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The final days of the Winter Meetings is highlighted by the annual Rule 5 draft. The Twins lost hard-throwing relievers Nick Burdi and Luke Bard, but when their pick came up, they selected a pitcher with a similar profile to the two players they’d lost. The Twins selected right-hander Tyler Kinley from the Miami Marlins. At Twins Fest, Kinley talked to a few assembled media about being selected and what he hopes he can be as a member of the Twins, if he’s able to make the team and stick with them through the season.Why would the Twins have interest in Kinley, who will turn 27 at the end of this month? He split 2017 between High-A Jupiter and AA Jacksonville. He dominated the Florida State League, but he posted a 5.19 ERA in the Southern League. However, he has a couple of pitches that do make him intriguing, do make him worthy of a strong look during spring training. Here is the Scouting Report on Kinley that you can find in the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook: Scouting Report: Kinley is a big lad. He stands 6-4 and a little over 200 pounds. His potential is to be a power arm out of the bullpen. He has a fastball that sits between 96 and 98 mph. He’s got a slider that can be a dominant pitch. It sits in the upper-80s and hits 90. Both pitches can miss bats. Control has been a struggle for him throughout his career, but he has been able to stay healthy for the most part. That’s right. He can throw gas, and that slider has the ability to miss bats when he’s sharp. Kinley describes his pitch mix as “a hard fastball, typically 95 and above. A hard slider typically in the low 90s, high 80s. A good changeup.” Kinley got the news that he had been selected by the Twins while in his hotel room in the Dominican Republic where he was dominating the Winter League. “I was in the hotel room in the Dominican Republic and my agent had the Rule 5 playing live. He’s the one that kept me informed because we had heard some positive feedback from teams, but you know how drafts are, you never know until it happens. And then Minnesota happened, and Thad called me and some other guys called me, and it was awesome.” At the time of the Rule 5 draft, he hadn’t allowed a run in his first 18 innings. He ended his time in the Winter League having given up just one run in 19 innings. He struck out 32 batters, but he also did walk 11 hitters. In the Marlins organization, Kinley has been a teammate in recent years of former Twins minor league pitchers Matthew Tomshaw and Chris Mazza. Upon being drafted, he heard from both of those players. Kinley noted, “They both called me right after and told me that I was in good hands and what a good spot I would be in here in Minnesota.” Right-hander Chris Mazza, who recently received his first invitation to big league spring training for the Marlins, had a lot of good things to say about Kinley. “This is definitely a guy that Twins fans should get excited about. Other than being a good pitcher and baseball player he’s an even better person. He definitely a guy that you want to be friends with and get to know. He’s a great teammate and great guy to have in your clubhouse. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know and become friends with Tyler or “TK” as most of his teammates call him, for over three years now. I can’t say enough about the guy. He’s truly a great person and an awesome friend and wish nothing but the best for him as he starts this new journey in his career with the Twins.” Another connection is former Twins minor league starter David Hurlbut who he played with in the Dominican Winter League this year. Hurlbut recently signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers after pitching in the Twins organization from 2011 through 2017. Kinley noted, “I’d also played with David Hurlbut down in winter ball, and he only had the highest things to say about the Twins.” Of Kinley, Hurlbut said, “He's a guy I can't speak highly enough about. Just from the time I was with him in the Dominican, I could already tell he was one of the more driven guys that I've come across. He was super easy to get along with, and throughout winter ball was focused on honing his craft. I think that him being picked up in the Rule 5 draft speaks enough for his talent and I'm just glad that he is going to be able to get a shot at the big league level this spring. Obviously fans and coaches need to see he can compete, but i have no doubt he will do just that. Definitely someone fans can get excited about.” The Twins have added three veterans to the bullpen so far this offseason. Fernando Rodney will begin the season as the team’s closer. Addison Reed and Zack Duke will set him up, along with the likes of Trevor Hildenberger, Taylor Rogers, and Ryan Pressly. Kinley will compete with the likes of Alan Busenitz, Tyler Duffey, JT Chargois, John Curtiss and others for one or two spots in the bullpen. It certainly will not be an easy task, particularly since the Twins should be very competitive in the AL Central and in a potential Wild Card race in 2018. So what are Tyler Kinley’s goals now as spring training fast approaches? “I’d say I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself because it’s the same game. So my goal is to go in there and build relationships with the guys in the clubhouse, and try to fit in with them and be part of their unity. On the field, I’m going to put my best foot forward always and let the rest take care of itself.” Click here to view the article