so this trade was terrible.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! For those who are unfamiliar with this feature, I scour the most reliable internet sites to try to determine whether or not a former Minnesota Twin is forgotten or not. I use all the best sites – Wikipedia, Google, Bing, eBay, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Baseball Reference. If the player isn't featured to my liking, they are officially forgotten. The entire first paragraph will come from my own memory though. No guarantees for accuracy or insight. At the very end, I will ask one random person if they remember the player. Let’s start with someone I barely remember. I also wrote about Brian Harper and Gary Wayne this week. If you click on their names, you can learn a whole lot more about each of them. Enjoy! My memories of Bernardo Brito Can I say pass? I certainly remember his name because it's hilarious. But who is Bernardo Brito? I'm going to say he was an outfielder and that he was only with the Twins for two seasons. I want to say that he was on a Hall of Fame path as well. I'll guess that he played for the Twins from 1993 to 1994 and that he hit about 7 home runs. As you can clearly see, I have basically no recollection of Bernardo Brito. Let's do some research! Wikipedia Oh goodness, what a gold mine! Apparently he is known as "El Pupo." Fantastic. I love Bernardo Brito. I can't find a translation, but Google Image seems to think it means bellybutton. Is Bernardo Brito "The Bellybutton?" I am so glad I chose him. Brito was born on December 4, 1963 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. He made his MLB debut on September 15, 1992. He was known for his power and hit five career home runs. He was an outfielder! He played in Japan after leaving the Twins in 1995 and also played for the Sioux Falls Canaries. His nickname was "The Bellybutton." Baseball Reference Brito was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 1980 and made his debut in 1992. That is wild! Brito is the most fascinating player ever. Brito played 40 games for the Twins spread out over 1992, 1993 and 1995. He hit .219/.237/.466 in those games. His Minor League stats are amazing. He hit 295 career Minor League home runs. He played over 700 AAA games. He had just under 1500 hits in the Minors. His 1994 season at AAA: .309/.353/.572, 24 doubles, 29 home runs, 122 RBI. The Bellybutton! Google Well, the third result down is a bit discouraging. Apparently I completely ripped this idea off from RandBall. Great. We've come too far to not proceed; I'll just have to make sure to not completely rip him off. Stu's Hunt Down No! That would be ripping him off. Idiot Back to Google Bernardo Brito E Cunha appears to be a Portuguese writer. Going down South America way, I guess. Anyway, he does not seem to be related to our Brito. Here's a great Google Image result of Brito when he was apparently 13 years old: Young Pupo. The card looks to be a million years old, and I really wish I had it. Bing Bing is stupid. Regardless, I'll use it. The Stu's Hunt Down feature is at the bottom of the second page of results, so that's something different. On the fourth page of results, I did find this baseball card on Amazon, which you can buy for just over 7 bucks. It's a great way to commemorate that awesome 1994 season that I mentioned earlier. The paid search results seem to be imploring me to "find Bernardo Brito" and "uncover Bernardo Brito," which makes me worried that we have a missing persons case on our hands. Probably not the case. eBay Oh man. Did you ever want a really fake looking baseball card AND a signed note card of Bernardo Brito? Here you go! You know this is an authentic autograph because no one would forge a note card. I had a friend write the third verse from Onyx's "Slam" on a note card in 3rd grade and that is the only note card I would take over this Brito autograph. No word on whether or not the note card is GEM MINT 10!!! Facebook Bernardo Brito doesn't have a facebook page that I can find. He doesn't have a fan page yet either. That's garbage. El Pupo needs a fan page. If anyone wants to go ahead and start one, I'll add a link at a later date. Garbage. Twitter Ok, there is definitely a guy named Bernardo Brito on Twitter and he tweets a lot. I don't think it's our man though. I can't read any of it, because I don't speak any languages, but the picture doesn't match and I can see faces. I decided to look for "el pupo brito" and that led me to this man who is arguing that Brito is a better hitter than Albert Pujols and Jose Bautista. Do you want to argue that? El Pupo Brito. RT @Josearmandoacta: Quién es mejor jugador en la actualidad: José Bautista o Albert Pujols? — Carlos Maxwell (@carlosmaxwell) June 29, 2012 There are all kinds of tweets including Brito and other fun baseball players but I can't read any of them because I only took 8 years of Spanish and I'm a fantastic student. YouTube I decided to roll the dice using "el pupo brito" as my search terms on YouTube, but the first result was about Julia Stiles, so I think I failed. I tried everything, you guys. I looked for Brito, Brito plus Twins, Brito plus baseball and there's just nothing. The internet is devoid of Bernardo Brito videos. This video of the will have to suffice. Random Person I sent a text to a friend regarding Brito: Me: Do you remember Bernardo Brito? Friend: Nope Me: Did you know he was nicknamed "El Pupo?" Friend: How would I? Good point. Verdict I say he's forgotten. You can't have an HOF nickname like El Pupo or The Bellybutton,have such a lack of quality internet information and still be remembered. When you throw in his Minor League career, Japanese career and huge power, it just feels like there should be more to uncover. Thus, Bernardo Brito goes into the "forgotten" category, joining Pedro Munoz and Freddie Toliver. What is your favorite El Pupo memory? Do you even have one?

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! For those who are unfamiliar with this feature, I scour the most reliable internet sites to try to determine whether or not a former Minnesota Twin is forgotten or not. I use all the best sites – Wikipedia, Google, Bing, eBay, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Baseball Reference. If the player isn't featured to my liking, they are officially forgotten. The entire first paragraph will come from my own memory though. No guarantees for accuracy or insight. At the very end, I will ask one random person if they remember the player. Let’s start with someone I barely remember. I also wrote about Brian Harper and Gary Wayne this week. If you click on their names, you can learn a whole lot more about each of them. Enjoy! My memories of Bernardo Brito Can I say pass? I certainly remember his name because it's hilarious. But who is Bernardo Brito? I'm going to say he was an outfielder and that he was only with the Twins for two seasons. I want to say that he was on a Hall of Fame path as well. I'll guess that he played for the Twins from 1993 to 1994 and that he hit about 7 home runs. As you can clearly see, I have basically no recollection of Bernardo Brito. Let's do some research! Wikipedia Oh goodness, what a gold mine! Apparently he is known as "El Pupo." Fantastic. I love Bernardo Brito. I can't find a translation, but Google Image seems to think it means bellybutton. Is Bernardo Brito "The Bellybutton?" I am so glad I chose him. Brito was born on December 4, 1963 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. He made his MLB debut on September 15, 1992. He was known for his power and hit five career home runs. He was an outfielder! He played in Japan after leaving the Twins in 1995 and also played for the Sioux Falls Canaries. His nickname was "The Bellybutton." Baseball Reference Brito was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 1980 and made his debut in 1992. That is wild! Brito is the most fascinating player ever. Brito played 40 games for the Twins spread out over 1992, 1993 and 1995. He hit .219/.237/.466 in those games. His Minor League stats are amazing. He hit 295 career Minor League home runs. He played over 700 AAA games. He had just under 1500 hits in the Minors. His 1994 season at AAA: .309/.353/.572, 24 doubles, 29 home runs, 122 RBI. The Bellybutton! Google Well, the third result down is a bit discouraging. Apparently I completely ripped this idea off from RandBall. Great. We've come too far to not proceed; I'll just have to make sure to not completely rip him off. Stu's Hunt Down No! That would be ripping him off. Idiot Back to Google Bernardo Brito E Cunha appears to be a Portuguese writer. Going down South America way, I guess. Anyway, he does not seem to be related to our Brito. Here's a great Google Image result of Brito when he was apparently 13 years old: Young Pupo. The card looks to be a million years old, and I really wish I had it. Bing Bing is stupid. Regardless, I'll use it. The Stu's Hunt Down feature is at the bottom of the second page of results, so that's something different. On the fourth page of results, I did find this baseball card on Amazon, which you can buy for just over 7 bucks. It's a great way to commemorate that awesome 1994 season that I mentioned earlier. The paid search results seem to be imploring me to "find Bernardo Brito" and "uncover Bernardo Brito," which makes me worried that we have a missing persons case on our hands. Probably not the case. eBay Oh man. Did you ever want a really fake looking baseball card AND a signed note card of Bernardo Brito? Here you go! You know this is an authentic autograph because no one would forge a note card. I had a friend write the third verse from Onyx's "Slam" on a note card in 3rd grade and that is the only note card I would take over this Brito autograph. No word on whether or not the note card is GEM MINT 10!!! Facebook Bernardo Brito doesn't have a facebook page that I can find. He doesn't have a fan page yet either. That's garbage. El Pupo needs a fan page. If anyone wants to go ahead and start one, I'll add a link at a later date. Garbage. Twitter Ok, there is definitely a guy named Bernardo Brito on Twitter and he tweets a lot. I don't think it's our man though. I can't read any of it, because I don't speak any languages, but the picture doesn't match and I can see faces. I decided to look for "el pupo brito" and that led me to this man who is arguing that Brito is a better hitter than Albert Pujols and Jose Bautista. Do you want to argue that? El Pupo Brito. RT @Josearmandoacta: Quién es mejor jugador en la actualidad: José Bautista o Albert Pujols? — Carlos Maxwell (@carlosmaxwell) June 29, 2012 There are all kinds of tweets including Brito and other fun baseball players but I can't read any of them because I only took 8 years of Spanish and I'm a fantastic student. YouTube I decided to roll the dice using "el pupo brito" as my search terms on YouTube, but the first result was about Julia Stiles, so I think I failed. I tried everything, you guys. I looked for Brito, Brito plus Twins, Brito plus baseball and there's just nothing. The internet is devoid of Bernardo Brito videos. This video of the will have to suffice. Random Person I sent a text to a friend regarding Brito: Me: Do you remember Bernardo Brito? Friend: Nope Me: Did you know he was nicknamed "El Pupo?" Friend: How would I? Good point. Verdict I say he's forgotten. You can't have an HOF nickname like El Pupo or The Bellybutton,have such a lack of quality internet information and still be remembered. When you throw in his Minor League career, Japanese career and huge power, it just feels like there should be more to uncover. Thus, Bernardo Brito goes into the "forgotten" category, joining Pedro Munoz and Freddie Toliver. What is your favorite El Pupo memory? Do you even have one?

Yeah, I think the return for Perkins would be very underwhelming. Thus, I'd keep him, because I love him and he's good.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Check out this cool Kevin Slowey time line I made! There has been a lot of talk about trading the Twins established MLB players for prospects in recent weeks. This concept has become a bit more complicated due to the Twins' relative success this season. A terrible team is an easy seller while a great team is an eager buyer. The Twins are neither great nor terrible. The difficulty for the Twins' front office will be determining who is a part of the future and who is expendable. I don't intend to try to make that determination. I'll leave that to everyone else. However, I remember an episode of Gleeman and the Geek from last season, when our heroic hosts were discussing this very topic. John wanted to use current Twins prospects to determine a fair value for current Twins players. I loved it. It seems like such an intuitive way to explain what type of return they would be willing to accept. I figure, I can do the same just in case for some strange reason the Twins decided to give me all the power involved in making their trades. For the record, this would be a terrible decision, as I would make wild determinations based on factors like name hilarity, hair length, eye black wearing and stirrups. However, if I decided to use my brain instead of my heart/the bad part of my brain, here is what I would anticipate if the Twins got offers for current Twins, using current Twins prospects as a hypothetical return. If this is too plagiarism-y (from that Gleeman and the Geek), just go ahead and ignore/delete/savage. We'll go from smallest return to largest, just for fun. Drew Butera for Tom Brunansky right now This is just mean. Why? Trade Approved. But seriously, be nice. Mike Pelfrey for Tim Atherton If Pelfrey can be traded for any young pitcher, I'll take it. Atherton has a unique path to where he is right now, but as a 23-year-old at low A, he is the type of pitcher who could be reasonably acquired for Pelfrey. Pelfrey is only signed until the end of the season. While Atherton is no great prospect, he is young and has pitched reasonably well. For Pelfrey, I'd take just that. Trade Approved. You have to take anything you can get for Pelfrey. Jared Burton for Nelvin Fuentes I'd want a bit more for Burton. Fuentes is a pitcher with a bit more upside and he misses bats. He also has barely pitched above A ball and is 24-years-old. I'd want more upside in a Burton trade, simply because he is under contract for another two seasons and the Twins don't really have someone who can step into his role. However, they have plenty of guys who they could try in that role, and a good offer would be hard to pass up. Trade Approved. It's not a perfect return, but there are always random guys who can become setup men, as Burton proved last season. Kevin Correia for Nelvin Fuentes I'm not sure the return for Correia should be much different than the return for Burton. Correia is still relatively young and can be reasonably relied upon as a fifth starter, but he is nothing special. At 5 million in 2014, I might just keep him, rather than trade him for an A ball prospect. If Correia somehow became the Twins' fourth or fifth starter next season, he'd look a lot more attractive. Trade Denied. I think Correia will be worth keeping for the second year of his contract. Ryan Doumit for Logan Darnell Doumit is perfect for the Twins. He can spell Joe Mauer behind the plate and is one of the Twins' best hitters, despite being just about league-average (101 OPS+ in 2013). On other teams, with a more traditional backup catcher situation, Doumit would be a DH/corner outfielder who can't play outfield all that well. He fits best with the Twins, but if another team offered a AA or AAA pitcher with a good chance to reach the Majors, I would find it to be a fair return and let that team figure the rest out. Trade Approved. Chris Herrmann could reasonably replace him in the lineup right now and an extra arm in the system is a worthy return. Glen Perkins for Matthew Summers I'm not sure it's fair to use terms like "proven closer" and "established closer" with Perkins, but "dominant left-handed reliever" is apt. The fact that he has been closing for the Twins is a nice boost, as closers do tend to bring back greater returns than non-closers. However, teams seem to be learning that trading for closers is a exercise in futility (save for the Red Sox). Summers is a low-level prospect with big upside, so there is something intriguing here. Trade Denied. Are you kidding? Perkins is fantastic, the Twins should keep him. Justin Morneau for Hudson Boyd and Jason Wheeler Seeing Morneau hit one home run on Wednesday night and give air high fives almost made me completely flip on my feeling that the Twins should trade him for anything. Emotionally, I like Morneau as a player and enjoyed watching him become an MVP. In order to trade him, I'd want two pitching prospects, but I know that realistically, they wouldn't be top 25 prospects. Boyd sits right on the edge and Wheeler looks like he could be a solid reliever, if nothing else. This is the type of trade that is both reasonable and fair, however for emotional reasons... Trade Denied. I'd have to be blown away to trade one of the most popular players in recent history. Josh Willingham for Mason Melotakis Melotakis seems like he will either be a great reliever or a decent starter with upside. That kind of uncertainty is scary to many and as a result, many would be unwilling to part with a very popular player like Willingham. However, Willingham is 34 and while his OBP is still good, his power and batting average have dropped significantly. I was not a fan of trading Willingham last season, and I don't think the return would have been much better. Melotakis is the type of risk-reward player that the Twins could target, should they decide to move Willingham. Trade Approved. An Oswaldo Arcia-Aaron Hicks-Chris Parmelee outfield can work for a season or two, until Byron Buxton is available. Adding another high-upside arm is tough to pass up. Trevor Plouffe for Taylor Rogers and Hudson Boyd I'd aim very high for Plouffe. He's cheap, relatively young and has big power potential. He might sail the occasional throw at third and his OBP is not ideal. However, he has enough going for him to make me look for two lower level prospects with high upside, one of whom I am certain can start. Rogers seems to have the stuff to start and Boyd still has big upside. Trade Approved. Good luck getting another team to offer it though. Joe Mauer for Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer and Niko Goodrum Yep, that much. He's a franchise player and I am irrational about him. Mauer probably isn't worth that much right now, but I don't think the Twins would take anything but a "Godfather" offer, as Bill Simmons would say. Even so... Trade Denied. I just love him too much. If you know the Twins system well, you'll see that I did not offer any top 10-15 prospects for Twins current players, save for Mauer. That doesn't mean the Twins can't net top 10 prospects from other teams. The Twins system is loaded, and others are not. If the Twins decide to sell at the deadline, I would not be expecting huge returns. However, every little bit helps. Alexi Casilla was acquired for J.C. Romero. Jason Bartlett was acquired for Brian Buchanan. Nick Punto and Carlos Silva were acquired for Eric Milton. These aren't sexy names, but they were useful players who helped the Twins win divisions. If the Twins can make smart trades at the deadline, it shouldn't matter who they trade and who they keep. What does everyone think? Where am I waaaaaaay off? What trades do you feel are fair?

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Check out this cool Kevin Slowey time line I made! There has been a lot of talk about trading the Twins established MLB players for prospects in recent weeks. This concept has become a bit more complicated due to the Twins' relative success this season. A terrible team is an easy seller while a great team is an eager buyer. The Twins are neither great nor terrible. The difficulty for the Twins' front office will be determining who is a part of the future and who is expendable. I don't intend to try to make that determination. I'll leave that to everyone else. However, I remember an episode of Gleeman and the Geek from last season, when our heroic hosts were discussing this very topic. John wanted to use current Twins prospects to determine a fair value for current Twins players. I loved it. It seems like such an intuitive way to explain what type of return they would be willing to accept. I figure, I can do the same just in case for some strange reason the Twins decided to give me all the power involved in making their trades. For the record, this would be a terrible decision, as I would make wild determinations based on factors like name hilarity, hair length, eye black wearing and stirrups. However, if I decided to use my brain instead of my heart/the bad part of my brain, here is what I would anticipate if the Twins got offers for current Twins, using current Twins prospects as a hypothetical return. If this is too plagiarism-y (from that Gleeman and the Geek), just go ahead and ignore/delete/savage. We'll go from smallest return to largest, just for fun. Drew Butera for Tom Brunansky right now This is just mean. Why? Trade Approved. But seriously, be nice. Mike Pelfrey for Tim Atherton If Pelfrey can be traded for any young pitcher, I'll take it. Atherton has a unique path to where he is right now, but as a 23-year-old at low A, he is the type of pitcher who could be reasonably acquired for Pelfrey. Pelfrey is only signed until the end of the season. While Atherton is no great prospect, he is young and has pitched reasonably well. For Pelfrey, I'd take just that. Trade Approved. You have to take anything you can get for Pelfrey. Jared Burton for Nelvin Fuentes I'd want a bit more for Burton. Fuentes is a pitcher with a bit more upside and he misses bats. He also has barely pitched above A ball and is 24-years-old. I'd want more upside in a Burton trade, simply because he is under contract for another two seasons and the Twins don't really have someone who can step into his role. However, they have plenty of guys who they could try in that role, and a good offer would be hard to pass up. Trade Approved. It's not a perfect return, but there are always random guys who can become setup men, as Burton proved last season. Kevin Correia for Nelvin Fuentes I'm not sure the return for Correia should be much different than the return for Burton. Correia is still relatively young and can be reasonably relied upon as a fifth starter, but he is nothing special. At 5 million in 2014, I might just keep him, rather than trade him for an A ball prospect. If Correia somehow became the Twins' fourth or fifth starter next season, he'd look a lot more attractive. Trade Denied. I think Correia will be worth keeping for the second year of his contract. Ryan Doumit for Logan Darnell Doumit is perfect for the Twins. He can spell Joe Mauer behind the plate and is one of the Twins' best hitters, despite being just about league-average (101 OPS+ in 2013). On other teams, with a more traditional backup catcher situation, Doumit would be a DH/corner outfielder who can't play outfield all that well. He fits best with the Twins, but if another team offered a AA or AAA pitcher with a good chance to reach the Majors, I would find it to be a fair return and let that team figure the rest out. Trade Approved. Chris Herrmann could reasonably replace him in the lineup right now and an extra arm in the system is a worthy return. Glen Perkins for Matthew Summers I'm not sure it's fair to use terms like "proven closer" and "established closer" with Perkins, but "dominant left-handed reliever" is apt. The fact that he has been closing for the Twins is a nice boost, as closers do tend to bring back greater returns than non-closers. However, teams seem to be learning that trading for closers is a exercise in futility (save for the Red Sox). Summers is a low-level prospect with big upside, so there is something intriguing here. Trade Denied. Are you kidding? Perkins is fantastic, the Twins should keep him. Justin Morneau for Hudson Boyd and Jason Wheeler Seeing Morneau hit one home run on Wednesday night and give air high fives almost made me completely flip on my feeling that the Twins should trade him for anything. Emotionally, I like Morneau as a player and enjoyed watching him become an MVP. In order to trade him, I'd want two pitching prospects, but I know that realistically, they wouldn't be top 25 prospects. Boyd sits right on the edge and Wheeler looks like he could be a solid reliever, if nothing else. This is the type of trade that is both reasonable and fair, however for emotional reasons... Trade Denied. I'd have to be blown away to trade one of the most popular players in recent history. Josh Willingham for Mason Melotakis Melotakis seems like he will either be a great reliever or a decent starter with upside. That kind of uncertainty is scary to many and as a result, many would be unwilling to part with a very popular player like Willingham. However, Willingham is 34 and while his OBP is still good, his power and batting average have dropped significantly. I was not a fan of trading Willingham last season, and I don't think the return would have been much better. Melotakis is the type of risk-reward player that the Twins could target, should they decide to move Willingham. Trade Approved. An Oswaldo Arcia-Aaron Hicks-Chris Parmelee outfield can work for a season or two, until Byron Buxton is available. Adding another high-upside arm is tough to pass up. Trevor Plouffe for Taylor Rogers and Hudson Boyd I'd aim very high for Plouffe. He's cheap, relatively young and has big power potential. He might sail the occasional throw at third and his OBP is not ideal. However, he has enough going for him to make me look for two lower level prospects with high upside, one of whom I am certain can start. Rogers seems to have the stuff to start and Boyd still has big upside. Trade Approved. Good luck getting another team to offer it though. Joe Mauer for Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer and Niko Goodrum Yep, that much. He's a franchise player and I am irrational about him. Mauer probably isn't worth that much right now, but I don't think the Twins would take anything but a "Godfather" offer, as Bill Simmons would say. Even so... Trade Denied. I just love him too much. If you know the Twins system well, you'll see that I did not offer any top 10-15 prospects for Twins current players, save for Mauer. That doesn't mean the Twins can't net top 10 prospects from other teams. The Twins system is loaded, and others are not. If the Twins decide to sell at the deadline, I would not be expecting huge returns. However, every little bit helps. Alexi Casilla was acquired for J.C. Romero. Jason Bartlett was acquired for Brian Buchanan. Nick Punto and Carlos Silva were acquired for Eric Milton. These aren't sexy names, but they were useful players who helped the Twins win divisions. If the Twins can make smart trades at the deadline, it shouldn't matter who they trade and who they keep. What does everyone think? Where am I waaaaaaay off? What trades do you feel are fair?

I'm happy to know that my non-hate will be properly balanced out. I also appreciate all the synonyms.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Direct your hate mail appropriately. Psst. You there. Yeah, you in the Twins hat and Joe Mauer shirsey. Put down that plush TC bear, I have a secret that I can't hold in any longer. This is very hard for me to say. I've been thinking about it for a long time and I've felt this way even longer. I can't hold it in; I need to confess to someone. I'm trusting you to keep my secret, but it won't be easy. Are you ready? I don't hate the Yankees. There, I said it. I don't hate them. I don't loathe them. I don't detest them. I don't even simply dislike them. In reality, I admire them. I respect them. I marvel at them. I like them. I like the way they play baseball. I like the way they reward their fans on the field. I like their history. I like their players. I even like their uniforms. I like the way they go about their business. Business might be the key word. The Yankees play baseball like a business. For many, a business-like approach to a professional sport is boring or even abhorrent. For someone like me, a person who demands efficiency and order, the Yankees are like an Excel Spreadsheet on a baseball diamond. I know exactly what they want to do within the game: take a lot of pitches, mash the mistakes, pitch methodically and wear out the other team. Above all else: win. It's all so well organized, sometimes I feel I can conditionally format them while I watch them play. I'm in awe of their history. As a Twins fan, I fondly remember both World Series titles, I remember all the playoff "runs" from the 2000s and I have heard wonderful stories from their successful 60s and 70s teams. However, the Yankee fan history is a completely different animal. Their fans can discuss which of their 27 World Series winners is the best. Twenty seven! They miss the playoffs about once in a generation. Only four franchises have made the playoffs as frequently as the Yankees have won the World Series. My goodness, to have their history. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, CC Sabathia, Mike Mussina, Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth... I could go on. The sheer number of superstar, Hall of Fame players is staggering. The Yankees can boast an all-time player, at any given point in their history. Whenever you watch the Yankees, you are watching greatness. Eventually, the Yankees are going to have to start issuing fractional or triple-digit uniform numbers, as they have retired a vast number of whole numbers. If you do hate their players, it can only be because you secretly wish they wore the Minnesota Twins uniform. I am jealous of their fans. I'm not happy to feel jealousy, but I can't help but wish that my favorite team went into each season with a realistic chance to win the World Series. While the fan experience has certainly diminished since the construction of New Yankee Stadium, you cannot discount the experience of watching the Yankees play baseball each and every year. In the average fan's lifetime, the Yankees are likely to win multiple championships. Is there another fan base who can make that claim? I even like their look. The pinstripes are timeless. They are the closest thing to a nice, designer suit that you'll find on the field. Somehow, their uniforms look even better when they get sullied. The dirt really accentuates the gray. Their hats are classic too. In fact, you could make the argument that the Twins borrowed their TC logo from the Yankee's NY logo. I like that they make their players shave stupid beards. I can't grow a beard, no one else should be allowed to either! As the Twins head toward a series with the Yankees, I know that many Twins fans will be looking forward to rooting against the Yankees almost as much as they look forward to rooting for the Twins. Not me. I'll root for the Twins, but I won't root against the Yankees any more than I would root against any given opponent. I might even secretly hope that Mariano Rivera gets into a game, just to see him in person one last time. The Yankees may be the evil empire, but they certainly play some great baseball. I apologize once more, but I can't change the way I feel. I don't hate the Yankees. I can't muster up the energy to try. In fact, when the Yankees aren't playing the Twins, I enjoy them. If you have to hate me as a result, I understand. This was not easy for me to confess. I've carried this secret like a lush gift basket given to a lucky lady after a chance encounter with the great Derek Jeter. I can't get rid of it, but I also don't really want to admit to having it. Does this make me a bad Twins fan? Maybe it does. I just don't know anymore. I feel so conflicted. Alas, it isn't all bad. I do hate Alex Rodriguez. He's a dolt.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Direct your hate mail appropriately. Psst. You there. Yeah, you in the Twins hat and Joe Mauer shirsey. Put down that plush TC bear, I have a secret that I can't hold in any longer. This is very hard for me to say. I've been thinking about it for a long time and I've felt this way even longer. I can't hold it in; I need to confess to someone. I'm trusting you to keep my secret, but it won't be easy. Are you ready? I don't hate the Yankees. There, I said it. I don't hate them. I don't loathe them. I don't detest them. I don't even simply dislike them. In reality, I admire them. I respect them. I marvel at them. I like them. I like the way they play baseball. I like the way they reward their fans on the field. I like their history. I like their players. I even like their uniforms. I like the way they go about their business. Business might be the key word. The Yankees play baseball like a business. For many, a business-like approach to a professional sport is boring or even abhorrent. For someone like me, a person who demands efficiency and order, the Yankees are like an Excel Spreadsheet on a baseball diamond. I know exactly what they want to do within the game: take a lot of pitches, mash the mistakes, pitch methodically and wear out the other team. Above all else: win. It's all so well organized, sometimes I feel I can conditionally format them while I watch them play. I'm in awe of their history. As a Twins fan, I fondly remember both World Series titles, I remember all the playoff "runs" from the 2000s and I have heard wonderful stories from their successful 60s and 70s teams. However, the Yankee fan history is a completely different animal. Their fans can discuss which of their 27 World Series winners is the best. Twenty seven! They miss the playoffs about once in a generation. Only four franchises have made the playoffs as frequently as the Yankees have won the World Series. My goodness, to have their history. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, CC Sabathia, Mike Mussina, Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth... I could go on. The sheer number of superstar, Hall of Fame players is staggering. The Yankees can boast an all-time player, at any given point in their history. Whenever you watch the Yankees, you are watching greatness. Eventually, the Yankees are going to have to start issuing fractional or triple-digit uniform numbers, as they have retired a vast number of whole numbers. If you do hate their players, it can only be because you secretly wish they wore the Minnesota Twins uniform. I am jealous of their fans. I'm not happy to feel jealousy, but I can't help but wish that my favorite team went into each season with a realistic chance to win the World Series. While the fan experience has certainly diminished since the construction of New Yankee Stadium, you cannot discount the experience of watching the Yankees play baseball each and every year. In the average fan's lifetime, the Yankees are likely to win multiple championships. Is there another fan base who can make that claim? I even like their look. The pinstripes are timeless. They are the closest thing to a nice, designer suit that you'll find on the field. Somehow, their uniforms look even better when they get sullied. The dirt really accentuates the gray. Their hats are classic too. In fact, you could make the argument that the Twins borrowed their TC logo from the Yankee's NY logo. I like that they make their players shave stupid beards. I can't grow a beard, no one else should be allowed to either! As the Twins head toward a series with the Yankees, I know that many Twins fans will be looking forward to rooting against the Yankees almost as much as they look forward to rooting for the Twins. Not me. I'll root for the Twins, but I won't root against the Yankees any more than I would root against any given opponent. I might even secretly hope that Mariano Rivera gets into a game, just to see him in person one last time. The Yankees may be the evil empire, but they certainly play some great baseball. I apologize once more, but I can't change the way I feel. I don't hate the Yankees. I can't muster up the energy to try. In fact, when the Yankees aren't playing the Twins, I enjoy them. If you have to hate me as a result, I understand. This was not easy for me to confess. I've carried this secret like a lush gift basket given to a lucky lady after a chance encounter with the great Derek Jeter. I can't get rid of it, but I also don't really want to admit to having it. Does this make me a bad Twins fan? Maybe it does. I just don't know anymore. I feel so conflicted. Alas, it isn't all bad. I do hate Alex Rodriguez. He's a dolt.

The Twins dropped two of three from the Tigers this weekend, falling to 7.5 games out of a division that they were never going to win. While the Twins have played better in 2013, they still do not have the talent to match the Tigers over a full season. Yet, there were some positives from the weekend and I have some apologies to make as well. I apologize to Clete Thomas. Just one week ago, I accused a wild turkey of creating a lineup that featured Clete Thomas batting second. While I still feel that Thomas in the top half of an order is a move made out of desperation, it hasn't been a disaster because Thomas isn't as terrible as I made him out to be. He strikes out a lot and he doesn't walk, but he can hit the ball and he plays a solid center field. Clete, I don't despise you. Unless he takes at bats from Aaron Hicks when Hicks is healthy. Then, I lose it. I apologize to Sam Deduno. I expected nothing but chaos from Deduno, and while I have been partially right, he has been more effective than I thought he would be. Two things: he doesn't throw hard and he doesn't get strikeouts. So, he might be more effective than I thought he would be, but it's because he has gotten ground balls at a ridiculous 61.8% rate. He has also limited home runs and stranded runners very well. If all of these skills are real, then he can be effective long-term. If he's been lucky (and watching him, he has been lucky), then this could all fall apart quickly. I apologize to Trevor Plouffe. I think he wears too much eye black, but perhaps I am wrong. Since his return from the DL, he has hit the ball very well. I thought the lack of eye black over his rehab would make for a tough adjustment upon his return. I was wrong. Perhaps he wore the eye black while injured. Saturday's game was the best of the weekend, not only because the Twins won, but because I was able to watch Glen Perkins pitch. I love to watch Glen Perkins pitch. He struck out Torii Hunter, which I always enjoy. It's more than that though. Perkins comes in and challenges hitters. He knows he has good stuff and he forces hitters to deal with it. He pumps that fastball until he needs to go to his secondary stuff and he commands his pitches extremely well. It's a shame his role only allows for him to pitch in very specific game situations. Enough with apologies and admiration, here is some madness: Former Twin Update: Danny Valencia has somehow become a fairly regular contributor to the Baltimore Orioles. I honestly thought his MLB career was over when the Twins shipped him out for bubble gum last season. Instead, he crushed AAA this season and earned a call-up to Baltimore. He doesn't need his glove anymore, as Baltimore isn't going to let him see any time in the field unless they get desperate. At the plate, he has slugged over .650 in limited DH duty this season. Baltimore is using him more against lefties, and he is crushing them as he always has. Perhaps Valencia has found his role. Cool, good for him. Random Paint Image For those who have read anything I have written this season, it is clear that I am the biggest Aaron Hicks defender/bobo in the fan base. As such, this was how I reacted when I heard that Hicks was injured and needed time on the DL: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-e4CMJsDCI/UbaYWfjxOcI/AAAAAAAAAuY/OuPjtCAhj9c/s320/mehicks.png I did get a haircut since this was drawn. It looks worse. The One Save Club Since 1961, there are 176 MLB players who have recorded exactly one save and have not started a single game. Odd combo, I agree, but taking starters out removes guys like Johan Santana, who started their careers in long relief. Your task is to name as many of the 12 Twins who have accomplished this feat. Not all 12 earned their save with the Twins. Please leave names in the comments. One player is currently playing for the Twins. I'll post the 12 names at some point, if I remember. Fun Baseball Card From the Past http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_voR0MMpdg/Ub4lPkTqQsI/AAAAAAAAAuo/hnkuERZXNjw/s320/shane_mack.jpg First, I wrote about baseball cards on Friday. If you missed it, you can read it here. You should seriously consider buying the Joe Mauer card. Second, these Studio cards were awesome. I believe the idea was that they were shot in a studio. Third, Shane Mack, if you read my blog for some reason, please let me know. I'd love to set up an interview. Not for an article or anything like that, just for me. Fourth, Mack was underrated. He did not get enough credit for his mustache. Links to some funny baseball stuff: I am not ashamed to admit that I love Grant Brisbee. I think he is funny and that is all it takes for me. This week, he chronicled the Dodgers-Diamondbacks brawl and then later graded the suspensions that were handed out as a result (of the brawl, not his article). If you like to laugh, you should read them. If you hate to laugh, you should not read them. Link to something stupid I wrote: The Twins released Anthony Slama last week, which was only notable to me because I knew it would allow me to display my vast knowledge of school-yard jerkery. I created a (fake) time line of events that shows a pattern of poor behavior toward Slama. You can read it here. It's complete stupidity. Parting Stat! The Twins play the hated White Sox this week. There have been only 8 players in MLB history who have played exclusively for the White Sox and Twins: Glenn Borgmann, Jesse Crain, Joe Crede, Jerry Crider, Eduardo Escobar, Pedro Hernandez, Randy Johnson (not the right one though), and Cotton Nash. You're probably thinking, "hey dippy, what about Earl Battey?" Well, Battey played one year for the Washington Senators, and that makes him a fat cat bureaucrat. Have a nice week, everyone!

The Twins dropped two of three from the Tigers this weekend, falling to 7.5 games out of a division that they were never going to win. While the Twins have played better in 2013, they still do not have the talent to match the Tigers over a full season. Yet, there were some positives from the weekend and I have some apologies to make as well. I apologize to Clete Thomas. Just one week ago, I accused a wild turkey of creating a lineup that featured Clete Thomas batting second. While I still feel that Thomas in the top half of an order is a move made out of desperation, it hasn't been a disaster because Thomas isn't as terrible as I made him out to be. He strikes out a lot and he doesn't walk, but he can hit the ball and he plays a solid center field. Clete, I don't despise you. Unless he takes at bats from Aaron Hicks when Hicks is healthy. Then, I lose it. I apologize to Sam Deduno. I expected nothing but chaos from Deduno, and while I have been partially right, he has been more effective than I thought he would be. Two things: he doesn't throw hard and he doesn't get strikeouts. So, he might be more effective than I thought he would be, but it's because he has gotten ground balls at a ridiculous 61.8% rate. He has also limited home runs and stranded runners very well. If all of these skills are real, then he can be effective long-term. If he's been lucky (and watching him, he has been lucky), then this could all fall apart quickly. I apologize to Trevor Plouffe. I think he wears too much eye black, but perhaps I am wrong. Since his return from the DL, he has hit the ball very well. I thought the lack of eye black over his rehab would make for a tough adjustment upon his return. I was wrong. Perhaps he wore the eye black while injured. Saturday's game was the best of the weekend, not only because the Twins won, but because I was able to watch Glen Perkins pitch. I love to watch Glen Perkins pitch. He struck out Torii Hunter, which I always enjoy. It's more than that though. Perkins comes in and challenges hitters. He knows he has good stuff and he forces hitters to deal with it. He pumps that fastball until he needs to go to his secondary stuff and he commands his pitches extremely well. It's a shame his role only allows for him to pitch in very specific game situations. Enough with apologies and admiration, here is some madness: Former Twin Update: Danny Valencia has somehow become a fairly regular contributor to the Baltimore Orioles. I honestly thought his MLB career was over when the Twins shipped him out for bubble gum last season. Instead, he crushed AAA this season and earned a call-up to Baltimore. He doesn't need his glove anymore, as Baltimore isn't going to let him see any time in the field unless they get desperate. At the plate, he has slugged over .650 in limited DH duty this season. Baltimore is using him more against lefties, and he is crushing them as he always has. Perhaps Valencia has found his role. Cool, good for him. Random Paint Image For those who have read anything I have written this season, it is clear that I am the biggest Aaron Hicks defender/bobo in the fan base. As such, this was how I reacted when I heard that Hicks was injured and needed time on the DL: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-e4CMJsDCI/UbaYWfjxOcI/AAAAAAAAAuY/OuPjtCAhj9c/s320/mehicks.png I did get a haircut since this was drawn. It looks worse. The One Save Club Since 1961, there are 176 MLB players who have recorded exactly one save and have not started a single game. Odd combo, I agree, but taking starters out removes guys like Johan Santana, who started their careers in long relief. Your task is to name as many of the 12 Twins who have accomplished this feat. Not all 12 earned their save with the Twins. Please leave names in the comments. One player is currently playing for the Twins. I'll post the 12 names at some point, if I remember. Fun Baseball Card From the Past http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_voR0MMpdg/Ub4lPkTqQsI/AAAAAAAAAuo/hnkuERZXNjw/s320/shane_mack.jpg First, I wrote about baseball cards on Friday. If you missed it, you can read it here. You should seriously consider buying the Joe Mauer card. Second, these Studio cards were awesome. I believe the idea was that they were shot in a studio. Third, Shane Mack, if you read my blog for some reason, please let me know. I'd love to set up an interview. Not for an article or anything like that, just for me. Fourth, Mack was underrated. He did not get enough credit for his mustache. Links to some funny baseball stuff: I am not ashamed to admit that I love Grant Brisbee. I think he is funny and that is all it takes for me. This week, he chronicled the Dodgers-Diamondbacks brawl and then later graded the suspensions that were handed out as a result (of the brawl, not his article). If you like to laugh, you should read them. If you hate to laugh, you should not read them. Link to something stupid I wrote: The Twins released Anthony Slama last week, which was only notable to me because I knew it would allow me to display my vast knowledge of school-yard jerkery. I created a (fake) time line of events that shows a pattern of poor behavior toward Slama. You can read it here. It's complete stupidity. Parting Stat! The Twins play the hated White Sox this week. There have been only 8 players in MLB history who have played exclusively for the White Sox and Twins: Glenn Borgmann, Jesse Crain, Joe Crede, Jerry Crider, Eduardo Escobar, Pedro Hernandez, Randy Johnson (not the right one though), and Cotton Nash. You're probably thinking, "hey dippy, what about Earl Battey?" Well, Battey played one year for the Washington Senators, and that makes him a fat cat bureaucrat. Have a nice week, everyone!

Good stuff; very thorough! I am hoping to see a note in the near future that Pinto has been called up to Rochester. I hope we see him in the September call-ups too.

This one is $137,500: 1 1 BVG 8 5 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie 253 | eBay This one is better though, at $100,000: Signed Barry Bonds "Say No to Drugs" Autograph 1987 Fleer Rookie PSA RARE Card | eBay

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Ranking players is the single most important thing we can do as fans. If we don't know when players are better than other players, how can we properly argue about things? I certainly do not want to live in a world where rankings don't matter. However, the traditional measures - WAR, height, pants length, nicknames - are flawed. My solution: we agree to rank players based on the cost of their rookie card. I'm just going to say this, and I know it makes me sound like I'm a million years old, but baseball cards are too dern complicated. I searched eBay for this exercise and I am more confused than I would have ever thought possible. There are cards, then there are cards with different colored borders, then there are cards called "refractors." I had to look up what that word means - "one that refracts." Super helpful, dictionary. To refract is to deflect light. Why do baseball cards need to deflect light? Are we secretly developing baseball card technology to assist with fixing tears in the space/time continuum? What is going on? I am more upset than confused and I am really confused. I'm not that upset. If refractor technology exists, I suppose a baseball card is the best possible use for it. I was confused, but I've recovered. Anyway, since you know baseball cards are weird now, I present to you the ten best Twins, ranked by the cost of their most expensive rookie card. This is just simple science. I did an eBay search for each current Twin (including Aaron Hicks because I break all the rules) and made a dope spreadsheet. You can see it here. Oh, and every player has like 5000 rookie cards now, so if I got anything wrong, just calm the H down. Click each description to view/purchase the card on eBay. 10. Kevin Correia - 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Card BGS 9.5 GEM MINT Giants Twins - $79.99 Point, Terry Ryan. Obviously, Ryan knew to look up Correia's rookie card. I love the way people label their cards on eBay. Basically, you have to do anything it takes to get people to happen to search for your card. In this case, the seller knows that no one will ever look for a Correia rookie card, so you have to litter your description with other words that people might like. 80 bucks seems like a lot for any card, but this one is GEM MINT! If you are anything like me, you remember that guy with the mustache selling baseball cards in the middle of the night. Everything was gem mint, which I think is a good thing. I'm guessing it isn't a flavor. 9. Josh Willingham - 2003 Bowman Chrome GOLD Refractor SP Rookie Card RC /170 TWINS - $95.99 There's a lot going on here, so here are some translations for those who are not searching for baseball cards often. SP means short print, which I am assuming makes it more rare. /170 means there were only 170 of these cards made. RC is rookie card and also redundant when written right after the words "rookie card." The most baffling thing to me is that this card is $95.99. What kind of sociopath picks $95.99? I bet this seller tells people that he'll arrive at 7:13 and that he's about .37 miles away. Anyway, the card might be worth a little extra because Willingham is wearing one of those wrap-around ear flaps. Also, he was a first baseman, meaning he improved on the defensive spectrum as he aged. Value! 8. Glen Perkins - 2007 Exquisite Collection Rookie Futures Auto Silver Spectrum /5 - $99.99 This card is worth more because it has been autographed. The autograph sits right on a little plate, which is cute! This particular one is 4/5, and it makes me wonder if number 1 or 5 would be worth a bit more. This one is a history card as well, stating that "Perkins shines in his first contest on the hill." I wonder if Exquisite made cards like these in later years. For instance, "Perkins files his first grievance against the Twins" and "Perkins fails as a starter." That last one was unkind. A hundred bucks is a lot to spend, but you could own all five of these cards for just $500. No info on if it is gem mint or not. 7. Trevor Plouffe - SP Prospects Auto Rookie BGS 9.5/10 #'d/400 Minnesota Twins - $99.99 Plouffe wins the tie-breaker over Perkins because he had a second card also costing $100. This one is more fun than the other. Plouffe looks like he is 18 years old. He was. But, he also looks like James Franco. He wasn't. This one also contains a signature and is BGS 9.5/10. I looked that up and it means that Beckett has graded it for the seller. I grade papers all the time, maybe I should get Beckett to do them for me. There isn't much to this card. Plouffe is wearing a plain black hat and plain black shirt. I'm guessing SP did not have an MLB license, or Plouffe was trying to lose a few pounds of water weight. 6. Brian Dozier - 2012 Topps Chrome Baseball Rc Rookie Red Refractor Parallel 01/25 - $100.25 That extra quarter is really making me reconsider. Here's some solid research for you: most "chrome" cards come with various colored parallels. In this case, red is rare. There are also blues, golds, greens, xfractors (which we'll talk about later) and purples (personal fave). A hundred bucks for a Brian Dozier card is borderline crazy. This is especially true when you take advantage of this offer: 1,500 Brian Dozier rookie cards for $199.99! If you've ever thought to yourself, "man, I wish I had like 1,500 Brian Dozier rookie cards so I can swim in them like in Ducktales" then this is the eBay item for you. I did the math, that's 13 cents per card. Savings! 5. Aaron Hicks - 2011 BOWMAN CHROME RC ROOKIE GOLD REFRACTOR 14/50 - $179.99 If you had one of the fifty Aaron Hicks gold refractor rookie cards, you'd be shouting too. This one has been written on by Hicks, which the seller fails to mention. You'd think if you were trying to draw attention to your item by shouting, you'd mention one of the qualities that makes it most valuable. Regardless, this card looks very shiny. I certainly did not have any cards from my childhood that were this shiny. I noticed that it says "Topps certified autograph issue" but it was a Bowman card. I thought this must have been a huge conspiracy or a photoshop or some other shenanigans, but Topps and Bowman are the same company. How disappointing. 4. Chris Parmelee - 2006 Bowman Chrome GOLD REFRACTOR SP JERSEY 27/50 Rookie Card RC - $279.99 You're probably thinking "280 bucks for a Chris Parmelee anything?" Well one, it's an investment and two, it's marked down from $350. That's a 20% savings that you can apply to your Brian Dozier rookie card orgy. The description says "JERSEY," which confused me. First, there are cards that have pieces of jerseys in them. This is not one of those. Second, I thought maybe Parmelee is from New Jersey. He's not. I read the description and it says jersey because 27 is his jersey number and that is the number printed on the card. Well then. 3. Oswaldo Arcia - 2013 BOWMAN - MINI RED REFRACTOR ROOKIE #CC-MT3 5/5 SP!! TWINS - $299.00 I searched for "Oswaldo Arcia Rookie Card" and eBay switched it to "Oswaldo Garcia Rookie Card" and proceeded to give me results for Arcia. I immediately assumed that #CC-MT3 was some sort of robot, but it's just the card number. Also disappointing. This is a mini-card, so it's smaller. It also looks like it was rained on. I get that there are mini-cards and refractors, but it completely blows my mind that we have the technology to create mini refractor cards. And yet, we can't get to Mars. 2. Justin Morneau - 2001 BOWMAN CHROME XFRACTOR JUSTIN MORNEAU ROOKIE PSA 9 - $499.99 Morneau is listed as a catcher on this card. If you look closely though, he appears to be pitching while wearing catching gear. Safety first! According to the seller, "Card features very nice centering??" Not only is the seller not sure, he's double not sure. If you are purchasing this card for its centering, you might want to reconsider. "Xfractor" is not in the dictionary. I did look though. It appears that this technology makes the card look pixelated and might give you headaches. Perhaps this is the plan. If we can refract and xfract all at the same time, we could really do some damage. 1. Joe Mauer - 2002 BOWMAN'S BEST RED ROOKIE AUTO PSA 10 1/3 - $3,549.99 Finally, some metric shows Mauer's true value. This card has Mauer's name all over it. Literally; he autographed it. In addition, it looks pretty cool. It has the "M" logo in the back and Mauer is laying a sweet swing. It is GEM MINT 10!!! However, the "o's" and "a's" look a bit similar, so his name kind of looks like Joe Mouer. Joe Mouer can't carry a 3500 card. As it is, I can't imagine spending that much money on a baseball card, even if he did write his name on it. If nothing else, this clearly shows that Mauer is at least seven times better than anyone else on the team and roughly 35 times better than Josh Willingham. By the way, you can own Jamey Carroll's rookie card for the very affordable cost of 1 dollar with 1 dollar shipping. What a slap in the face. Perhaps if Carroll writes his name on the card, it could fetch five dollars. At long last, we have settled the debate of who the ten best Twins players are. You can officially update your personal rankings now. Maybe this was a flawed exercise. If nothing else, we have all learned that baseball cards are needlessly complicated, refractor technology can only take us so far, and if a guy writes his name all over your card, it improves the value. Happy collecting!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Ranking players is the single most important thing we can do as fans. If we don't know when players are better than other players, how can we properly argue about things? I certainly do not want to live in a world where rankings don't matter. However, the traditional measures - WAR, height, pants length, nicknames - are flawed. My solution: we agree to rank players based on the cost of their rookie card. I'm just going to say this, and I know it makes me sound like I'm a million years old, but baseball cards are too dern complicated. I searched eBay for this exercise and I am more confused than I would have ever thought possible. There are cards, then there are cards with different colored borders, then there are cards called "refractors." I had to look up what that word means - "one that refracts." Super helpful, dictionary. To refract is to deflect light. Why do baseball cards need to deflect light? Are we secretly developing baseball card technology to assist with fixing tears in the space/time continuum? What is going on? I am more upset than confused and I am really confused. I'm not that upset. If refractor technology exists, I suppose a baseball card is the best possible use for it. I was confused, but I've recovered. Anyway, since you know baseball cards are weird now, I present to you the ten best Twins, ranked by the cost of their most expensive rookie card. This is just simple science. I did an eBay search for each current Twin (including Aaron Hicks because I break all the rules) and made a dope spreadsheet. You can see it here. Oh, and every player has like 5000 rookie cards now, so if I got anything wrong, just calm the H down. Click each description to view/purchase the card on eBay. 10. Kevin Correia - 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Card BGS 9.5 GEM MINT Giants Twins - $79.99 Point, Terry Ryan. Obviously, Ryan knew to look up Correia's rookie card. I love the way people label their cards on eBay. Basically, you have to do anything it takes to get people to happen to search for your card. In this case, the seller knows that no one will ever look for a Correia rookie card, so you have to litter your description with other words that people might like. 80 bucks seems like a lot for any card, but this one is GEM MINT! If you are anything like me, you remember that guy with the mustache selling baseball cards in the middle of the night. Everything was gem mint, which I think is a good thing. I'm guessing it isn't a flavor. 9. Josh Willingham - 2003 Bowman Chrome GOLD Refractor SP Rookie Card RC /170 TWINS - $95.99 There's a lot going on here, so here are some translations for those who are not searching for baseball cards often. SP means short print, which I am assuming makes it more rare. /170 means there were only 170 of these cards made. RC is rookie card and also redundant when written right after the words "rookie card." The most baffling thing to me is that this card is $95.99. What kind of sociopath picks $95.99? I bet this seller tells people that he'll arrive at 7:13 and that he's about .37 miles away. Anyway, the card might be worth a little extra because Willingham is wearing one of those wrap-around ear flaps. Also, he was a first baseman, meaning he improved on the defensive spectrum as he aged. Value! 8. Glen Perkins - 2007 Exquisite Collection Rookie Futures Auto Silver Spectrum /5 - $99.99 This card is worth more because it has been autographed. The autograph sits right on a little plate, which is cute! This particular one is 4/5, and it makes me wonder if number 1 or 5 would be worth a bit more. This one is a history card as well, stating that "Perkins shines in his first contest on the hill." I wonder if Exquisite made cards like these in later years. For instance, "Perkins files his first grievance against the Twins" and "Perkins fails as a starter." That last one was unkind. A hundred bucks is a lot to spend, but you could own all five of these cards for just $500. No info on if it is gem mint or not. 7. Trevor Plouffe - SP Prospects Auto Rookie BGS 9.5/10 #'d/400 Minnesota Twins - $99.99 Plouffe wins the tie-breaker over Perkins because he had a second card also costing $100. This one is more fun than the other. Plouffe looks like he is 18 years old. He was. But, he also looks like James Franco. He wasn't. This one also contains a signature and is BGS 9.5/10. I looked that up and it means that Beckett has graded it for the seller. I grade papers all the time, maybe I should get Beckett to do them for me. There isn't much to this card. Plouffe is wearing a plain black hat and plain black shirt. I'm guessing SP did not have an MLB license, or Plouffe was trying to lose a few pounds of water weight. 6. Brian Dozier - 2012 Topps Chrome Baseball Rc Rookie Red Refractor Parallel 01/25 - $100.25 That extra quarter is really making me reconsider. Here's some solid research for you: most "chrome" cards come with various colored parallels. In this case, red is rare. There are also blues, golds, greens, xfractors (which we'll talk about later) and purples (personal fave). A hundred bucks for a Brian Dozier card is borderline crazy. This is especially true when you take advantage of this offer: 1,500 Brian Dozier rookie cards for $199.99! If you've ever thought to yourself, "man, I wish I had like 1,500 Brian Dozier rookie cards so I can swim in them like in Ducktales" then this is the eBay item for you. I did the math, that's 13 cents per card. Savings! 5. Aaron Hicks - 2011 BOWMAN CHROME RC ROOKIE GOLD REFRACTOR 14/50 - $179.99 If you had one of the fifty Aaron Hicks gold refractor rookie cards, you'd be shouting too. This one has been written on by Hicks, which the seller fails to mention. You'd think if you were trying to draw attention to your item by shouting, you'd mention one of the qualities that makes it most valuable. Regardless, this card looks very shiny. I certainly did not have any cards from my childhood that were this shiny. I noticed that it says "Topps certified autograph issue" but it was a Bowman card. I thought this must have been a huge conspiracy or a photoshop or some other shenanigans, but Topps and Bowman are the same company. How disappointing. 4. Chris Parmelee - 2006 Bowman Chrome GOLD REFRACTOR SP JERSEY 27/50 Rookie Card RC - $279.99 You're probably thinking "280 bucks for a Chris Parmelee anything?" Well one, it's an investment and two, it's marked down from $350. That's a 20% savings that you can apply to your Brian Dozier rookie card orgy. The description says "JERSEY," which confused me. First, there are cards that have pieces of jerseys in them. This is not one of those. Second, I thought maybe Parmelee is from New Jersey. He's not. I read the description and it says jersey because 27 is his jersey number and that is the number printed on the card. Well then. 3. Oswaldo Arcia - 2013 BOWMAN - MINI RED REFRACTOR ROOKIE #CC-MT3 5/5 SP!! TWINS - $299.00 I searched for "Oswaldo Arcia Rookie Card" and eBay switched it to "Oswaldo Garcia Rookie Card" and proceeded to give me results for Arcia. I immediately assumed that #CC-MT3 was some sort of robot, but it's just the card number. Also disappointing. This is a mini-card, so it's smaller. It also looks like it was rained on. I get that there are mini-cards and refractors, but it completely blows my mind that we have the technology to create mini refractor cards. And yet, we can't get to Mars. 2. Justin Morneau - 2001 BOWMAN CHROME XFRACTOR JUSTIN MORNEAU ROOKIE PSA 9 - $499.99 Morneau is listed as a catcher on this card. If you look closely though, he appears to be pitching while wearing catching gear. Safety first! According to the seller, "Card features very nice centering??" Not only is the seller not sure, he's double not sure. If you are purchasing this card for its centering, you might want to reconsider. "Xfractor" is not in the dictionary. I did look though. It appears that this technology makes the card look pixelated and might give you headaches. Perhaps this is the plan. If we can refract and xfract all at the same time, we could really do some damage. 1. Joe Mauer - 2002 BOWMAN'S BEST RED ROOKIE AUTO PSA 10 1/3 - $3,549.99 Finally, some metric shows Mauer's true value. This card has Mauer's name all over it. Literally; he autographed it. In addition, it looks pretty cool. It has the "M" logo in the back and Mauer is laying a sweet swing. It is GEM MINT 10!!! However, the "o's" and "a's" look a bit similar, so his name kind of looks like Joe Mouer. Joe Mouer can't carry a 3500 card. As it is, I can't imagine spending that much money on a baseball card, even if he did write his name on it. If nothing else, this clearly shows that Mauer is at least seven times better than anyone else on the team and roughly 35 times better than Josh Willingham. By the way, you can own Jamey Carroll's rookie card for the very affordable cost of 1 dollar with 1 dollar shipping. What a slap in the face. Perhaps if Carroll writes his name on the card, it could fetch five dollars. At long last, we have settled the debate of who the ten best Twins players are. You can officially update your personal rankings now. Maybe this was a flawed exercise. If nothing else, we have all learned that baseball cards are needlessly complicated, refractor technology can only take us so far, and if a guy writes his name all over your card, it improves the value. Happy collecting!

25-740 Chad Christianson--Congrats! You can leave Nebraska! lolz

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The 2013 MLB draft has come and gone. The Twins have added somewhere between 20 and 40 new players to their organization and I have no clue who 99% of them are. I do have access to Baseball Reference and the internet as a whole. In an effort to better acquaint myself with some future Twins, I will also subject each of you to a bunch of clumsily constructed jokes and feeble attempts at punnery. In that way, we all benefit. I also plan to make statements regarding players I have never seen. But then, that's what makes me such a colorful character/scamp. I also threw together some 25 Drafts in 25 Days Bonus Features, as if that were a thing that anyone would want. You can find it here: 25 Drafts DVD Bonus Features. It's easily the most self-indulgent thing I have ever done, and I once made a t-shirt of my own face. 1st Round Pick With the fourth pick in the 2013 MLB Rule 4 draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Kohl Stewart, a right-handed starting pitcher out of St. Pius X High School in Tomball, Texas. Now that all the formal stuff is out of the way, I need to figure out a good way to work in a Kohls "joke." Stewart is an exciting young player. He throws hard and apparently has a nasty slider. I watched some video of him and I don't see any future loose or torn ligaments, so that's positive. I feel a bit badly for him, as he has to follow the legend of Byron Buxton, but hopefully everyone will remember that each player is different and we're all humans and be kind rewind, and whatnot. I know that I am excited that there is even a possibility that the Twins just selected a player who could one day become an Ace. Ah, but what if? The 2013 draft was characterized by the emergence of a "big three." Mark Appel and Jonathan Gray are two college pitchers considered to be high-end talents with great stuff and great command. Each could move through their new systems quickly. Kris Bryant is a power-hitting third baseman. Power-hitting is an understatement. At one point, he had hit more home runs than about 75% of college teams. Teams, Jerry! Each was drafted in the top three, so the Twins did not even have an opportunity to grab them. But what if they had dropped? It seems the Twins would have taken Stewart anyway, which would have opened them up to criticism. Luckily for everyone, Stewart was the best available player at 4 and the Twins liked him a lot. Win win. Best Late Round Pick The guy from Minnesota, right? Logan Shore pitched for Coon Rapids High School and the Twins drafted him in the 29th round. From what it sounds like, he will not sign with the Twins and instead will head to the University of Florida. I had a mean Coon Rapids joke here, but I don't have the heart for it. I love Coon Rapids. They have a Popeyes. Who'll be the first to reach the Majors? I have no clue. However, second-round pick Ryan Eades seems like he could make it to Minnesota before anyone else. Eades is far from MLB-ready, but he is older than many of the players the Twins drafted. Age is more than a number, Aaliyah. Eades didn't strike out a lot of batters in college, but coming to the Twins organization should solve that issue. Plus, he already had his major arm surgery, so that certainly gives him an additional boost. If he is good enough, he could be the first. Best Prospects Kohl Stewart is by far the best prospect from this group. That doesn't mean that a couple guys can't jump up and join him, but when you look at this equation, it's hard to argue for anyone else: age + stuff + delivery + Texas + pitcher + upside + name stars with K + K stands for strikeout = best prospect. Ryan Eades seemed to be a bit of an unpopular pick. His strikeout rate made everyone nutty, assuming the Twins had reverted back to their P2C ways. However, I actually like this pick. Eades has performed well in college and has held up after his labrum surgery. The 43rd pick is hardly a place where constant all-stars are found. If Eades can be a 4th or 5th starter, this would be a fantastic pick. 4th-round pick Stephen Gonsalves could be a guy who jumps up the Twins' prospect list, if he develops. Check out his . There's a lot going on in that wind-up, but his delivery looks fine. Working with pro coaches can only help. Anyway, he looks projectable, he's 6'5", he's left-handed, he throws in the 90s already, he looks athletic and he has a sweet name. I'm drooling. This could be a great pick. 3rd-round pick Stuart Turner, 6th-round pick Brian Navarretto, and 9th-round pick Mitchell Garver all share one quality: they protect the umpires. As catchers, they also represent one of the weaker areas in the Twins system. Each is considered a good defensive catcher, while Navarretto probably has some added offensive upside. He has also already punched at least one opposing player. Turner had great stats, but isn't considered to have much offensive upside. However, if any of these three can become even a quality backup catcher, it would be a win. Everyone loves home runs, but singles and walks win games too. Analogy! Best Name 35th-Round Pick Nick Lemoncelli Fun Facts The Twins selected Tanner Vavra in the 30th round. Not only is he Joe Vavra's son, but he is also blind in one eye. That's amazing. I literally have better than perfect vision (20/15, I know, bragger) and I can't hit a baseball to save my life. Good for him, I hope he makes it. Torii Hunter Jr was drafted in the 36th round, by Torii Hunter's Detroit Tigers. If you asked me, "Brad, what is Torii Hunter's son's name? Bear in mind, you get one guess and if you are wrong, I get to punch you in the trachea," I would guess Torii. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if Torii names all his kids, pets, bats, gloves, and just about anything Torii. The man loves Torii. Proof of concept - I asked my wife the same question (no trachea threat). Her response - Torii Jr. She didn't even hesitate. Zack Granite was drafted in the 14th round. If baseball doesn't work out, he would make a beautiful statue. The Twins did not draft Cory Hahn. The Diamondbacks selected him in the 34th round. If you don't know his story, Hahn was paralyzed when he slid into second base in his third college game with ASU. Hahn was a legit player, winning California's Mr. Baseball in 2010 and playing for Team USA while in high school. He wore number 34 for ASU and the Diamondbacks took him in round 34. Very cool. They want to get him into their front office. Baseball is cool. 2013 Twins? 2015 Twins? It's lunacy to think that any of these guys will play for the Twins in 2013. However, I do think there is an outside chance that Eades and/or Turner play for the 2015 Twins. If Turner is as good defensively as advertised, he might be able to back-up Joe Mauer in a couple seasons. If Eades is as "Twinspitchery" as advertised, he could be a spot starter by 2015. One Sentence Summary Twins Daily dominated 2013 Twins draft coverage.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The 2013 MLB draft has come and gone. The Twins have added somewhere between 20 and 40 new players to their organization and I have no clue who 99% of them are. I do have access to Baseball Reference and the internet as a whole. In an effort to better acquaint myself with some future Twins, I will also subject each of you to a bunch of clumsily constructed jokes and feeble attempts at punnery. In that way, we all benefit. I also plan to make statements regarding players I have never seen. But then, that's what makes me such a colorful character/scamp. I also threw together some 25 Drafts in 25 Days Bonus Features, as if that were a thing that anyone would want. You can find it here: 25 Drafts DVD Bonus Features. It's easily the most self-indulgent thing I have ever done, and I once made a t-shirt of my own face. 1st Round Pick With the fourth pick in the 2013 MLB Rule 4 draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Kohl Stewart, a right-handed starting pitcher out of St. Pius X High School in Tomball, Texas. Now that all the formal stuff is out of the way, I need to figure out a good way to work in a Kohls "joke." Stewart is an exciting young player. He throws hard and apparently has a nasty slider. I watched some video of him and I don't see any future loose or torn ligaments, so that's positive. I feel a bit badly for him, as he has to follow the legend of Byron Buxton, but hopefully everyone will remember that each player is different and we're all humans and be kind rewind, and whatnot. I know that I am excited that there is even a possibility that the Twins just selected a player who could one day become an Ace. Ah, but what if? The 2013 draft was characterized by the emergence of a "big three." Mark Appel and Jonathan Gray are two college pitchers considered to be high-end talents with great stuff and great command. Each could move through their new systems quickly. Kris Bryant is a power-hitting third baseman. Power-hitting is an understatement. At one point, he had hit more home runs than about 75% of college teams. Teams, Jerry! Each was drafted in the top three, so the Twins did not even have an opportunity to grab them. But what if they had dropped? It seems the Twins would have taken Stewart anyway, which would have opened them up to criticism. Luckily for everyone, Stewart was the best available player at 4 and the Twins liked him a lot. Win win. Best Late Round Pick The guy from Minnesota, right? Logan Shore pitched for Coon Rapids High School and the Twins drafted him in the 29th round. From what it sounds like, he will not sign with the Twins and instead will head to the University of Florida. I had a mean Coon Rapids joke here, but I don't have the heart for it. I love Coon Rapids. They have a Popeyes. Who'll be the first to reach the Majors? I have no clue. However, second-round pick Ryan Eades seems like he could make it to Minnesota before anyone else. Eades is far from MLB-ready, but he is older than many of the players the Twins drafted. Age is more than a number, Aaliyah. Eades didn't strike out a lot of batters in college, but coming to the Twins organization should solve that issue. Plus, he already had his major arm surgery, so that certainly gives him an additional boost. If he is good enough, he could be the first. Best Prospects Kohl Stewart is by far the best prospect from this group. That doesn't mean that a couple guys can't jump up and join him, but when you look at this equation, it's hard to argue for anyone else: age + stuff + delivery + Texas + pitcher + upside + name stars with K + K stands for strikeout = best prospect. Ryan Eades seemed to be a bit of an unpopular pick. His strikeout rate made everyone nutty, assuming the Twins had reverted back to their P2C ways. However, I actually like this pick. Eades has performed well in college and has held up after his labrum surgery. The 43rd pick is hardly a place where constant all-stars are found. If Eades can be a 4th or 5th starter, this would be a fantastic pick. 4th-round pick Stephen Gonsalves could be a guy who jumps up the Twins' prospect list, if he develops. Check out his . There's a lot going on in that wind-up, but his delivery looks fine. Working with pro coaches can only help. Anyway, he looks projectable, he's 6'5", he's left-handed, he throws in the 90s already, he looks athletic and he has a sweet name. I'm drooling. This could be a great pick. 3rd-round pick Stuart Turner, 6th-round pick Brian Navarretto, and 9th-round pick Mitchell Garver all share one quality: they protect the umpires. As catchers, they also represent one of the weaker areas in the Twins system. Each is considered a good defensive catcher, while Navarretto probably has some added offensive upside. He has also already punched at least one opposing player. Turner had great stats, but isn't considered to have much offensive upside. However, if any of these three can become even a quality backup catcher, it would be a win. Everyone loves home runs, but singles and walks win games too. Analogy! Best Name 35th-Round Pick Nick Lemoncelli Fun Facts The Twins selected Tanner Vavra in the 30th round. Not only is he Joe Vavra's son, but he is also blind in one eye. That's amazing. I literally have better than perfect vision (20/15, I know, bragger) and I can't hit a baseball to save my life. Good for him, I hope he makes it. Torii Hunter Jr was drafted in the 36th round, by Torii Hunter's Detroit Tigers. If you asked me, "Brad, what is Torii Hunter's son's name? Bear in mind, you get one guess and if you are wrong, I get to punch you in the trachea," I would guess Torii. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if Torii names all his kids, pets, bats, gloves, and just about anything Torii. The man loves Torii. Proof of concept - I asked my wife the same question (no trachea threat). Her response - Torii Jr. She didn't even hesitate. Zack Granite was drafted in the 14th round. If baseball doesn't work out, he would make a beautiful statue. The Twins did not draft Cory Hahn. The Diamondbacks selected him in the 34th round. If you don't know his story, Hahn was paralyzed when he slid into second base in his third college game with ASU. Hahn was a legit player, winning California's Mr. Baseball in 2010 and playing for Team USA while in high school. He wore number 34 for ASU and the Diamondbacks took him in round 34. Very cool. They want to get him into their front office. Baseball is cool. 2013 Twins? 2015 Twins? It's lunacy to think that any of these guys will play for the Twins in 2013. However, I do think there is an outside chance that Eades and/or Turner play for the 2015 Twins. If Turner is as good defensively as advertised, he might be able to back-up Joe Mauer in a couple seasons. If Eades is as "Twinspitchery" as advertised, he could be a spot starter by 2015. One Sentence Summary Twins Daily dominated 2013 Twins draft coverage.