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The Twins have failed to add much talent to the organization since the end of the season, but that is about to change. Just not necessarily in a high-end signing like Carlos Correa. Instead, the Twins will add over a dozen 16- and 17-year-olds and we'll spend the next handful of years hoping they realize their potential. No one was ever sure we'd get to this point with International Free Agency again, if we're being honest. It was the last sticking point in the CBA negotiations. But instead of letting it cause the lockout to continue, they added a summer deadline to continue to discuss an International Draft. An agreement would have ended tying the signing of some free agents to the loss of draft picks, but there was no agreement. So here we are. We've transitioned from a July 2 start date of International Free Agency to January 15 because of the mess COVID created and it has stayed this way. It's less complicated as deals are completed out of season and players can get into action when the season starts. Any players who are not draft-eligible (players in the US, Canada or Puerto Rico) are subject to International Free Agency. The signing period will run from January 15 to December 15. If you're 16 and turn 17 before September 1, 2023, you are eligible to sign. The Twins have had success in International Free Agency. Never more than in 2009 when they landed Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano. If you can sign one 16-year-old in a year and develop him into a big leaguer, that's a win. But when you do it three times, that's unbelievable. Currently, the Twins group of IFA-acquired prospects is led by Emmanuel Rodriguez, an outfielder who is a Top 100 prospect in baseball. Jamie Cameron previewed the top names in the next projected Twins crop in October. While the whole system is relatively complex, what you need to know is simple: The Twins have almost $6.4 million to spend on teenagers in the next eleven months. They're sure to add some talent to the organization. But what talent are they going to add to the major league roster remains to be seen. View full article

The Twins once pulled a haul of Miguel Sano (pictured), Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco in a single International Free Agency period. Last year, they committed $4.0 million dollars to shortstop Wander Javier. This year, they are armed with $4.2 million to spend.11:00am update - Doogie tweeted out that the agreement with Valdez was for $495,000. DPL Baseball tweeted out that the Twins have signed Jesus Felix, who is listed as a shortstop, for $260,000. They later also tweeted out that the club has signed Stamy Gabriel, also currently listed at shortstop, for $130,000. Neither - at least under the names that have been provided - seem to be have a whole lot of information public about them. --- But don't expect any headliner deals. When the period opened this morning, the only name the Twins have reportedly signed is Wander Valdez, a shortstop from the Dominican Republic. There's been no mention of his bonus, but no prospects are expected to sign with the Twins for seven figures. If you want to watch Valdez take some swings, here are some videos from DPL Baseball. One thing to keep a watchful eye on as today unfolds is what happens with the five former Red Sox prospects who were deemed free agents yesterday. There's no word that the Twins have any interest in any of the players, but since it doesn't seem likely that they have promised out all $4.2 million of their allotment, they couldbe one of not many teams that have some flexibility to spend on these guys. (Of course, teams have blown past their pool already and they could snap these guys up in a hurry.) Stay tuned, and check back for more updates. Click here to view the article

The Twins made a splash early in the International Free Agency signing period by signing 16-year-old shortstop Wander Javier from the Dominican Republic for $4 million. MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez was the first to report it this morning.Whenever you're talking about anyone in the International market, there are two kickers: 1) It's all about projection. We are - at the very least - five or six years from seeing these guys play at the highest level. 2) Scouting reports are very hard to come by, so we rely heavily on what Ben Badler and Kiley McDaniel tell us. The first mention of the Javier-Twins connection came from McDaniel on March 2. In that article, McDaniel called Javier a 50 runner, but mentioned his "easy [arm] actions [at short} and an above average arm with an ability to stick at the position." He also said the Javier "flashes average raw power." Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com wrote the following about Javier in mid-May. Javier has a good build for a shortstop, and he has the defensive actions that will allow him to stay at there — at least at the beginning of his professional career. Some scouts project that his body will force him to move from shortstop to third base, but there’s also chance he stays at his original position. Javier is a strong teenager. He has plus raw power and plus arm strength, and he’s shown the ability to hit in games. It’s his hit tool that has some scouts thinking that Javier will be a middle-of-the-order type of player. Overall, he presents an interesting package of tools to scouts, but many evaluators want to see him display those talents more consistently. Other scouts believe he is the best all-around player in the class. Baseball America recently ranked Javier as the #9 most-talented player in the class and credits him with having the best infield arm and mentions him among best defensive infielders. He's also considered one of the most exciting players in the class. Baseball America has also said the following things about Javier over the last few weeks: "Want tools? Javier has them." "His speed and arm strength are both plus tools." "Javier has strong, quick wrists to whip the bat through the zone, driving the ball with good exit speed during BP that leads some scouts to project him to develop future plus power." "The widespread question on Javier is whether he will be able to make the adjustments to have better results at the plate." "It’s hard to find shortstops in the draft with tools like Javier’s, which is why some teams are drawn to his high ceiling, even with the bat risk." I was able to track down one trained eye who has seen Javier and he called Javier "one of the best amateurs [he's] ever seen." He lauded Javier's polish, calling him a "good player, but also has tools and projectability". He believes that Javier will be a shortstop long-term which "increases his value." So what do you think? Four million dollars well spent? Click here to view the article