Twins Select OF Alex Kirilloff with 15th Overall Pick

Oh, well. Starting pitching, starting pitching, starting pitching.

THis will be the most outrageous statement of the night:

I think the TWins should move Kirollof up to the big leagues almost immediately.  Dump Plouffe, move Sano to 3B, and put him in RF.  He is physically mature, has a mature approach at the plate, is a good defender with a plus arm.  I bet you he would not have the lowest OPS of the main players.  

The hand speed thing worries me but I'd need more data on him vs players in the big leagues with comp hand speed, etc to really draw any firm conclusions.  Personally there seemed to be more value left in the pitchers when they picked but let's hope it works out.  Bad thing about high school hitters is that we more than likely won't really know much for at least a few years.  Based on his level of competition it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't see Cedar Rapids until 2018.

"Toolsy" Outfielder--they never get past the Twins! The clock is running for when the Twins trade another CF.

You're right. We won't see a more outrageous statement. I bet you he would have the lowest. Honestly, right now, he's a very similar player to Max Kepler in Cedar Rapids.

Kurt Suzuki is on the team................  and there is a lot more competition for terrible OPS.

Good players can be developed at the MLB level.  Most of the Twins WS team was. If they aint good, then they can never be developed.  You can find that out right away too.  

If the Twins had a better prospect as an alternative then that would be a different story.  But the fact is, they really don't.  THey will plug some mediocrity in the lineup instead.  

Comments like that just make all the other believers in super aggressive promotions look conservative. There is a line somewhere, between letting guys gradually develop in the minors and pushing them up as fast as possible, and you pole vaulted right over it.

Even Killebrew went back down to the minors after his bonus baby year in the majors (when that was a thing) and that was in the mid-50's. It's beyond outrageous, that's easily exhibit A in your plea for insanity if you're on trial this week.

How signable is Kirilloff? What happens if they can't or don't sign him?

I'd be shocked if the Twins didn't already know he was willing to sign for not a penny over slot.  Haven't heard of any sign-ability issues with him.  If he doesn't sign the Twins would have the #16 pick in the 2017 draft as compensation.

Even Killebrew went back down to the minors after his bonus baby year in the majors (when that was a thing) and that was in the mid-50's. It's beyond outrageous, that's easily exhibit A in your plea for insanity if you're on trial this week.

The Senators were terrible, no doubt, but they had Sievers in LF and Lemon in RF, with Eddie Yost at 3B.  And Harmon never played a season completely in the minors in his entire career.  He obviously was not allowed to go to the minors at all as a bonus baby.  Regardless, if Harmon was a player in the modern Twins organization he would have made the majors at 24 or 25, putzing him along the minor league trying to find his position and cut down on his strikeouts. 

Comments like that just make all the other believers in super aggressive promotions look conservative. There is a line somewhere, between letting guys gradually develop in the minors and pushing them up as fast as possible, and you pole vaulted right over it.

Like I said, good players can be developed in the major leagues.  Bad players can look great in the minors and then never be able to play at the highest level. 

THe problem with the Twins is that they will not commit to being a developmental team at the major league level.

For the past 5 years they have mostly trotted out replacement level players and have lost 90+ games each season with the fluke season last year.  They show ZERO commitment to their young prospects like Berrios, Kepler, Buxton mostly, Rosario, Polanco, bouncing them up and down without really giving them a chance to fully adjust. 

They also are too timid in bringing up players like Chargois who demonstrate they have mastered the minor league levels. 

You need patience to let these guys play. They will strike out and commit errors and walk batters when that is the last thing you want them to do.  THEY WILL LOSE BALL GAMES.  But the good players will develop and the bad players will show the obvious.  

So, it is a stretch to bring up a 18 year old player, but it has been done.  When Robin Yount was brought up to the major leagues at the age of 18, Joe Garioggila joked that they had to protect him from the veterans swearing around him.  Yount was pretty good I guess.

Burdi was drafted by the White sox so it will be brother against brother matchups down the road in the pen. 

Seven pitchers and seven position players taken ahead of this pick.

Yeah, we are in a huge need for outfielders. LOL.

Maybe he ends up at first.

The idea that the Twins have an OF surplus is, uh . . . dated at best. Sano will be a 1B/DH by the time a HS draftee is in the picture, not to mention that Kepler is unproven.

Seems like a grounded, hardworking kid from a good baseball family. Sounds like he eats and sleeps baseball. He already has good size, with strong tools across the board.

Hard for me to argue with this one. Seems like he has a high probability of becoming a solid MLer, relative to what was the left. Of course, in order to be considered, the FO knows he'll come in at the right price.

Hard not to worry about a guy whose power depends on a long swing and who has subpar handspeed, which might mean that he's closer to his ceiling than a less polished youngster who didn't have a baseball coach for a dad. 

But more to the point, that's ALL I know about him, meaning I really know nothing of substance, and will wait and see with the usual mix of hope and trepidation.

THis will be the most outrageous statement of the night:

 

I think the TWins should move Kirollof up to the big leagues almost immediately.  Dump Plouffe, move Sano to 3B, and put him in RF.  He is physically mature, has a mature approach at the plate, is a good defender with a plus arm.  I bet you he would not have the lowest OPS of the main players.  

You win.

I like the 2nd round selection. I bet we see one more before round 5.

 After about 1,300 PAs in the minors, Mike Trout had a .672 OPS.

Just to clarify, are you saying Trout had an OPS of .672 in 1300 minor league PAs? Or are you talking about his 40 game intro to the majors before becoming ROY the following season and finishing 2nd for MVP?