Brad Swanson

Yeah, I don't think either team would go for it.

I would say that a first is fair. For instance, if you asked a team if they would rather have a LaTroy Hawkins-type player or the 28th pick, I'd think a lot of teams would take Hawkins (depending on price). However, the Twins also got a first-round supplemental pick, which seems really high. When Jacque Jones signed with the Cubs, the Twins got a 4th round supplemental pick. By the way, your avatar is terrifying.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Hello again, Twins Daily. We are getting closer and closer to draft day. With a little over a week left until the Twins make their next draft choices, I present to you my recaps from 2001, 2002, and 2003. Just click the years to see which of those three drafts was the most handsome. Here is 2004: The 2003 draft produced Scott Baker and heartache. First-round pick Matt Moses never reached the Majors, marking the 3rd time in 6 years where the Twins' top pick did not play MLB baseball (not the video game, the real life). Adam Johnson was one of the three who made it, so I'm not sure that really counts. The solution to that problem? Have a whole mess of first round picks! The Twins had five in 2004. Five! They received a first and a supplemental first for both Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins. Both of those guys had their moments, but wow, that is just way too much compensation. The Twins would not complain. Would they cash in? 1st Round Picks They kind of cashed in. With the 20th pick, the Twins selected Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe was a high school shortstop and has proved to be a relatively valuable player due to his power and low salary. With the 22nd pick, the Twins selected Glen Perkins. Perkins did not pan out as a starter, but has become a reliable closer. The next three don't go so well. Kyle Waldrop at 25, Matt Fox at 35 and Jay Rainville at 39. Waldrop and Fox pitched briefly for the Twins and Rainville was out of baseball after 2009. Waldrop is having a really good season at AAA for Pittsburgh, but that's of little value these days. These five first-round picks have produced just under 6.0 WAR so far. I do expect that number to climb, mostly from Perkins and possibly from Plouffe. Ah, but what if? Let's keep Perkins. Other than Perkins, there are probably four names the Twins would rather have. Gio Gonzalez went 38th, right before Rainville. In the second round, Yovani Gallardo went 46th, Hunter Pence went 64th and Dustin Pedroia went 65th. What if the Twins had somehow hit the jackpot and left the 2004 draft with Perkins, Gonzalez, Gallardo, Pence and Pedroia? I believe MLB would just stop holding drafts and award the Twins the winners. Also, what if the Twins could have packaged their five firsts and traded up for Justin Verlander? That would be cool. Although, I'm not sure those five firsts were worth the second-overall pick, where Verlander went. Also, it's very cool to follow the rules, so this scenario is actually uncool. So many what ifs! Best Player Drafted Glen Perkins, which sounds like a nice fielded area to visit. Perkins did not thrive as a starter, as I mentioned before. He also did not appreciate the treatment he received from the organization. However, fences were mended and then immediately destroyed by Perkins' revived fastball. It seems that relieving agrees with Perkins, as he has turned into a dominant closer. Seems appropriate that he was compensation for losing Eddie Guardado. Worst Player to Reach MLB In 2010, Matt Fox made one start with the Twins, going 5.2 innings and giving up four runs, eight hits, two walks with no strikeouts. He then made three appearances with Boston, giving up two more earned runs in 1.2 innings. He never recorded a strikeout. At least not yet... He's still kicking around, pitching for the Mets' AAA team. The One Who Got Away Toronto's own Rene Tosoni! Tosoni was a 34th-round pick out of Terry Fox SS, which probably stands for Super School or something Canadian that I am not aware of. However, Tosoni wanted to pursue his dream of playing one year at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, so he did not sign. Don't be too sad, we all know how this story ends. Best Name Eammon Portice, in the 17th round. He did not sign, but he made an impact with his name. Fun Facts Trevor Plouffe went to Crespi Carmelite High School, which sounds like a tasty candy bar. 32nd-round selection Nolan Mulligan was drafted three times, which seems appropriate. The Twins drafted Anthony Swarzak with the 61st overall pick in the second round. At least, that's what they want you to think... Twins' 18th-round pick Josh Rose was the inspiration for Seal's song, "Kiss from a Rose." 16th-round pick Matt Tolbert looks a little bit like a bird. Four of the Twins' five first-round picks reached the Majors. I think that's pretty good. All those drafted who made it to the Bigs Glen Perkins, Kyle Waldrop, Anthony Swarzak, Matt Tolbert, Matt Fox, Trevor Plouffe, and Rene Tosoni One Sentence Summary It would be impossible to convert five first-round picks. Link to the Twins' 2004 draft from Baseball Reference

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Hello again, Twins Daily. We are getting closer and closer to draft day. With a little over a week left until the Twins make their next draft choices, I present to you my recaps from 2001, 2002, and 2003. Just click the years to see which of those three drafts was the most handsome. Here is 2004: The 2003 draft produced Scott Baker and heartache. First-round pick Matt Moses never reached the Majors, marking the 3rd time in 6 years where the Twins' top pick did not play MLB baseball (not the video game, the real life). Adam Johnson was one of the three who made it, so I'm not sure that really counts. The solution to that problem? Have a whole mess of first round picks! The Twins had five in 2004. Five! They received a first and a supplemental first for both Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins. Both of those guys had their moments, but wow, that is just way too much compensation. The Twins would not complain. Would they cash in? 1st Round Picks They kind of cashed in. With the 20th pick, the Twins selected Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe was a high school shortstop and has proved to be a relatively valuable player due to his power and low salary. With the 22nd pick, the Twins selected Glen Perkins. Perkins did not pan out as a starter, but has become a reliable closer. The next three don't go so well. Kyle Waldrop at 25, Matt Fox at 35 and Jay Rainville at 39. Waldrop and Fox pitched briefly for the Twins and Rainville was out of baseball after 2009. Waldrop is having a really good season at AAA for Pittsburgh, but that's of little value these days. These five first-round picks have produced just under 6.0 WAR so far. I do expect that number to climb, mostly from Perkins and possibly from Plouffe. Ah, but what if? Let's keep Perkins. Other than Perkins, there are probably four names the Twins would rather have. Gio Gonzalez went 38th, right before Rainville. In the second round, Yovani Gallardo went 46th, Hunter Pence went 64th and Dustin Pedroia went 65th. What if the Twins had somehow hit the jackpot and left the 2004 draft with Perkins, Gonzalez, Gallardo, Pence and Pedroia? I believe MLB would just stop holding drafts and award the Twins the winners. Also, what if the Twins could have packaged their five firsts and traded up for Justin Verlander? That would be cool. Although, I'm not sure those five firsts were worth the second-overall pick, where Verlander went. Also, it's very cool to follow the rules, so this scenario is actually uncool. So many what ifs! Best Player Drafted Glen Perkins, which sounds like a nice fielded area to visit. Perkins did not thrive as a starter, as I mentioned before. He also did not appreciate the treatment he received from the organization. However, fences were mended and then immediately destroyed by Perkins' revived fastball. It seems that relieving agrees with Perkins, as he has turned into a dominant closer. Seems appropriate that he was compensation for losing Eddie Guardado. Worst Player to Reach MLB In 2010, Matt Fox made one start with the Twins, going 5.2 innings and giving up four runs, eight hits, two walks with no strikeouts. He then made three appearances with Boston, giving up two more earned runs in 1.2 innings. He never recorded a strikeout. At least not yet... He's still kicking around, pitching for the Mets' AAA team. The One Who Got Away Toronto's own Rene Tosoni! Tosoni was a 34th-round pick out of Terry Fox SS, which probably stands for Super School or something Canadian that I am not aware of. However, Tosoni wanted to pursue his dream of playing one year at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, so he did not sign. Don't be too sad, we all know how this story ends. Best Name Eammon Portice, in the 17th round. He did not sign, but he made an impact with his name. Fun Facts Trevor Plouffe went to Crespi Carmelite High School, which sounds like a tasty candy bar. 32nd-round selection Nolan Mulligan was drafted three times, which seems appropriate. The Twins drafted Anthony Swarzak with the 61st overall pick in the second round. At least, that's what they want you to think... Twins' 18th-round pick Josh Rose was the inspiration for Seal's song, "Kiss from a Rose." 16th-round pick Matt Tolbert looks a little bit like a bird. Four of the Twins' five first-round picks reached the Majors. I think that's pretty good. All those drafted who made it to the Bigs Glen Perkins, Kyle Waldrop, Anthony Swarzak, Matt Tolbert, Matt Fox, Trevor Plouffe, and Rene Tosoni One Sentence Summary It would be impossible to convert five first-round picks. Link to the Twins' 2004 draft from Baseball Reference

Looks like he was a nice player. His stats remind me a bit of Shane Mack but with more power and less defense. His '77 and '78 seasons are even better than that. Unfortunately, he played his final game a few months before I was born.

Burnett might be the first player to ever play for each MLB team in one year. I can't believe Jason Pridie is still around. As for Larry Hisle, I can't pretend I ever saw him play, but I'll place him at number 11 based on your word.

What I find interesting is that three very young pitchers are being discussed in this thread. Kyle Gibson is the great unknown, as he has not made an MLB start, but he is a promising player who we have heard about for years. Liam Hendriks came up through the system and had great success until reaching Minnesota and experiencing major failure. Vance Worley was acquired in a trade for a very popular player. He has had Minor and Major League success, but none with this organization. Gibson's stock is up, while Hendriks and Worley have seen their stock drop. The interesting thing is that each is roughly the same age. Gibson is only a month younger than Worley, and Hendriks is nearly a year-and-a-half younger than the others. While some are begging for Gibson, some are giving up on Hendriks and Worley. Hendriks and Worley are basically being punished by those who want to give up on them, simply for making it to the Majors at a younger age. Age isn't the only factor of course, but each of these players has given the Twins organization a reason to wait patiently while they continue to develop. There's basically no reason to give up on Worley or Hendriks, especially if we are holding our breath for Kyle Gibson at the same time.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1782-Monday-Morning-Madness

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins lost three of four from the Tigers this weekend and have now lost eleven of their last twelve. Yikes. After flirting with .500 through six weeks, the Twins now have the second worst record in the American League. The Twins are 11th in runs scored and 11th in runs allowed. Bad combo, bro. The dream has died, as this team doesn't appear to have the talent to hover at .500 for a full season. The Front Office had a busy week too. Here is a list of moves that were made this week: Pedro Hernandez sent to AAA Caleb Thielbar called up to Minnesota Trevor Plouffe placed on seven-day DL. Chris Colabello called up to Minnesota and added to the 40-man roster Darin Mastroianni transferred to 60-day DL Vance Worley sent to AAA Tim Wood transferred to 60-day DL Oswaldo Arcia sent to AAA Samuel Deduno called up to Minnesota and added to the 40-man roster P.J. Walters called up to Minnesota and added to the 40-man roster Joe Benson placed on outright waivers and claimed by the Texas Rangers Wilkin Ramirez placed on seven-day DL Chris Herrmann called up to Minnesota WOW! Have you ever played in a fantasy league with that one guy who makes a billion moves per year? Even that guy is exhausted looking at this list. I don't think that any of the individual moves are all that upsetting alone. I don't like sending Arcia to AAA and I didn't like waiving Benson, but each move makes sense individually. When these moves are coupled with the Twins' poor play, the level of discontent within the Twins fan base only increases. The one move that wasn't made is probably the move that is most upsetting to Twins fans. Kyle Gibson was not one of the two starting pitchers called up, and since he was on the 40-man, his call-up would have made the Benson move moot. The Twins want Gibson to be more consistent and they want to further his development, but they made that choice at the expense of another young player who is now with another organization. The Front Office often has to make tough decisions. At times, their decisions look questionable and at times they look flat-out stupid. Personally, I don't see any flat-out stupid decisions in the list above. Some of the moves look smarter than others, but that's just the way it goes. Since things haven't been great in the past week or so, let's try to have some fun. On to the Madness! Random Photoshops http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QxKL7x7QfMw/UaKZMRUWNOI/AAAAAAAAAsw/bgQzL83ecPE/s400/belve.jpg We're off to a bad start. Here's the deal. I thought of this in the middle of the night. I woke up giggling, typed it into my phone and then executed it in the morning. All along the way, I was seeing how stupid it was, but I went through with it. I am a determined individual. As if some form of compromise, I decided that it was fine that it looks horrible. If you want some context, click here. I'm not sure the context really helps though. All is not lost, as the photoshop above did inspire this one: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E3ClfwpaSWc/UaKZTzDdvBI/AAAAAAAAAs4/mk3JveOGgNI/s400/just_the_ten_of+wayne.jpg See, all is never lost. And yes, I am obsessed with Gary Wayne. Random Link Grant Brisbee is just fantastic and I know I have linked to him before. However, he's just that good. Here is something he wrote about the Rafael Soriano/Bryce Harper kerfuffle from last week. It has great balance of gifs, analysis and calling a guy a dingus. KWL Chart Here is a KWL chart I made with Sam Deduno as the topic. Remember, the KWL chart tells you what I know, what I want to know and what I have learned. Pro-tip, click on it. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fYOX6aFNb_g/UaKZdHfMl-I/AAAAAAAAAtA/aVjlfDjt8L0/s640/KWL+Deduno.png Former Twin Update Danny Valencia is somehow back in the Majors. He has been acting as Baltimore's DH the past few games, which keeps him the court-mandated 50 feet from third base while holding a glove. Valencia is slugging over .600 and has two home runs in just five games! He, Alexi Casilla, and J.J. Hardy make up a third of the Orioles' lineup and yet they are 27-23. Baseball is wild. I look forward to watching Chris Parmelee patrol their right field area in a couple seasons. Kidding! Liz Thoughts Every so often I will present thoughts directly from my wife. Liz is a big-time baseball fan. She has some crazy ideas. She generally thinks all players are overweight and that their pants are too long. In addition, she has no patience for any form of poor play. She does not grade on a curve for young players, old players or injured players. That sounds so familiar... She had some thoughts on Gardy that I am going paraphrase in order to clean it up and clear it up: "Gardy gets tossed all the time! It's all an act. He doesn't even look that angry, he's just trying to get on camera and get attention. He shouldn't get paid for games when he gets thrown out. If I were manager, I'd get thrown out all the time and go hang out in the clubhouse and collect my check. (I tell her that he might be trying to fire the team up). That's stupid." Random Top 10 List The Twins head to Milwaukee for an early week series with the Brewers. There are only 47 players who have played for both the Twins and the Brewers in their career. That number seems low, but who am I to question Baseball Reference? Here are the Top Ten players who played for both the Twins and the Brewers, in order based on my own personal preferences: Paul Molitor - all-time great Brian Harper - combo of hitting/mullet Corey Koskie - Canada Tom Brunansky - bonus points for being traded for Tom Herr J.J. Hardy - very handsome Henry Blanco - purely sentimental Rich Becker - 1996 season Grant Balfour - Australia LaTroy Hawkins - he's still active! Carlos Gomez - "Joe Mauer, the first baseman, and the other guy" BTW - 47. Livan Hernandez. Link to something stupid I wrote I wrote something about how I would punish fans if elected to the Presidency and if the President had the power to punish fans. It's pretty stupid, so it certainly fits in this section. I'd say I'm half-kidding, half-serious, half-hungry. You can find it here. If you agree, please contribute to my Kickstarter campaign for President. Parting Haiku Lush curly blonde hair A wild and hot demeanor I will miss you Joe Have a great week everyone!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins lost three of four from the Tigers this weekend and have now lost eleven of their last twelve. Yikes. After flirting with .500 through six weeks, the Twins now have the second worst record in the American League. The Twins are 11th in runs scored and 11th in runs allowed. Bad combo, bro. The dream has died, as this team doesn't appear to have the talent to hover at .500 for a full season. The Front Office had a busy week too. Here is a list of moves that were made this week: Pedro Hernandez sent to AAA Caleb Thielbar called up to Minnesota Trevor Plouffe placed on seven-day DL. Chris Colabello called up to Minnesota and added to the 40-man roster Darin Mastroianni transferred to 60-day DL Vance Worley sent to AAA Tim Wood transferred to 60-day DL Oswaldo Arcia sent to AAA Samuel Deduno called up to Minnesota and added to the 40-man roster P.J. Walters called up to Minnesota and added to the 40-man roster Joe Benson placed on outright waivers and claimed by the Texas Rangers Wilkin Ramirez placed on seven-day DL Chris Herrmann called up to Minnesota WOW! Have you ever played in a fantasy league with that one guy who makes a billion moves per year? Even that guy is exhausted looking at this list. I don't think that any of the individual moves are all that upsetting alone. I don't like sending Arcia to AAA and I didn't like waiving Benson, but each move makes sense individually. When these moves are coupled with the Twins' poor play, the level of discontent within the Twins fan base only increases. The one move that wasn't made is probably the move that is most upsetting to Twins fans. Kyle Gibson was not one of the two starting pitchers called up, and since he was on the 40-man, his call-up would have made the Benson move moot. The Twins want Gibson to be more consistent and they want to further his development, but they made that choice at the expense of another young player who is now with another organization. The Front Office often has to make tough decisions. At times, their decisions look questionable and at times they look flat-out stupid. Personally, I don't see any flat-out stupid decisions in the list above. Some of the moves look smarter than others, but that's just the way it goes. Since things haven't been great in the past week or so, let's try to have some fun. On to the Madness! Random Photoshops http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QxKL7x7QfMw/UaKZMRUWNOI/AAAAAAAAAsw/bgQzL83ecPE/s400/belve.jpg We're off to a bad start. Here's the deal. I thought of this in the middle of the night. I woke up giggling, typed it into my phone and then executed it in the morning. All along the way, I was seeing how stupid it was, but I went through with it. I am a determined individual. As if some form of compromise, I decided that it was fine that it looks horrible. If you want some context, click here. I'm not sure the context really helps though. All is not lost, as the photoshop above did inspire this one: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E3ClfwpaSWc/UaKZTzDdvBI/AAAAAAAAAs4/mk3JveOGgNI/s400/just_the_ten_of+wayne.jpg See, all is never lost. And yes, I am obsessed with Gary Wayne. Random Link Grant Brisbee is just fantastic and I know I have linked to him before. However, he's just that good. Here is something he wrote about the Rafael Soriano/Bryce Harper kerfuffle from last week. It has great balance of gifs, analysis and calling a guy a dingus. KWL Chart Here is a KWL chart I made with Sam Deduno as the topic. Remember, the KWL chart tells you what I know, what I want to know and what I have learned. Pro-tip, click on it. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fYOX6aFNb_g/UaKZdHfMl-I/AAAAAAAAAtA/aVjlfDjt8L0/s640/KWL+Deduno.png Former Twin Update Danny Valencia is somehow back in the Majors. He has been acting as Baltimore's DH the past few games, which keeps him the court-mandated 50 feet from third base while holding a glove. Valencia is slugging over .600 and has two home runs in just five games! He, Alexi Casilla, and J.J. Hardy make up a third of the Orioles' lineup and yet they are 27-23. Baseball is wild. I look forward to watching Chris Parmelee patrol their right field area in a couple seasons. Kidding! Liz Thoughts Every so often I will present thoughts directly from my wife. Liz is a big-time baseball fan. She has some crazy ideas. She generally thinks all players are overweight and that their pants are too long. In addition, she has no patience for any form of poor play. She does not grade on a curve for young players, old players or injured players. That sounds so familiar... She had some thoughts on Gardy that I am going paraphrase in order to clean it up and clear it up: "Gardy gets tossed all the time! It's all an act. He doesn't even look that angry, he's just trying to get on camera and get attention. He shouldn't get paid for games when he gets thrown out. If I were manager, I'd get thrown out all the time and go hang out in the clubhouse and collect my check. (I tell her that he might be trying to fire the team up). That's stupid." Random Top 10 List The Twins head to Milwaukee for an early week series with the Brewers. There are only 47 players who have played for both the Twins and the Brewers in their career. That number seems low, but who am I to question Baseball Reference? Here are the Top Ten players who played for both the Twins and the Brewers, in order based on my own personal preferences: Paul Molitor - all-time great Brian Harper - combo of hitting/mullet Corey Koskie - Canada Tom Brunansky - bonus points for being traded for Tom Herr J.J. Hardy - very handsome Henry Blanco - purely sentimental Rich Becker - 1996 season Grant Balfour - Australia LaTroy Hawkins - he's still active! Carlos Gomez - "Joe Mauer, the first baseman, and the other guy" BTW - 47. Livan Hernandez. Link to something stupid I wrote I wrote something about how I would punish fans if elected to the Presidency and if the President had the power to punish fans. It's pretty stupid, so it certainly fits in this section. I'd say I'm half-kidding, half-serious, half-hungry. You can find it here. If you agree, please contribute to my Kickstarter campaign for President. Parting Haiku Lush curly blonde hair A wild and hot demeanor I will miss you Joe Have a great week everyone!

Benson hit a home run today.

Both Parks and Chris Mellen of BP have tweeted something to this effect. But each admitted they had only seen him a couple times. It seemed to stem from lack of fastball command and a lack of a consistent third pitch.

This is a really good point. I think I was confusing emotional and fiery and these are clearly two completely different things for Benson. If he beats himself up that much then who knows, maybe he needs some professional counseling or something. It's possible the Twins had him working with a psychologist, but the more I learn about Benson, the clearer it becomes that he was a prime candidate for a fresh start elsewhere.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1774-Joe-Benson-Not-a-Twin-Minnesota-Twins

Lost in all this is that if the Twins need a center fielder if perhaps, Wilkin Ramirez tries to run through Josh Willingham, they will need to make another 40-man move to get Thomas or Richardson up to Minnesota.

Hey! Don't drag me into this. I just got here. Actually, I'm more arrogant than condescending, so I withdraw my original complaint.

It's an odd choice, in my opinion, but I understand why it was made. Benson might get a shot in Texas. He's kind of got a Texas-style brash personality. Personally, I always liked Benson and I hope he puts it together for the Rangers.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I had intended to run some errands this afternoon, but then I saw this tweet: Joe Benson is a member of the Texas Rangers organization... — Seth Stohs (@SethTweets) May 25, 2013 I was confused, but I knew this was an option. The Twins needed a 40-man spot for the immortal P.J. Walters, and Benson has been injured or terrible ever since his 2011 September call-up. Even in earning his 2011 promotion, he had basically played two full seasons at AA to get to Minnesota. It is still a confusing move. Then this tweet came along: Joe Benson was placed on outright waivers and claimed by the Rangers — Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) May 25, 2013 He was just outright waived, which pretty much says all you need to know about how Benson was looked at within the Twins' organization. In a lot of ways, he probably earned his reputation, after failing to grow as a player since leaving AA. Just take a look at how Benson has moved since September 2011: September 2011: Promoted to MLB, plays in 21 games, hits .239/.270/.352 and strikes out a lot (23-years-old, no experience above AA). Benson was also fined by Ron Gardenhire for wearing a suit in the clubhouse. This was a joke, but still extremely stupid and an event that lead to various eye-rolls from yours truly. Winter 2012: Baseball America lists Benson as the 99th best prospect in baseball. March 2012: Benson is assigned to AAA, Terry Ryan has this to say: "We just need to control the emotional part of his game; he gets a little excited," Ryan said. "We don't want to change his personality, I can tell you that, because he brings a little edge to him." April 2012: Benson gets off to an extremely slow start in Rochester, hitting .190/.286/.354 May 2012: Benson is sent to AA New Britain, where he does not hit any better. May 24, 2012: Benson has surgery to repair his left hamate bone, which sidelines him for six weeks. June 28, 2012: Benson returns to active play. July 16, 2012: Benson returns to New Britain. August 2012: Benson returns to not hitting well, hitting .109/.169/.200 in 14 August games September 2012: Benson is not part of 2012 September call-ups because he needs surgery on his left knee, which sidelines him for four months. March 2013: Benson does not perform well in Spring Training, is assigned to AAA. April 2013: Benson hits .217/.278/.337 at Rochester, starts losing starts to Clete Thomas. May 2013: Benson hits .162/.230/.221. May 25, 2012: Benson is put on outright waivers by the Twins and claimed by the Texas Rangers. That is a pretty sucky timeline for Benson. Not only is he not hitting well throughout, but he keeps getting injured and he keeps falling further and further from the Twins' good graces. I don't have many quotes or anecdotes regarding Benson beyond the two I shared at the beginning of the timeline. However, it is pretty clear to see that Benson did not fit in well with this organization. I really gristle at the Terry Ryan quote. I understand the desire to control the emotional part of his game, but if that is something he has been trying over the past two seasons, it isn't working. I won't claim this move was made due to Benson's personality, but if it was, then I really don't like it. I despise moves made based on personality. I mean, I named by blog after Kevin Slowey. However, there are definitely baseball reasons that justify this move, and I really hope that those were the only determinations. Getting back to Benson the player, he clearly has a lot to work on. He isn't hitting at all. Since he can't hit, he can't show off his good power and he can't utilize his good speed on the bases. His inability to hit has landed him on the bench, which makes it impossible to display his excellent range, speed and ability in the outfield. It's hard to look back at Benson's 2011 season with New Britain and not be intrigued. He hit .285/.388/.495 with 28 doubles, 16 home runs and 13 stolen bases. At his peak, I thought Benson could become a 20/20 player with an OBP around .350. When you add all that to his centerfield-quality defense and strong arm, the calculus is a great player who provides a ton of value. None of that works if Benson can't put the bat on the ball. A fresh start in Texas might be just what Benson needs. He'll join a new organization which may not hold any of the preconceived notions and opinions that Benson may have earned in Minnesota (perhaps, justifiably). Texas can already boast one outfield reclamation project in Nelson Cruz, and Benson is even younger. Benson won't become a Ranger if he doesn't work on his hitting. Maybe spending time with a new coaching staff will click with Benson and he'll work out the issues that are holding him back. I hope it happens, as I think there is a solid MLB player within Joe Benson. This was a move made out of necessity. The Twins needed to replace some struggling starting pitchers and made the determination that Benson would be the odd man out. Personally, I think there were better options, but I don't get to make those decisions. In the end, it was a justifiable move, but a move that could certainly come back and haunt the Twins. If Benson figures out the one area of his game that isn't working right now, he has enough talent and loud enough tools to "put it all together" and become the player the Twins obviously saw back in September of 2011.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I had intended to run some errands this afternoon, but then I saw this tweet: Joe Benson is a member of the Texas Rangers organization... — Seth Stohs (@SethTweets) May 25, 2013 I was confused, but I knew this was an option. The Twins needed a 40-man spot for the immortal P.J. Walters, and Benson has been injured or terrible ever since his 2011 September call-up. Even in earning his 2011 promotion, he had basically played two full seasons at AA to get to Minnesota. It is still a confusing move. Then this tweet came along: Joe Benson was placed on outright waivers and claimed by the Rangers — Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) May 25, 2013 He was just outright waived, which pretty much says all you need to know about how Benson was looked at within the Twins' organization. In a lot of ways, he probably earned his reputation, after failing to grow as a player since leaving AA. Just take a look at how Benson has moved since September 2011: September 2011: Promoted to MLB, plays in 21 games, hits .239/.270/.352 and strikes out a lot (23-years-old, no experience above AA). Benson was also fined by Ron Gardenhire for wearing a suit in the clubhouse. This was a joke, but still extremely stupid and an event that lead to various eye-rolls from yours truly. Winter 2012: Baseball America lists Benson as the 99th best prospect in baseball. March 2012: Benson is assigned to AAA, Terry Ryan has this to say: "We just need to control the emotional part of his game; he gets a little excited," Ryan said. "We don't want to change his personality, I can tell you that, because he brings a little edge to him." April 2012: Benson gets off to an extremely slow start in Rochester, hitting .190/.286/.354 May 2012: Benson is sent to AA New Britain, where he does not hit any better. May 24, 2012: Benson has surgery to repair his left hamate bone, which sidelines him for six weeks. June 28, 2012: Benson returns to active play. July 16, 2012: Benson returns to New Britain. August 2012: Benson returns to not hitting well, hitting .109/.169/.200 in 14 August games September 2012: Benson is not part of 2012 September call-ups because he needs surgery on his left knee, which sidelines him for four months. March 2013: Benson does not perform well in Spring Training, is assigned to AAA. April 2013: Benson hits .217/.278/.337 at Rochester, starts losing starts to Clete Thomas. May 2013: Benson hits .162/.230/.221. May 25, 2012: Benson is put on outright waivers by the Twins and claimed by the Texas Rangers. That is a pretty sucky timeline for Benson. Not only is he not hitting well throughout, but he keeps getting injured and he keeps falling further and further from the Twins' good graces. I don't have many quotes or anecdotes regarding Benson beyond the two I shared at the beginning of the timeline. However, it is pretty clear to see that Benson did not fit in well with this organization. I really gristle at the Terry Ryan quote. I understand the desire to control the emotional part of his game, but if that is something he has been trying over the past two seasons, it isn't working. I won't claim this move was made due to Benson's personality, but if it was, then I really don't like it. I despise moves made based on personality. I mean, I named by blog after Kevin Slowey. However, there are definitely baseball reasons that justify this move, and I really hope that those were the only determinations. Getting back to Benson the player, he clearly has a lot to work on. He isn't hitting at all. Since he can't hit, he can't show off his good power and he can't utilize his good speed on the bases. His inability to hit has landed him on the bench, which makes it impossible to display his excellent range, speed and ability in the outfield. It's hard to look back at Benson's 2011 season with New Britain and not be intrigued. He hit .285/.388/.495 with 28 doubles, 16 home runs and 13 stolen bases. At his peak, I thought Benson could become a 20/20 player with an OBP around .350. When you add all that to his centerfield-quality defense and strong arm, the calculus is a great player who provides a ton of value. None of that works if Benson can't put the bat on the ball. A fresh start in Texas might be just what Benson needs. He'll join a new organization which may not hold any of the preconceived notions and opinions that Benson may have earned in Minnesota (perhaps, justifiably). Texas can already boast one outfield reclamation project in Nelson Cruz, and Benson is even younger. Benson won't become a Ranger if he doesn't work on his hitting. Maybe spending time with a new coaching staff will click with Benson and he'll work out the issues that are holding him back. I hope it happens, as I think there is a solid MLB player within Joe Benson. This was a move made out of necessity. The Twins needed to replace some struggling starting pitchers and made the determination that Benson would be the odd man out. Personally, I think there were better options, but I don't get to make those decisions. In the end, it was a justifiable move, but a move that could certainly come back and haunt the Twins. If Benson figures out the one area of his game that isn't working right now, he has enough talent and loud enough tools to "put it all together" and become the player the Twins obviously saw back in September of 2011.

Oh, and I apologize that there is a reference to the Willennium on the front page of Twins Daily.

I totally agree, but it's a dream scenario. None of this is fair 13 years later and with the benefit of hindsight. It's more fun than saying, Johnson was gone, so the Twins took Justin Wayne, the next highest drafted RHP that yeah and he also didn't reach the Majors.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1771-25-Minnesota-Twins-Drafts-in-25-Days-2000