Ted Schwerzler

It’s really weird to be providing a midseason update on Minnesota Twins prospects when not only has a Major League game not been played, but the Minor League season is all but cancelled as well. There hasn’t been anything of substance to look at, although my thoughts on a few players have shifted. I can’t say that I derived anything of considerable substance from the week I spent watching back fields action down in Fort Myers, but there’s also been a (very brief) Major League Baseball draft that put some fresh talent into the organization as well. 2020 has been anything but normal, so let’s embrace the goofiness and get underway with the rankings. 2016 Top 15 Prospects 2017 Top 15 Prospects 2018 Top 15 Prospects 2019 Top 15 Prospects 2020 Top 15 Prospects 2020 Twins Draft Picks 15. Wander Javier SS Losing a full season of Minor League Baseball may hurt no one in the Twins system more than it does Wander Javier. An elite talent who has fallen completely off the map since Rookie Ball, Javier is coming off a dismal .601 OPS with Cedar Rapids in 2019. He’s still just 21, but a year of missed development and wanting to distance himself from a season ago isn’t ideal. 14. Matt Canterino RHP I really like Canterino and think he can continue to push up these rankings as a relatively high floor prospect. He’ll be 23 next season, but he put in a very impressive showing to start his pro career. Working 25 innings after 99 in college is a nice taste, and clearly the Twins were impressed skipping him over the Appy League. He should start at High-A Fort Myers in 2021. 13. Gilberto Celestino OF Part of the package returned for Ryan Pressly, Celestino was originally viewed through the lens of being a plus defender. While that remains true, he reached High-A Fort Myers last season and posted a .759 OPS. The 10 home runs were a nice bit of power, and if that comes along with his speed and defensive abilities, he’ll rocket up this board. There’s clearly a reason why Minnesota wanted him on the 40 man this winter. 12. Matt Wallner OF I’m higher on Wallner than most I think, but he is a bit more than the traditional booming bat the Twins have. There’s athleticism here and he can play on the corners in the outfield. His arm is massive, so right field makes a lot of sense. He was already looking like an advanced hitter, so the wiping out of 2020 may not hurt him as much. There’s always fallback potential here that he could get on the mound. 11. Aaron Sabato 1B Continuing the mold of targeting thunderous bats, Minnesota went with arguably the best power hitter in the draft during 2020. Sabato can launch the baseball, and he’ll absolutely have to with little to now defensive value. The expectation is a big leaguer at worst here, with some serious thump as a consistent and regular producer. 10. Brent Rooker 1B/OF Rooker could see time on a taxi-squad for the Twins in 2020, and it’s not hard to wonder on as his bat is ready. There’s uncertainty as to where he’ll play given mixed reports on abilities in the outfield and at first base, but the bat should hold its own. He’s got a different build than Sabato, but all of the same power is there. 9. Keoni Cavaco SS Keeping Cavaco back for me is just how lost he looked at the plate in his debut season. The K/BB ration was nightmarish, and that’s the bigger story than where his slash line was for me. I think he really needed to get back on the diamond and in the swing of things for some positive steps forward. Obviously, this is still a first round talent, but it’s a wait and see approach for me. 8. Ryan Jeffers C One of the biggest movers nationally in the Twins system has been Jeffers. He went from a bat first player that may not be able to catch, and now is considered multi-faceted within the organization. The receiving and throwing skills have sharpened, and nothing has slowed down with the bat. Like Rooker, Jeffers could be on the taxi squad for the Twins, and probably is a better option behind Alex Avila in the hole than Willians Astudillo. 7. Blayne Enlow RHP Minnesota saved money on some earlier picks to grab Enlow given the promise they saw in him. So far that’s been greatly rewarded. He’s been a consistent arm, and while not dominant, has gotten it done at every level. Would like to see a few more strikeouts, but there’s a mid-rotation upside here. Another guy that could factor in depending on how big minor league depth goes for 2020. 6. Lewis Thorpe LHP 2020 was going to be a big year for Thorpe and it’s taken on quite a different shape. He was away from Spring Training getting reset for a couple of weeks and then look ticketed for Triple-A Rochester. With the situation as it is now, he could be an extra long man out of the pen. His stuff was better than the numbers said in 2019, and I think there’s legit stuff to dream on from the Aussie lefty. 5. Jhoan Duran RHP The way 2020 has gone, and the limited season may actually accelerate Duran’s pro debut. I assumed it would come this year, but that wasn’t a lock. Expanded taxi squads and roster could certainly make an arm this good worthy of a relief look. He’s going to start in a traditional year. The near triple-digit stuff plays from the get-go. Bring him in as a middle reliever might be a nice boost for Rocco Baldelli, however. 4. Trevor Larnach OF I’d bet heavily on Larnach showing up at the Major League level in 2020. He’s an advanced hitter and works the zone well. He’s held his own during Spring Training action and watching him launch a ball on his first big league at bat was a lot of fun. He’s the most likely of the Twins power prospects to remain in the outfield. Good athleticism, although it will play better on the corners. 3. Jordan Balazovic RHP This season will present somewhat of a weird spot for Balazovic. I think he’s best utilized as a starter and not sure how much his stuff plays up in the pen. He’s got a legitimate shot to be top half rotation arm and pairing him with Jose Berrios down the road could be lots of fun. The Canadian has received lots of praise in the past calendar year and the stuff absolutely warrants it. 2. Alex Kirilloff OF/1B Plenty can still make the argument that Minnesota’s top two prospects are interchangeable. I have Kirilloff second because once he moves off an outfield spot (as he already has) first base provides less value. He’s a pure hitter, he’s going to hit for average, and the power will be there as well. He was going to be ready at some point in 2020, and no we’ll likely see it sooner rather than later. 1. Royce Lewis SS Lots of ups and downs for Lewis on the farm last year, but he ended on fire as the Arizona Fall League MVP. There’s going to be concerns about the leg kick until he consistently puts it together, and plenty still wonder if he’s not better suited for centerfield. Regardless, he’s going to play a premium position and looks the part of a perennial All-Star. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

For a while you could make the argument that the resumption of baseball not getting off the ground was a “both” issue. Players and owners were dug in. Now, as Rob Manfred suggests a season may not happen, that’s no longer the case. Is this really all the better Major League Baseball is? It can’t be, right?Monday represented a day in which Major League Baseball could’ve announced a season. Fed up with the same offer being sliced different ways, the MLBPA had broken off negotiation talks and said simply, “We’re ready, let us know where to be.” The response to that from the owners and Manfred was to threaten a season taking place at all. The impasse here is that any season without a negotiated agreement would come under an imposed ruling from the Commissioner, which was agreed to in the players March discussions. The caveat however was that the season would be implemented with the intention of playing the most games possible, something the owners have actively campaigned against. Right now, Manfred could implement a calendar of roughly 70 games, but that would be roughly 20 more than those paying the checks want to play. We don’t know for certain whether this is another stall tactic or an effort by Manfred to get the sides back at the negotiating table. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer is calling it like it is, and sees the mandate to withdraw any notion of a grievance as Manfred leveraging a season of baseball to give the owners what they want. There’s plenty of reasons to believe this is what’s happening. There’s been rumblings that some owners would be fine with no season at all, and the reality for most is that baseball teams are simply another avenue for cash flow within their portfolio. It’s not about being profitable as much as it is how much profit is actually being generated. For the last twenty years revenues have skyrocketed in the sport, and now because the green may not be as large for a calendar year, it’s apparently worth blowing it all up. On Monday night ESPN aired a segment called “The Return of Sports.” Rob Manfred was invited alongside several other league commissioners. It’s only his league that can’t figure out how to get back on the field though. In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s not a health scare that’s keeping baseball on the shelf, but instead one man and the thirty ownership groups he represents. As fans, we’re all the losers here. The Minnesota Twins are set to field one of their best teams since winning the World Series. Mike Trout is in the middle of his prime and could go down as the best to ever play the game. Heck, Albert Pujols is chasing down Babe Ruth at the tail end of his career. Because baseball’s profitability is being impacted, and mind you we don’t know to what extent as books are kept private, those who run it are ready to throw this all away. For the past few years Rob Manfred has set out to increase the popularity of his sport. He’s sought out avenues to draw in new fans and speed up the pace of play. While many of those ideas have been futile at best, he’s found a way to take a large steaming dump on any positive momentum in the matter of a couple weeks. Baseball diehards will return, but the casual fan couldn’t be more apt to throw up their hands at this mess. Over the weekend Long Gone Summer gave us a glimpse into the home run race of 1998. Bud Selig and the owners turned a blind eye to steroids and drug testing because it saved baseball after the 1994 strike. That won’t be an avenue for rebound this time, and nothing suggests Manfred has the capabilities to lead out of this dark time. A mandated 50 game slate in a couple of weeks would prove Bauer right. A cancelled season would drive a nail into the coffin of those running the sport forever. What was once a “both” issue is now squarely on the shoulders of those running the show, and it’s time for MLB to show us that baseball is better than this. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

There’s both good and bad to come in the next couple of days. As has always been my stance, we’re going to see baseball in 2020. The flip side to that is Rob Manfred will impose a bastardized version thanks to the efforts of owners wanting to crush the sport. There has to be some silver lining though right? Co-director of the IBWAA, Daniel Epstein, did a masterful job of breaking down Major League Baseball’s recent letter and detailing why the negotiations have been nothing short of a steaming pile of dog poop. Because of that reality, the owners will get what they’ve wanted since the get go here, less baseball. In playing a shorter regular season the financial commitments are at the least amount, while Postseason opportunity allows for the largest revenue stream. As fans, it’s going to be hard to stomach a 50-something game sprint. The Twins hit 307 home runs to set a Major League record in 2019. That’s a gaudy number to look at and is nothing short of eye popping. Dialing that pace back to 50 games, you’re looking at a tally in the 90’s, or something close to the total between two longball leaders. From a statistical perspective viewing this exercise through any normal lens is going to be a very tough sell. Baseball breathes life year-round because of the historical and numerical importance carried within the game. It’s one thing to argue the validity between a 150 and 160 game season but chopping off triple digits makes this an extreme outlier no matter how you dissect it. We are going to have baseball, but make no mistake, this won’t be Major League Baseball in any sense of the suggestion. Rather than allowing for the nuance and leveling off that occurs over the course of a traditional 162 game marathon, it will be a sprint on a daily basis. Instead of winning a series and settling for a split in the next one, it will be a game of sweeps and a nightly pedal to the metal. If we can separate what baseball is, and what this will be, there could be some level of enhanced excitement to it. The one game Wild Card is often torn down because of the length it takes to achieve that opportunity, and then how quickly it is taken away. There’s no denying the level of excitement or pressure placed on those nine innings however, and now we’ll get a version of that for the entirety of the action. Decisions made by clubs will need to be reflective of opportunity within the next 24 hours as opposed to the next couple of weeks. Teams will need to manage in an attempt to thwart off divisional foes even a game behind right from the word go. In what will likely feel akin to the World Baseball Classic style of play, single game importance is set to be in a place we’ll have never experience during a regular season. It’s truly unfortunate that a global pandemic was used to further the agenda of billionaire owners. We as fans lose the opportunity to cheer for our teams, and experience anything resembling the sport in its intended set of parameters. If we’re going to do this hack job of a year though, we might as well try to start finding rainbows through the storm. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

With the 2020 Major League Draft in its final stages the Minnesota Twins will soon have another influx of talent to add to an already promising farm system. Last year Derek Falvey’s club picked 13th overall and had 11 selections in the top ten rounds. Now it’s time to check up on them.After a great 2019 season the Twins slid all the way down to 27th in the picking order for 2020. Falvey and Thad Levine have a brief but strong history of identifying talent for the organization however, and the hope would be that this season is no different. Taking a look back on the guys they tabbed in 2019, here’s how year one in pro ball went. Keoni Cavaco SS (1, 13) As a helium pick it was probably expected that there’d be growing pains. Cavaco rose the draft boards late and is a long-term play for the Twins. He played 25 games in the GCL and posted just a .470 OPS. The slash line isn’t as concerning as the 35/4 K/BB rate. He’ll need to clean that up as he adjusts to the next level. Matt Wallner RF (1, 39) A local kid and standout at Southern Miss, Wallner jumped into pro ball and did not disappoint. He pitched and hit in college but is being groomed solely as a position player for the Twins. After 53 games in Elizabethton, Wallner was promoted to Low-A Cedar Rapids. He posted an .810 OPS across both levels and the power translated to eight dingers in 65 games. Matt Canterino RHP (2, 54) Despite a quirky delivery, Canterino is one of my favorite arms in the Twins system. He made two quick GCL appearances and then went straight to Low-A Cedar Rapids. He pitched 25 innings after completing his season with Rice and posted some eye-popping results. The former Owls star had a 1.44 ERA 11.2 K/9 and allowed just eight walks. Spencer Steer SS (3, 90) After lighting it up in the Appy League to the tune of a .949 OPS, Minnesota got aggressive and moved Steer quickly. At Cedar Rapids he slashed .260/.358/.387 in 44 games. He showed awesome plate discipline and a good eye. Steer did make six errors in just over 100 innings at short for Elizabethton and then split over 300 innings at 2nd and 3rd for the Kernels. Seth Gray 3B (4, 119) Most of Gray’s 2019 was spent in the Appy League, reaching Cedar Rapids for just four games. Despite just a .225 average he posted a .781 OPS. 30 walks in 257 plate appearances was indicative of good zone control, and the power played to the tune of 11 homers. Gray had a nice spring for Minnesota as well in the brief time I saw him. Will Holland SS (5, 149) There was a little lag time in getting Holland started with Auburn’s participation in the College World Series. Across 36 games for Elizabethton he posted a .675 OPS with seven homers. After a .936 OPS in 2018 for the Tigers, Holland slid in the draft due to a .777 mark last season. He just turned 22 though and has the makings of a true shortstop. Certainly, a guy to watch in Minnesota’s system. Sawyer Gipson-Long RHP (6, 179) Minnesota got Gipson-Long going right away in the Appy League. He made six abbreviated starts going a total of 18.1 IP. He was scoreless through his first two outings, including a six-strikeout performance in just three innings of work. Things went south in his final four appearances but certainly could’ve been a bit of fatigue. An 11.3 K/9 in his pro debut is reason to be excited. Anthony Prato SS (7, 209) Prato posted a .755 OPS for Elizabethton in 45 games before getting a two-game stint with Cedar Rapids. The 26/20 K/BB is an encouraging sign for an up-the-middle player. The Twins did play him mostly at second and third base defensively. There isn’t much power in Prato’s bat, but he’s a good contact hitter with elite on-base ability. Casey Legumina RHP (8, 239) Minnesota took Legumina after he made just four starts for the Zags in 2019. He left after 73 pitches in his final outing and was shut down. There was an exciting velocity spike that garnered more draft attention. He did not pitch in pro ball last year. Brent Headrick LHP (9, 269) The first lefty on the board, Headrick only turned in 3.2 IP during his pro debut season. Pitching for Elizabethton he gave up two unearned runs on two hits. He did have a negative 2/5 K/BB ratio. Not much to go off of at this point professionally, but the Illinois State hurler had big time strikeout numbers in college. Ben Gross RHP (10, 299) Of all the pitchers drafted by Minnesota Gross may have been worked the most. He made 11 starts at Elizabethton and posted a 4.30 ERA across 52.1 IP. He tallied 8.4 K/9 and gave up just 2.4 BB/9. His college numbers remained pretty consistent from year to year, and while there’s nothing that jumps off the page, he’s a pretty safe bet to continue contributing. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

On June 10th, 2020 one of the weirdest drafts in Major League Baseball history commenced. Composed of just five rounds, Major League organizations will add the least amount of talent they have in years. For the Minnesota Twins, their selections will start with the 27th overall pick. In a yearly effort to keep all of the draft picks in one place, here's your "Keeping Up" entry at Off The Baggy, Take a look back at 2018 here, and 2019 here. This article will be updated throughout the draft tomorrow. The picks: Round 1, Pick 27: Aaron Sabato, 1B University of North Carolina (@SabatoAaron) For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

There is a union though, and you can't negate years worth of work by establishing a new precedent. Players are already disproportionate in their total take. Why would it be in their best interests to take concessions on that, going backwards from the labor work already done, and doing so the year before the CBA expires. Owners have used a pandemic to begin the posturing that will be worse in regards to CBA discussions. It sucks, but that's where we are.

This is the largest issue I have and is assumptively incorrect. No owners are LOSING money in 2020 under the playing circumstances. They are generating LESS revenue than a traditional year, and year over year may be experience a loss, but are not operating in the red. They also have NOT opened the books, and would NOT be doing so in a 50/50 revenue split. Players shot that down because it's a cap, and the revenues are not definitively outlined. Players would be getting a 50/50 portion of whatever ownership determines as revenues. There's a reason that it's been laughed about for so long that these billionaires claim poor me on their investments. No reported number is accurate on their take because they've simply never shown any level of transparency regarding what is actually brought in. At the end of the day, and it's been reported by plenty larger voices than mine, ownership is not losing money at full prorated pay for whatever amount of games they'd get in. The owners have not made any different proposals from their first one that was flatly (and understandably) declined. They're waiting for the commissioner they wanted (who is laughed at universally) to enact a season in which they'll pay the least amount of salary dollars and still rake in the Postseason revenue. Sorry if that stance is a silly one to have...

For weeks it’s been the “most important week” for baseball in regards to MLB returning to play. The can continues to get kicked down the sidewalk as side squabble over financials. It’s the investment made by owners though that is actively destroying the sport.Here’s the thing, baseball is a business for the 30 groups that lay claim to an organization. While that’s a worthwhile reality, there’s also little shred of fandom in regards to those groups as well. By and large, Major League Baseball owners are not representative of the Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban per say. In fact, Cuban was actively campaigned against when trying to break into the ownership ranks for this sport. Why does that matter? An owner like Cuban is also an active participant in the on-field excitement of his investment. While looking to turn a profit, it’s not just another vehicle to generate revenue for an owner like that. Many across baseball have a team as part of a much larger portfolio, and it’s something they simply count dollars from as a hobby. What’s problematic is that viewpoint is where these labor negotiations break down and the sport suffers unrepairable damage. Though there are some hardcore fans that could be dismayed by all of this, it’s more the casual fan that Major League Baseball should be worried about. If you live, breathe, and sleep the sport you’ll also be aware that labor strife is part of it, and ownership digging in has long been part of the problem. When the rosin bag is flipped again and the pill is tossed across the dish, you’ll be there for it. The fan that tunes in because it’s a lovely Saturday afternoon however, well, they’ve now found new hobbies. For the past few seasons, we’ve seen Rob Manfred actively seek ways to change the game in hopes of capturing the casual onlooker. How do we make it more exciting, quicker, or quirkier? Those questions have resulted in some significant shifts throughout the 27 outs we’re given, and there’s been ever more off-the-wall proposals that we haven’t seen come to fruition (yet). It’s long been noted that Manfred was brought in because of his labor and employment law background. He was to be an advocate for the owners, which is understandable as it’s the group he reports to, but he’s failed miserably to connect with players and the union. While attempting to do the latter and leaning heavily towards the former, a massive chasm has been created between the two sides and it’s likely one he’s over his skis when trying to fix. Despite these 2020 restart discussions having gone on for weeks at this point, it’s very clear that none of this is a result of the global pandemic wreaking havoc on the world. No, this was a jumpstart for ownership to posture in relation to the expiring CBA in 2021. Cities that are supposedly set to host games have no idea what the health protocols will actually be, and it’s been noted multiple times that health related issues (the reason we aren’t playing right now in the first place) won’t be the cause of a season without liftoff. So, what happens from here? It’s pretty clear that no matter how many proposals MLB ownership provides they’ll continue to offer the players the same $20 value cut up in different forms of payment. Whether it’s one $20, two $10’s, or twenty $1’s, there’s been little to no progress made. All of that trends towards owners’ eventual goal of a season mandated by the commissioner. Neither side comes to an agreement, owners pay out the lowest possible amount of prorated dollars, they rake in the benefits of Postseason play, and somehow their books stay closed through all of this. If, and more than likely when, Manfred must mandate a season be played we’ll be no better off than when baseball was shelved. The sides weren’t able to come to an agreement, and a year from now there won’t be a CBA to enact any sort of action at all. A global pandemic was used to truncate what could have been, and a lockout will take the damage a new step further. No matter what date and time the best Twins team in recent history takes the field, or the greatest player to ever step on a diamond digs in, your die-hard fan will be there. No number of Yankees and Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball is going to be appointment viewing for the fan this sport has yearned to capture though, and the door could be closed on that ever happening again. In 2020 those who have invested the most dollars in baseball are killing the sport for anyone but those that have invested the most time. It’s a disappointing and catastrophic reality, but it’s where we are at. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

We’re now past the point of Major League Baseball earning favor with fans upon its return. The expectation remains that there will be a 2020 season, but it’s looking more likely that it will be a mandated one as opposed to an agreed upon conclusion. With the latest proposal from ownership across Major League Baseball, the Players Association has been presented another deal that changes wording and says virtually the same thing. Despite an agreement from March regarding full prorated salaries, the billionaire owners are looking for further concessions to stifle the losses they aren’t willing to substantiate. Because of where we are in negotiations, and what is currently being proposed, a July 4th start date is no longer in play. The league has now moved to July 10, and a 76-game season is what they are suggesting. In reality though, the goal of ownership is to draw these discussions out for as long as necessary. That conclusion ends with a league mandated season in the 50-game territory. Prorated pay will then be granted to players, but only for just under one-third of their agreed upon salary. In short, these two sides are so dug in against each other that ownership is willing to do nothing and allow the mediator the opportunity to make the deal. There’s certainly reason to be frustrated as fans here. After all, it’s the consumer of the sport that ultimately loses the most. Players are dealing with precedence, and with this situation playing out just a year prior to CBA expiration it’s understandable wanting to avoid exploitation. Owners are in turn using a global pandemic to stick those CBA negotiation tactics in high gear, and despite having no public record of revenues ever, are now wanting the same public to believe in massive losses. At the end of the day we’re being strung along on a roller coaster ride with the intended result tracking right towards where ownership groups want it. They’ll be able to claim the Union failed to come to an agreement, despite having never changed or offered a more logical proposal. Major League Baseball’s commissioner can be pointed as the scapegoat having to enact a mandated season, but ultimately, it’s his responsibility to drive labor peace. Timing for a work stoppage in terms of sport will never be ideal. For Twins fans right now though, we’re losing out on what should be peak years of a World Series caliber club. The uncertainty of what lies ahead, and the competition being skewed with an ever-changing landscape of play is unfortunate at best. On a national scale we lose out on the midst of Mike Trout’s prime, or the final chases of Albert Pujols’ career. No winners can be crowned in all of this, only losers, and it’s yet to be determined who loses most. Baseball is a sport of passion, and fans are entrenched in the record book and favor of the teams they support. The fallout left by what started as an uncontrollable negative and turned into a self-destructive blaze will be something present for many years to come. Baseball could have been so much different in 2020. It still can take place, but it will never be under the circumstances that were once there for the taking. Sorry MLB, this time you failed, big. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

There you have it, a full fantasy draft of the Minnesota Twins minor league system. While we didn’t quite push things out to 25-man rosters, it was impressive to see six different writers cultivate complete 16-man squads. Now that we have them on paper, there’s a couple of things we can do from here.First and foremost, feel free to get acquainted with the picks and where they were taken. Here’s the pieces in which you can find all of the picks: Rounds 1-4 Rounds 5-8 Rounds 9-12 Rounds 13-16 With that out of the way, the below image shows off the rosters for all six of our squads. Hop into the comments below and share your opinions on the draft, who got the steals, and which teams you suspect to make the most noise. Where we go from here is still a bit up in the air. There will be a full Out of the Park Baseball 21 simulation that takes place using these exact rosters. We’re still in the process of determining how that will all be shared, and if it’ll be a series or a single dump. Another possibility is the revealing of ZiPS projections as they relate to each of these rosters. As arguably the most notable projection system surrounding Major League Baseball, the numbers for these prospects in their current state should be a ton of fun. This whole draft was concocted in a time where we have no Major League Baseball to look forward to, and we’ll likely be without Minor League Baseball for some time. Each of the Twins Daily Minor League Reports writers came together for some fun in this exercise, and it provided a fun Twitter direct message thread as well (except for Jeremy, who didn’t no we were conversing until the draft had concluded since his notifications weren’t turned on). If you have any other ideas or comments in regards to the draft, what could come from this, or thoughts for our Minor League Reports writers, feel free to share them below. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Whether you've been a reader here, at Twins Daily, or through Twitter, this message is a thank you of sorts. I was reading a blog post by a client tonight and it was in reflection of the George Floyd killing. What I realized in reading it is that with a platform or audience comes a responsibility. One phrase in that post prompted me to reflect on how I can best handle said responsibility. In reflecting on the events that both led to and have come from the death of George Floyd, this post read, "It is not important that you/I am not a racist; what is essential is that I/we become anti-racist." That hit me, hard. Here's the thing, society has spent the days since that tragic moment putting out statements and unifying behind black squares on social media. It's great to have a common purpose, and it shouldn't be lost on anyone that saying "black lives matter" or "I'm not a racist" has no place being controversial. Those phrases however are hollow in and of themselves. Reading his words, "what is essential is that I/we become anti-racist" is a call to action. It isn't about what we can say, what conversations we avoid, or how we connect with the world around us. No, those words should push forth the idea that there is opportunity. Black individuals and communities still deal with the same oppression they always have because our actions have often lagged behind our words. This isn't a situation of systemic negativity that gets fixed simply by talking. By speaking on the topic we're simply putting the key into the ignition. It's by what we do, and how we act, that will eventually push towards a change. The senseless killing of George Floyd should cause each one of us to think about how our lives may be different than that of our neighbor. What are the true feelings on our hearts? And then when that reflection has taken place, how can we act upon an opportunity to create change. There's never been a more impactful and widespread time for the world to commit to change. We're more connected and plugged in than ever before, but it takes action to get the ball rolling. I don't know what my action plan is throughout the year, but I absolutely will have one. In this space it will make sense to tie it back to baseball, but I want to be anti-racist and a part of the solution rather than just watching from the sidelines. Thank you for providing an opportunity, thank you for supporting my hobby, and here's to hoping we'll have baseball again soon to bring us together on a similar playing field. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

When major league baseball returns this summer, we’re going to have a very different look to the game. Sure, the action on the field will remain the same, but that’s largely where the similarities end. For three Twins prospects, this perfect storm could expedite their debuts.Although MLB and the Player’s Association is still working on economics and structure of said season, some of the finer details have been agreed to. There’s a good assumption that in an effort to avoid injury an expanded roster will be implemented. With there being no formal minor league season on the horizon, an expanded taxi squad will also likely be adopted. In a traditional year prospects are developed through the course of game action on the farm. Now they’ll be put through the wringer under a different set of circumstances, and the eventual call-up could be out of necessity rather than readiness. Additional bodies coming from the 40-man roster makes the most sense, and three players jumped out to me as being near-ready prior to the curveball a global pandemic has thrown. Travis Blankenhorn – Utility Blankenhorn was a third-round selection back in 2015 and is now 22 years old. He topped out at Double-A Pensacola last season and posted a .786 OPS. He can play all over the diamond and his positional flexibility is what makes him interesting for Minnesota in 2020. Coming into his power during 2019, Blankenhorn launched 18 dingers in 93 Double-A games. He was a guy I was extremely excited to watch during spring training, and there was definitely opportunity present for him to impress. Right now, Rocco Baldelli has utility types in the form of Ehire Adrianza and Willians Astudillo. Blankenhorn falls somewhere in the midst of that group. He’s a better defender than Willians and could be a better bat the Adrianza. If either of them goes down, he’d be a worthy guy to call upon. Nick Gordon – 2B Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2014, fifth overall, has yet to make it to the big leagues. Nick Gordon isn’t a clone of his brother Dee, but he’s moved over to his old position. Once a shortstop, Nick is now fully entrenched on the right side of the diamond. Although the bat hasn’t come along as much as expected, he’s got a strong track record of success the second time through a level. After posting a .544 OPS at Triple-A in 2018, he rebounded to the tune of an .801 mark a season ago. Nick doesn’t have the same speed that Dee used to but has good quickness and acceleration. He’s an OK fielder that would be able to handle second well. Playing nine innings at third with over 5,000 between 2B and SS in his pro career, it’s fair to assume his home is up the middle. Again, he’d factor into the same conversations that Blankenhorn would, but it appears the time could be now for the son of the man nicknamed Flash. Gilberto Celestino – OF When Minnesota flipped Ryan Pressly to the Houston Astros it was assumed that Jorge Alcala was the prize return. Instead, it may be Celestino that bears the most fruit. A high-profile international free agent, Celestino played most of his 2019 at Low-A Cedar Rapids. He did hit 10 home runs in 2019 but posted just a .759 OPS. Power isn’t much his game, but he can draw walks, is plenty fast, and is among the best defenders in Minnesota’s system. It would seem odd for a player yet to establish himself at A-ball to jump all the way to the big leagues. That said, it’s not uncharted waters and it wasn’t long ago that Jorge Polanco was doing that same thing for the Twins. Celestino could be called upon more for his defense in 2020. Should something happen to one of the starting outfielders, Celestino would represent an ideal centerfield candidate. Jake Cave was stretched there in 2019, and while Max Kepler was great, the position took a toll on him. The bat won’t be ready this soon, but the glove and instincts absolutely are. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

While MLB owners continue to go back and forth with the MLBPA in order to reach a common ground inciting the resumption of baseball in 2020, we now have the next piece of the puzzle. After a sliding pay scale was flatly dismissed, it appears ownership will now target dollar saving tactics by playing a significantly shortened season. How does that impact the Twins?Ever since Major League Baseball was halted on March 12, we could have surmised that whatever season took place in 2020 would be drastically different. Despite their being an initial desire to still get all 162 games in, that never seemed like a logical ask. Now that we are months separated from the original start date, it’s about fitting in as much as realistically possible. Continuing to claim vast financial losses, owners are looking for ways to shed financial commitments. By playing a shorter season, and one of substantial measures, prorated salaries are significantly diminished. Initially suggested to be at the 50-game mark, which is permissible under rule of the Commissioner, reality would lean towards a schedule closer to 60 or 70 games. Being at 82 games when discussions began, that would seem like a total that owners would come in shy of. So, if the season is just 60 games long, what can we learn from the 2019 Twins that may translate to 2020? Baseball being the marathon it is during a traditional year; 60 games is going to produce an incredibly small sample size. Luis Arraez owned a .346 batting average through that many contests a year ago, and eventual American League title winner Tim Anderson finished with a .335 mark. Minnesota was 40-20 at the 60-game mark in 2019, and that came with a 9.5 game lead over the Cleveland Indians. The Chicago White Sox had a losing record through their first 60 games, and Cleveland sat exactly at .500. Knowing this type of schedule would be a sprint, there’s a level of comfort in seeing Minnesota start and end strong last season. Their first 50 games produced a 34-16 record while the final 50 were played to the tune of a 31-19 mark. The toughest part about a condensed schedule is that there’s little time for normalcy to establish itself. The Washington Nationals were 19-31 at one point during 2019 and went on to win the World Series. Rocco Baldelli needs the Twins to jump on the division from the get-go and not look back. Assuming a reshuffling of the opponents is also a logical bet. With expanded playoffs and a desire to keep travel more regionally focused, the Twins could be in for a four-way split of their AL Central Division foes. Playing the Indians and White Sox well, and then getting a substantial helping of both the Tigers and Royals is nothing short of favorable. Last year Minnesota went a combined 28-10 against Kansas City and Detroit, so padding any overall total with those two should be looked at as a big plus. There are so many questions that remain in terms of logistics, but there should be some assumed certainties we’re already dealing with. A shortened season does not help a favorite’s chances, but Minnesota having the best roster in the Division is an absolute benefit. There isn’t time for slow starts, and we don’t know what reinforcements (either by promotion or trade) will look like. Everyone is chomping at the bit for baseball, and when it resumes each club will need to be shot out of the gate like a horse at the Kentucky Derby. It’s going to be a baseball season like none other, and while it will always be difficult to hold in comparison among the rest of the yearly accomplishments, this outlier should be one we remember for quite some time. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Here we are again, another critical week in terms of baseball resuming for a 2020 season. The MLB owners sent their non-starter of a proposal to the players, and the players have responded with what ownership describes identically. We need to bridge that gap, and quickly, but if we do what is it all going to look like? There’s a couple of assumed certainties already in play that, regardless of where all of the chips fall, these thing should take place in some form or fashion. Universal DH While it’s long been suggested that the National League brings about a higher level of strategy in having to deal with an incapable batter, the universal DH makes too much sense. It creates 15 more jobs, a better market in free agency for the position, and relieves fans from having to watch a pitcher flail away before becoming an assumed automatic out. The Twins are well positioned here with Nelson Cruz, and they’ve got a host of other candidates that could cycle through for reps as well. This is going to happen in 2020 if there’s baseball, and it’s likely to be adopted by the new CBA as well. Season Length The most economical strategy would be to play more games. However, owners get relief from player salaries should the season be shortened. Ownership proposed an 80-game schedule while the players went with a more aggressive 114 game approach. The former allows for somewhat of a resumption situation while the latter would have teams playing into October with a later Postseason. At this point it’s expected we see teams play in their home stadiums. There won’t be any fans and the schedules will likely be shuffled to include a significantly higher portion of regional contests. At this point, I don’t believe we’ll see any division re-alignment. Expanded Postseason This has been proposed by both sides, and the players took it a step further to suggest doing so in each of the next two seasons. The Postseason is where owners rake in the largest revenues, and this would allow more teams and longer coverage. Players are also talking about competing in these games during November, which would likely mean more neutral site contests in warm weather cities. Baseball’s schedule being 162 games allows for it to be the ultimate marathon prior to the Postseason. Although the one-game Wild Card is a point of contention, it places a premium on winning your Division. In more of a sprint schedule, it makes sense to open things up a bit and allow the cream of the crop to rise up. Large Taxi Squads There’s little reason to expect anything but minor league baseball to be banged this season. The logistics alone are cumbersome, and then there’s the reality that Commissioner Rob Manfred is trying to downsize. Teams are going to have expanded rosters, and then there will be some sort of ready-and-waiting guys capable of taking over. Organizations could run intrasquad contests at their Spring Training sites, and there may be an opportunity to have a group of players travel near the team. Minnesota’s closest affiliate is Cedar Rapids, but who knows if that will have a factor on future decisions. At the end of the day I think what we’ll have to remember about Major League Baseball in 2020 is that you still have to catch and hit the ball. The logistics and optics of the game will likely be drastically altered. In a sport tied so tightly to its record book, we’ll have questions about how they all stack up for years to come. Should a World Series happen, and a winner be crowned however, they’ll have taken the trophy on the same uncertain playing field everyone else is dealing with. Let’s just hope we’ve got a season to worry about. Buckle up. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

This week represents a critical juncture for the return of Major League Baseball in 2020. It also represents another very critical time and it’s one that comes with a much more somber tone. On May 31, the payments made to minor leaguers will run out. Then what?In a normal season finances aren’t great for the future players of Major League Baseball. They are paid pennies on the dollar and make substantially less than minimum wage over the course of a full year. During spring training, they go unpaid, and the only financial help they get equates to little more than meal money. Earlier in the development of this global pandemic teams around the league negotiated to pay something like $400 per week to each minor league player. That money was always tied to a date as a deadline, and it’s now less than a week away. Once May 31 hits there are no more guarantees in place. In fact, we already know that the upcoming amateur draft is being shortened to just five rounds, which furthers the plan to scrap something like 40 affiliated teams. While the casual assumption is that big bonuses are paid out to all draft picks and everyone is capable of supporting themselves on their journey, it’s hardly a thought rooted in reality. It’s a very small percentage of players that receive hefty bonuses, and there are plenty of guys on top prospect lists that are simply looking to make ends meet. Without some sort of a renegotiated agreement minor league players will essentially go a year and a half without receiving a “real” paycheck. Obviously, the above assumption is working out of the premise that we won’t have minor league baseball in 2020. While it’s been shot down that the season will be cancelled, I think we can all agree that it’s going to be dramatically altered. With major league teams trending towards an extended taxi squad, we’re probably looking at something where just a few players not on the 40-man roster end up being utilized. Given the logistics of playing fanless games across the country in smaller locales at ballparks that are traditionally lightly manned, it’s an uphill battle that doesn’t seem worth fighting. A developmental league of sorts makes a ton of sense. Having minor league players housed at their spring training facilities and then playing what would amount to intrasquad games could certainly work. Not having a full year of development would no doubt hamper even the best of prospects. Asking guys to get work in without competition doesn’t seem like a beneficial path either. Contractually obligated to their parent clubs, minor leaguers face the reality of being virtually unemployable in the general workforce. Not only is unemployment through the roof with many businesses on hold, but it’s really only gig work that lends itself to accepting a schedule that could drastically change at a moment’s notice. There’s no denying that the grind through minor league baseball is not for the faint of heart. There’s a substantial percentage of the population that will never make it. Weeding out talent on the basis of economic malpractice doesn’t seem like an intelligent path to take, however. Should nothing be done, the futures of major league clubs across the sport will be forever impacted. Even if the finances are set in order, the havoc wreaked by this pandemic on the lifeblood of big league baseball is going to have ripple effects well into the future. We have already seen some clubs take a stand and commit to their future. The San Diego Padres are the most exemplary model of this as they’ll stand by their employees and players through this storm. On the other end of the spectrum the Oakland Athletics and their billionaire owner John Fisher will cease payments to players on May 31, also holding them to their contracts making the ineligible for unemployment and not able to seek opportunity within another organization. Franchises are cutting ties with massive amounts of players right now, and it seems that Major League Baseball will be granted its wish to downsize the pipeline to the majors. No matter when baseball returns, and what the optics of the Major League discussions look like, it’s these minor leaguers that are constantly hung out to dry. UPDATE: The Minnesota Twins organization is stepping up once again. They've built a strong system and infrastructure by going about things the right way since instituting a new front office. They've invested so much, and to turn from it now would be tough to swallow. Good on this organization. Huge nugget from Twins Daily's own here as well. Despite other organizations releasing 30 or more minor leaguers in the past few days, all Twins players will be retained for the time being. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, or email — Follow Ted Schwerzler on Twitter here Click here to view the article

There's a difference between being good at business, and having a clue what public perception looks like. You elevate to your position of wealth because of sound financial decisions. That doesn't mean when you propose something so economically obtuse you shouldn't be called on your crap. Owners of sports teams utilize it as a secondary cash flow in most cases. They turn ridiculous profits on an annual basis. That isn't to say it's bad, negative, or unfair. Siding with billionaires while they look to exploit a group of employees in a public forum says plenty about a thought process though.

Based on agreements already in place, 2020 is going to happen as a season in the contractual sense regardless of if it's played. Nelson Cruz is a free agent next year regardless of whether or not he plays a game or makes a dime.

Imagine your boss asking you to cut your salary by 75% so that he can pay the intern 95% of theirs... How would that go over? It's not both sides, and it never has been. Economics are bad in baseball because the owners are routinely a group of knuckle-dragging ding dongs.