Tom Froemming

20. Bailey Ober, RHP Age: 25 (DOB 7/12/1995) 2019 Stats: (Rk/A+/AA): 78.2 IP 0.69 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 33.8 K%, 3.0 BB% 2020 Ranking: NR Ober was among the most impressive pitchers in the entire minor leagues in 2019. Over 78 2/3 innings, Ober allowed just six earned runs and nine walks while striking out 100 batters. He had the lowest ERA among all minor league pitchers with at least 50 innings, the best K:BB ratio among anyone with at least 70 innings and finished third in the voting for Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Ober was selected by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2017 Draft out of the College of Charleston. He missed a year of college ball recovering from Tommy John surgery and made just 14 and 13 starts his first two full seasons in the minor leagues, respectively. I almost got through an entire blurb about Ober without mentioning it, but there’s no getting around the fact that this man’s sheer size is most definitely also noteworthy. He was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, and the Twins now officially list him at 6’9” and 260 pounds. To get to know Ober a little better, check out Seth’s interview with him from earlier this offseason. 19. José Miranda, 3B/2B Age: 22 (DOB 6/29/1998) 2019 Stats (A+/AA): 483 PA, .252/.302/.369 (.671 OPS), 8 HR, 11.2 K%, 5.0 BB% 2020 Ranking: 20 Miranda was one of the high school hitters taken early in the 2016 Draft, the final class under Terry Ryan. His 2019 stat line doesn’t jump off the page, but keep in mind he did post an above-average OPS for the Florida State League and was young for the level. He earned a promotion to Double A and went 3-for-5 in his lone regular season game with Pensacola before hitting .368/.429/.526 (.955 OPS) in five playoff games with the Blue Wahoos. Miranda’s 11.2 K% was the lowest in the system and 28th overall among all minor leaguers with at least 350 plate appearances in 2019. Strikeouts are bad, but so are weak ground balls and infield pop ups. He may benefit from being more selective earlier in counts, then adjusting back to his more natural contact-oriented approach with two strikes. Miranda helped Criollos de Caguas to a Puerto Rican Winter League title by posting .302/.377/.472 (.849 OPS) line and hit a three-run homer in the deciding game of the championship series. He then slumped in the Caribbean Series, but getting competitive games under his belt this winter will hopefully be the catalyst to a breakout 2021 season. https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1358077116412276746 18. Alerick Soularie, UTIL Age: 21 (DOB 7/5/1999) 2019 Stats: NA 2020 Ranking: NR Even just a few years ago, Soularie’s lack of a true defensive position may have seriously hindered his draft stock. These days, teams value defensive versatility so much it could be viewed as a plus. He spent most of his time at Tennessee playing outfield but also saw some time at both second and first base. Soularie’s hit tool is what made him the Twins’ second-round pick in the 2020 Draft. In 76 games with the Vols, he posted a .336/.448/.586 (1.034 OPS) line with more walks (49) than strikeouts (47). He hit 16 home runs over that stretch and went 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts. His swing packs a lot of punch for a guy, listed at 6’0” and 175 pounds, he showed excellent awareness of the strike zone and great plate coverage. Taking a look back at his collegiate highlights, you can see him barreling up balls up or down in the zone, pulling pitches and taking others to the opposite field. 17. Ben Rortvedt, C Age: 23 (DOB 9/25/1997) 2019 Stats (A+/AA): 320 PA, .238/.334/.379 (.713 OPS), 7 HR, 20.9 K%, 10.9 BB% 2020 Ranking: NR Rortvedt has garnered praise for his leadership and ability to control the running game, but the past few years his framing ability really took a step in the right direction, as well. Much like Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers, he has taken to some unorthodox pre-pitch setups to improve the odds of stealing strikes for his pitchers. At the plate, the left-handed hitting Rortvedt has shown a knack for getting on base, posting an OBP above .330 in both 2018 and ‘19. His 10.9 BB% ranked 12th in the system among hitters with at least 250 plate appearances. The in-game power has yet to flourish but it’s not on the account of lack of strength. This guy is built like a tank. Seems likely a swing adjustment could unlock more of that pop, but that’s easier said than done. Back in 2019, Rortvedt went 30-for-58 in throwing out attempted base stealers (52%) and had a .763 OPS against right-handed pitchers. He was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, and while the Twins are fortunate enough to already have a pair of strong long-term options behind the plate, Rortvedt appears to be on his way to carving out a big league career of his own. 16. Edwar Colina, RHP Age: 23 (DOB 5/3/1997) 2019 Stats (A+/AA/AAA): 97 1/3 IP, 2.96 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 25.4 K%, 8.0 BB% 2020 Ranking: 16 Speaking of guys built like tanks, at 5’11” and 240 pounds Colina is among the beefier pitchers you’ll see. Pitching out of the bullpen, his fastball sits in the high 90s and touches triple digits. He pairs that with a high-spin, mid-80s slider. Colina had a lot of success as a starting pitcher in the minors, so it’s possible the door to him returning to the rotation remains open. He posted a career 2.80 ERA over 324 2/3 innings pitched down on the farm prior to last year. We’ll see. Colina made his MLB debut last season. It did not go well, but it did create an opportunity for him to get some detailed instruction and inspiration from Rich Hil in the dugout. That debut outing was discussed during a Twins Spotlight Seth recorded with Colina, so make sure to check that out. Here are some highlights of Colina pitching for the Twins during Spring Training last year: Twins Daily 2021 Top 20 Prospects Honorable Mentions Stop by tomorrow for prospects 11-15

The video below includes a key excerpt from Hayes’ article and video of Falvey addressing a question regarding Cruz during . From the outside looking in, it certainly seems like the Twins are trying to make sure they're not bidding against themselves and the Cruz camp is holding out hope additional suitors may emerge. There still hasn't been any reporting yet on the actual numbers that are being discussed, but as we prepare to turn the calendar to February, it seems likely this comes to a conclusion before too long. Now that Andrelton Simmons and J.A. Happ are officially Twins, the team should have even more cost certainty in regard to the rest of the roster. They have some good internal options at DH as is, but trying to replace both Eddie Rosario and Cruz would be a tall task. Do you anticipate Cruz re-signing with the Twins? SEE ALSO 2021 Winter Meltdown Pint Glasses On Sale Now Free Agent Faceoff: Marcell Ozuna vs. Nelson Cruz Why the Twins Shouldn't Re-Sign Nelson Cruz

Middle infield wasn't an obvious need for the Twins heading into the offseason, but this was a good winter to be shopping for a shortstop. After being primarily connected to Marcus Semien in rumors, the Twins landed defensive wizard Andrelton "Simba" Simmons. https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1354237965279625223 Speaking of Semien, he signed a one-year $18 million deal with the Blue Jays earlier today. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but the timing certainly suggests the Twins had Simmons lined up as a fall-back option leading into today. It will be interesting to hear more about how this came together after the deal becomes official. Along with four Gold Gloves, Simmons was also the recipient of the 2013 NL Platinum Glove Award. He’s been the best shortstop in baseball for many years now. Sticking with that four-year lookback window, Simmons’ 73 total runs saved according to The Fielding Bible is 18 more than any other player at the position. To put that into perspective, Semien has a grand total of 18 runs saved over that same timeframe. Polanco has -23. Though known more for his defense, Simmons has posted a batting line of .281/.329/.401 (.730 OPS) over the past four seasons. That’s short of Jorge Polanco’s .277/.335/.435 (.770 OPS) over the same time, but not by much. Over the 2018 and '19 seasons, Simmons was worth 10.3 WAR, according to FanGraphs. That was tied for 13th among all position players. He followed that up with 1.6 WAR in 103 games in 2019. He only played in 30 games for the Angels last season and hit .297/.346/.356 (.702 OPS). The Twins needed to add depth of some kind to their middle infield, specifically someone who could handle shortstop. Instead of taking a flyer on another Ehire Adrianza type, they just effectively eliminated any questions over that area of the field. Both Polanco and Luis Arraez are coming off surgeries, and Simmons hasn't been the picture of health himself, but being able to rotate the three of them between the two positions is a luxury not many other teams can boast. At this time it seems safe to assume at least one of the three will also become familiar with third base, just in case. In addition to being an upgrade defensively, Simmons also compliments his middle infield mates nicely offensively. In the past four seasons, Simmons has posted a .741 OPS against left-handed pitchers while Polanco posted a .698 mark and Arraez has a .665 OPS against southpaws. FanGraphs currently projects the Twins payroll to be $110 million. Visit TwinsPayroll.com to play around with how the rest of the budget might be used. If you think the Twins are done adding ... https://twitter.com/DanHayesMLB/status/1354254035126251525 Moments after the Simmons move was announced, Seth, Matthew Taylor and Nate Palmer discussed the signing and what remains for the Twins to do this offseason on a new Offseason Live. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email

Trevor Bauer is in a tier on his own, but things start to get interesting after that. It doesn’t take long before the lines are blurry enough to not feel particularly strong about one pitcher versus the next. I think that’s exactly why things have been so slow. I put every starting pitcher on MLB Trade Rumors’ free agent list into a tier in the video below, discussed my rationale behind the rankings and then circled back for a Twins-focused overview. This Twins front office has had success on the trade market, acquiring Kenta Maeda and Jake Odorizzi before that, so I fully expect them to explore that route. Regardless, it seems like a safe bet the Twins are going to sign at least one of these free agent starters. In case you missed any of the previous transactions, here are the contracts signed by free agent starting pitchers so far this offseason: Charlie Morton to Atlanta for one year, $15 million. Drew Smyly to Atlanta for one year, $11 million. Corey Kluber to the Yankees for one year, $11 million. Mike Minor to Kansas City for two years, $18 million. Robbie Ray to Toronto for one year, $8 million. Anthony DeSclafani to San Francisco for one year, $6 million. Martin Perez to Boston for one year, $5 million. Jose Urena to Detroit for one year, $3.25 million. Kohei Arihara to Texas for two years, $6.2 million. Alex Wood to San Francisco for one year, $3 million. Michael Wacha to Tampa Bay for one year, $3 million. Chris Flexen to Seattle for two years, $4.75 million. Let me know what you think. Who was too high? Too low? Anybody stand out to you as someone the Twins should target? SEE ALSO Pitch Movement and Spin Axis Data Suggest the Twins Should Acquire This Rocky Why You Shouldn't Be Mad About "Losing Out" On [insert Top Reliever Here] Free Agent Faceoff: Marcell Ozuna vs. Nelson Cruz Twins Should Sign This Under-the-Radar Free Agent

Corey Kluber’s Showcase Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported Corey Kluber threw 25-30 pitches in a showcase for teams and was sitting between 87-89 mph. The Twins were among the 25 clubs in attendance to watch the two-time Cy Young Award winner throw. The showcase took place at Eric Cressey’s strength and conditioning facility, which is not far from the Twins’ complex in Fort Myers. Here’s a 2018 article from Mike Berardino that points out all the Twins connections at the time to Cressy, who is now the New York Yankees Director of Player Health and Performance. The other obvious Twins connection is that Derek Falvey was with Cleveland’s front office when they acquired Kluber from the San Diego Padres. Kluber was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to get a one-year, $12 million deal while Craig Edwards of FanGraphs had him down for a deal worth $9 million. The connections are there and the price is right, but should the Twins sign Kluber? Well, Kluber turns 35 in April and pitched just one inning for the Rangers before suffering a torn torn teres major muscle. He also missed most of the 2019 season due to a fractured right arm sustained on a come-backer. Twins Daily’s Cody Pirkl is not sold ... https://twitter.com/CodyPirkl/status/1349404627448590336 … but fellow Twins Daily writer Matthew Taylor is on board. https://twitter.com/MatthewTaylorMN/status/1349399061900775425 Personally, I’m having a difficult time talking myself into Kluber, but the other starting pitching options on the free agent market don’t inspire a ton of confidence, either. If we assume the Twins aren’t a serious suitor for Trevor Bauer and Masahiro Tanaka isn’t interested in coming to Minnesota, the next best guys are James Paxton and Jake Odorizzi. I’d certainly prefer those two to Kluber, but it just shows how quickly things thin out. There’s always the trade market, of course. One of my predictions during Tuesday night’s Offseason Live episode was that the Twins would trade for a starting pitcher who would slot into the rotation above Michael Pineda. You can watch the entire show below: Kluber was previously mentioned in Matthew Taylor’s article that attempted to use history to decipher who the Twins may sign and was included in Cody Christie’s offseason blueprint. Marc Topkin reported that fellow Jet Sports Management clients Steve Cishek and Anthony Swarzak, a former Twin, also threw during the showcase. Falvey on High Heat A bearded Derek Falvey joined Chris Russo on MLB Network today and said he remains “very optimistic” about a reunion with Nelson Cruz. La Tortuga’s Dive Check out Willians Astudillo making a nice catch in left field down in the Venezuelan Winter League. https://twitter.com/ElExtrabase/status/1349484033563123715 Another Bullpen Arm Signs Former Los Angeles Dodger Pedro Báez agreed to a two-year deal with the Houston Astros. The contract has $12.5 guaranteed, includes an an option year and some additional incentives. Full details here at MLB Trade Rumors. Báez was among the eight under-the-radar free agents I thought might make sense for the Twins. He has a career 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 9.3 K/9 over 355 appearances. Twins Hot Stove Show Alex Kirilloff joined Kris Atteberry on tonight’s . There was a lot of discussion revolving around his debut in the playoffs and his approach to hitting. Cody Christie wrote about Kirilloff as an extension candidate earlier this offseason.SEE ALSO Why Did the Twins Let Liam Hendriks Go? White Sox Sign Hendriks; Twins Fans Wait (Patiently?) The Twins Worst Trades: Johan Santana Free Agent Faceoff: Marcell Ozuna vs. Nelson Cruz Why the Twins Shouldn't Re-Sign Nelson Cruz

These things can change quickly, but right now the only streaming option for FSN is AT&T TV. I took a quick look into their packages and explained why my first baseball-related purchase of 2021 was a piece of outdated technology in the video below. If you're interested in your options, go to getmyhometeams.com and enter your ZIP code. As a cord cutter, I've jumped from Fubo TV to Sling TV to YouTube TV to Hulu + Live TV over the past few years. Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns the FOX Sports Regional Networks, can't seem to maintain a relationship with a streaming service for long. That gives me even more pause when considering singing up for AT&T TV. We'll see if anything changes between now and Opening Day, but my plan right now is to turn to the radio. This is reminding me a bit of the Victory Sports One debacle of 2004. I'd prefer to watch the games, but Cory, Danny and Kris do a great job on 830 WCCO. What's your plan? SEE ALSO How Many Roster Spots are Locked in for 2021? Top 20 Minnesota Twins Assets of 2021: Part 4 (1-5) What Does the Francisco Lindor Trade Mean for the Twins? AL Central Offseason Update: Twins Wait While Others Active The 5 Biggest Trades Minnesota Could Make This Offseason Wolfson: Despite Lack of Action, Nelson Cruz Wants to Remain a Twin

Make sure to bookmark this article for future reference. Before we start, allow me to apologize, the site could not support the level of bold I wanted this headline to be in. The best I could do was to illustrate just how bold these are in the text of the article image. Nelson Cruz will not return to the Twins Instead, the Twins decide to go with a youth movement and sign José Bautista, who is about 100 days younger than Cruz. MLB finally announces there will be the universal DH on April 5, Cruz signs with an NL team and goes on to hit 40 home runs. Bautista, meanwhile, hits exactly one home run prior to being released by the Twins, but along with it comes the most epic bat flip in franchise history. Fernando Romero becomes a superstar in Japan Romero becomes the ace of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and wins the Sawamura Award, the NPB equivalent to the Cy Young Award. He fails to clear customs returning to the Dominican Republic after the season ends when it’s discovered he attempted to smuggle a rare Ussuri brown bear from Japan into his home country. Alex Kirilloff will not make his official MLB debut in 2021 Kirilloff was good enough to start a playoff elimination game, but the Twins front office decides more “seasoning” is needed for him in 2021. Kirilloff is once again added to the active roster at the onset of the postseason and is immediately inserted into the No. 3 spot in the lineup. Josh Donaldson sets Statcast record The Bringer of Rain fails to make amends with umpires. As a result, he has the highest percentage of pitches out of the zone called strikes in the Statcast era by a landslide. I have a confession to make. These are not predictions, this is the actual future. I’m not at liberty to say where I’ve obtained this information, but here is Donaldson’s pitch breakdown chart for 2021: The Twins will win a playoff game (technically) MLB expands the postseason to 32 teams. The field will be comprised of all 30 MLB teams and the top two Triple-A clubs. The Twins beat the St. Paul Saints via forfeit in the Wacky Wild Wowza Card Round, then lose to the Detroit Tigers in the Crazy Eights Card Round, which is determined by a single eight-inning contest. Kirilloff hits three home runs in the loss. Happy New Year! SEE ALSO A Twins-Based Manifesto for Self-Improvement in 2021 | RandBalls Stu 21 New Year's Resolutions for the 2021 Twins | renabanena Twins Offseason Status Update: Slow Going | Nick Nelson

Sunday evening, the Padres agreed to a trade to acquire Blake Snell from Tampa Bay. Tonight, they are finalizing another deal to add Yu Darvish from the Cubs. Quite the 24 hours for A.J. Preller & Co. So what rotation pieces are left on the free agent and trade markets? I took a look in the video below. This free agent class was pretty soft in terms of starting pitching, but it was further weakened when Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman accepted their qualifying offers. Now that Lance Lynn, Snell and Darvish have all been dealt, the trade market has also been thinned out. Here's another look at the list included in the video: Kenta Maeda ended up being a starter primed for a breakout, can the Twins’ front office identify and acquire a similar pitcher this offseason? SEE ALSO Wolfson: Twins Have Real Interest In Marcus Semien Patience: The Rotation Edition Should Jorge Polanco be the Twins Utility Man? Utility Debate: Jurickson Profar Vs. Kiké Hernández Potential Twins Free Agent Targets: 8 Flying Under the Radar 5 Trade Targets: Who Can the Twins Raid from the Reds? Using History to Decipher Who the Twins Will Sign This Offseason Reacting to Twins Blockbuster Trade Speculation