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Ted Schwerzler

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Blog Entries posted by Ted Schwerzler

  1. Ted Schwerzler
    Of recent, the Minnesota Twins have made a history of reuniting with players on the field that don't make a ton of sense. Whether it was Jason Bartlett, Matt Guerrier, or Jason Kubel, veterans on the tail end of their careers aren't a great move for a bad team. In hiring Torii Hunter, LaTroy Hawkins, and Michael Cuddyer as Special Assistants, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine seem to have picked a meaningful reunion.
     
    While the trio will no doubt be asked to provide value, they are not in significant positions of power. Instead, as Special Assistants, they'll be called upon to provide their insight from both a player perspective as well as having significant ties to the organization and its inner workings as a whole. Sure, they could have been brought in as Spring Training figureheads, but there's no downside to this move either.
     
    Then there's the bit of information I gleaned in reading over Mike Berardino's piece for the Pioneer Press. He noted that other Twins Special Assistants include Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Jack Morris, Kent Hrbek, and Tony Oliva. Of that group, there's a few thoughts that come to mind. I'd imagine both Carew and Oliva are more present in spirit than practice at this point given their age. The duo of Blyleven and Morris though are what jumped out at me in reading their names in Mike's piece.
     
    When thinking about former players involved with current Twins happenings, there's few that come across as more aloof than Bert Blyleven. On the air, Bert rambles nonsensically about his Hall of Fame career while providing little to no game value. The Twins broadcast routinely grades out among the worst in all of baseball, and an astute listener can only put up with Blyleven for so long. While he's likely forgotten more about the game than I'll ever know, he's hardly someone I'd entrust with teaching today's game to up and coming stars.
     
    Getting to Morris turns a different page entirely. While I think he brings significantly more to the air than most former players analyzing Twins action, he too represents a dated way of thinking. He's a big proponent of the pitcher win stat, and his chauvinistic comments from his playing days have really never left him. At the end of the day though, it's pretty clear that this new trio was necessary.
     
    In looking at LaTroy, Michael, and Torii, the group combines a wide array of personalities. There's outspoken individuals as well as more reserved players. All have had the designation of clubhouse leader, and each has gone on to win elsewhere in recent memory and with adjusted perspective. While Torii is admittedly not a fan of saber metrics, and LaTroy doesn't mind mixing it up on Twitter, there's little reason to believe that a fresh and younger perspective to the game won't help the current club.
     
    Admittedly I have no idea what the job of a Special Assistant entails, I'd be willing to guess the new grouping won't be simply telling stories of yesteryear to the young pups. This is far from a scholarship program that has played out on the field in the past, and it's a breath of fresh air to a group of Special Assistants that very clearly needed it.
     
    While Minnesota needs to organizationally shift from a way of thinking that has allowed them to tread water for years, Falvey and Levine accomplish little by alienating those that could be in their corner. Hunter, Hawkins, and Cuddyer can now champion for the new regime while understanding the old, and there's some real benefit to that. We may rarely see what the actual results are from the dollars spent, but I'd bet that the net is a positive one.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  2. Ted Schwerzler
    If you're not familiar with this award designation, that's more than understandable. After reading through Patrick Reusse's Turkey of the Year last fall, I found myself moved to create a designation for the Minnesota Twins. The Diamond Treasure award was designed to shed light upon an area of the organization that provides excitement for the future while displaying roots in the past.
     
    A season ago, the Diamond Treasure was given to Miguel Sano. After being talked about as a prospect for so long, and then producing at the big league level, Sano exemplified everything the Diamond Treasure is supposed to be about. He has long been a part of the organization's future, and finally, it all came to fruition at the big league level. While 2016 was far from what will likely be his best major league campaign, he continued to flash the promise that has long made him a can't miss prospect.
     
    Looking ahead to the 2016 Diamond Treasure, there's a handful of ways the award could go. Top prospects such as Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios have just started to scratch the surface of their future potential, and both have long been heralded as key pieces of the future. Joe Mauer saw another tough season at the plate, but provided a near Gold Glove worthy performance in the field and has long been a Twins figurehead. While the on-field results were less than ideal in 2016, there were a handful of strong on field performances.
     
    For the 2016 Diamond Treasure though, I can't bring myself to look past the organizational shake up at the top. This year's award is being handed to two of the newest members of the organization. The 2016 Diamond Treasure is none other than Derek Falvey and Thad Levine.
     
    Now, to be fair, the duo has very little claim in roots that run deep within the organization. However, the Twins have long been tied to internal resources and processes. In hiring Falvey and Levine, the organization has made a monumental shift that they no doubt hope will springboard them into the future. Falvey and Levine both have a tenure with the Twins that can be measured in a matter of days, but their baseball experience runs incredibly deep.
     
    Beyond the prospects and on field talent, there's hard to find a bigger reason to be excited about the future than what the front office looks like. Between them, Falvey and Levine provide a culture of winning, and both have been integral pieces in constructing winners for other organizations. The Twins continue to look back at the early 2000's when AL Central titles were a forgone conclusion. If there's a reason to believe those feats are once again achievable, it's because of the new leadership.
     
    Expecting the new Chief Baseball Officer and General Manager to make their presence felt immediately is a good bet. They both appear ready to dig in and entrench themselves among what is currently the Twins culture, and continue to make it their own. As the transformation gets underway, takes place, and continues into the future, it will be by their direction that things succeed.
     
    At the granular on field level, Minnesota has plenty of reason for excitement in the not-so-distant future. From a top down view though, it's because of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine that the organization appears to be breathing with new life.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  3. Ted Schwerzler
    In general, I've tried to keep a consistent level of content in each blog post. However, when considering the moves that the Minnesota Twins may make on the free agent market, it's hard not to want this post to be considerably shorter. Minnesota isn't very good, and the free agent market is even worse. Paying for mediocre talent isn't going to get the Twins out of the cellar, and that's likely what they'd have to be doing in free agency.
     
    On the flip side, the Twins do have some needs, and if they aren't going to be addressed in trades, they'll need to find answers elsewhere. Given what the Twins have internally, and what the market is currently providing, here are a few names I'd be happy about Derek Falvey and Thad Levine getting in on.
     
    Jason Castro C
     
    Castro was once trending towards being a big name behind the plate for the Astros. At 26, he made his first All Star Game and posted an .835 OPS. Since, he's totaled just a .660 OPS across 343 games dating back to 2014. Still just 29 years old, he has plenty of catching days ahead, and it's the Twins that find themselves among the neediest teams in the majors.
     
    He's above average defensively, grades out favorably with pitch framing, and has been around league average when it comes to catching would be base stealers. From Kurt Suzuki in 2016, an average defensive catcher would seem like a whole new world in Minnesota. the Twins could go with more of a stop gap option in Dioner Navarro, Geovany Soto, or even Chris Iannetta. Right now though, the Twins two best internal options are John Ryan Murphy and Mitch Garver. Both will take their lumps, and I'm not quite sure either is ready for an every day type role.
     
    Neftali Feliz RP
     
    In general, I'm more in favor of the Twins not signing a reliever to anything but a minor league deal this offseason. That being said, Feliz presents somewhat of an intriguing case. Having just made $3.9m on a one year deal with the Pirates in 2016, the 28 year-old Dominican had his best year since 2014. He posted a 10.2 K/9 for the first time since his 20 game debut in 2009, and his 62 games pitched were the second most in a single-season during his career.
     
    You can wonder whether or not the turnaround was due to getting to work with pitching guru Ray Searage, and there's reason to caution his health. If Minnesota could get in at the right price though, he's a name I'd listen on. The 4.53 FIP isn't ideal, and that's where I'd start my negative sell. His fastball sat at 96.0 again in 2016 though, and that's the highest velocity since 2011. A pen void of hard throwers could do worse.
     
    Jordan Walden RP
     
    A 12th round pick by the Angels back in 2006, Walden spent his age 27 season with the Cardinals last year. Pitching in just 12 games after dealing with a shoulder injury, St. Louis declined his $5.25m option. With arm injuries being more common place for pitchers, it's hard not to look at the prospects of what a healthy Walden may present.
     
    He's struck out at least 10.0/9 in each of his six big league seasons, and owns a career 10.8 K/9 acorss 222.0 IP. Walden has posted a sub 3.00 FIP in all but one big league season and has generally danced around walks by not allowing home runs. His velocity dipped down to 94 last season, but he could trend back up towards 95-96 with a clean bill of health. Negotiating against his injury, even a guaranteed big league deal, isn't something I'd shy away from at the right price.
     
    At the end of the day, Minnesota needs to make more internal decisions than they do external ones. Deciding who to keep, and what assets to deal in order to advance the system as a whole is a practice that the Twins will need to get underway sooner rather than later.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  4. Ted Schwerzler
    Monday November 7, 2016 will mark a substantial date in the history of the Minnesota Twins. For the first time since 1995 when Terry Ryan assumed the General Manager role, the organization will have quite the shake up at the top. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine are being formerly introduced and they'll have quite the challenge in front of them. It will be incredibly important for them to get creative.
     
    Looking back at a World Series played between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, it became quite apparent that the internal processes for both teams were focused within. Neither team had made it to the pinnacle of the 2016 Major League Baseball season by targeting a multitude of free agents. Sure, the Cubs had Jon Lester and Ben Zobrist while the Indians took interest in Mike Napoli. At the heart of it all though, you could find good draft strategies and strong trades.
     
    As both Falvey and Levine look to right the ship for the Twins, it's now more than ever that they'll need to revamp the system by using the same principles as baseball's best. Forget what you think about payroll or how money should be spent, there's just not really any good reasons to be spending it this winter. The free agent market is mediocre at best, and the Twins overextending themselves on lackluster pieces is something we've seen far too often.
     
    Players like Corey Kluber, Jake Arrieta, Francisco Lindor, and Addison Russell come about because of front office executives willing to take chances. Both Falvey and Levine will need to get together and decide which pieces they have to hold onto, and where they can part with value in hopes of returning even more. Unchanged from 2016, the Twins could be a better team next season. Slightly better pitching and more consistent hitting would have them trending towards .500 quite realistically. The problem is that shouldn't be the goal.
     
    It's hard to suggest a full on rebuild, but right now, the Twins have way too many parts that simply land somewhere in the middle. Ervin Santana probably isn't going to be around when this team is a winner, Kyle Gibson may not push the needle, and guys like Trevor Plouffe, Phil Hughes, and even Glen Perkins may find themselves tied much more to what once was. Some of them will have value, and others will have their value tied to the roster spot that could be better utilized elsewhere. The two new front office members will have to immediately begin to make those decisions.
     
    For now, it's hard to suggest a flurry of moves for the Twins this winter. They have some pretty glaring weaknesses, and finding answers on the free agent market isn't the right way to go. Falvey and Levine are going to need to get to scouting internally in short order, while hoping they can find some partners to get creative with. If Minnesota has its way, making a handful of trades prior to the 2017 Major League Baseball season would be a pretty great plan of action.
     
    At some point, internal development will need to be raised, and the prospects counted on throughout the system will need to spark the change. While that's pretty obvious, doubling down to bring in more wild cards and chances for success is something that the Twins can definitely afford to do.
     
    For far too long, the organization has been ok with being good enough, settling for mediocrity, and really treading water in the shallow end. It's long been time to get creative, take some chances, and in turn, hope to see some results that push the needle a bit. Getting that started sooner rather than later is something we should all be excited about.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  5. Ted Schwerzler
    Remember when the Baltimore Orioles were eliminated in the American League Wild Card game by the Toronto Blue Jays? Not only was it heartbreak, but manager Buck Showalter never used closer Zach Britton. The best reliever in the major leagues this season went unused in a game that was never guaranteed to be followed by another. It looked dumb then, and has been the highlighted scenario in the World Series.
     
    You'll often hear of managers failing to go to their closer before the 9th inning, or saving them when on the road. Both the Chicago Cubs Joe Maddon and Cleveland Indians Terry Francona have made a mockery of traditional (and dated) bullpen usage over the course of the World Series.
     
    Throughout the course of the five games, Andrew Miller has been Francona's go to. While not technically the Indians closer, he's easily their best relief pitcher. He's thrown 5.1 IP through the first five games and has struck out eight batters walking just two and giving up just one run. Regardless of it being early or late, Francona has given Miller the ball in the highest leverage situations. Over the course of the playoffs, he's entered as early as the 5th inning, and as late as the 8th.
     
    On the other side of the field, Maddon got on board during game five. Needing to survive to last another game, the Cubs manager went with his rocket throwing closer Aroldis Chapman in the 7th inning. He asked the Cuban Missile to get 8 outs, and even had him bat for himself in the 8th inning. Chapman pitched arguably the most important 2.2 innings of the Cubs season, struck out four, and gave up just one hit. When Chicago needed outs the most, they went to the guy that generally racks them up in bunches.
     
    Now, to be fair, both bullpens have had some suspect usage over the course of the Fall Classic. Francona has generally operated with the belief that both Miller and closer Cody Allen are the only relief arms capable of getting Cleveland outs. With a 6 run lead in game four, and with Corey Kluber rolling, he went to Miller for two innings of work. Despite a six to nothing tally in favor of the Indians at home in game one, Francona went to both Miller and Allen for a combined three innings as well. He's given the Cubs extended and unnecessary looks at both pitchers at times, as well as not having his two best options available in arguably more pressing situations.
     
    For Maddon, it hasn't been so much that there's been bullpen over-reliance as it has been a realization that the Cubs pen is really what it is. Instead of having a Miller and Allen type, the Cubs are pretty much whatever they can get until Chapman can enter a game. Their first relievers most nights have been C.J. Edwards, Mike Montgomery, and Justin Grimm. That group is capable, but far from unhittable.
     
    Aside from the minor disagreements with usage, there's nothing else to surmise from the way both teams have used their relievers in the World Series other than it's something that more teams need to get on board with. Sure, a baseball game ends after the 9th inning, but suggesting that a game is always won or lost at that period of time is quite the goofy suggestion. If you are looking to lock down a big situation earlier in the game, you should absolutely do so.
     
    With statistics being what they are, a closer is always going to look at saves and opportunities as a bargaining chip when it comes time to be paid. While that's absolutely fair, it shouldn't be the only thing that's considered. The Indians had to give up quite the haul for Andrew Miller, and he's been compensated quite well across his career. Yeah, it's nice to increase a save tally for your personal records, but Andrew Miller has just one this entire Postseason, and he's easily been the most important reliever to step foot on the mound.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  6. Ted Schwerzler
    Having not played in a major league baseball game since early April, Kyle Schwarber stepped in against Cleveland Indians starter Corey Kluber. He'd rehabbed, used the cage, and even gotten in time during the Arizona Fall League, but this was the World Series.
     
    In his first game in roughly six months, he ripped a double as he settled in for the Chicago Cubs. It was game two however, that the magic really took center stage. Over the course of what equated to just hit fourth through seventh at bats at the big league level in quite some time, the Indiana product collected two singles while driving in two runs and scoring another. Through the first two games of the 2016 Major League Baseball World Series, it was Kyle Schwarber that had stolen the show.
     
    Now as the series shifts back to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field however, Schwarber will be asked to contribute in a different way. Thus far, he's operated as the Chicago Cubs designated hitter, a position that the National League (unfortunately, in my opinion) doesn't embrace. Back at home, he'll either have to play the field, and test out his surgically repaired knee, or be asked to continue his heroics off of the bench as a pinch hitter.
     
    In Cleveland though, the Cubs displayed the height of what Kyle Schwarber is in the game of baseball.
     
    A year ago, Schwarber debuted with the Cubs and played 21 games behind the plate, 41 in left field, and another four in right field. Total across all of that action, he was worth -5 defensive runs saved. Extrapolated to a 162 game sample size, that's a -12 DRS mark. While there's markedly worse players in the field across the big leagues, it's also a representation of Schwarber's defensive ability, or lack thereof.
     
    So, what happens in the World Series the rest of the way will add to the storyline that's already in place, but the long term future remains clear; Kyle Schwarber is an American League designated hitter. His bat got him to the big leagues, and it'll continue to be the driving force behind who he is.
     
    In 69 games during the 2015 season, Schwarber hit the ball hard nearly 40% of the time. Roughly a quarter of the balls he put in the air went over the fence, His 16 homers equate to a 162 game average of 38, a number that would put him right in the thick of teammates Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. No matter how you look at it, Schwarber's power is real, and his bat will play.
     
    For the Cubs, Schwarber rounds out as one of the most important pieces to their present, as well as their future. He could be, and has been, a key cog on their quest to the first World Series victory since 1908, and in due time, could reward them with a restocked pipeline.
     
    This season, it was Kyle that the Yankees sought in return for Andrew Miller, the Cubs said no, and it looks like that move will pay off. As prospects such as Ian Happ and Eloy Jimenez make their way to the big leagues, Chicago could find themselves needing a big time arm, or another final piece to go for more rings. By parting with Schwarber, they could unlock whatever return they need to make that happen.
     
    There's reason for pause in suggesting that a 23 year old transition to a full time designated hitter role. The Minnesota Twins couldn't bring themselves to do it with Miguel Sano, and it's quite the decision to take the glove off of such a young big leaguer. In certain scenarios though, it works out, and you may end up finding the next David Ortiz.
     
    I have no idea when the Cubs will, or if they will ever, trade Kyle Schwarber. I do know that he was an incredible hitter well before his World Series heroics though, and the performance has only cemented that. His value continues to skyrocket through the roof, and one day, if they so choose, the Cubs will have their pick of virtually anyone they want in return for the guy who made it back.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  7. Ted Schwerzler
    As the 2016 Major League Baseball season comes to a close, award season begins to rear its head. While it's been a tough slate for the hometown Minnesota Twins, the year has produced plenty of great performances. Being a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America as well as the Vets Committee, I have the privilege of turning in a ballot for Season Awards each year.
    For 2016, IBWAA president has set a cut off date of October 2 for ballots to be place. With most teams having right around 10 games left in the regular season, my ballot was filed to IBWAA Founding Director Howard Cole recently. As I have done every year, my vote is now going to be made public.
    The IBWAA votes on ten different awards (five for each League). Below are the full results of my selections for each award. Feel free to engage in discussion and share your thoughts in regards to my votes in the comment section below.
     
    American League MVP
    Mike Trout
    Mookie Betts
    Jose Altuve
    Josh Donaldson
    Brian Dozier
    Manny Machado
    Adrian Beltre
    Dustin Pedroia
    Adam Eaton
    Kyle Seager

    American League Cy Young
    Masahiro Tanaka
    Rick Porcello
    Chris Sale
    Aaron Sanchez
    Corey Kluber

    American League Rookie of the Year
    Michael Fulmer
    Gary Sanchez
    Tyler Naquin

    American League Manager of the Year
    Terry Francona
    Jeff Banister
    John Farrell

    American League Reliever of the Year
    Zach Britton
    Andrew Miller
    Edwin Diaz

    National League MVP
    Kris Bryant
    Corey Seager
    Daniel Murphy
    Freddie Freeman
    Nolan Arenado
    Anthony Rizzo
    Joey Votto
    Christian Yelich
    Justin Turner
    Paul Goldschmidt

    National League Cy Young
    Noah Syndergaard
    Clayton Kershaw
    Kyle Hendricks
    Madison Bumgarner
    Jon Lester

    National League Rookie of the Year
    Corey Seager
    Trea Turner
    Trevor Story

    National League Manager of the Year
    Joe Maddon
    Dusty Baker
    Brian Roberts

    National League Reliever of the Year
    Seung Hwan Oh
    Kenley Jansen
    Mark Melancon

    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  8. Ted Schwerzler
    At this point in the season, there's enough doom and gloom surrounding a Twins team with over 90 losses to go around. Arguably the most perfect way to overlook all of that is simply by understanding just how impressive the season Brian Dozier is currently having is. Having gone from non-prospect to elite slugger, Dozier is rewriting the record books in 2016.
     
    Rather than go into any further analysis, or try and wrap my head around exactly what Dozier is doing this season, let's let the numbers talk for themselves. That's it, no meat and potatoes here. Just feast your eyes on the numbers below and look in awe as Brian Dozier continues to put up one of the best seasons in Major League Baseball by a second basemen ever.

    Brian Dozier sits at 38 homers while playing second base in 2016. That is second most (behind Alfonso Soriano's 39) all-time in the American League, and trails Rogers Hornsby's 42 for the 1922 Cardinals overall.
    In 139 games during 2016, Dozier has hit 40 homers. He has never eclipsed 28 in a single season previously (157 G in 2015), and hit just 16 homers in 365 MiLB contests.
    Since returning to the lineup (following a two-game benching) on May 25, 2016 Brian Dozier is slashing .307/.371/.671 and has posted a career best .277/.348/.574 line on the season.
    Brian Dozier's 40 homers are second in all of baseball, trailing Baltimore's Mark Trumbo by just one long ball.
    On the season, Dozier owns a .297 ISO (measurement of a hitter's raw power). That mark is second best in all of baseball trailing only Boston's David Ortiz (.311)
    To date, Dozier has been worth 5.7 fWAR for the Twins. That mark is easily his highest career fWAR and is good enough to make him the 9th most valuable player in all of baseball (7th in the American League).
    Of his 40 homers, 20 of them have gone more than 400 feet.
    By Fangraphs estimation of fWAR converted to dollars, Brian Dozier has been worth $45.9 million to the Twins this season. He is being paid $3 million.

    I'll leave you with this image of Brian Dozier's home run spray chart for 2016.

  9. Ted Schwerzler
    If you've been reading Off The Baggy at all this season, there's been no one I've been more all over the place on than Brian Dozier. From wondering if he's selling out too much, or becoming defiant in his approach during his down swing, to marveling at his uptick, his season has been a roller coaster ride. Since May 25 however, he's turned it on, and the results have been incredible.
     
    At this point, you know what Brian Dozier is. He's a pull hitter, although doing so less often than in 2015 (just 54.9% of the time this season). He hits most of his homers to left field, and he's an adequate defender. This season, more of Dozier's fly balls are leaving the yard (15.8% HR/FB ratio) and he's hitting 32.9% of balls he puts in play with hard contact.
     
    Let's end the statistical analysis there though and look at the ridiculousness of the numbers he's provided us in 2016.
     
    In 2012, Dozier burst onto the scene during spring training. Many wanted him to come north with the club as the starting shortstop. He ended up being promoted in May and owned a career worst .603 OPS while playing a very poor defensive shortstop. Since transitioning to second base, Dozier has gone from non-prospect to relative national name.
    Over the course of his career, Dozier has amassed 14.0 fWAR, which is already 25th best in Minnesota Twins history. Among franchise second basemen, only Rod Carew and Chuck Knoblauch have a higher total than Brian. Really, what fuels his rise though, has been the power numbers.
     
    This season, Dozier has set a new career high in longballs for the Twins with 29 (excluding his wiped out shot in the Twins suspended game). Over the course of Major League Baseball's entire history, only 39 times has a second basemen hit that many. He becomes just the 18th second basemen in big league history to reach that plateau.
     
    As things stand currently, Dozier is on pace to set career highs in multiple different categories. His batting average of .268 is well above his career mark of .245, and his .877 OPS is over 100 points better than his previous career best of .762 set in 2014. He's already tripled five times this season, another career high, and his 87 strikeouts have him on pace to post a career low by a longshot.
     
    Considering the power output, Dozier also compare favorably across all of baseball position-wide. His ISO of .268 is easily the best mark of his career, and currently puts him 12th in the big leagues during 2016. That mark is higher than that of names such as Nelson Cruz, Giancarlo Stanton, Manny Machado, and Mike Trout.
     
    Thus far, the Twins have played 125 games, meaning they've got 37 left to go. Calculating off of his current pace, Dozier would end the season with 38 homers. That would be the 9th highest single season total in Twins franchise history, and the highest by a player not named Harmon Killebrew. 38 homers would tie for the 7th most in major league history during a single season by a second basemen.
     
    To summarize, Brian Dozier went from a fun spring training story, to a failed shortstop, to an incredibly polarizing second basemen. He's now one of the game's most legitimate middle infield power hitters, and the Twins are season production at levels they've never before experienced. To put it bluntly, Brian Dozier is a lot of fun.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  10. Ted Schwerzler
    On Friday night, I found myself attending one of the first events at the recently opened US Bank Stadium. The new home of the Minnesota Vikings has been long anticipated, and was shown off to a soccer crowd, and a handful of concert goers prior to its intended debut on Sunday August 28. My unfortunate reality is that I wasn't at all prepared for what I experienced during what can only be described as one heck of a party put on by Luke Bryan.
     
    Let's start with the positives. US Bank Stadium has all of the grandiose feel down to an art from the outside. The building resembles a Vikings ship, and its glass clad exterior does a great job reflecting the beautiful city around it. Once you're in a seat viewing the playing field, or in this case the concert venue, The "new" Bank is at its best. Sightlines are near flawless, leg room is plenty, and everything from the dual video boards to the glass ceiling takes your breath away. Outside of that though, I'm going to be grasping at straws.
     
    I want to preface the next part of this by saying that I'm a Vikings fan, and was genuinely excited for the Tajh-Ma-Zygi to debut. I wanted to love this place, to forget about the days of the Metrodome, and begin to consider how many games I'd line up to be at this season. What I experienced though prior to getting to my seat has me at the realization that I won't be at a single Vikings game this year, but more than likely, not any time in the near future either.
     
    When proposing to build their new stadium, the Vikings listed a handful of different locations. If I remember correctly, one of the last alternatives was what was essentially a field out in Arden Hills. The stadium would have been the sole reason to travel there, parking would've been aplenty, and Minnesota Vikings football would have had an area to call its own. Instead, US Bank Stadium is built in the midst of a crowded portion of downtown Minneapolis that offers little to no incentive to be there.
     
    Regardless of a terrible parking situation, the pre-stadium experience is nothing more than tailgate or perish. There's a handful (literally a handful) of bars (none anything to write home about, although we enjoyed Maxwell's) and Izzy's ice cream. Outside of that, you've got nothing to eat at within a reasonable walking distance, and the ambiance of a Cowboy Jack's, Pizza Luce, Hubert's, or any number of other options surrounding Target Field and Target Center are nowhere to be found.
     
    When deciding to make the plunge to enter the stadium (roughly an hour and a half prior to the concert starting), it quickly became apparent how poor crowd control would be. Thousands of patrons were cordoned into tiny lines on public sidewalks and stood stationary for no less than a half hour. Despite assuming the problem was waiting every 20 seconds for a light rail train to halt the movement, the reality was that the security of choice was to filter fans through tiny tents with metal detectors.
     
    Instead of employing a similar, metal detector in front of each door, walk through, scan ticket, type of scenario, US Bank Stadium has an oddly inefficient plan of action. Fans are forced through small tents with a handful of metal detectors about 200 feet from the stadium. Rather than allowing foot traffic to free flow into security, stadium officials have effectively bottlenecked their own process about as massively as could have possibly been done.
     
    When entering US Bank Stadium through the Verizon gates, you find yourself below one of the large video boards and staring at the other. When the drapes are lifted on the glass at the far end of the stadium, a nice view of downtown Minneapolis is present. Turning either to your left or right though immediately makes you feel as though you're back in the Metrodome. Concrete surrounds you everywhere. The walkways, while significantly wider than the dated H.H.H., have no character to them whatsoever. A mural here or there may present itself, but for the most part, it's the underbelly of the stadium and does a good job making you feel as such.
     
    Before you sit down, you'll likely want to grab yourself something to eat or drink. Sure, there's a handful of unique options (I mead who doesn't want a pound of lamb at a football game right?), but those will be even more outrageously priced than your standard fare ($5 for a water and $5.50 for a pop is market inefficiency at its finest). While you're chewing on the price your pocketbook will be asked to dish out, be aware you'll have plenty of time to contemplate. Whether it's waiting in line 30 minutes for a bathroom, 45 minutes for a beer, or somewhere in between for a plate of nachos, lines are absolutely the name of the game.
     
    Oh and those lines, plan on them being in your way even when not intending to participate in them. A football stadium can only have so many shapes, US Bank Stadium follows that mold in being an oval. The problem is that far too often you've got bathrooms on one side of the aisle, and drinks or food on the exact other. This means walking with thousands of others down the middle has now become yet another bottleneck. Again, crowd control seems to be quite a oversight here.
     
    At the end of the day, the Minnesota Vikings have built themselves something that will show incredibly well on TV, and be enjoyable from your seat. The experience built around that however, and considering the rising cost of ticket and food prices, will have you leaving with a feeling of emptiness. Sure, the Metrodome absolutely had to go. What this "new" Bank has done however, is make me reconsider how bad the cold really is at "The Bank." I enjoy football in front of a TV enough to not have to brave the winter at the Gophers home, but on an enjoyable weather day, I'm going to the college stadium 10 times out of 10.
     
    It's hard to compare sporting facilities given their layout and structure, but in Minnesota, there's no question Target Field still reigns supreme. If that doesn't do it for you, The Bank trumps this "new" Bank anyways.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  11. Ted Schwerzler
    It's been widely known since the beginning of the 2016 Major League Baseball season that this would be David Ortiz's last. No, not because he went on a city tour a la Kobe Bryant or Derek Jeter. Instead, simply because Ortiz suggested he'd hand them up. Recently, he wrote a piece on The Player's Tribune thanking Minnesota, where it all began. Really though, it's Minnesota that should be thanking him.
     
    You see, without David Ortiz, the Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball would look vastly different. And for the most part, the argument should be for the worse.
     
    David Ortiz played 455 games in a Twins uniform. He owned an uninspiring .266/.348/.461 slash line and totaled just 58 homers in that time span. To summarize, Ortiz's time with the Twins was about as lackluster as the stadium the ball club played in.
     
    Then it happened, Terry Ryan's worst mistake as General Manager of the Twins. He let David Ortiz go.
     
    Ortiz went on to finish 5th in the MVP voting the next season for the Boston Red Sox. To date, he owns a .290/.386/.571 line with Boston. He's amassed 469 homers, over 2,000 hits, nearly 1,500 RBI, and he's currently leading the league in doubles, slugging, and OPS at the age of 40. Everything David Ortiz has done for the Red Sox has trumped his time in Minnesota.
     
    But then there's this. David Ortiz provided more to the Twins, and baseball as a whole, than can be quantified in a stat column. For Minnesota, he became the black eye that some franchises need. After Terry Ryan had made that grave mistake, it was allowed to haunt Minnesota for years to come. Even now in 2016, Ortiz's name is brought up nearly every time a young player is DFA'd. Most recently, Oswaldo Arcia was given this treatment. Something along the lines of not wanting a guy to become "the next David Ortiz" is normally muttered around Twins Territory, and it no doubt causes pause within the front office as well. If it takes a massive mistake to make a group of people think twice, well then that's what Ortiz did for the collection of Twins front office personnel.
     
    Then there's what he did for baseball. When he came to Minnesota, he was known as David Arias. Eventually becoming David Ortiz, and more importantly Big Papi, Ortiz had a flair for the dramatic. Creator of majestic long balls and booming home runs, he was everything the sport needed. Whether or not you want to tie PEDs to Ortiz, the fact remains that baseball necessarily welcomed the era. Post lockout and needing a revitalizing, Bud Selig saw his sport drew in fans because well, everyone digs the long ball. We'll never know definitively one way or another if Big Papi used PEDs, but it doesn't really matter. Baseball needed drugs to reclaim its relevance among the sports culture, and Ortiz's ability to make ballparks look small only helped to accelerate the movement. He was the Giancarlo Stanton, before the Marlins slugger was even Mike.
     
    Finally, there's what David Ortiz did for latin players, and this country as a whole. In Boston, Big Papi found a home. He had a city that embraced him, and in turn, he embraced the city. Not only does Ortiz love Boston though, he loves this country. Working tirelessly from his time in Minnesota up until where he is today to speak the language and understand the culture, it's apparent Ortiz is proud of this country, and has adopted it as his own. In the wake of the Boston Bombing's, it was Ortiz who took the mic. He uttered a few choice words, and declared that this in fact was "our" city, and that he was as much a part of it, as it was him.
     
    As David Arias became David Ortiz, and eventually Big Papi, the trio will all ride off into the sunset. Bitterness for what could have been in a Twins uniform has grown tired long ago. It's Ortiz that has given everything of himself to the sport, and this country, and at the end of the day is deserving of that thanks. For as much as the sport has done for you David Ortiz, thank you for doing equally as much for it.
     
    Now, please take it easy on the Twins for the rest of the year.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  12. Ted Schwerzler
    For the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, the Minnesota Twins were coming off of a winning season that awarded them just the 15th overall pick. Not selecting in the top 10 for the first time in a while, Minnesota had a few options that would be presented to them. When the dust settled, they ended up going with the power hitting outfielder Alex Kirilloff. The Pennsylvania native has plenty of intrigue, and he's ready to unleash it for the Twins.
     
    Kirilloff's prep career came to an end one win short of a Pennsylvania State Championship. Losing in the title game, you can bet his hunger to get back on the field and compete in the Twins organization remains high. He's likely going to head to Elizabethton to start his professional career, and his bat should be the thing that carries him early on.
     
    Recently, I was able to catch up with the Twins top pick. We talked about his game, the Twins, and a few things in between. Here's what he had to say:
     
    Off The Baggy: Tell me a little bit about your game. Most of the national outlets have described you as a solid all around athlete with a great hit tool and solid arm strength. Likely starting your professional career in the outfield, how would you describe your game as a whole?
     
    Alex Kirilloff: I pride myself on being as well rounded of a player as I can be. I work very hard on all parts of my game. I feel that my biggest asset is my bat.
     
    OTB: I believe you really burst onto the power scene with a recent Home Run Derby performance. Was that your first home run contest and what was the experience like?
     
    AK: I was 11 years old in my first home run derby. I had just started using a leg lift with my swing, which helped me hit the ball further immediately. I beat a 12 year old who was the favorite to win the whole thing. So the only two home run derby's I have ever been in I won.
     
    OTB: Being from Pennsylvania, I'd assume your a Pirates fan. I saw that longtime Pittsburgh fan favorite Neil Walker congratulated you on Twitter. Who is a big leaguer that you have modeled your game after?
     
    AK: Neil Walker is first class and I now have even more respect for him than I already had before. I like watching Andrew McCutchen, he is a pretty well rounded player himself so I am inspired by him.
     
    OTB: When looking at the Twins, what do you know about the organization, its players, and the state of Minnesota as a whole?
     
    AK: I know Minnesota is cold...but it's okay, I am used to it coming from Pittsburgh! With three world series titles, Hall of fame players throughout the decades, and great traditions built, I am excited to be a part of the culture, history, and richness of the organization.
     
    OTB: Tell me about your draft day experience. I believe you got to watch it unfold with teammates and friends as you were still wrapping up your season. What was the call like, and did you have any indications it was going to come from the Twins?
     
    AK: It was a great experience being able to share it with my teammates, coaches, family, girlfriend, and friends. The call was a dream come true.
     
    OTB: There's been some talk already that Minnesota may have you skip the Gulf Coast League and head straight to Elizabethton for your professional debut. What are your goals in your first professional season?
     
    AK: My goals are to train, develop, learn, adapt, and play to the best of my ability while embracing the lifestyle of professional baseball. Let the rest take care of itself.
     
    OTB: Let's end it with this, when Twins fans look ate Alex Kirilloff the baseball player, what do you hope they notice most?
     
    AK: I hope they notice the baseball player and person that they want representing their fanbase, city, and baseball team.
     
    With a great head on his shoulders, it seems Kirilloff already is going to start off on a great foot for the Twins. He is headed to Minnesota this week and then will begin his professional career in the organization. He's going to be fun to watch, and should be another high ceiling prospect Minnesota can add to the farm system. Recently, he was included in the Off The Baggy Top 15 update.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  13. Ted Schwerzler
    The Minnesota Twins owned the 15th overall pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. There were questions as to how they would use the selection, and whether or not a major league deficiency at catcher warranted a backstop being picked. Terry Ryan and his club didn't go that way out of the gate, but they didn't wait long.
     
    With their second round selection, the Twins took a high school catcher from Verona High School in Wisconsin. Ben Rortvedt became the second highest drafted catcher since Minnesota grabbed Joe Mauer 1st overall in the 2001 Major League Baseball draft. Signing recently for just below the slot value, a nice $900k bonus check coming his way, Rortvedt is ready to get his professional career started.
     
    I was able to catch up with Rortvedt recently and ask him a couple of questions in regards to his draft experience, playing career, and what's next with the Twins. Here's what he had to say:
     
    Off The Baggy: What was the draft experience like for you? Did you have any indication of when and where you were going? Did you watch the action live?
     
    Ben Rortvedt: The draft experience was much like the college recruitment process for me. People coming out to see you play and the communication was all similar. I had a rough idea where I might go and where I wanted to go from talking to teams and hearing things, but anything could have happened so I tried to keep my head on straight. I watched the draft live at home with some of my family.
     
    OTB: Being from the Midwest, I'm guessing you're plenty familiar with the Twins. What do you know about the organization and team as a whole at this point?
     
    BR: Being close to Minnesota I know the Twins have an incredible fan base. One of my high school coaches is a avid Twins fan, and many of my classmates are as well. It is great having that kind of support behind you.
     
    OTB: As a catcher, you become the highest player drafted by the Twins at the position since Joe Mauer went first overall. What sets you apart behind the plate? What are your strengths?
     
    BR: My strength as a catcher, I believe, is that I am well rounded. I like to believe that I can impact the game behind the plate and at it as well.
     
    OTB: Entering the Twins system, what is the area of your game you're most looking forward to improving in your first year at the professional level?
     
    BR: Defensively I am looking forward to learning from the coaches and players that have a lot more years under their belt than I do; exchange thoughts on catching and improve my ability behind the plate.
     
    OTB: At the big league level, catchers can sometimes get lumped into an offensive or defensive only role. You profile as a more complete player at the position. What is your hitting approach like?
     
    BR: My hitting approach is pretty simple. I try to take what pitchers give me. I don't try to do too much at the plate. Always thinking away and up the middle at the plate.
     
    OTB: Behind the dish, there's a handful of professionals that have made a name for themselves among the game's best ever. Is there a current or former major leaguer you model your game after and if so, why?
    BR: Being from Wisconsin I like Jonathon Lucroy. He's a great defensive catcher and very fundamentally sound. I also like Tucker Barnhart from the Reds. He is very smooth behind the plate.
     
    OTB: Finally, if there's one thing you take pride in how you play the game above everything else, what is it?
     
    BR: The one thing I take pride in is hustle and effort. Always giving your all on the field.
     
    Rortvedt ended things on a great note, with hustle and effort being things you can always control when it comes to the game of baseball. He'll likely be assigned to the short season Gulf Coast League for the Twins. Obviously being a high schooler, there will be some developmental time that needs to take place, but Rortvedt could quickly become the best catching prospect in the Twins system.
     
    Keep tuned into Off The Baggy and @tlschwerz for updates on Ben Rortvedt's first season at the professional level. Good luck Ben!
  14. Ted Schwerzler
    Here at Off The Baggy, covering the Minnesota Twins means checking in on everything from the big league club on down to the farm. With the major league team in the midst of an unfortunate season, it's hard to not get caught up already looking ahead to 2017. With the Twins graduating a handful of their top prospects, looking at who's next is plenty exciting.
     
    Despite big names like Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano no longer being considered prospects, the Twins have some serious firepower left on the farm. Shifting more towards pitchers at this point, the organization should have plenty of players to rely upon in the coming seasons. Before taking a look at where the rankings fall currently, you can find the 2016 Top 15 Prospects HERE, and the midseason 2015 Top 15 Prospects HERE.
     
    With all of that out of the way, let's get into it. Your top 15 Minnesota Twins Prospects at the halfway point of 2016:
     
    15. Jake Reed RP
     
    Unfortunately, Reed struggled out of the gate. In his first 27.1 IP, he owned a 5.27 ERA. While his 29 strikeouts were a welcomed statistic, command was once again an issue. He gave up 16 earned runs while walking 12 batter. However, he's seemingly turned a corner of late. Over his last nine innings, he owns a 1.00 ERA and has allowed opposing hitters to bat just .040/.194/.040 off of him. If he can continue to limit walks, he still should have a chance to reach Rochester by season's end.
     
    14. Lewis Thorpe SP
     
    It's hard to move Thorpe much as he's yet to pitch in 2016. He's recovering from Tommy John surgery and has had a couple of hiccups during the process. I believe at one point he came down with mono, and that obviously slowed the process. He's still got youth on his side, and should he make a return in 2016, his ceiling remains as high as ever.
     
    13. Felix Jorge SP
     
    The first new name in the midseason top 15, Jorge has absolutely earned his spot. At 22 years old, he's making his debut at High-A Fort Myers this season. He's made 10 starts thus far and owns a 1.64 ERA. His strikeout numbers sit at 7.5 K/9, and have remained virtually consistent since rookie ball. He's not going to be a frontline starter, but if Jorge can continue to replicate similar results, he'll be a solid rotation contributor in the middle to back end as he rises through the Twins system.
     
    12. Nick Burdi RP
     
    Burdi falls out of the top 10 after a less than ideal begin to 2016. He injured himself during spring training and then has dealt with arm injuries for most of the regular season. He's made just three appearances, and remains on the Double-A disabled list. His stuff is absolutely electric when on the mound, but he's really struggled to get there this season. After some control issues a season ago, he really needed to use this season as a springboard and that just hasn't happened.
     
    11. Daniel Palka OF
     
    Taking over the spot previously occupied by Adam Brett Walker, Palka has been more than a nice return to the Twins for Chris Herrmann. He currently leads the Southern League in home runs, and his power is plenty legit. He has strikeout tendencies very similar to Walker, but his on-base numbers tell a different tale, and his ratios are a bit better than the free swinger at Triple-A. I compared both Palka and Walker here, and if I'm taking a flier on one to hit, it's Palka.
     
    10. Fernando Romero SP
     
    Romero makes the biggest jump thus far on the prospect list. After being outside of my top 15 to start the season, he's been absolutely unhittable since returning to Cedar Rapids following Tommy John surgery. Romero didn't pitch in 2014, but it doesn't appear that he's missed a beat at all. Four starts in, he owns a 1.17 ERA along with an 8.2 K/9 and a 1.6 BB/9. Romero put up solid numbers as a 19 year old at Cedar Rapids in 2014, so him dominating the level isn't completely unexpected. Regardless, should he continue to progress like this from Tommy John, he's going to force himself into the Twins plans.
     
    9. Alex Kirilloff RF/1B
     
    The 15th overall draft pick by the Minnesota Twins in the 2016 Major League draft, Kirilloff may immediately take over the title of top power prospect. He's probably going to skip the Gulf Coast League and head right to Elizabethton. A high schooler, he'll have a significant learning curve at the pro level. He's already got tremendous pop in his bat and it should translate to wood just fine. He's likely destined for a corner spot at the big league level, but that hit tool is going to carry him on its own for a while.
     
    8. Kohl Stewart SP
     
    Moving up one spot, Stewart has now made the jump to Double-A Chattanooga. Of the Twins pitching prospects, he's been the one considered to be a frontline starter most often. His strikeout numbers improved this season as he started out at Fort Myers. He earned a promotion though after a few rocky starts and then turned in a clunker in his Double-A debut. He settled in during start number two and should spend the rest of the season with Chattanooga. I want to believe in Stewart, but the strikeouts need to come, and the level of dominance needs to rise if he's going to fulfill that frontline potential for Minnesota.
     
    7. J.T. Chargois RP
     
    Chargois made his MLB debut in June and it went hardly as planned. However, he should be back up with the big club sooner rather than later, and the expectation should be that he's capable of helping the Twins. At Triple-A Rochester in 2016, Chargois has struck out everyone to the tune of a 14.6 K/9. He's controlled walks and he's worked out of the closer role. With Glen Perkins looking like a serious shutdown candidate for the year, I'd be far from shocked to see the Twins using Chargois to save games in September.
     
    6. Jorge Polanco 2B
     
    The only reason Polanco is this low on the list is because of the talent ahead of him. He's gone from being a guy that plenty of organizations have, to one that should be playing every day in the big leagues. Polanco has been jerked around by the Twins but is slashing .315/.380/.500 at Triple-A Rochester. He's capable with the bat at the big league level right now, and needing to play second base, a fit with the Twins is a tough ask. If Minnesota moves Eduardo Nunez (they should), it needs to be Polanco that picks up the extra playing time.
     
    5. Stephen Gonsalves SP
     
    Right now, Gonsalves has no business being at High-A Fortt Myers. He's made 11 starts this seasons totaling a 2.33 ERA and has complimented that with a 9.0 K/9. He dominated the level a season ago and is ready for a challenge at Double-A. He was selected to represent the Miracle at the Florida State League All Star Game (that the Miracle are hosting), so he's not going anywhere before then. From what I've been told by a source, his promotion should come almost immediately after the All Star game. That would put him on pace to be an option for Triple-A (or the Twins) in late 2017.
     
    4. Nick Gordon SS
     
    Standing pat at number four, Gordon has had a nice 2016. It could look a lot better however had his last few weeks not been so rough. From April 7 through May 19, Gordon owned a .331/.370/.472 slash line for the Miracle. Since however, he's hit just .189/.268/.243 with 3 extra base hits, 18 strikesouts, and just five walks. His glove was always expected to be ahead of his bat, but he's totaled 13 errors in 46 games already after putting up 18 in 118 games at Cedar Rapids a year ago. I'm not worried about Gordon, but he's probably not as ready for Double-A as he once appeared early in the season.
     
    3. Tyler Jay SP
     
    If there's a reason Jay doesn't move up, it's solely because of the talent ahead of him. Give me a thre headed monster from the top three Twins prospects and I'm ok. After working solely as a reliever in college, Jay has looked the part of a dominant starter in 2016. At High-A Fort Myers, he owns a 2.18 ERA and a 9.2 K/9. Since May 4, he's made 6 starts and owns a 0.70 ERA, .205/.266/.227 slash line against, and a 9.9 K/9. He too should see a promotion to Double-A in short order, and I'd still bet on Jay making it to the big leagues ahead of both Stewart and Gonsalves.
     
    2. Max Kepler OF
     
    Debuting in 2015, Kepler wasn't going to become a regular until this season at the earliest. With Miguel Sano on the disabled list, he's been afforded that opportunity. It's fair to expect him to take his lumps, and he definitely has. Now with a handful of starts under his belt, Kepler owns a paltry .189/.271/.321 line at the big league level. His on-base skills will always help him though, and he's taking solid at bats. He'll continue to get his feet wet and be just fine. I'd be pretty disappointed if the Twins sent him back to Triple-A at any point during this lost season.
     
    1. Jose Berrios SP
     
    Easily the most anticipated big league debut after Sano and Buxton, Berrios got his shot early with the Twins. In four big league starts, he's compiled a 10.20 ERA backed by an ugly 7.2 BB/9. The strikeouts have been there, to the tune of a 12.0 K/9, but he's gotten himself in danger far too often. The problem is that has continued since his demotion back to Triple-A. He owns a 4.99 ERA since returning to Rochester, and has nibbled at the strike zone far more than you'd like. He's been more susceptible to the home run this season and the command issues haven't helped that. The ceiling is still incredibly high, but his two biggest detractors have reared their ugly head.
     
    There you have it, the Off The Baggy Top 15 prospects at the midway point of the 2016 season. The next update will come at some point over the offseason. With the Twins looking to right the ship at the highest level, they'll again need to hope that a handful of their developed talent pays off for them.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  15. Ted Schwerzler
    It's June, and the Twins are the worst team in baseball. They've currently been swept half as often as they have won games, and this season has gone the opposite of any expectations could have laid out. With a couple of months left to the trade deadline, it may be time for Terry Ryan to start sending his chips to the table. Minnesota doesn't have many any big names, but there's pieces that are worth moving.
     
    Despite Major League Baseball dictating trades being allowed (in the traditional sense) up until July 31, the Twins would be best served to act well before then. As a handful of their current commodities may have short shelf lives, moving them prior to any downfall would be a good idea. If you've begun reading trade pieces on the interwebs at all, you know who is considered as trade chip for Minnesota, but I'm prepared to tell you who the club should move.
     
    With that said, let's get into it.
     
    Fernando Abad- Level of trade necessity 10
     
    Easily Ryan's best free agent signing of the offseason, Abad came in as a non-roster guy that the Twins believed they saw something in. Commenting that he was tipping his pitches, Minnesota thought that the 4.15 ERA in 62 games for the Athletics in 2015 was an outlier, turns out they were right. Currently, Abad owns a 0.93 ERA in 19.1 IP. He's posted an 8.4 K/9 and walked just 2.3 per 9, a career best.
     
    Abad is a lefty reliever capable of getting batters from both sides out. He's a luxury that the Twins don't need to afford. Their pen is bad, and so are they, his value doesn't push the needle much. Sending him to a contender to solidify their pen is the most realistic plan of action, and he should have plenty of suitors.
     
    Eduardo Nunez- 9
     
    If there's a reason the Twins shouldn't send Nunez to the All Star game, it's because he shouldn't be with the organization when that time rolls around. Considering Abad a must trade, Nunez should be considered a must trade now.
     
    I'm not in favor of taking a bag of balls back for Nunez, but his value is never going to be higher than it is currently, and waiting only invites the opportunity for it to fall. Nunez's .329/.356/.494 slash line is well above his career norms (.274/.314/.401) and he's continued to be a poor defender. For now, he's been one of the lone contributors on a bad club, and making sure to get some return on that is a good plan of action.
     
    There's reason to believe a return for Nunez won't equate to much, he's got a decent track record that says this is a mirage. That being said, if someone is willing to cough up a mid-level prospect, the Twins should be all over it.
     
    Robbie Grossman- 5
     
    Despite making few well timed moves during the offseason, and a poor display of roster control throughout 2016, Terry Ryan seems to have come up well with Grossman. The 26 year old is finally doing something he never has before, hit. An on-base machine, Grossman's bat has turned in a .359/.457/.667 line over his first 12 games with the Twins. He's already amassed 6 doubles and has two homers to his credit. Right now, Paul Molitor and crew have to be hoping the carriage doesn't turn back into a pumpkin.
     
    Sure, Grossman is 26, and not arbitration eligible until 2018. The team control he possesses makes him valuable if you believe this sort of thing continues. However, he was cast aside by the Astros for a reason, and couldn't find his way into the Indians plans. Grossman will probably always find ways to get on base, but betting on his bat is a risky gamble.
     
    With the ability to be a 4th outfielder at worst, I'm not going to simply give him away. I'd rather have Grossman in the organization as opposed to a retread like Darin Mastroianni in a pinch. However, Minnesota should be able to find a contender needing that type of lift immediately, and could maximize their return by flipping the recently claimed asset.
     
    Trevor Plouffe- 7
     
    Over the offseason, my number on Plouffe would have been a 4. I am of the belief that Miguel Sano has been virtually as expected in right field, and while some may see that as an abomination, I'd put it as simply below-standard. Sure, playing the hulking Dominican in the outfield is about as suboptimal as it gets, but the Twins and Plouffe were tied to each other.
     
    Despite coming off a solid season for the Twins, Plouffe's winter trade market was non-existent. David Freese settled for nothing with the Pirates, and the Twins watched that all play out. The reality remained that Plouffe was more valuable to Minnesota than he was to anyone else. The unfortunate thing now is that I'm not sure that has changed.
     
    As much as I've been ok with sano in right, it's probably time to get him back on the dirt. Plouffe though, has hit for a career worst .648 OPS and he's walked significantly less than at any other point in his career. The power numbers haven't been there, and he's merely capable at third. I'm for dealing him to open up the roster spot, and get Sano to a more comfortable position. The problem I see is that the market may dictate the Twins simply give him away, and I'm not sure that's the best plan of action.
     
    The Others: 10
     
    Only two guys fall into this category for me, and it's the combination of Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco. Remember, the numerical values represent the level of trade necessity for the Twins. I can't see either pitcher being coveted, but I'd look to move both for whatever you can get.
     
    Nolasco was poor money allocation from the get go, and Hughes' contract extension has turned out to be a significant blunder. The Twins have starting depth, even if it isn't all top tier, but opening up the roster spots and freeing the case is a plus in and of itself. Nolasco needs to go back to the National League, and Hughes may very well be pitching hurt. There's no real scenario in which I want to lean on either guy going forward, and offloading them makes that much easier.
     
    I can't imagine the Twins would be getting much, if any, of a return for Hughes or Nolasco. With Ricky, they may have to eat some money, and Hughes' extension pays a hefty price tag if he continues to trend the way he has. Ryan should be making it his mission to call, unload, and move on from the pair in whatever way possible however.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  16. Ted Schwerzler
    Welcome to May, the second month of the Major League Baseball season. The Minnesota Twins have started out in just about the least desirable way possible, but there's been a few bright spots. Joe Mauer has looked other-worldly at the plate, and the youth has begun to rise. An exciting development however has been the emergence of for Korean Baseball Organization superstar Byung Ho Park.
     
    The Twins won the rights to sign the Nexen star, and inked the 29 year-old rookie to a four-year, $12 million deal this offseason. Slated to be the club's every day designated hitter, the narrative was that his power would absolutely play. Having hit over 100 homers the past two seasons in Korea, Minnesota was hoping for even a fraction of that production at Target Field.
     
    It was fair to expect a learning curve of some sort for the newest Twins hitter. Jung Ho Kang had paved the way, and laid out an acclimation plan for his fellow countryman through his success with the Pirates a season ago. Park though, has made the transition look even smoother. Through his first six games with the Twins, Park put up a paltry .143/.250/.286 slash line while striking out 12 times and registering just two walks.
    Then, things clicked.
     
    From April 14 on (a period of 15 games), Park has slashed .294/.351/.706 for Minnesota. He's launched five homers, driving in 10 runs, and owning a 12/5 K/BB ratio. Batting in the five hole behind Miguel Sano for the bulk of that time, he's become a threat in the heart of Paul Molitor's order.
     
    What's maybe even more impressive, is how well he is adjusting to the speed of the big league game. Despite facing faster pitcher, and more adept throwers, Park has absolutely obliterated baseballs. When making contact, he has made "hard" contact 42.9% of the time. When he is hitting fly balls, 28.6% of them have left the yard. Despite a lower contact rate (69%), he's becoming more patient in his approach, chasing pitches just 26.5% of the time.
     
    Of course, Park is known for the longball. What maybe wasn't expected, is that the #ParkBang has been so incredibly impressive thus far in his career for the Twins. Having now recorded six homers, Park has hit just one that didn't travel over 400 feet (a 390ft opposite field bomb at Target Field), and his exit velocity has been equally impressive. Right now, Park is averaging 427.8 feet on his home runs, and they are leaving the bat at an average speed of 108.4 mph.
     
    It's pretty safe to assume that Park is going to make most of the projections look pretty silly. To date, he's been worth 0.7 fWAR, which puts him on pace for a 4.4 fWAR mark on the season. ZiPS tabbed him for a 2.0 fWAR with Steamer projections having him at 1.9 fWAR. Considering that he's been a defensive asset (2 DRS and 1.3 UZR), combined with his offensive prowess, he should only continue to improve upon his value.
     
    Terry Ryan and the Twins took a gamble on Park acclimating to the big leagues. It was considerable, but became pretty downsized when the Twins ended up only having to play the slugger an average of $3 million per year for his services. Right now, and really at the time as well, that contract is looking like highway robbery.
     
    As the season gets deeper into the heart of the summer, expecting Park to continue to be an integral part of the Twins is a very good bet. It's been a fun start thus far, but Park is only just beginning.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  17. Ted Schwerzler
    I'm not a journalist, or a beat writer; in fact, my employer has nothing to do with the Minnesota Twins. What I am is a 25 year-old IT Recruiter who loves baseball. I am married to a wife that is my best friend (seriously, she's incredible and puts up with significantly too much Twitter). I have created an outlet for sharing my thoughts as they relate to the Twins and baseball as a whole. What happened on April 26, 2016 was a handful of world's colliding however.
     
    While it no doubt may seem an odd paragraph to open this with, it serves a purpose. I have both a Twitter account (@tlschwerz) and this blog for the purpose of an outlet to voice my thoughts on the Twins and all things baseball. Through those mediums, I've crafted some (I think) great stories, solid content, and admittedly some downright stinkers. Twitter has provided an avenue for quick analysis, stat blurbs, and a bit more interaction.
     
    Thanks in part to both mediums, I've had the privilege of interacting with both players and those that do this for real (journalists/beat writers) plenty. Regardless of the interactions, I've generally tried to stay fair. Some haven't been fond of the numbers shared and I've found myself blocked or ignored. Others have been receptive to the coverage and have followed or interacted. At the end of the day, it's all about remaining connected to baseball in a fun and hobbyist way.
     
    One of my favorite relationships came full circle on the 26th however. Jose Berrios, the Minnesota Twins top pitching prospect (and Major League Baseball's second best), was promoted to the big leagues. Not only did he get his shot, but he felt the need to make me one of the first people he shared it with.
     
    The Tweet that broke it here
    I have covered Jose for much of his time in the Twins organization. He's dominated at every level, and I've generally been engrossed in just how good of a pitcher he truly is. Interviewing him at Double-A New Britain, covering bits of the Future's Game, and speaking with him throughout the offseason's, I've learned there's so much more than than just a great pitcher however.
     
    A year ago, I wrote a piece I entitled The Jose Berrios Story. It was as much about baseball, as it was about a man that's a great father, husband, and person. A driven individual who will stop at nothing to achieve his personal goals, and someone that regardless of the situation, puts himself second. I think that in a nutshell explains why this prospect's promotion means so much more than any other.
     
    Jose is going to do great things for the Twins and big league baseball. He's going to do great things for himself at the next level, and he'll be accomplishing many goals as a 21 year old that most grown men would do anything to have the chance to attempt. What's important though, is that if none of it comes together, Jose has lost nothing, as he already has it all. Baseball is what he's great at, but it's not at all what makes him great. That's what made sharing such exciting news fun.
     
    Of course there were detractors to breaking the news. As a lowly blogger, I was met with plenty of distaste from [some of] the established and heralded writers of Twins Territory. There was obvious vitriol, jealousy, or disregard for sensibility, but it's all ok. At the end of the day, I understand. Breaking news isn't my playground, journalism isn't either, and I'm ok with that. It's not my goal to hop in and be a part of the established, but for a day, I enjoyed playing in the same sandbox.
     
    When it comes down to it, there was never anything to be made about breaking news for the sake of notoriety, but instead the culmination of a relationship that will now lend itself to Berrios getting to succeed at the highest level. I couldn't be happier for Jose, his wife, his daughter, and the rest of his family. If there's a young man that deserves everything coming to him, it's La MaKina, and I'm thrilled to sit down and watch the ride.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  18. Ted Schwerzler
    Just a handful of games into the season long journey, the Minnesota twins no doubt got off to a rocky start. Losing their first nine games, and being swept in three consecutive series, the hometown nine had very little to hang their hats on early. What's worth noting though is that the Twins problems have been relatively one-sided, and a past problem area has actually been a place of strength.
    Going into this season, I suggested that the Minnesota pitching staff would be better than you think. One of the first things national writers generally want to point out is the Twins lack of a clear ace. While they aren't wrong at all, they are somewhat misguided in the need for one. Looking at the landscape of the AL Central, it was pretty fair to suggest the Twins five had the ability to be no worse than middle of the pack in regards to the competition. So far, things are looking to be on par with that assessment.
     
    In Minnesota's losses thus far, the issues have been related to strikeouts and lack of offensive punch, not in getting behind by a boatload of runs. One and two run leads have seemed insurmountable, and Twins starters have taken more than their fair share of tough luck losses.
     
    As things stand currently, Twins pitching as a whole owns a 3.38 cumulative ERA. This is split between the rotation made up of a sum better than it's parts, and a bullpen that has plenty of reason to succeed. That total ranks them 5th in the American League, and behind only the White Sox and Royals among AL Central competitors.
     
    In the AL looking at just starters, the Twins fall behind just a bit. The group owns a 3.79 ERA, good enough for 8th in the league, but again behind only the Royals and White Sox among division competition. Twins starters have done a great job limiting walks, as their 2.68 BB/9 puts them at 5th in the AL and behind the Indians and White Sox when looking at AL Central foes. Again, without a Chris Sale or Corey Kluber at the top, this Twins group is getting the job done.
     
    Of course, as has generally been the case for Minnesota, the strikeouts aren't there at all. With just 6.58 K/9, the Twins rank dead last in the American League. It's a position they've grown relatively accustomed to, and with no true strikeout pitcher, one they'll remain in at least for the foreseeable future. On the surface though, it's hard to be disappointed in the overall results that the starting staff has produced.
     
    Then there's the bullpen, and this is where things get a bit interesting.
     
    On the season, Minnesota's relievers own a 2.59 ERA (6th best in the American League). That tally includes ugly numbers from Glen Perkins and Casey Fien, as well as mediocrity from Kevin Jepsen. The small sample sizes will aloow those stats to continue to be driven down, but being that low nonetheless is a testament to this group. Where the pen really impresses is in the strikeout category.
     
    For 2016, the Twins relief corps owns a 10.15 K/9, good enough for 5th in the American League, and only .40 K/9 off of the vaunted Royals pen. At the end of 2015, the Twins relievers owned a 6.85 K/9 as well as a 3.95 ERA, significantly worse numbers than where they currently find themselves at.
     
    Any time a big league team is under .500, you're in a less than desirable situation. That being said, if there was one thing the Twins were expected to do, it was produce on offense. This team was going to hit, and hit for power. That hasn't completely shown up yet, but the fact that the pitching is there to support it when it does, is no doubt a great thing.
     
    I'm not sure I'm ready to suggest I saw this coming, it hasn't been much of a sample size thus far. That said, knowing Jose Berrios, Tyler Duffey, Nick Burdi, and J.T. Chargois are there to pick up the slack when Minnesota needs them, you have to feel good about who's on the mound for Paul Molitor in 2016.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  19. Ted Schwerzler
    Just a handful of games into the 2016 Major League Baseball season, and things were trending downwards big time for the Minnesota Twins. Starting 0-9, there was plenty of reason to panic, 162 games aside. While Twins players seemed to stay the course, Terry Ryan and the organization made somewhat of an odd decision a week ago.
     
    With Miguel Sano starting in right field and still getting used to his role, Byron Buxton scuffling at the plate, and Eddie Rosario being lackluster across multiple facets of the game, a shakeup was needed. Instead of going internally though, using the organizational depth, Terry Ryan decided to sign veteran outfielder David Murphy.
     
    In and of itself, the Murphy signing is far from terrible. If he makes the big league roster (which it sounds like he won't have a long stay at Triple-A), he'll make right around $1.5 million. A 10 year vet, Murphy owns a .274/.333/.432 career line. He's significantly more acceptable at the plate against righties, but as a left handed batter, that's not totally unexpected. In the outfield, the only position he's better than league average is left fielder, where he's worth 3 defensive runs saved in just over 4,700 innings.
     
    That brings us to the Twins odd predicament, and it's only been further highlighted over the course of the past few games.
     
    Looking at the youth the Twins employ, Miguel Sano is the least likely to ever go back to the farm. Despite his bat starting out ice cold, the Dominican has seen Minnesota committed to his development in right field. He's been decent despite some minor struggles, and his bat is going to come around. In center, Buxton has given the Twins some pause, and he could go back. Regardless what happens to Byron though, Murphy is not a center fielder, and his -8 career DRS would be ugly there. That brings us to left field.
     
    Considering the options for the Twins to send to the farm when Murphy comes up, Eddie Rosario should be considered the most deserving candidate. His approach at the plate has been largely worse than it was a season ago (which was already ugly). He's been worth -2 DRS in left field this season, and he's given the Twins more head scratching moments than he hasn't. That all being said, I don't see the Twins making that move at all.
     
    The problem however isn't who is sent down, but in that Murphy is probably going to come up to the Twins to play. Oswaldo Arcia was brought north out of spring training because the Twins aren't dumb. Just 24 years old, the Venezuelan had a 100% chance of being claimed on waivers by another team had Minnesota DFA'd him. Having brought him north though, he started just one of the Twins first 8 games.
     
    After being given some leash, Arcia started each of the games in which the Twins faced off against the Angels at Target Field. Minnesota swept the series, and Arcia provided two game winners across the three game span. His .385/.429/.615 slash line is no doubt a product of a small sample size, but his home run and three runs batted in are production areas he should be expected to contribute in.
     
    Sure, this early into the season, the Twins have plenty of other narratives to focus on, and many of them have arguably more weight. That said, in a season in which the Twins seemed committed to having the youth be the backbone of their success or failure, relying on an aging vet seems counter productive. Whether it be Arcia or Max Kepler, there's internal options with far more upside that should have been considered more heavily.
     
    Within the next handful of games, we'll find out how this narrative is going to play out. Twins beat writer LaVelle E. Neal noted that Murphy was told he won't be at Triple-A Rochester long. Given what seems like an assurance he'll bump someone off the big league roster, we'll have to take a wait and see approach. No matter what though. Murphy of the internal candidates is a decision that appears to go against what the Twins were pushing for in the season ahead.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  20. Ted Schwerzler
    To say the 2016 Major League Baseball season has gotten off to less than an ideal start for the Minnesota Twins is a understatement. Despite the possibility for a handful of losses to be overstated, there's no doubt that the Twins futility isn't a good thing. With an offense that has perfected striking out, and a bullpen that has scuffled early, Paul Molitor may not be too far off from making some changes.
     
    One of the most obvious changes could be in relation to uber prospect Byron Buxton. Having won the starting centerfield job out of spring training, Minnesota was no doubt looking for a better showing than his first taste of big league action. So far that hasn't been the case, as Buxton is batting .182/.182/.273 through his first 22 at bats. What's interesting though is that there's a path in which this narrative has played out before.
     
    Buxton is often mentioned in connection with Angels star Mike Trout. Both had the pedigree of being top prospects, and the hope is that the former turns early big league struggles into long term success like the latter. After struggling in his first taste of MLB action, Trout went on to win the AL Rookie of the Year in his true rookie season. The overlooked part is how Trout progressed over that Rookie of the Year winning campaign.
     
    Unlike Buxton, Trout did not start his first big league season with the Angels. Prior to beginning his record winning journey, he played in 20 Triple-A games. Across that action, Trout slashed .403/.467/.623. He was then called up and went on to hit .182/.250/.227 in his first 22 at bats, a very similar (if not worse) line than Buxton. The biggest discrepancy between how each of them got going is in Buxton's ugly 11/0 K/BB ratio (as opposed to Trout's 5/2 K/BB in his first 22 ABs).
     
    At this point, it's pretty clear that Buxton is working to get his feet wet at the big league level. He's seeing just south of 8 pitches per strikeout and has been scuffling at the plate. To his credit, when he's put the ball in play, he's hit it hard. His at bats haven't been terrible, and they've been visibly better than teammate and outfield partner Eddie Rosario. That said, we may be coming to a crossroads.
     
    Should Buxton continue to struggle to get things going for the next week, decision time may be here. If I'm the Twins, I go ahead and send Buxton back to Triple-A. Getting him down sooner rather than later allows him to get things going, and return in a much more meaningful portion of the season. Allow Buxton, who hit .400/.441/.545 in his first taste of Triple-A, to go grab some confidence and head back to the big leagues in about three weeks.
     
    Should Buxton go down, there will obviously be a ripple effect at the top. The Twins will be short and outfielder and depending on who's called up, the replacement is probably already on the big league roster. Assuming Danny Santana isn't immediately back on his 15th day (which would make the swap for Buxton easier) Molitor should go with Max Kepler. Having been called up, it doesn't serve Kepler to sit and watch. He has the ability to play centerfield, and would then be auditioning for the right to stay up with the Twins. As things stand currently, Kepler should be drawing starts over Rosario, Buxton, and Miguel Sano on a rotating basis, but he could be the guy in center until Buxton returns.
     
    Of course it's not the ideal scenario to have to demote Buxton, what's important though is that it's not a death sentence. For the Twins top prospect, the long term game should be the focus. Getting him right with his bat a level down, will help Minnesota win games at the big league level during the summer months. If Buxton doesn't have a turnaround week, I'd put the plan in action.
     
    The changes probably shouldn't stop with the lineup however. There's also some significant question marks in the bullpen. The trio of Glen Perkins, Kevin Jepsen, and Casey Fien have been unquestionably poor to start the 2016 campaign. If there's a guy feeling the most pressure, it should be the veteran Fien.
     
    Having been gifted a roster spot through an arbitration contract, Fien has turned in a 16.88 ERA with 2 BB in his first 2.2 IP. Getting hit hard, to the tune of seven hits already, Fien has looked extremely ineffective. The most logical move for Fien may be in calling up Alex Meyer.
     
    Yes, Meyer is working out of the Rochester rotation, but it still stands to reason that he makes the Twins this year through the bullpen. He's not ahead of Jose Berrios or Tyler Duffey for starting jobs, and his stuff should play up even better in relief. Taking over for Fien, Meyer can slide into a low-leverage scenario and take his time acclimating to the new level. He was great in his debut outing of 2016, and finished 2015 owning a 0.46 ERA across his final 19.2 IP. There's little room to suggest Meyer would be anything but an upgrade in relief for Minnesota.
     
    As far as the back end of the pen guys, Jepsen and Perkins, a swap is a bit less clear. The former is a major regression candidate for this season, while the latter appears to have fallen off a cliff. Regardless, neither of them is being sent anywhere but the DL should a move be deemed warranted. Perkins has looked ineffective and displayed declining velocity for the last half of 2015, and to start the 2016 campaign. If you're looking for a replacement, J.T. Chargois may hear the call from Double-A Chattanooga.
     
    Chargois has struck out five batters en route to recording his first six outs. He's right there with Nick Burdi in regards to top tier relief talent, and already being on the 40 man roster makes it a smooth transition. Again, getting Chargois up is a tricky maneuver with how you'd need to shuffle some established vets. That said, the relief options are plentiful for Minnesota.
     
    With an early season stumble such as the Twins have had, you'd hate to start making unwarranted wholesale changes. However, you need to do something in order to create a spark, and for a couple different players, a momentary change of scenery could produce benefits throughout the summer. Sure it's unfortunate that Buxton hasn't taken off, or that the pen may have scuffled, but the net result could be the best possible outcome.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  21. Ted Schwerzler
    The 2016 Major League Baseball season is upon us, and it's still very, very new. What that means is that any analysis at this point is dealing with extremely small sample sizes. For the Twins though, it's pretty apparent there's a new approach at the plate, and the way in which offense is going to be generated. Through the first few games, some things have worked, and others haven't.
     
    Having began the season in Baltimore, the Twins were afforded the benefit of playing in a hitter's park against some less than stellar pitching. Facing Chris Tillman on Opening Day, one could assume that Minnesota would have some opportunities. Secondary starters Yovani Gallardo and Ubaldo Jimenez fall under that same line of thinking as well; none of them would be your proverbial ace types.
     
    In fact, the first two don't really strike anyone out either. Tillman totaled just 6.2 K/9 in 2015 while Gallardo pushed across 5.9 K/9 a season ago. The expectation would be opportunities for Minnesota. Unfortunately, through their first two games against the Orioles, the Twins turned in outs by way of the K for 23 of their 54 outs (43% of the time). To say that's not good is an understatement.
     
    Strikeouts were going to be a higher total this season than in those of the past due to the Twins lineup construction. Brian Dozier set a club record a season ago, and he's now paired with power hitters Miguel Sano and Byung Ho Park for a full season. Trevor Plouffe strikes out his fair share, Eddie Rosario chases everything, and Joe Mauer topped the 100 strikeout plateau for the first time in hs career a season ago. Those power hitters have contributed to the Twins strikeout total while only Plouffe has put a ball in the seats thus far.
     
    As the season goes on, the Twins bats will no doubt catch up. They are going to strike out, and they are going to hit home runs. What needs to shift is the ratio in which the two of them happen. A single home run per every 23 strikeouts isn't going to be conducive to winning a bunch of games, and it's something I'm guessing the Twins are aware of.
     
    The silver lining in all of the strikeouts however, is the guy who has been sent down the most, Byron Buxton. Despite leading the team with five strikeouts, Buxton has spent the most time at the plate this season. Seeing 18 pitches against Tillman, and 23 against Gallardo, the Twins rookie phenom has worked counts and put himself in a position to capitalize. Both of his doubles off of Gallardo in game two were no doubt a by product of understanding his opportunity to swing.
     
    Through his career, Buxton has generally been a slow starter. His .209 average in 2015 through 46 games is indicative of that trend, and it goes back through many of his minor league stops as well. The hit tool is exceptional and is going to continue to rear its head. The more pitches Buxton sees, and the longer he is able to extend at bats, the more expedited you can expect his transition to be.
     
    Right now, it's far too early to blow the strikeout issues the Twins have faced as an epidemic. It's no doubt something to be aware of however. It was obvious that Paul Molitor's club was going to swing and miss this season, but the ratio it is currently happening needs to change drastically. Through the first bit of action, more at bats like the young Buxton may do the Twins some favors.
     
    Disaster is what takes place if the Twins continue to trot back to the dugout without rounding the bases first. As the weeks turn into months, we'll have to hope that shift starts to take hold.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  22. Ted Schwerzler
    This offseason, the Minnesota Twins realized they were closer than ever to a playoff berth. Having just missed out a season ago, the organization realized that top prospects were going to be the key to making it over the hump. Having stayed internal for most of the 25 man roster tweaks, the goal was to put the best club forward on Opening Day. For Paul Molitor, that meant asking 22 year old Miguel Sano to learn right field. Another name came up as a possibility, but what really is next for Joe Mauer?
     
    There's plenty of reason to be skeptical about asking a 270 pound human being to play outfield in the big leagues. The Twins knew they were better with both Sano and Trevor Plouffe in their lineup however, so the hand became forced. While I have significantly less worries about how things turn out for Sano than most, many have wondered why it wasn't Mauer who was asked to make the transition.
     
    At 32 years old, Mauer is fresh off his second season of settling in at first base. Despite being arguably one of the greatest Twins of all time, and being on a Hall of Fame trajectory with his work behind the plate, brain injuries caused him to reinvent his career. In doing so, the last two seasons have seen Mauer work hard at becoming an asset at first base. While the offensive production isn't on par for the position, his defensive runs saved numbers suggest that he's better than league average with the glove.
     
    Had Mauer been moved to the outfield this season, Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor would have been asking their aging star to acclimate to another new role. At this point in his career, it's fair to suggest Mauer is not the athlete Sano is, and therefore would likely have just as many hiccups. In theory, it's understandable to see why the suggestion was presented, but it was never one that needed to play out.
     
    That leads us to where Mauer is now, and what is to come. In my way-too-early lineup projection from back in December, I had Mauer hitting 5th for the Twins, and would have considered 6th as well. My thought process was rooted in Joe being put in a less substantial role, and that helping to spark his resurgence. I'm of the belief that Mauer has something left, and I think there's reason to believe he hits .300 again this season. What needs to be considered is exactly what happens when things don't pan out.
     
    Following 2016, Mauer has two seasons left under contract with the Twins. Signed through 2018, he will be 34 and 35 in those years, and likely eyeing retirement in the not-so-distant future. 2016 remains a very big make or break year for the former catcher, as it should no doubt shape how the Twins position him going forward.
     
    In 2015, Mauer saw his average dip to a career worst .265. His .309 BABIP was the lowest mark of his career, and he was facing defensive shifts now more than ever. Despite improving on his hard-hit contact rate from 2014, it still remained below 30% for the second straight season (a number in which he has always been above outside of his injury plagued 2011). The detractors are fixable, and that provides reason to believe there's more left in the tank. Whether it be sunglasses or some other adjustment that helps to bring forth the necessary improvements, betting against Mauer doesn't seem a wise move.
     
    However, when things don't pan out as hoped, Minnesota also has other options. A great current area of strength for the Twins remains their outfield depth. Despite Sano being out of position, he seems a plausible fit at first base in the future (although it's another role he has very limited experience in). There there's prospect Max Kepler who seems positioned to push for significant playing time early in the 2016 season. The shift among the three outfielders is going to make Molitor reconfigure his infield.
     
    After inking Byung Ho Park to a multi-year deal this offseason, the Twins have a guy in line for significant designated hitter and backup first base duties for the immediate time being. Whoever comes into the dirt from the outfield is going to be in a place where Park's contributions need to be factored in as well. This all leads us to what may be a (im)perfect storm for Mauer.
     
    Should Joe struggle to trend upwards for the 2016 Twins, the next playoff team in Minnesota (likely 2017) may see him as a rotational guy. Providing days off for starters, and hopefully bringing a consistent professional approach to the plate, Mauer could be destined to play out the final years of his career as a reserve. While less than ideal for both the Twins and Mauer, it is a role that could help him to salvage production down the stretch, and allow him to contribute in a passing-of-the-torch type of way.
     
    For a guy who already has amassed a higher career fWAR than Kirby Puckett and Tony Oliva, it's tough to look back and think of what could have been. However, as the Twins move more towards a new generation of relevancy, the time is coming to figure out just how Mauer fits into it. Again, I believe Joe has the ability to be a significant asset in 2016 and going forward, but if things take another step back, it may be wise for Minnesota to do so as well.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  23. Ted Schwerzler
    On Wednesday, I spent the majority of my day over at the Lee County Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium taking in different aspects of spring training. With the Double and Triple-A teams taking on the Orioles in the early afternoon, as well as the Twins battling the Red Sox at night, there was plenty of action taking place.
     
    Upon arriving for the day, the most necessary definition was to make my way to the back fields. Knowing that the high level minor league teams would be competing at home for the day, I was looking forward to seeing a handful of guys I've developed relationships with over the past year. While I was plenty early and beat most of the players to the field, I posted up in position to take in the Double-A action.
     
    Although the Orioles don't have the minor league farm system that Minnesota does, the Double-A team still has a good amount of talent. Notably, Chance Sisco, one of Baltimore's top prospects, was behind the plate for them. On the Twins side, former first round pick Levi Michael was starting at second next to defensive wizard Engelb Vielma. No doubt the star of the show however was the starting pitcher, Tyler Jay.
     
    Jay, Minnesota's 2015 first round draft pick, warmed up about 30 minutes prior to gamete. I found this interesting as starters are generally out on the field earlier. However, coming from a relief background, it's completely plausible that his routine is significantly shortened. Regardless, he took the mound in the first, and it was up to the Orioles batters to figure them out.
     
    After a rocky start in which Jay threw just 11 of 20 strikes and gave up an earned run, he settled in. Through four complete innings pitched, Jay pumped 38 of 54 pitches for strikes, registered eight of 16 first pitch strikes, struck out five, walked one, and gave up two earned runs. All in all, his first and fourth innings were the only thing keeping him from a rather crisp start. Sitting at 95 virtually from start to finish, the velocity from the lefty is something incredibly enticing now working as a starter.
     
    Hitting was virtually non-existent in the Double-A game. Orioles pitchers had Twins hitters generally grounding into routine outs and not doing much with the ball in play. Jay was really on hit hard in the fourth, and had the Baltimore batters swinging well after the ball was in Joe Maloney's glove prior to that. For a handful of pictures from the game, check out my Twitter account here.
     
    Making the short walk from one field to the other, I caught a brief bit of the Triple-A action as well. Upon viewing that game, Travis Harrison blasted a homer (which caused some fun ribbing from Adam Brett Walker) before Marcus Walden came on to work his final inning. Up in the Twins half of the inning, Stephen Wickens put a charge into a ball just before Shannon Wilkerson launched a mammoth home run to left field. No idea where the game stood at that point, but the Rochester guys were putting the bat on the ball.
     
    I stuck around a bit to watch Jake Reed come on in relief. He had recently been reassigned from big league camp, and I believe this was his first appearance on the minor league side. He hit his first Orioles batter, and then settled in. Reed has flashed some nice stuff, and consistency is going to be the name of the game if he's going to debut for the Twins this year.
     
    For the nightcap, Boston brought a handful of regulars over to Hammond Stadium to face what looked like the Twins "A" lineup. Byron Buxton was scratched late due to being sick, but regulars were all over the rest of the field. With Mookie Betts, Pablo Sandoval, Dustin Pedroia, and Hanley Ramirez all in the Red Sox lineup, Kyle Gibson would have his hands full.
     
    Gibson gave up a solo shot to Betts in the game's first at bat but then settled in nicely. He worked a 1-2-3 second inning getting both Ramirez and Chris Young on stickers. His third inning was another 1-2-3 and featured strikeouts of both Jackie Bradley Jr. and Betts. The Twins got homers from both Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario putting them up 7-1 in the 6th, which is when it became to call it a night.
     
    Minnesota now leads the Crosstown Cup 3-1 on the season with six games remaining. Knocking off the Red Sox in the 2016 series would even up the All-Time record at 12 a piece. I plan on heading over to Jet Blue to take in the second Twins and Red Sox matchup of the week on Friday.
     
    For more until then, make sure to stay tuned @tlschwerz
  24. Ted Schwerzler
    When it comes to thinking of baseball talent hotbeds, Minnesota probably isn't high on the list. The state deals with cold weather and snow from the better (or worse) half of the year. Regardless of Twins Territory being a passionate grouping of Major League fans, the high school scene doesn't draw as much national attention. There are the outliers however; the Joe Mauer's, Paul Molitor's, and Logan Shore.
     
    Sure, Shore isn't yet on the level of a Hall of Famer, and another guy with the potential to reach that rank. What he is however, is a kid from Coon Rapids (a northern suburb of Minneapolis), that has vaulted onto the national stage. Initially drafted by the Twins in the 29th round of the 2013 MLB draft (due to his strong commitment to the University of Florida), Shore did in fact follow through and head to Gainesville.
     
    Now a Junior for the #1 ranked Gators, Shore has planted himself atop many draft boards. Through his first three starts, Shore owns a 0.43 ERA giving up just eight hits and one earned run while walking two and striking out 22 in 21.0 innings. He's got a complete game shutout under his belt, and he's been the nation's most unhittable pitcher.
     
    In between dominating starts for Florida, I had the opportunity to interview Shore. We talked about his college experience, baseball, and what's to come.
     
    Off The Baggy: Having been the Friday starter since almost day one with the Gators, how has your approach to the way you have pitched changed and evolved over your time at Florida?
     
    Logan Shore: I think the approach I have has not changed a whole lot of freshman year to junior year. I have always had the approach of attacking hitters with my pitches and I think if anything has changed it would be that I try to pitch more aggressively now. Coach O’Sullivan does a tremendous job of teaching us how to pitch and helping us understand the mental side of pitching.
     
    OTB: Tell me about your arsenal on the mound, what pitches you feel you utilize best, and what you feel most comfortable using to attack opposing hitters?
     
    LS: I have a three-pitch mix. I throw a fastball, changeup and a slider. My best pitch besides my fastball is my changeup and I feel comfortable throwing that in any count.
     
    OTB: Having been dominant in high school for Coon Rapids, what was the biggest change to your game pitching at the collegiate level?
     
    LS: I think that the biggest difference and change from pitching at Coon Rapids High School to pitching in the SEC is that anyone in the SEC can hurt you. I have learned that I have to make quality pitches to every hitter in the lineup and learned that I need my two off-speed pitches to get people out, and not just my fastball.
     
    OTB: Being drafted by the Twins out of high school and instead choosing to go to college, what do you feel has been the biggest improvement in your game since that time?
     
    LS: I think that the biggest thing that I have improved on is my third pitch, which is my slider. I have always been a fastball/change-up pitcher, but utilizing my slider and truly having a three-pitch mix has been my biggest improvement. Also, having the experience of pitching on Friday nights in the SEC has given me confidence moving forward.
     
    OTB: Looking ahead to the upcoming draft, what do you see as the biggest area of focus to elevate your game to the big league level.
     
    LS: The biggest area of focus for me right now is to get the Gators back to Omaha and win a national championship. After coming so close in 2015 and getting a taste of what it takes to win in in the postseason, I am excited to be a part of such a special team in 2016. As far as the draft goes, I try to not think about it very much. Obviously it is there, and it will be there in June, but I feel the more I, along with the other guys on my team, are focused on winning, the better the draft process will play out for myself and everyone else.
     
    OTB: Pitching in the SEC has no doubt seen you go up against some of the game’s best. Battling with 2015 top draft picks Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman is solid preparation for the pro game. What helps you face, and ultimately succeed, against hitters of their caliber?
     
    LS: Facing guys like Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman is difficult. The one thing that I do to prepare to face guys of this caliber is know who they are as hitters and pitch to my strengths. I watch a lot of video and do a lot of homework before each start to learn who I am facing, and have a plan of how I want to attack each hitter. The one thing I can always control is how I prepare, and I feel that if I prepare and stay true to my routine the game will take care of itself.
     
    OTB: Finally, as a hometown kid, the storybook ending would no doubt be a second selection by the Twins. Envisioning the draft experience as a whole however, what excites you most about the process this time around?
     
    LS: I am excited to have an opportunity to potentially be selected by a team in the MLB Draft. It has always been a dream of mine to play professional baseball. Being drafted by the Twins would be an extra bonus on top of that. It is a long season, and a lot still to be done, but I am excited to see what happens.
     
    No doubt Logan is focused in the right areas. Working to get back to Omaha, helping the Gators to a 12-1 record to start the year is a great place to be. The winning has come, and as Florida gets into SEC play, Shore will be a catalyst in helping it continue. Focus and determination are equally as important as talent, and for Shore, the trifecta is there.
     
    Likely a first round selection in Major League Baseball's June Draft, Minnesota picking 15th will be clued in on the hometown talent. Regardless of where he goes, success is sure to follow Shore.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
  25. Ted Schwerzler
    During the 2015 season, few areas were worse off than the Twins bullpen. Minnesota didn't strike anyone out, there were largely without reliable arms, and late game leads were far from safe. Coming into 2016, making an improvement in relief was no doubt a priority, but the execution of that decision seemed to come from different trains of thought.
     
    Now with the 2016 season nearly here, the Twins bullpen has largely been decided. Glen Perkins, Kevin Jepsen, and Trevor May are all locks. Casey Fien was offered a new deal through arbitration, and Michael Tonkin is out of options. Former free agent signee Ricky Nolasco needs a place to pitch, and Minnesota needs another lefty in relief. Outside of the question as to whether it will be Fernando Abad or Taylor Rogers, Paul Molitor's relief corps seems decided upon.
     
    The group assembled in 2016 will be looking to take some significant steps forward. A year ago, Twins relievers struck out an MLB worst 6.85 per nine innings. A 4.20 FIP was among the lower third in the big leagues, and a 1.7 fWAR had the group tied for 7th worst in the majors. Outside of Glen Perkins' first half, and Kevin Jepsen's late season boost, things could have been markedly worse.
     
    So in making the bullpen a priority, Terry Ryan and the Twins needed to fix things. A season ago, they were caught making remarks that the collective media needed to relax, and that things would be just fine. That obviously couldn't have been further from the truth, but those sentiments have not been muttered this time. Instead, the Twins have stood their ground and watched as arms have been signed while they've stood idly by.
     
    In fact, it's their inaction that has brought up the question, just what is the narrative for the Twins relievers in 2016? As Matt Thornton, another lefty, was plucked off the market on an MiLB deal, this comment was offered on Twitter:
    The problem is, I'm not sure that's entirely fair.
     
    Without a doubt the Twins stood pat when it came to the bullpen in a larger sense, but in the grand scheme of things, they really didn't. Knowing the club needed a lefty, Ryan went out and nabbed Abad on a minor league deal. An organizational belief that he was tipping his pitches to the tune of a 4.15 ERA a season ago, Abad is just a year removed from a 1.57 ERA and 8.0 K/9. Should he return to any semblance of that, a nominal MiLB deal could end up being the best move of the winter.
     
    Minnesota repeated that same type of acquisition in claiming former Brewers lefty Mike Strong, and targeting Dan Runzler along with Buddy Boshers. The trio no doubt has a significantly lower upside than that of Abad, but Minnesota only needs one of the group to stick.
     
    Then there's the reality that relief arms are actually an area of strength for Ryan at the present time. Mostly on the right side, Minnesota has Alex Meyer, J.T. Chargois, Nick Burdi, and Jake Reed all looking like they should be capable of big league innings this year. Add in lefty Taylor Rogers, and there's plenty of home grown options that have ceilings largely greater than what the market presented.
     
    Back to the point above, how can we actually view a Twins collapse? If things don't work out with Abad, Rogers, or one of the other lefty candidates, what gets said? Should it be that Ryan needed to spend $18 million for three years of Tony Sipp? Maybe $12 million for two years of Antonio Bastardo made sense? The reality is however, that relievers are generally a fickle beast, and something that can be made out of nowhere. Sipp is a couple of years removed from a near 5.00 ERA while Bastardo almost posted a 4.00 mark in 2014.
     
    So, is there a right way or a wrong way to be upset should things crash and burn for the Twins? The short answer is that I don't know. However, I've always been a big proponent of bullpens either being creative, or expensive, the middle ground is an ugly desolate wasteland. Right now, the Twins fall in the former category (with a team like the Yankees being the blueprint for the later).
     
    Ryan didn't go spend on a position (albeit of need), that is often easy to develop, and one with internal options. He's banking on internal evaluations saying that Abad will work out, and that the kids who've been knocking on the door are ready to go. Big contracts in the pen would have no doubt delayed a more deserving arm (Ricky Nolasco anyone?), and it's time the Twins system becomes utilized at the big league level.
     
    Nothing says that Minnesota's relief corps will take a massive step forward in the year ahead. Deciding to go with top prospects and good (low risk) bets though, is a strategy I can applaud. We'll soon see how it plays out, but at the end of the day, I'm not sure to stiff of an argument can be made against the process.
     
    For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz
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