Baseball Bat

I like it. On top of what you've listed, I'd also ask: The Red Sox about Tanner Houck, Sam Travis, C.J. Chatham, and Jalen Beeks The Brewers about Corey Ray, Tristen Lutz, and K.J. Harrison The Phillies about JoJo Romero. *Not saying I'd ask for all of these guys in one package, just as one for ones or part of the deal. I have an awful time trying to figure out the trade value of any player, much less rentals. So thank you for helping gauge this value. I'd be interested in seeing potential returns and ideas for Odorizzi, Gibson, Rodney, Duke, and Lynn (Nothing probably). Gibson is the Twins most valuable trade asset IMO.

You were just looking for a way to sneak in Rainis Silva into conversation weren't you?

No love for Akil Baddoo?

You forgot Yu Darvish, TOM

I'll tell you what happens. I gain 50 lbs. and then get fired for "poor performance" at my job. Then my girlfriend leaves me for Randy in Cottage Grove. EVERYTHING RIDES ON YU SIGNING WITH THE TWINS

Just joining in on this now and haven't read any of the comments. People are probably over this by now. For some reason I'm really worked up and baffled by how the Twins handled the entire Rule 5 Draft. First off, the Twins had a consensus Top 5 pick in the draft in Nick Burdi. I am extremely high on Burdi and think he is an 8th or 9th inning guy once he gets his health straightened out. So I will admit my bias upfront. They very easily could have protected him and then moved him to the 60 day DL once the season started until July or so. It really wouldn't be a burden to carry Burdi on 40 man at all. I think there are 4 or 5 guys I would remove from the 40 man at the expense of keeping Burdi. So I assumed when the Twins did not protect someone who everyone knew would be a top 3 to 5 pick in the draft, that the Twins had no intentions of drafting someone with pick 20 right, and wanted ultimate roster flexibility to add to? WRONG. They drafted Tyler Kinley, a guy who was left off the MARLINS 40 man roster and will be 27 by the time the season starts without ANY Minor League success above High A. But heck he can throw 100 and strike guys out so lets waste a 40 man spot on this guy and not Nick Burdi who BTW has a strong track record of Minor League Success through AA, is 2 years younger, and also throws 100. On top of that, you now have to worry about hiding a guy on the 25 man roster throughout the season which is an awful strategy for a team that plans to contend. If they just would have kept Burdi, they could just had him on the DL, add someone to the 40 man in April, and then have Burdi pitch in Triple A when he returns. They wouldn't be required to keep him on the Major League Roster at all. But now Burdi is all but gone. He will be insanely easy to stash. The Pirates will have no problem navigating around keeping him after his Tommy John Surgery. April through June: 60 Day DL July & August: 25 Man Roster September: Rosters expand and it is easy to keep him on it. That will satisfy Burdi's 90 day requirements while spending half the season on the DL. In summary, The Twins gained a Pat Light Jr., a player worse than Burdi, and lost roster flexibility because of it. I know I'm too worked up over this but I just don't get it. I really hope I am proved wrong. But I think Burdi will end up being a stud, and the Twins will return Kinley after a month and a half of wasting a roster spot trying to hide him. Falvey and Levine have to know something about Burdi that we do not. End of my incoherent rant

Don’t worry Twins Fans. Almost every upper echelon Free Agent is yet to sign. Here is my list of the Top Remaining Free Agents at each position and then my top 50 overall. It is worth noting that the highest rated player I had that has signed thus far has been Mike Minor, who was at 18 behind Logan Morrison. All top of my 17 Free Agents are still available, including 7 pitchers. Starters: 1. Yu Darvish 2. Jake Arrieta 3. Alex Cobb 4. Lance Lynn 5. C.C. Sabathia 6. Jaime Garcia 7. Jason Vargas 8. John Lackey 9. Andrew Cashner 10. Jeremy Hellickson 11. Jhoulys Chacin 12. Charles Tillman 13. Francisco Liriano 14. Matt Garza 15. Miguel Gonzalez Only guys of note to sign are Tyler Chatwood, Drew Smyly, Michael Pineda, and Doug Fister (I guess). I would argue that if healthy, Pineda is the best of those 4 and would have gotten 3 to 4 years for $45 to $60 million. Not a bad get for the Twins, but I expect them to be targeting one of the top 4 starters or looking to acquire one via trade. Relievers: 1. Wade Davis 2. Greg Holland 3. Addison Reed 4. Tony Watson 5. Tyler Clippard 6. Hector Rondon 7. David Hernandez 8. Seung-Hwan Oh 9. Trevor Cahill 10. Matt Belisle 11. Matt Albers 12. Boone Logan 13. Brian Duensing 14. Bud Norris 15. J.J. Hoover 16. Koji Uehara 17. Sergio Romo 18. Francisco Rodriguez 19. Neftali Feliz 20. Craig Stammen Interestingly enough, I had Davis, Holland, and Reed as the top 3 Free Agent Relievers available. With all the relievers flying off the shelves, it is worth reminding that the top of the relief market is still there. Specifically pertaining to the Twins, nobody outside of the top 6 would be an initial priority. It will be interesting to see if someone like Addison Reed struggled to find that 3 year $27 million deal, or if he is holding out for more. After Reed, there is a massive drop off, but Watson, Clippard, and Rondon are all intriguing and affordable. After that, there are plenty to circle back on in late January and February, including some old friends. Catchers: 1. Jonathan Lucroy 2. Alex Avila 3. Rene Rivera 4. Nick Hundley 5. Chris Gimenez Welington Castillo quietly did pretty well for himself early on in Free Agency. But since then, not much has happened pertaining to catchers. The Twins should feel comfortable with Garver as the backup catcher / DH / 1B / LF type player. I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing back Gimenez though. Especially if it means he brings his friend Yu with him. First Basemen: 1. Eric Hosmer 2. Carlos Santana 3. Logan Morrison 4. Yonder Alonso 5. Mitch Moreland 6. Lucas Duda 7. Mark Reynolds 8. Mike Napoli 9. Adam Lind 10. Matt Adams This market is at a stop sign. Literally nothing has happened, as is true with just about all position players (What an odd market / boring winter meetings – No?). I’m an advocate of circling back here for a right handed platoon DH type later in Free Agency. However, the only two guys on this list that are right handed are Reynolds and Napoli. Probably doesn’t make a ton of sense to go after Lucas Duda, Yonder Alonso, and Hosmer and Santana will be too expensive while not really being a need. Second Basemen: 1. Neil Walker 2. Howie Kendrick 3. Brandon Phillips 4. Chase Utley 5. Danny Espinosa I fell asleep typing this list of names. I guess Howie Kendrick would be an interesting utility guy. However, I’d rather have Adrianza in that role based on age, cost, and massively superior defense. Pass on all of them. Third Basemen: 1. Mike Moustakas 2. Todd Frazier 3. Eduardo Nunez 4. Yunel Escobar 5. Danny Valencia 6. Jose Reyes 7. Trevor Plouffe 8. Pablo Sandoval It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever seen. I just don’t see the Twins really paying any attention to it unless someone blows them away with a Miguel Sano offer or something. Shortstop 1. Zack Cozart 2. Alcides Escobar 3. Erick Aybar 4. J.J. Hardy 5. Adam Rosales Yeah I don’t have much to say here. Outfielders 1. J.D. Martinez 2. Lorenzo Cain 3. Jay Bruce 4. Carlos Gomez 5. Carlos Gonzalez 6. Jarrod Dyson 7. Jon Jay 8. Austin Jackson 9. Curtis Granderson 10. Melky Cabrera 11. Jose Bautista 12. Matt Holliday 13. Colby Rasmus 14. Rajai Davis 15. Cameron Maybin I’d be curious to see if the Twins have any activity here. I think we’ll know based on how they treat Robbie Grossman and Kennys Vargas. If they move on from Robbie via trade, I think it is highly likely they add at least one outfielder via free agency. Granted, it would be a lower end 4th outfielder type. There are also some cheaper 4th outfielder / DH type options here that might be worth pursuing if you lose Vargas. I’m biased and want to see us take a $5 million flier on Joey Bats, but I understand the hesitation on that. Overall Rankings 1. OF J.D. Martinez 2. SP Yu Darvish 3. 1B Eric Hosmer 4. SP Jake Arrieta 5. OF Lorenzo Cain 6. 3B Mike Moustakas 7. RP Wade Davis 8. SP Alex Cobb 9. 1B Carlos Santana 10. RP Greg Holland 11. SP Lance Lynn 12. SS Zack Cozart 13. 3B Todd Frazier 14. OF Jay Bruce 15. RP Addison Reed 16. C Jonathan Lucroy 17. 1B Logan Morrison 18. OF Carlos Gomez 19. 1B Yonder Alonso 20. SP C.C. Sabathia 21. 3B Eduardo Nunez 22. SP Jaime Garcia 23. RP Tony Watson 24. 2B Neil Walker 25. RP Tyler Clippard 26. C Alex Avila 27. SP Jason Vargas 28. OF Carlos Gonzalez 29. 1B Mitch Moreland 30. SP John Lackey 31. SP Andrew Cashner 32. OF Jarrod Dyson 33. OF Jon Jay 34. 1B Lucas Duda 35. RP Hector Rondon 36. OF Austin Jackson 37. RP David Hernandez 38. OF Curtis Granderson 39. SP Jeremy Hellickson 40. OF Melky Cabrera 41. 1B Mark Reynolds 42. RP Seung-Hwan Oh 43. SP Jhoulys Chacin 44. OF Jose Bautista 45. RP Trevor Cahill 46. 3B Yunel Escobar 47. SP Charles Tillman 48. 2B Howie Kendrick 49. SS Alcides Escobar 50. RP Matt Belisle Happy Shopping, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine.

I'm pretty low on Slegers and have advocated DFAing him in order to add Burdi or Reed to the 40 man (I'd DFA Hughes and Boshers before DFAing Slegers though). So naturally this would be an article written. Have to admit it has valid points and makes me want to reconsider my Slegers position. However, as you mentioned, Arrieta has far superior stuff. I'm always very biased against a minor league pitcher who has a long track record of not missing bats. I hope I am proved wrong, but I think his ceiling is a #5 starter with Kyle Gibson 2014 / 2015 numbers

I'm hesitant to do any trade this offseason that requires giving up more than 1 of Lewis, Gordon, Gonsalves, and Romero. I don't think the Twins are in the stage of their window yet where it makes sense to gut the top echelon of prospects that they have for 2 years of a starter who will leave for $100 + million anyways. Not saying Gerritt Gole isn't worth Gordon + Gonsalves and then a lower level guy because he probably is. I just don't think it makes sense for the Twins right now to do that. Why not just sign Cole in 2 years or trade for an Archer type pitcher then. The Twins have the potential to be really special come 2019 or 2020 once guys like Romero, Gonsalves, Jay, Gordon hit. Around then is when you can start mortgaging the future to go for it. The Twins farm system is probably borderline top 10, but the strength of the system is the depth. The Twins would be smart to utilize that depth in maybe trading for a reliever with a year or two left of control or a starter that may only require Gordon plus Littell or Jorge. Don't want to mistime the window and deal prospects too early.

Yeah but track record matters. He is often injured and you the only full season he had where he was both successful and healthy was 2017. The 5 guys I mentioned have all had sustained success for more than one season. There is a reason last season he signed a Minor League deal with the Dodgers.

I would argue with this a litte. Davis, Holland, Reed are all superior and younger than Morrow, who is 33. You could also make a case for others like Shaw, McGee, etc.

thanks guys. Comments are a great part of TD

As some of you may remember, back in August I began an exercise where I would periodically try and rank the top 100 Twins Prospects. Those rankings and the discussion that followed can be found by clicking on the below link. http://twinsdaily.com/topic/27220-top-100-prospects/ I received very useful feedback that I have taken into consideration this time around. Thank you to everyone who went through the list as I am sure you have better things to do than pay attention to who I believe is the 74th best prospect in the Twins system at the moment. One thing I emphasized last time and I will again is that I am still in the beginning / learning phase of how to evaluate and quantify an entire system of prospects. I have not seen everyone play, so I rely a lot on research, scouting reports, and an evaluation of there recent statistics and overall body of work. I feel more confident this time in my rankings and know a lot more about all these guys than I did 4 months ago. For example, I knew next to nothing about Akil Baddoo. I had him 30th in my last rankings really due to a lack of knowledge and research on him. As you will discover below, I am now very high on Baddoo and his potential. A lot of that comes from additional research and becoming more familiar with him as a player (He also continued to play very well). The next list will come out probably in late March or so once all the off-season moves have occurred. I anticipate 1 to 2 guys to be lost via rule 5 draft, and at least a couple to depart via some sort of trade. The Twins also could add via International Free Agency. So some shakeup in anticipated in the next couple of weeks. I really appreciated the feedback last time and if there is anyone that you feel I am completely missing or just wrong on let me know. It is a great starting point to do additional research and learn more. *Age is as of Opening Day 2018 Top 100 1 SS Royce Lewis 18 2 SS Nick Gordon 22 3 LHP Stephen Gonsalves 23 4 RHP Fernando Romero 23 5 OF Akil Baddoo 19 6 OF Brent Rooker 23 7 OF Alex Kirilloff 20 8 RHP Blayne Enlow 19 9 SS Wander Javier 19 10 RHP Brusdar Graterol 19 11 LHP Lewis Thorpe 22 12 RHP Zack Littell 22 13 LHP Tyler Jay 23 14 1B Lewin Diaz 21 15 RHP Felix Jorge 24 16 C Mitch Garver 27 17 2B Jose Miranda 19 18 3B Travis Blankenhorn 21 19 OF Jacob Pearson 19 20 RHP John Curtiss 24 21 OF LaMonte Wade 24 22 RHP Kohl Stewart 23 23 2B Yunior Severino 18 24 OF Zack Granite 25 25 LHP Tyler Watson 20 26 RHP Nick Burdi 25 27 C Ben Rortvedt 20 28 RHP Landon Leach 18 29 C David Banuelos 21 30 SS Jermaine Palacios 21 31 3B Andrew Bechtold 21 32 RHP Tyler Wells 23 33 RHP Jake Reed 25 34 RHP J.T. Chargois 27 35 SS Ricardo De La Torre 18 36 LHP Gabriel Moya 23 37 2B Luis Arraez 20 38 LHP Charlie Barnes 22 39 OF Aaron Whitefield 21 40 RHP Luke Bard 27 41 LHP Lachlan Wells 21 42 RHP Griffin Jax 23 43 OF Jaylin Davis 23 44 RHP Tom Hackimer 23 45 LHP Jovani Moran 20 46 RHP Aaron Slegers 25 47 LHP Ryley Widell 20 48 LHP Dietrich Enns 26 49 LHP Andrew Vasquez 24 50 2B Emmanuel Morel 20 51 3B Trey Cabbage 20 52 RHP Tyler Benninghoff 20 53 OF Jean Carlos Arias 20 54 LHP Mason Melotakis 26 55 RHP Clark Beeker 25 56 3B Chris Paul 25 57 LHP Alex Robinson 23 58 LHP Bryan Sammons 22 59 OF Edgar Corcino 25 60 1B Zander Wiel 25 61 RHP Sean Poppen 24 62 RHP Hector Lujan 23 63 RHP Eduardo Del Rosario 22 64 RHP Derek Molina 20 65 RHP Jordan Balazovic 19 66 2B Estamy Urena 18 67 OF Shane Carrier 21 68 3B Nelson Molina 22 69 RHP Cody Stashek 23 70 RHP Edwar Colina 20 71 OF Tanner English 25 72 3B Wander Valdez 18 73 RHP Michael Montero 18 74 3B T.J. White 26 75 SS Brandon Lopez 24 76 C Mitchell Kranson 24 77 2B Carson Crites 23 78 RHP Nick Anderson 27 79 LHP Sam Clay 24 80 OF Matt Albanese 22 81 RHP Calvin Faucher 22 82 RHP Zack Jones 27 83 RHP Williams Ramirez 25 84 RHP Colton Davis 24 85 LHP Michael Theofanopoulos 25 86 OF Carlos Aguiar 16 87 LHP Taylor Clemensia 21 88 C Rainis Silva 22 89 RHP Bailey Ober 22 90 RHP Ryan Eades 26 91 RHP D.J. Baxendale 27 92 OF Max Murphy 25 93 RHP Ryan Mason 23 94 3B Victor Tademo 18 95 OF Colton Burns 22 96 RHP Carlos Suniaga 20 97 RHP Patrick McGuff 24 98 C Brian Navarreto 23 99 OF Alberoni Nunez 19 100 SS Jordan Gore 23 Removed From Last Rankings Waived / Released / Minor League Free Agent / Contract Voided OF Daniel Palka (23) SS Jelfry Marte (27) LHP Randy Rosario (38) SS Engelb Vielma (46) 1B Amaurys Minier (52) 3B Niko Goodrum (71) RHP Dereck Rodriguez (73) 2B Levi Michael (76) OF Travis Harrison (79) LHP David Hurlbut (93) No Longer in Top 100 RHP Pedro Garcia (83) OF Humberto Maldonado (83) RHP Alex Schick (85) OF Roni Tapia (86) RHP Johan Quezada (87) SS Sean Miller (92) RHP Todd Van Steensel (97) Graduations RHP Trevor Hildenberger (28) RHP Alan Busenitz (49) Also Considered OF Humberto Maldonado OF Roni Tapia RHP Johan Quezada 2B Alex Perez LHP Anthony Marzi 1B Kolton Kendrick RHP Alex Muren OF Alex Robles OF Lean Marrero 3B Ariel Montesino RHP Randy Dobnak C Caleb Hamilton RHP Jared Finkel RHP Nick Brown 1B Ben Rodriguez C Willians Astudillo RHP Alex Schick 1B J.J. Robinson SS Sean Miller RHP Pedro Garcia RHP Todd Van Steensel RHP Donny Breek RHP Niklas Rimmel OF Mark Contreras 3B Yeltsin Encarnacion LHP Anthony McIver

Respond to as many as you like. Just curious what people think is an expected return for the below players (All have some degree of availability via trade). SP Gerrit Cole – 2 Years of Team Control 2018 (28) – Arbitration 2 2019 (29) – Arbitration 3 SP Chris Archer – 4 Years of Team Control 2018 (30) - $6.25 M 2019 (31) - $7.50 M 2020 (32) - $8.25 M Team Option 2021 (33) - $8.25 M Team Option SP Jake Odorizzi – 2 Years of Team Control 2018 (28) – Arbitration 2 2019 (29) – Arbitration 3 SP Dan Straily – 3 Years of Team Control 2018 (29) – Arbitration 1 2019 (30) – Arbitration 2 2020 (31) – Arbitration 3 SP Marcus Stroman – 3 Years of Team Control 2018 (27) – Arbitration 2 2019 (28) – Arbitration 3 2020 (29) – Arbitration 4 RP Kelvin Herrera – 1 Year of Team Control 2018 (28) – Arbitration 4 RP Raisal Iglesias - 3 Years of Team Control 2018 (28) - $4.5 M 2019 (29) - $5.0 M 2020 (30) - $5.0 M RP Zach Britton - 1 Year of Team Control 2018 (30) – Arbitration 3 RP Justin Wilson - 1 Year of Team Control 2018 (31) – Arbitration 3 RP Dellin Betances – 2 Years of Team Control 2018 (30) – Arbitration 2 2019 (31) – Arbitration 3 RP Felipe Rivero – 4 Years of Team Control 2018 (27) – Arbitration 1 2019 (28) – Arbitration 2 2020 (29) – Arbitration 3 2021 (30) – Arbitration 4 RP Brad Brach – 1 Year of Team Control 2018 (32) – Arbitration 3 RP Brad Hand – 2 Years of Team Control 2018 (28) – Arbitration 2 2019 (29) – Arbitration 3 RP Ken Giles – 3 Years of Team Control 2018 (28) – Arbitration 1 2019 (29) – Arbitration 2 2020 (30) – Arbitration 3

Giving Falvine the benefit of the doubt on this, but I have to admit I am a bit surprised that Burdi, Reed, Stewart, Diaz, Bard, and Melotakis all got left off. I would have had at least 3 to 4 of those guys protected. I'm not too concerned about Diaz, given that he is so raw and there is not way a team could keep him on there 25 man for 5 months. It's not the fact that any of those 5 pitchers individually got left unprotected, it is the fact that all of them got left unprotected. All are former high draft picks (especially for relievers) who have had very solid minor league careers. Reed, who is a lock to be taken in the rule 5 draft, throws mid 90's and had a legit case to be with the Twins last season. Bard, a former second round pick, all the sudden found his stuff and struckout 14 per 9 last season with mid 90's stuff. Stewart is frustrating as heck and even if he does get taken, I am not too concerned about him. Am I the only one that thinks Burdi's injury makes him more likely to be taken in the rule 5 draft? A team can literally stash him on the 60 day DL for a couple of months, send him for a rehab assignment, then it is September. I'm not a fan of giving up on him. It is a little bit confusing to me how Buddy Boshers, Aaron Slegers, and Phil Hughes' contract all have 40 man spots over the top 3 of Reed, Melotakis, Bard, Burdi, Diaz, and Stewart. All you have to do with Hughes is take him off the 40 man, nobody will claim his contract, you can protect an extra player, and add Hughes back later in the season. Hopefully this means the Twins are going to make some moves soon this offseason as they have some roster spots open, and are unprotecting a fair amount of talent.

Hello all, It is a great time of the year to be a baseball rumor junkie and (finally) a Twins fan. In last years blueprint forum I advocated a complete teardown in trading both Dozier and Santana. This year I am advocating for just the opposite. I think the Twins are entering year 1 of a 5-year window to truly contend. I say 5 years because that is one year longer than the Twins have team control over key players such as Buxton, Sano, Kepler, Rosario, and Buddy Boshers (Kidding). I extend this by 1 year because I think there are relatively easy ways the Twins can extend this window via extensions and just having a more competent front office and development process. Ideally, Falvey and Levine will be able to build a sustainable pipeline of talent so that the Twins can pick and choose key guys they wish to extend and supplement them with young talent like Royce Lewis, Blayne Enlow, etc.. However, we know the reality of a non-big market team often means rebuilding becomes necessary to generating a potential championship level team. So the Twins need to start operating as if they have a 5 year window that starts now. Admittedly, I am more aggressive in this blueprint compared to what I believe Falvey and Levine actually will be, but I don’t think any of it is too far outside of the box. Moves that already happened Sign Paul Molitor to a 3-year extension: I expected this to happen and am glad that he will return. I know there was some controversy over his bunting habits and maybe even his bullpen usage but I thought those are minor discrepancies that don’t rub me in the wrong way. Overall he is very receptive of new information, appears to have the respect of the clubhouse, and has an excellent working relationship with Falvey and Levine. All are very important aspects in a modern baseball manager. Worst comes to worst, the Twins would have no problem eating a couple of million dollars if they want to go another direction before the contract expires. Not Retain Neil Allen: I would assume that at least part of the holdup on the Molitor announcement was some back and forth on the future of Neil Allen. Sounded like Molitor wanted Neil Allen back, but it is hard to justify him deserving to come back based on the pitching accomplishments over the past 3 seasons. It is impossible to quantify the effect a pitching coach has on a staff but it think it is safe to say it was time for a new voice in this area for the Twins. Declining LHP Glen Perkins Team Option and Paying his $700,000 Buyout: This was seen as a given and was an obvious move for the Twins. Perk made excellent progress to even pitch this season. I don’t know if this is the end of his baseball career, but based on his emotions after his last game this season, it certainly is a possibility. I hope he has a future in some capacity with the organization as he seems to be very smart and likeable. Maybe they can even bring him back on a minor league deal. Thanks for everything Perk! Releasing/Outrighting C Anthony Recker: I’m a bit confused on this one. I remember I looked a couple of weeks ago and so him on the 40 man roster and thought “what the hell?”. I now see that he refused assignment to the minors and is a free agent as of October 10th. However, I also see that he was outrighted in late July so not sure if he was even on the 40 man anymore. Either way, he no longer is on the 40 man and that is a good thing. Hiring Garvin Alston as Pitching Coach: I had never heard his name before the hire. I was someone that was all in on the Maddux or Hickey train. I don’t know if either of them even had interest or if Alston was the guy all along. Either way, I give the benefit of the doubt to Falvey and Levine because I think they have earned it based on the hires of Rowson and Pickler last season. They’ve also brought in John Manuel from Baseball America, Daniel Adler from the NFL, and Jeremy Zoll from the Dodgers. All of these hires are very impressive and show that the rest of the baseball community is buying into the future of the Twins. Honestly, if Terry Ryan had made the hire of Garvin Alston I would not have given him the benefit of the doubt, but Falvine have earned our patience and trust thus far. Lost Bench Coach Joe Vavra to the Detroit Tigers: Gardy is getting the old band back together in Detroit!! Best of luck to Joe, but I have a feeling the Twins will be fine with out him. Outrighting Niko Goodrum: I’m not sure he is a big leaguer. One of those guys that didn’t progress through the system as hoped. He was a given to be removed from the 40 man. Lost Randy Rosario & Daniel Palka on Waivers: Both of these guys were borderline 40 man roster candidates and that in and of itself diminishes any trade value they might have had. It would have been nice to sneak them through waivers, but I didn’t expect that to happen. If it did, both would have been strong candidates to be lost in the Rule 5 draft anyways. Lost Nik Turley on Waivers: Never has had a long term future with the club Outrighting Chris Gimenez: In my initial blueprint, I had the Twins tendering him and starting the season with him on the 25 man roster. But I do get the move. Gimenez appears to be a great guy and was an above average backup catcher last season. Wish him nothing but the best and I’m sure most Twins fans feel the same. Outrighting Ryan O’Rourke: O’Rourke is another player that I initially kept on my 40 man roster, although not the opening day 25 man roster. I thought that he would be kept around and given another chance as a loogie. But again, I get the move and am not all that upset, especially if the Twins feel they can add and better utilize his 40 man spot and maybe keep him on a minor league deal. Hire Bench Coach Derek Shelton: I don’t know anything about him besides his background, but Falvey and Levine again will get my trust on this. Future Predictions (Where the Fun Starts) 40 Man Removals: The Twins had 45 guys that would fall on the 40 man roster at the end of the season. This includes the guys they have on the 60 DL that will need to either be added to the 40 man, passed through waivers, or removed from the Organization all together. Glen Perkins & Bartolo Colon Retire: I addressed Perkins already, but I do believe that both him and Bartolo will retire. Bartolo has said he would like to pitch, and if he does that is great, just not with the Twins. I thought it was very fun having Bartolo around and he was deserving of being in the 2017 Twins rotation. 45 year old Bartolo Colon should not sniff the field for the Twins in 2018. Dillon Gee & Hector Santiago Depart Via Free Agency: Santiago is all but gone at this point. After a great April, he was awful and then was hurt. Seems like a nice enough guy, but him signing with a different teams would be best for both parties. I thought Gee pitched well for the Twins, but the Twins should look to upgrade there bullpen and hopefully fill it out with the young talent we’ve heard about for 3 years that they have coming. If they swing and miss in Free Agency, I could see them circling back on Gee, but that means a couple of things went wrong. Waive / DFA / Outright the Following Players (I can’t remember what means what): Buddy Boshers: Been used as a lefty because of a lack of options elsewhere in the organization. That should change with likely one free agent lefty coming in, and Tyler Jay ascending. Michael Tonkin: It has already happened to him once this year, seems inevitable. Phil Hughes: He is a sunk cost and I would have no problem cutting bait. No team will claim him and his contract, so why waste a 40 man spot on him? You could always keep him, put him on the DL to start the season, then add him back to the 40 man when ready. This front office is keen on roster manipulation and DFA’ing Phil Hughes would allow for the Twins to protect one extra player from the Rule 5 Draft. Arbitration: Salaries are from MLB Trade Rumors Projections** 3B/SS/2B Eduardo Escobar – Tender @ $4.9 M. Escobar is the easiest decision in arbitration. He has proven two separate times that he is more than capable of stepping in as an everyday player if needed. Plus, we’ve learned that he is much better defensively at third base than he was at shortstop. Sano is headed towards surgery, and Eduardo Escobar provides excellent insurance at that position and can also play shortstop and second base if needed. He is another great clubhouse guy that gives a team excellent production as a utility infielder. SP Kyle Gibson – Tender @ $5.3 M. In July it looked like there was 0 chance Gibson would be back in 2018. Now, at the very least the Twins have to tender him as he has become an asset with some value. I’m perfectly fine with the team going in with him as the 5th starter or even trying him out in a bullpen role. However, my number 1 choice would be to shop Kyle Gibson and see if you can sell somewhat high on him. He has two years of arbitration left. In the second half Gibson had an ERA of 3.76, an xFIP of 3.63, and 8.22 K/9. His strong numbers were actually backed up by strong peripherals, which could mean that he has turned a corner and is just a late bloomer. I think it is more likely that he pitched a little over his head in the second half and the Twins would be wise to see what value he has. SS/2B/LF – Ehire Adrianza – Tender @ $1.0 M. Adrianza was an excellent find by Falvey and Levine. Only 5 years removed from being a top 5 prospect in a strong Giants system, Adrianza is a plus defender with a lot of versatility. He also proved he can hit last season. He is a no brainer for the Twins at $1 Million and they are fortunate to have him under control for the next 3 seasons. RP Ryan Pressly – Tender @ $1.6 M. Like Gibson, Pressly is another guy that saved his 2018 spot by a strong second half in 2017. Looking at the direction of the bullpen, there likely will only be room for 1 of him and Duffey, and while Duffey was unusable down the stretch, Pressly looked like he was back in peak form. I think you have to bring him back at $1.6 Million and hope his second half carries over into 2018. If it doesn’t, the Twins can always cut bait midseason at that low of a number. OF/DH Robbie Grossman – Tender @ $2.4 M & Trade. Grossman might not have a spot on the 2018 Twins, but I still think they have to tender him because he is enough of an asset that they shouldn’t just let him walk away. If the Twins can find a trade match, I think that they will definitely do it, or else he should be back as a bench bat. SP Trevor May – Tender @ $0.6 M. There is a lot of unknown here with May coming off of Tommy John Surgery. But all signs point to him competing for a rotation spot again and I know that Twins fans are very curious to see him get a chance in the rotation again. If he can regain his 2015 form, he should be a solid #3 or #4 starter. May isn’t really all that interesting for a tender vs. non-tender perspective as he is a lock at this low of a number, but he is very interesting from the standpoint of potential role and production come 2018. Trades: Trade Kennys Vargas Rights to Korea: I’ve heard rumors about this and more likely than not Vargas is not back with the Twins next season. I’m not sure exactly how this type of thing works, but Korea could be a logical path for Vargas. If he has any value on the trade market, I’d like to see the Twins explore that path as well. Trade SS/2B Nick Gordon, RHP Felix Jorge, RHP Kohl Stewart, and OF LaMonte Wade to the Pirates for SP Gerrit Cole: Honestly I have no clue if this would be enough to get Gerrit Cole from Pittsburgh. I guess there is truly no way of knowing because we don’t know what the market will dictate. Sometimes I feel as if this is a lot to give up for two years of Cole, and other times I feel like it wouldn’t be enough. So I go back and forth. What I do know is that the Twins should seriously consider acquiring Gerrit Cole or Chris Archer. I would think that Nick Gordon would be an appropriate headliner for either deal, and there is enough potential in Wade, Jorge, and Stewart that I think that alone is an enticing package. The Twins will not (and should not) be offering 7 years and $150 million for Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta. So the only ways they are going to truly bolster the rotation is via development and trades. This would still leave Romero and Gonsalves knocking on the doors, and give the Twins a legitimate looking rotation that could contend. Would this be enough to get Cole? Would you do it or does it shorten the Twins window too much? Interested to hear your thoughts Trade OF/DH Robbie Grossman & RHP Tyler Duffey to the Rays for LHP Resly Linares: I don’t know how much value Grossman and Duffey have on the market. I would likely tender Grossman, but shop him to see if we could get something for him. When it comes to Duffey, there is no way that both him and Pressly are back for the Twins. They would just be taking up spots that could be better occupied by guys like Reed, Jay, Burdi, etc. I think Pressly played his way into one more shot while Duffey played his way out of one. On the flip side, both Duffey and Grossman have had success as big leaguers for the Twins. Duffey was the Twins best starter during the playoff push of 2015 and Grossman has been a competent player that gets on base at a very high clip. I would guess if either is traded, it would be for young lottery type pitching. Linares is an intriguing lefty prospect in the Rays system who is not super highly regarded, but could be a lottery ticket type of guy. And hey, Robbie hit a homer in Tampa this year so maybe they like him. Yes I am grasping at straws as people rarely report on Robbie Grossman steam. Long story short, I don’t see Duffey and Grossman back, but I wouldn’t just give both of them away. Free Agency Signings: Resign RP Matt Belisle to a 1 year, $4 million contract: I would be fine with Matt Belisle coming back as the teams 4th or 5th reliever next season. He was very good down the stretch and apparently had a good impact behind the scenes. That being said, if someone offers him 2 years and $10 million, I tell him thank you for everything he did and good luck. But if the Twins can get him on a 1 year, $3 to 5 million deal, I think he is worth bringing back, but not a top priority. Sign RP Wade Davis to a 5 year, $77 million contract: I know this would be very Un-Twins like. But I think they at least need to look into make a run at Wade Davis. They could probably get him right at $15 a year if you are willing to throw in a 5th year (Age 36 Season). I do it if it stays under 5 and $80. If the market inflates over that, I back away. Making a large investment in an elite reliever is a much better use of $15 million than continually signing the Ricky Nolasco’s and Phil Hughes of the world. Davis would not block anyone in the bullpen, and he automatically gives the Twins a lockdown anchor that they would need for the foreseeable future. If the last couple of postseasons have taught us anything, it is that a lockdown relief pitcher is a necessity now (See Chapman, Miller, Davis circa 2015, Jansen, etc.) to compete in the postseason. The Twins have a few darts like Jay, Burdi, and Reed that could hit the big leagues soon, but they are all far from a sure thing and why not add one guy who is exactly that for the next 5 years that the Twins plan to compete? Sign RP Jake McGee to a 3 Year, $18 million contract: This move, or a move like this, will almost certainly happen for the Twins this offseason. They will likely find someone in the Addison Reed, Jake McGee, Bryan Shaw category of 7th to 8th inning guys and give them 3 years at $5 to $8 million a year. I like McGee in part because he is a lefty, and the Twins have been extra thin there. McGee also has had a consistent track record and tends to fly under the national spotlight. This is another spot where the market could dictate who the Twins turn too, but expect a move of this ilk this no matter what else they do. Sign OF/DH Jose Bautista to a 1 Year, $6 million contract: Let’s finally get Joey Bats to Target Field in a home uniform. While there is evidence that he might in fact be cooked, to me he would be worth a flier to see if he could stick at DH. Bautista solves a couple of problems for the Twins in a potential low risk, high reward deal. The Twins could stand to add a right handed bat and a DH who mashes. The worst that could happen is Bautista hits .190 in April in May and the Twins DFA him and cut their losses. However, if Bautista somehow finds his groove again, the Twins lineup could look extra deadly. Plus, Bautista won’t need to hit cleanup and he’d likely be the 6 or 7 hitter. If Bautista somehow can land a deal for $12 to $15 million, then the Twins can shut down my long-time dream. There are a lot of guys that could come in with a similar role as this like Napoli, Mark Reynolds, Lucas Duda, etc. 40 Man Roster Additions: 1B Lewin Diaz LHP Stephen Gonsalves RHP Zack Littell LHP Lewis Thorpe RHP Nick Burdi RHP Jake Reed RHP Luke Bard LHP Mason Melotakis Gonsalves, Diaz, Littell, and Thorpe are all legitimate prospects with a lot of value that are virtual locks to be added. I think Bard, Reed, and Burdi would all get selected in the rule 5 draft. All 3 could contribute to the Twins in 2018. I’m admittedly higher on Burdi than most still are, because I think the ceiling could be ridiculous. But it would be extremely easy for a team to hide him this year as he returns from Tommy John surgery. They could just stash him on the DL, and not have to return him to the Twins. I am not giving up on Burdi until after we see him pitch in a Twins uniform. Unfortunately, that might be late 2018 at the earliest. I am a bit surprised we didn’t see both Reed and Bard in 2017 with all the relievers the Twins went through. Like Burdi, I would like to see them as major league options for 2018. Reed and Bard throw mid 90’s, while Burdi throws in the upper 90’s. All have a strong track record of missing bats (Although Reed doesn’t have the powerful K numbers of the other two). These are the types of guys the Twins will want to keep around and build a future bullpen off of. I would also add Melotakis to round out the 40 man. He should get a shot at some point, and I’m giving him the nod over Buddy Boshers for now. Opening Day 25 Man Roster Rotation RHP Gerrit Cole - $7.5 M RHP Jose Berrios - $0.55 M RHP Ervin Santana - $13.5 M RHP Kyle Gibson - $5.3M RHP Trevor May - $0.6 M Total: $27.45 M Bullpen RHP Wade Davis - $15.4 M LHP Jake McGee - $6.0 M RHP Trevor Hildenberger - $0.55 M LHP Taylor Rogers - $0.55 M RHP Matt Belisle - $4.0 M RHP Ryan Pressly - $1.6 M RHP Alan Busenitz - $0.55 M Total: $28.65 M Lineup 1 CF Byron Buxton - $0.56 M 2 1B Joe Mauer - $23.0 M 3 2B Brian Dozier - $9.0 M 4 3B Miguel Sano - $0.6 M 5 LF Eddie Rosario - $0.58 M 6 SS Jorge Polanco - $0.55 M 7 DH Jose Bautista - $6.0 M 8 RF Max Kepler - $0.55 M 9 C Jason Castro - $8.5 M Total: $49.34 M Bench C/1B/LF Mitch Garver - $0.55 M SS/2B/LF Ehire Adrianza - $1.0 M 3B/2B/SS Eduardo Escobar - $4.9 M OF Zack Granite - $0.55 M Total: $7.00 M Other SP Phil Hughes - $13.2 M 1B Byung Ho Park - $3.0 M Total: $16.2 M Total Salary for Opening Day 25 Man Roster: $128.72 M I really don’t think that $129 M in payroll is some absurd unreachable number for the Twins, especially with potentially $50 M coming off next offseason. $129 M is under the average salary in baseball and would have ranked 17th in major league baseball last season. Not ridiculous or out of the question for a mid market team like the Twins, and they are not committed to big money long-term deals to anyone besides Wade Davis Remaining 40 Man Roster LHP Adalberto Mejia LHP Stephen Gonsalves LHP Dietrich Enns RHP Aaron Slegers LHP Gabriel Moya LHP Lewis Thorpe RHP Fernando Romero RHP John Curtiss RHP Nick Burdi RHP Luke Bard RHP Zack Littell LHP Mason Melotakis RHP Jake Reed RHP J.T. Chargois 1B Lewin Diaz A lot of pitchers, I know. I don’t see a ton of position players in the system that the Twins need to add to the 40 man and protect. I think at some point there will be another move to add a couple of position players early in the season. Top Prospects Going into the season / 2018 Starting Level / ETA 1. SS Royce Lewis – A – 2020 2. LHP Stephen Gonsalves – AAA – 2018 3. RHP Fernando Romero – AAA – 2018 4. 1B/OF Brent Rooker – A+ – 2019 5. SS Wander Javier – Rk – 2021 6. OF Alex Kirilloff – Rk – 2020 7. RHP Blayne Enlow – Rk – 2021 8. 1B Lewin Diaz – A+ – 2019 9. LHP Tyler Jay – AAA – 2018 10. RHP Brusdar Graterol – Rk – 2021 2018 Next guys called up Pecking order / ETA 1. LHP Adalberto Mejia: Mejia has almost a full year of MLB experience under his belt now. At times it was clear that he was not ready for it yet, but all and all had a lot of positives in his rookie season. Under my projected roster, they wouldn’t have a roster spot for Mejia, and that is okay. There is nothing wrong with Mejia getting more seasoning in Rochester and then coming back to the big leagues at some point during the season. They second the Twins need a spot start, an injury to a pitcher occurs, or the bullpen gets overused, Mejia will be the first call up. ETA: April 2. RHP John Curtiss: Saw limited action last season, but if he continues to pitch well as the closer in Rochester, he will inevitably bang on the door of the bullpen at Target Field. ETA: April 3. RHP J.T. Chargois: He would be higher up if I knew what was going on with this injury he has. I hope for his sake he is able to get healthy because he certainly has the stuff to be part of the future of the Twins bullpen. ETA: May 4. LHP Stephen Gonsalves: This will depend on two things: 1. How well Gonsalves pitches in AAA to begin the season. He pitched alright there to finish 2017, but one horrendous outing has skewed his end numbers. 2. What ends up happening with the Twins rotation. This will determine when an opportunity is available. There are many unknowns in the rotation, and my guess is that the front office has a process mapped out of when they want Gonsalves to be in the MLB. I see Gonsalves pitching in the rotation by the midway point of the season. ETA: June 5. RHP Jake Reed: Reed has had an excellent minor league track record outside of 2015 in Chattanooga where he struggled in his promotion. He doesn’t necessarily have as high of a ceiling as Jay and Burdi, but he might be the safer bet and deserves a chance. ETA: June 6. RHP Nick Burdi: I feel like this is the third year in a row that I’ve predicted Nick Burdi will be a Twin by July. I should probably stop doing that. Admittedly, I’m not too sure on the timeline of his Tommy John Surgery. Of course he will need to throw well in the minors, and also come back from the surgery well to be in a position to be with the team this season. I could be overly optimistic on Burdi, as I’ve been known to be in the past. I could also be completely wrong about a realistic timeline in the return from Tommy John Surgery. I am very optimistic about his ceiling and potential, and just hope he can stay healthy for a couple of years to continue to develop. ETA: July 7. LHP Dietrich Enns: Enns had a cup of coffee with the Twins last season in Milwaukee. It was a short start, but didn’t go horribly, just a high pitch count. He’ll be 27 in May, so it would be logical to think that this will be the year that the Twins want to see what they have with him over an extended period, and if he is worth a 40 man spot next season. I don’t have deep knowledge of his stuff, but I would think his ceiling is a #5 starter or a good 6th to 7th inning guy. ETA: July 8. RHP Luke Bard: I’m very curious about Bard. I know he was a comp round A pick in 2012 and was set back by injuries. What is so impressive about him is his massive jump in strikeouts with 99 in 65.1 innings between AA and AAA this last season. Could this be that he has figured something out? I think it is worth finding out. He certainly was drafted in a high position with potential. ETA: August 9. LHP Tyler Jay: He was the number 5 pick just two and a half years ago, and his stock has dipped because of his move to the bullpen. But he has a chance to be a very good reliever one day and it would be a lot of fun to see him come on strong again this year and play his way into the Twins bullpen down the stretch. He was promising in the fall league at times, but his numbers are skewed by two very bad outings. Like I have been with Burdi, I might be too optimistic by saying he has a chance to be a part of the bullpen for the stretch run in 2018, but he will be 24 in April and provided he stays healthy, should progress nicely in the minor leagues. ETA: September 10. RHP Fernando Romero: Romero will be 23 and looks to have conquered AA. It will be interesting to see how he fairs in AAA this season. If he performs well, we could see him by mid summer. Out of all the Twins pitchers in the system, he probably has the most ace type stuff. I think we see him at some point in 2018, but to be safe I am saying he is a September call-up. ETA: September We will also likely see the following players at some point in 2018: LHP Mason Melotakis, RHP Aaron Slegers, LHP Gabriel Moya, RHP Phil Hughes, and DH/1B Byung Ho Park Moves I didn’t make but would explore: Trade for Kelvin Herrera: In my very first blueprint, I have the Twins trading for Kelvin Herrera. However, I ended up taking it off because there is so much uncertainty there. How is his forearm? He seemed to struggle down the stretch (especially against the Twins). What would it take to get Herrera? On one hand, I would think he would require a pretty good return based on his track record over the years. But he is also a one year rental due $8 million and an injury concern. Would the Royals take a Brandon Kintzler return type prospect plus a Kennys Vargas for him? Or would they aim higher? Could they want to hold onto him to reestablish some of his value and then shop him at the deadline? It is also tough with the Royals being in the division. Overall, I am just way too uncertain about the return he would command, and it would take away $8 million of spending money for the Twins. But hey, they paid Hector Santiago $8 million last season and nobody seemed to care. Bottom line: I would like to see the Twins explore the reliever trade market this offseason, and Herrera could be a candidate if the demand isn’t too high and the Royals are fully ready to rebuild and cut money. Extensions, Extensions, Extensions: I also am pretty unsure on what fair value is on these extensions, but I would explore them on many guys. I found it really interesting the extensions that Seth posted in his offseason blueprint. I remember thinking that I would do every one of those. I don’t think it is realistic that they are able to get them all done. But a doing a couple of them would be nice, specifically because they could extend there window beyond the 4 years they have of team control with there most crucial pieces. Buxton, Sano, and Berrios would be at the top of the list for me in this process. I think Buxton being the top priority would be pretty commonly agreed upon by Twins fans. Berrios is unique because he does have 5 years of team control left, so the deal would likely be for 7 or 8 years, which would be a lot of term for a young pitcher. I would still approach his representatives about it. The next tier would be Kepler, Rosario, and Polanco. Polanco also has 5 years, and I think there is a lot of uncertainty still surrounding him. I don’t think after the next 3 years he is the shortstop anymore, and he may end of being a trade chip somewhere down the road. Rosario has proven to be unreliable at times but an MVP caliber player at other times. We still aren’t sure if Kepler will be more than a platoon type player. So there is certainly risk involved, but I would consider all three of those guys because in order for the Twins to be a championship contender someday, the secondary guys will have to be solid contributors as well. In a separate category I put both Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer. The Twins would be smart to explore both trading Dozier and extending him. If the Twins can get him slightly below market value for 4 more years ($60 million or so), they should. But I also feel comfortable going into the season with him, and extending him the qualifying offer next season knowing that Polanco, Javier, Lewis, (and Gordon if my trade doesn’t work out) are all going to factor into the infield equation someday. In terms of Joe Mauer, maybe they offer him a 2 year team friendly extension, but I might be more inclined to wait on that with Brent Rooker waiting in the wings and Sano’s potentially switch to first base at some point. Trade Questions - Explore the Trade Value on Anyone Not Named Buxton, Sano, or Berrios - Is there a team that will give up a ton for one year of Brian Dozier? - Can Nick Gordon be the center of a deal to land an ace? (See above trade) - Could either Polanco or Rosario be used to upgrade pitching, and then be replaced via free agency? - Do you sell high on Eduardo Escobar or Kyle Gibson for bullpen help or young pitching? - Can Robbie Grossman or Kennys Vargas net a lottery ticket pitcher? (See above trade) - Does Ervin Santana garner a younger, higher ceiling pitcher that is major league ready? - Are there any prospects that another team values much more than the Twins do? Thank you to anyone who has gotten this far in reading. I’ve been casually working on this blueprint ever since the Twins season ended and have amended it as the early off-season moves have come in. Overall, I think the Twins have a lot of opportunities this offseason and feel more confident than ever that the front office will be active. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they will make a ton of aggressive moves, but I think they will be in the conversation for some guys that the Twins might not have sniffed around in the Terry Ryan regime. It should be a great future, and has been a heck of a turnaround from 12 months ago when I posted a blueprint essentially telling the Twins to tear the whole damn thing down.

Exactly right. It's extremely difficult. Like how do you quantify Ryley Widell, Barnes, Bechtold and De La Torre? I'm pretty high on all of them, but comparing them to like Mitch Garver who has a massive body of work is very hard. I think that is an excellent idea. I might do something like that once the season is over and performance / age / level isn't constantly changing.

You've highlighted some of the issues and dilemmas I had when I made this. I think a natural bias I personally have is a higher ceiling guy. For example, I probably have Rooker, Enlow, and Burdi higher than most. I still think that if healthy, Burdi could be the best reliever in the system, but that is a big big if. One problem I have with MLB Pipeline is I think they tend to overreact to injuries like Tommy John. That surgery appears to be a one time thing where guys often are back to 100% a year or two later. I'd much rather a prospect have Tommy John than constant shoulder issues. I also tend to undervalue low strikeout guys that are having success. This is why I have guys like Slegers and Beeker lower than most. However, both of those guys have been on a tear in the last 3 weeks and would both move up in a newer ranking (Beeker would move up a lot). I think a lot of Twins fans have this same bias since we've watched low K guys for years eventually get lit up and flame out (Gibson, Blackburn, and Slowey all come to mind). Then I face a dilemma like Griffin Jax. He is a borderline top 30 guy IMO if he is still in the system. But now he is on a two year leave with the Air Force. So what happens when he returns? I'd say that's pretty uncharted territory. I will release another ranking after the season ends so expect some changes. Might even add in a sentence or two on each guy.

I would agree. This list was finished on about August 3rd, both would be moved up in my mind in a newer ranking.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Would like to continue to do this 3 or 4 times a year as a good exercise. Found that through this I've discovered guys that I've previously never heard of. This is my first go around and will definitely use this input going forward on where I do my research and analysis. As some of you have pointed out, I just haven't had the opportunity to see some of these guys play at all and I rely on scouting reports / statistics to project. In this future I hope to be able to see more play in person. Sorry to let you down @108Stitches.

After the trade deadline I had some time and ranked my top 100 Twins prospects. For references I used fangraphs, BA, MLB Pipeline, Twins Daily's prospect handbook, other available scouting reports, and 2017 performance. Some of these could have changed recently as this list is about 2 weeks old. Just thought I would post to get feedback Rnk Pos. First Last Age 1 SS Royce Lewis 18 2 SS Nick Gordon 21 3 RHP Fernando Romero 22 4 LHP Stephen Gonsalves 23 5 OF Alex Kirilloff 19 6 OF Brent Rooker 22 7 SS Wander Javier 18 8 LHP Tyler Jay 23 9 RHP Blayne Enlow 18 10 RHP Kohl Stewart 23 11 RHP Felix Jorge 23 12 OF Zack Granite 24 13 1B Lewin Diaz 20 14 3B Travis Blankenhorn 21 15 RHP Zack Littell 22 16 RHP Nick Burdi 24 17 C Mitch Garver 26 18 LHP Lewis Thorpe 21 19 RHP J.T. Chargois 26 20 C Ben Rortvedt 19 21 RHP Brusdar Graterol 18 22 LHP Tyler Watson 20 23 OF Daniel Palka 25 24 RHP Jake Reed 24 25 OF LaMonte Wade 23 26 RHP Landon Leach 18 27 SS Jelfry Marte 16 28 RHP Trevor Hildenberger 26 29 SS Jermaine Palacios 21 30 OF Akil Baddoo 18 31 LHP Dietrich Enns 26 32 3B Andrew Bechtold 21 33 LHP Gabriel Moya 22 34 SS Ricardo De La Torre 18 35 RHP John Curtiss 24 36 LHP Lachlan Wells 20 37 OF Jaylin Davis 23 38 LHP Randy Rosario 23 39 RHP Aaron Slegers 24 40 RHP Eduardo Del Rosario 22 41 2B Luis Arraez 20 42 LHP Mason Melotakis 26 43 3B Jose Miranda 19 44 LHP Andrew Vasquez 23 45 LHP Ryley Widell 20 46 SS Engelb Vielma 23 47 RHP Luke Bard 26 48 3B Nelson Molina 22 49 RHP Alan Busenitz 26 50 OF Aaron Whitefield 20 51 LHP Charlie Barnes 21 52 1B Amaurys Minier 21 53 RHP Tom Hackimer 23 54 3B Trey Cabbage 20 55 RHP Jordan Balazovic 18 56 1B Zander Wiel 24 57 RHP Tyler Benninghoff 19 58 OF Tanner English 24 59 RHP Griffin Jax 22 60 SS Brandon Lopez 23 61 RHP Cody Stashek 23 62 RHP Williams Ramirez 25 63 LHP Bryan Sammons 22 64 OF Edgar Corcino 25 65 OF Matt Albanese 22 66 RHP Ryan Eades 25 67 C Rainis Silva 21 68 RHP Sean Poppen 23 69 RHP Zack Jones 26 70 LHP Taylor Clemensia 20 71 3B Niko Goodrum 25 72 RHP D.J. Baxendale 26 73 RHP Dereck Rodriguez 25 74 RHP Calvin Faucher 21 75 LHP Michael Theofanopoulos 24 76 2B Levi Michael 26 77 OF Jean Carlos Arias 19 78 RHP Pedro Garcia 22 79 OF Travis Harrison 24 80 RHP Tyler Wells 22 81 RHP Colton Davis 23 82 LHP Alex Robinson 22 83 OF Humberto Maldonado 19 84 LHP Sam Clay 24 85 RHP Alex Schick 22 86 OF Roni Tapia 20 87 RHP Johan Quezada 22 88 RHP Hector Lujan 22 89 LHP Jovani Moran 20 90 OF Shane Carrier 21 91 3B Chris Paul 24 92 SS Sean Miller 22 93 LHP David Hurlbut 27 94 RHP Nick Anderson 27 95 OF Max Murphy 24 96 RHP Clark Beeker 24 97 RHP Todd Van Steensel 26 98 RHP Ryan Mason 22 99 C Brian Navarreto 22 100 SS Jordan Gore 23

Trading your second basemen for two top 100 prospects that are a year or two away is not tearing it down.

Logical Centerpieces from each team rumored for me to pull the trigger on trading Dozier if I'm the Twins: Dodgers: RHP Jose De Leon & RHP Yadier Alvarez Other Complimentary Players to Watch: 2B/DH Willie Calhoun, RHP Walker Buehler, RHP Jordan Sheffield, SS Gavin Lux, C Austin Barnes, RHP Brock Stewart Cardinals: RHP Luke Weaver, OF Harrison Bader, & RHP Jack Flaherty Other Complimentary Players to Watch: SS Delvin Perez, OF Magneuris Sierra, RHP Junior Fernandez, RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Dakota Hudson, C Carson Kelly Nationals: OF Victor Robles & RHP Erick Fedde Other Complimentary Players to Watch: SS Carter Kieboom, 3B Sheldon Nuese, LHP Jesus Luzardo, C Pedro Severino, Giants: SS/3B Christian Arroyo, RHP Tyler Beede, 1B Chris Shaw, & RHP Rodolfo Martinez Other Complimentary Players to Watch: OF Bryan Reynolds, RHP Sam Coonrod, C Aramis Garcia, RHP Joan Gregorio, LHP Andrew Suarez, RHP Jordan Johnson Yes, this is all prospects. I don't understand the people in these forums that want to emphasize major league ready talent. That makes zero sense. Why would we want Kolten Wong? The Twins are not winning the world series in 2017, 2018, or 2019. So it makes sense to get the best possible players with the most upside, not someone who will be in our rotation or play second base for us in 2017.

As of now, my pick would be Hunter Greene, and I don't think this is close. I see a lot of people wanting to get a college pitcher that would be quick to majors. I get that train of thought, it certainly is less risky and would likely give a guy a chance to pitch for the Twins in 2018 or 2019. However, I think that train of thought is also a bit flawed as those guys would have been top picks out of high school and not in college if they had the immense potential that a guy like Greene has. Tired of middle rotation log jams and no aces? Then you have to take a chance and trust Falvey and Levine to be able to develop a potential future ace like Greene straight out of high school. Who knows, you get a guy in the system at 18, maybe he is in the rotation by age 21 if he is developed right. Plus, I don't think we should be focusing on who the quickest guy to the majors will be. We are not exactly approaching our world series window anytime soon. That would likely be in 4 to 6 years assuming Falvey and Levine are a success on almost all level.s

Doogie is a very reliable source too