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No one talks about something Revere brings to the Twins that I believe is very important...energy! Some combination of that smile and speed just seems to get things happening. I don't know if anyone else agrees, but I see the Twins winning more when he is in the lineup every day. Not necessarily the offensive numbers and certainly not the arm, but he just brings added energy that makes the game more fun which seems to lead to more wins.

Thanks Seth, brings back lots of memories.

Mr. Boras just cost his client millions of dollars. Of course he can always go back to Stanford for his senior year and get less.

The Twins normally carry about 30 players at Elizabethton and up to 35 in the GCL. That is 65. I show 49 players remaining in EST from this group (not including players there rehabbing). In the last eight years, they have signed a low of 20 players (2004) and a high of 33 (last year). The norm appears to be around 26, however, has been higher the last two years, 31 and 33. They appear to always seriously attempt to sign their top ten to fifteen rounds, which would be 13-18 players. After that they sign most of the college seniors, a few of the juniors and J2 kids and usually surprise by signing one or two high school players from the later rounds. With 49 in camp (the ones I see that you missed which I believe are still around are Marcus Solberg and Junior Subero, unless I missed their releases). You also don't have any of the group coming up this year from the DSL, which should be led by Felix Jorge. The size of this group varies, however, is normally at least a half dozen and has been as high as mid-teens. So if we have 49 in camp, say at least five coming up from the DSL and the average number signed, 26, that is a total of 80 players. They will likely put 65 on the two teams, leaving 15. A few of these and a few of the draft picks will move up (good example is Vargas when his suspension is over), say leaving ten. One can further assume a few will be injured and go on the DL, but they will likely be making another cut of somewhere between five and ten players.

Good analysis Nick, There is one major difference between Buxton and Hicks, about $4.5mm or so. Personally, I was hoping the Twins would get a stud starter with the #2 pick. Unfortunately, that guy wasn't out there. One question I do have, do people think that Appel dropped to 8th because of Scott Boras?

John, I believe they are two good starters away from competing. We are seeing that Scott Diamond will be an effective starter, one capable of filling one of the #3-#5 spots in the rotation. If you read my stuff every week, you know I believe that Liam Hendriks is going to be very good and should be back and pitching well later in the year. That is two, lets say #3 and #4. The fifth starter can come from a combination of Walters, DeVries, Blackburn, Gibson and Baker. I believe that at the end of the year (October) when he is beginning to throw, the Twins will work out something on Baker's contract and he will be back. Will he be ready on opening day, unlikely. Gibson could, but both should be ready during the season to fill in if one of the starting five fails or is injured. That leaves two spots open. Yes, they are #1 and #2 which he will have to fill. As I look at the rest of the team, it is solid for next year. Fill those two spots and the Twins should be very good. Can they possibly do that by trading someone like Span for a young stud who will fill one of those two spots...maybe. In that case Mr. Ryan will have to evaluate what he has in the outfield and at the top of the order. Another option would be to package Liriano for a young starter in July...assuming the Frankie we saw the last two times out keeps showing up for another 7-8 starts!

John, I expect that Mr. Ryan views the Twins much different than most of us. He is looking at putting the Twins back into contention next year. I expect that he sees a team that is really pretty good throughout its everyday lineup, assuming they stay healthy. The bullpen fixes he did have worked very well and there are four/five arms in Rochester about major league ready. The problem, the starting rotation including the health of Pavano/Baker. I think he sees a team that needs to add two solid starters and they can be back. If he is thinking like that, he isn't going to be trading away any of his better players just to be doing something. Yes, he will listen to phone calls and if someone blows him away for Span or another player...he certainly will listen. But I suspect we are going to see a lot less moves between now and July 31 than most people expect.

I expect there is one person who doesn't agree with everyone's assumption that the Twins are beginning a rebuilding process that will last several years. That person is Mr. Ryan. I expect he sees the Twins differently than most of us do. He sees a team that needs a few adjustments and with some good health will compete next year. With that in mind, I expect we won't see all the moves in July that everyone is expecting. That includes Span and Revere likely staying with the Twins beyond this year.

John, this is one of the better articles regarding the draft I have read in some time. Thanks!

You must be dealing with 'bus lag,' eh? Didn't mention probably the best outfield prospect in the organization, Oswaldo Arcia?

I am beginning to accept they will take either Buxton or Correa at #2. I see them taking the best college arm at #32 and then Mitch Brown at #42, assuming he is still available.

Seth, what are you hearing that you hope is not true?

Well said. In my opinion, Hendriks projects as a pitcher who will be very similar to Brad Radke. That makes him a legit #2 and perhaps with the Twins, their #1 starter. Yes, he needs more experience at AAA and it is the correct long-term decision to allow him to get it. I see him staying in Rochester until around the all-star break. Then he comes up and will be one solid part of their rotation for the next decade. As for Cole, it is good to see another guy my son played against in legion ball getting his chance. With all the guys giving up three or four runs in two innings, lets at least give a rookie a couple months after giving up three earned runs in 5+ innings. It is also important to remember that in his last start in Rochester, he was pushed beyond his normal pitch count as he went for a complete game.

His last start was going great until they tried to get him a complete game. Gave up only one run through 8, then three more in the 9th. Things like that hurt the ERA early in the season.

They better have $12,368,200 to spend for the first ten rounds. A good gauge on their plan will be when we see how many of the players from rounds 11-40 they sign. Normally, they would sign 15 or so. Considering the state of the organization, I would hope it would be more this year. If they cut the number they sign and don't spend the allotted dollars, everyone should be upset. If they sign 25-30 players and spend the budget, they are doing everything they can.

They actually have two spots open on 40-man roster. They have 39, including Baker who was moved to the 60-man disabled list...so that leaves two openings. [Disregard, I missed last addition....it is at 40 with Baker, leaving one opening]

With Valencia down, Burroughs has been playing first. Also have Rizzotti, unless he is shipped down to NB. Although New Britain already has two first basemen, Hansen and Colabello. Maybe they will switch Colabello and Rizzotti.

It was an odd play Seth. It was one of those bunts to the right side that you want to get past the pitcher. The second baseman was playing in an odd position. He lunged for it to his left and just barely got the end of his glove on it. It was dying at that time, but the impetus of his glove hitting it made it roll twenty feet or so out into right field and towards the line. He should have just knocked it down because Revere was almost at first when he touched it. It was exciting to watch Revere never slow down a bit, just made the turn and easily made it to second. There wasn't an error on the play and the official scorer only gave him a single, which I don't understand. To me, it has to be a bunt double. Go figure! Florimon was up next and immediately hit a clean single to right for the Wings first run. Watching Revere play down there has been fun. He really is getting the experience he missed last year...all the little things. I haven't looked lately, but I suspect his OBP is higher as he seems to be on base two or three times nearly every game. On Friday he was airborne all over the outfield, didn't make either of the two plays he literally went airborne to get. But there isn't a center fielder alive who would have made either play and he came close. And he always bounces up like a rubber ball and gets the ball back to the infield best he can. The Twins need his fire and energy. Don't know if you agree, but I hope he stays down for another 6-8 weeks before he comes up so that this style of play is ingrained into his DNA.

Seth, you had to be watching Rochester to see Revere's impact today. They got their first run when he bunted for a double. OK, the official scorer only gave him a single, but he bunted it off the second baseman's glove. When the ball rolled out to right field he kept going to second. Next hitter was Florimon who singled and it was 1-0 Wings. Tough day for Guerra as they wasted an excellent start by Hendriks. How bout those Beloit starters. Wheeler last week's Pitcher of the Week in the MWL. Then, Summers and Tomshaw with big back to back starts. Summers really looks like he is coming on as his arm stretches out a bit. Have a great day Seth!

Good morning Seth, Isn't it great seeing Hermsen do well at AA. I know there have been lots of folks who have been down on him because he doesn't throw hard enough. I have always seen him as a workhorse, a bulldog who seems to get it done at every level he has been at. Will be interesting to see if he can keep this up for the entire season, if he does he could be a solid performer for the Twins in a couple years. Also great seeing Bromberg back on track after last year's lost season to the broken arm. And Jack, Benson is not a complete bust. He is an extremely talented young man who has one last aspect of his game that needs work. That and get out of a slump which has dogged him for a month.

They didn't. They left Salt Lake City for Edmonton. They were there a few years and realized the weather made it impossible to play there in April, then left for Rochester.

Yes, we do know if you watched his brief experience in the past. And his numbers at Rochester are misleading as he often is behind there as well. Have been watching about half their games and a lot of them are like Friday when his numbers were great except the one hit he gave up cost them the game.

If you follow what Revere is doing at Rochester this year, you will see that he is working on the little things that will make him a great leadoff hitter. He is bunting and taking more walks with a lot of stolen bases. He hasn't gotten a lot of time in AAA until this year and is working hard to become a solid major league player. Let him stay there for another couple months, then bring him up.

There is one good reason why he isn't up...his lack of control. Don't just look at the walks, look at the counts he is always in. If he walks 4-5 batters per nine innings, that goes up in the big leagues. That means he is constantly in hitters counts, and we all know what happens to a pitcher without blow away stuff that is constantly pitching from behind. Yes, Slama has excellent minor league numbers. But the one area where he is weak is what is keeping him in Rochester.

And I was having a good morning until you reminded me of that John. The Twins didn't reclaim him when the A's DFA's him last week and he is currently in Sacremento. But yes, Hughes would be a huge addition to this team right now.