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It's a cave for Jakes. Image courtesy of © Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports The Minnesota Twins began their 40-man roster purge this week, parting ways with the likes of Devin Smeltzer and Jermaine Palacios. Perhaps the most familiar name on the list of now-former Twins is longtime fourth outfielder Jake Cave, who declined his option to Jake Cave, the cave for Jakes. He will instead join the Baltimore Orioles. “We can’t say enough about the professionalism and great attitude Jake brought to the Twins,” said Twins GM Derek Falvey. “There are tough choices to make every offseason as we reset our roster, and we felt the best place for him was Jake Cave, the cave for Jakes. He disagreed and we wish him the best.” Located in the rolling Tennessee countryside near Chattanooga, Jake Cave is a cave for Jakes fed by natural spring water. It has provided a home for wayward and troubled Jakes since its discovery in the late 1800s. Jake Cave’s last visit to Jake Cave was in 2018, where he worked on various arts and crafts, learned basic auto repair and played the role of Kenickie in a production of the musical Grease. “I have a family,” said Cave at the time. “Why am I here? This is so weird.” The cave found itself in the news recently when one of its most recent alums, social media idiot and MMA fighter Jake Paul, returned for a controversial visit. “We don’t comment on any past or current Jakes,” said Jake Cave spokesperson Annika Hunter. “We can say that we’re cooperating with local and state authorities and that most of the miniature horses were already deceased before catching fire.” To make room for Cave, the Orioles designated reliever Jake Reed for assignment to Jake Cave, the cave for Jakes. He’s expected to accept the move and report within the next 48 hours for calisthenics and woodworking. View full article

Eight years ago, the Twins had a top-5 pick for the third consecutive season. However, many of the team's picks from that draft have been swings and misses. Major League Baseball's 2022 Draft is scheduled to start on July 17, 2022. Each team prepares for the draft with a specific plan, and sometimes those plans play out better than others. To prepare fans for the upcoming draft, here is a look at some of the most important drafts in recent Twins history. In 2014, the Twins were in the midst of some dark times as the club lost over 90 games for the fourth consecutive season. The team's 66-96 record from 2013 put them in position for the fifth overall pick. At the top of the draft, the Astros took Brady Aiken, who didn't sign, and the Marlins took Tyler Kolek, who hasn't pitched in a minor league game since 2019. Carlos Rodon and Kyle Schwarber were taken with the next two picks, and both have compiled decent big-league numbers when healthy. The Twins were on the clock with multiple options. Minnesota was left to consider multiple intriguing names, including college stars and toolsy prep players. The Twins selected high schooler Nick Gordon who had plenty of tools and came from a family tied to baseball. Gordon was considered one of Minnesota's top prospects throughout the majority of his professional career, but his path to the big leagues had bumps in the road. He's worked into a utility role for the Twins while accumulating a 0.5 WAR and an 84 OPS+ in 121 games. Many teams, like the Twins, passed over some of the best talents in the 2014 first round. Three players have accumulated more than 24 WAR, including Trea Turner (13th pick), Aaron Nola (7th pick), and Matt Chapman (25th pick). Turner is the biggest miss for the Twins in the first round as he has developed into one of baseball's best players. If the Twins wanted a pitcher, Nola was taken two picks after Gordon and has accumulated a 3.66 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP for his career. Many teams can play the "what if" game with these two names. Minnesota made five other picks in that draft that have made their big-league debuts, but they have combined for a -2.5 career WAR. Nick Burdi was taken in the second round and has 16 appearances because of various injuries. Burdi didn't make it past Double-A in the Twins system, and Pittsburgh used a Rule 5 pick to select him in 2017. The Twins took Sam Clay in the fourth round, and he made his debut with the Nationals in 2021. Over the last two seasons, he has been worth -0.9 WAR as he has a 67 ERA+ in 63 appearances. Later in the draft, the Twins selected players like Jake Reed (-0.4 WAR), John Curtiss (0.7 WAR), and Trevor Hildenberger (-1.3 WAR). Curtiss had the most success as a reliever with Tampa Bay as he helped that club on their run to the 2020 World Series. Reed and Hildenberger have been inconsistent and bounced around to multiple organizations. As mid- to late-round picks, these players reaching the major leagues is an accomplishment in itself. Two years after the 2014 MLB Draft, the Twins had one of their best drafts in recent memory. For every strong draft class, there is a class that doesn't live up to expectations. Strong organizations can consistently identify big-league talent and develop players through a team's farm system. What do you remember about this draft? What is Gordon's role moving forward with the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES -2012 MLB Draft Retrospective -2016 MLB Draft Retrospective View full article

Jake Reed spent his first seven professional seasons in the Twins organization. Now he’s getting his first taste of the big leagues outside the organization. Did Minnesota miss out on a potential bullpen arm? Reed was originally drafted by the Twins in the fifth round back in 2014 out of the University of Oregon. He made a strong first impression as his college experience helped him to dominate the lower levels of the minors. Minnesota sent him to the Arizona Fall League where he continued to pitch well. Things couldn’t have gone much better in his first taste of professional action. During the 2015 season, Reed advanced as far as Double-A and made a return trip to the AFL. Over the next couple seasons, he’d work his way to Triple-A where he compiled some decent numbers. His best Triple-A season came in 2018 as he compiled a 1.89 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings. He seemed on the cusp of being called up to the big leagues for the Twins. Things didn’t go as smoothly in 2019 as his ERA and WHIP were career worsts, but he struck out 11 batters per nine innings. Minnesota gave him a non-roster invite to big-league camp in 2020, but the COVID pandemic and no minor league season hurt Reed’s chances. Reed fell into a unique group that became first time free agents last winter even though no season was played. Reed signed a minor league deal with the Angels this winter, but he allowed five runs in 10 2/3 innings at Triple-A. His strikeout numbers continued to be through the roof as he struck out 17 batters in eight appearances (14.3 K/9). Organizations with good scouting departments took notice as he signed with the Dodgers and that’s where he’d make his big-league debut. The Dodgers have plenty of pitching depth, so Reed didn’t last long on their 40-man roster. Tampa Bay, another team known for scouting, scooped him up, but he only made one appearance in their organization before being designated for assignment. Now, the Mets have picked him up and it might be a chance for him to stick with an organization. Both his slider and his fastball come in under the league average when it comes to velocity. However, his unique arm action and his ability to generate spin. Batters aren’t prepared to see a ball move the way it does out of Reed’s hand and this makes him more effective. His arm action allows him to release the ball low and then the spin of the ball makes hitters look uncomfortable at the plate. His strikeout rates have continued to rise in recent years and his unique style may be the biggest reason why this has happened. So what does the future hold for Jake Reed? Sometimes changing organizations can make all the difference and he has done plenty of changing this season. On Friday, the Mets placed Reed on the IL with right forearm inflammation, but the hope is he can get back sooner rather than later, especially with the team in the hunt for the NL East title. Do you think the Twins missed something with Reed? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

The final four rounds of our draft were all about filling out our rosters and hoping to find those diamonds in the rough nobody else was looking at for positions of need. I’d wager there’s some names you had forgotten about in these final picks, and plenty of other guys you’ve read about in our Minor League reports.I can’t speak for everybody, but a lot of my thought process into these final picks was about seeing where I could shuffle anybody else around if I had a personal cheeseball I wanted on my team. As these picks complete our rosters, let us know who you think did the best in the comments, and be on the lookout tomorrow for a full summary! If you missed the rest of the draft, you can view rounds 1-4 here, 5-8 here, and 9-12 here. A brief reminder: We're taking 16 players who still hold "prospect" or "rookie" status in the Twins organization. Positions on each team included: Catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, three outfielders, a bench player/hitter, three starting pitchers, three relief pitchers, and an extra pitcher. (Please note that comments under each pick were made by the person making the selection.) Round 13 Seth Stohs - Taylor Grzelakowski, C “Gelly” had a tough 2019 season in Pensacola after a great 2018 in Ft. Myers. A lot of the issue was an ankle injury that he had previous surgery on. It wasn’t recovering well. There was a lot of pain which actually kept him from catching much. But that was taken care of and this spring he said he was feeling great. I’ll take this bat behind the plate. (Get to Know Taylor Grzelakowski) Steve Lein - Andrew Bechtold DH Hoped Gelly would slide to my next pick for the reasons Seth mentions, oh well! I'll take a similar potential bat with Bechtold. Gets on base at a good clip, finishing 2nd in the organization in walks in 2019 with a .359 OBP across Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers. (Get to Know Andrew Bechtold) Ted Schwerzler - Jake Reed RH RP Jake Reed had an awful 2019, no way around it. He’s got a new arm slot and the walk rate is ugly. Beyond that though, he’s got an electric fastball and can sit batters down in bunches. He keeps the ball in the yard and owned a sub 2.00 ERA in 2018. (Twins Prospect Spotlight: Jake Reed, 2019 Killebrew Award Winner – Jake Reed) Cody Christie - Steven Cruz, RH RP Cruz posted some big strikeout numbers last season with the E-Twins (13.9 K/9) and I need a strikeout arm to put in my bullpen. His walk rate could improve, but he’s only pitched a little over 86 professional innings so far. Hopefully, he can continue to strike out batters as he climbs the ladder. (Get to Know: Osiris German, Steve Cruz, and Frandy Torres) Jeremy Nygaard - Jared Akins DH Akins provides me a lefty bat (which I’m short in) with a little bit of pop (11 home runs last year). Akins also put up over 10 steals last year, which fits my theme to have a team that is active on the basepaths. Getting on base can be an issue for Akins, though, who had an OBP of .265 last year. (MiLB Hitter of the Month – May 2019: Jared Akins #5) Matt Braun - Tyler Webb, OF Considering the fact that Webb was a 40th round pick, the fact that he has already hit Cedar Rapids is kind of amazing. He brings a solid OBP to the lineup and can afford to pass on the power as there are other boppers who will make up for it. (Get to Know Tyler Webb) Round 14 Matt Braun - Cody Laweryson, Pitcher I saw that Cody wanted Laweryson so I took him instead. Laweryson was dominant with Elizabethton as he struck out nearly 40% of batters faced in his short time there. I’m banking on that immense strikeout potential to continue developing as he moves through the minors. (2019 MiLB Short Season Pitcher of the Year: Cody Laweryson) Jeremy Nygaard - Benjamin Dum RP Despite going undrafted and being signed out of the Indy League - hey, we’ve seen this before - Dum put up a stupid 20:0 K:BB ratio in 14 innings of affiliated ball. You may argue that a few of my picks may have “been dumb”; this one literally is, but I like his numbers albeit only in rookie ball. Cody Christie - Tyler Watson, LHP Watson came to the Twins in the Brandon Kintzler deal back at the 2017 deadline. He spent all of last season in Fort Myers and he’s still only 23-years old. I needed a left-handed arm for my pitching staff and he has posted some good numbers in his time with the Nationals and Twins. Ted Schwerzler - Ryan Mason RHP A 13th round pick in 2016, Ryan Mason took a big step forwards last season. He has consistently produced low ERA’s and avoided free passes since entering pro ball. In his first taste of Double-A action though, he posted a 2.35 ERA with an 11.0 K/9. If those numbers are substantiated in 2020 and beyond, he’ll be a legitimate contender for a big league bullpen spot. (MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Month – April 2019: Ryan Mason #1, 5 Prospects Who Could Be the Next Cody Stashak) Steve Lein - Andrew Vasquez RP I need a lefty in my bullpen, and despite his struggles in 2019 in part due to a shoulder injury, it's hard to ignore Vasquez's potential. He shot up the system in 2018 from Single-A to make his MLB debut while striking out nearly everybody along the way with his slider heavy approach. I like getting him here as a big time bounce back candidate. (Get to Know Andrew Vasquez, 2018 MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Vasquez) Seth Stohs - Parker Phillips, 1B He was the Twins 27th round pick a year ago out of Austin Peay where he hit 56 homers over his three seasons (including 25 in 2019). He added six more home runs as a pro last year. Round 15 Seth Stohs - Charlie Barnes, LHP The Twins drafted Barnes in the 4th round of the 2017 draft out of Clemson. In 2019, he split time between Ft. Myers and Pensacola, and he also made four starts for Rochester. The Twins invited him to big league camp this spring. (Seth’s Twins On Deck Podcast – Episode 5) Steve Lein - Albee Weiss 1B At this point I'm looking for any big tools that are left, and Weiss has one with his power. He was fourth in the Appy League last year with a .604 slugging percentage. Lots of K's so far, but when he connects there's a good chance the ball is leaving the yard. This pick will slide Kirilloff into the outfield and complete my lineup. (2019 MiLB Short Season Hitter of the Year: Albee Weiss #5) Ted Schwerzler - Trevor Casanova C Taking my bench bat here and using it on a left-handed hitting catcher. Casanova hasn’t hit for power yet in pro ball, and he put up an ugly average last year as well. However, he showed a strong ability to draw walks and if he can better the bat to ball skills, this could be a key guy to work a good plate appearance. (Get to Know Trevor Casanova) (Seth Note - Back-to-Back Cal State-Northridge teammates in Weiss and Casanova) Cody Christie - Evan Gillespie, LH RP Gillespie was old for the GCL last season, but it’s hard to ignore the numbers he put up in his professional debut. My bullpen was lacking a lefty and he finished as an honorable mention in the Twins Daily Short Season Pitcher of the Year. Sign me up. Jeremy Nygaard - Austin Schulfer RHRP Went with a Wisconsin guy with my second-to-last pick. Schulfer strikes a lot of guys out, but he also issues a fair amount of walks as well. (Prospect Spotlight Series: Austin Schulfur, Get to Know Podcast: Austin Schulfur, Caleb Hamilton, Nick Anderson) Matt Braun - Adam Bray, RHRP Bray was great at AA last season but his peripherals dropped when he made the move to AAA. I’m banking on the major league ball being the problem there. Bray rounds out a relief corps that has no lefties but I’m banking on the three batter minimum making that shortcoming less impactful. (Spring Trade Brings Bray Back Home) Round 16 Matt Braun - Luis Baez, Hitter Did you know that Luis Baez had the 6th highest wRC+ among all hitters in the Twins system with at least 50 plate appearances? Yeah, I didn’t either until I did some research and I had to pick up that kind of offensive upside with my very last pick. Jeremy Nygaard - Kidany Salva C Switch-hitter who threw out over 30% of potential base stealers in 2019. Has a ways to go offensively. Cody Christie - Ricky De La Torre, UTL De La Torre had an OPS of 700+ in his first two professional seasons when he was over two year younger than the average age of the competition in the GCL and the Appy League. The Twins pushed him to Cedar Rapids last year and he had some offensive struggles for the first time in his career. He can play multiple defensive positions and I like how he completes my roster. Ted Schwerzler - Ben Gross RHP Gross was drafted in the 10th round of the 2019 draft. His college track record isn’t long and he was a senior sign out of Duke. Working as a starter in his pro debut, Gross could eventually transition to the pen. It looks like there’s strikeout stuff here, and that could help to accelerate his path to the majors. Steve Lein - Alex Phillips RP Phillips absolutely dominated the Florida State League (0.79 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 11.6 K/9) while being shuffled to and from Pensacola during last season, where he had some adjustments to make. But for his efforts overall he was an honorable mention in our Relief Pitcher of the Year voting. (MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Month – April 2019: Alex Phillips #2) Seth Stohs - Carlos Aguiar, Hitter Last pick, frankly, I am just going with my highest ranked prospect. Like Wander Valdez, Aguiar is incredibly impressive in person. He’s huge, strong, massive power potential, and incredibly young and has a long ways to go. I’ll take the upside. (Seth’s Spring Training Standouts: 2020 Edition) 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

Harmon Killebrew hit 573 home runs in his Hall of Fame career. Most people who had the opportunity to meet the slugger talk more about the kind of person that he was. After he passed away, the Twins established the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. Each of the Twins four full-season affiliates gets one recipient each season. For the second straight year, reliever Jake Reed is the winner for the Killebrew Award for the Rochester Red Wings. Appropriately, many of the people around Rochester that had the opportunity to meet or work with Reed will likely have several stories to tell about what he did off the field. We’ve got a good one below.Jake Reed was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2015 out of the University of Oregon. He quickly moved up the organizational ladder and reached Triple-A Rochester last in the 2016 season. He is still awaiting the opportunity to take the next step, the biggest step, up to the big leagues. But Jake Reed is beloved in Rochester. That is especially true of the Red Wings general manager Dan Mason who noted, “Once again this year, Jake led our team in appearances, going to schools, corporate events, hospitals, community events, youth baseball clinics, a clinic for mentally challenged kids, and he helped host the the Challenger Baseball World Series here, featuring 10 different Challenger Baseball teams playing here at Frontier Field on a Saturday in June.” As you can see from the list at the bottom, there have been some really terrific people who have come through Rochester and been recognized with this award. Lefty reliever Logan Darnell won the award the three seasons before Jake Reed won his first in 2018. Mason continued, “The thing that separates Jake from some of the other players we’ve had here in the past is that he has built an amazing rapport with so many of the people whose lives he has touched in our town. At almost every home game I would see Challenger Baseball players coming over to him to say hello and getting a hug or a high five from him either before or after the game. So many of the kids in Challenger baseball program locally got to know him so well because every Saturday that we had a home game he would drive over to their field about 25 minutes from Frontier Field and spend hours , without ever telling any of us in the front office, pitching to the kids and helping them hit or wheeling them around the bases in their wheelchairs.“ Mason shared one story that certainly represents Reed and the impact he has on people’s lives. . “One story that truly stands out to me is that earlier this year we had a mentally challenged youngster sing the National Anthem before a game. He knew Jake through Challenger Baseball. That particular game we were playing the Syracuse Mets and Tim Tebow was on their team. After the anthem was done the young man said to me, ‘Mr Mason, I really want to meet Tim Tebow. He’s my favorite. Can you get him over here so I can say hi?” I explained that I couldn’t do that as he was getting ready for the game, and that I couldn’t bother him as he was warming up. The young man replied …” I’m gonna talk to Jake about this.’ At that moment, Jake started walking toward us and waved out toward left field where Tebow was warming up. At that point, Tebow came running over to say hello to the young man, chatted with him, hugged him and took a few photos with him. Little did I know, but Jake knew that this young man’s favorite player was Tim Tebow, and he had arranged everything with Tebow prior to the game. This is the sort of unselfish act that Jake did on a daily basis. With little to no fanfare. He created countless memories for kids in our community throughout the season.” Jake Reed has a very strong support system around him with his family, but also with his wife Janie Reed. Janie has been a member of Team USA softball and helped the team to a couple of gold medals this summer, including at the Pan Am Games. Mason said, “When we hosted our first ever Women in Sports night, he even convinced his wife Janie, who was in town, to help run a pregame softball clinic for girls. Janie is a member of Team USA softball.” As you have seen, the Twins and their minor league affiliates all take a ton of pride in their work in the communities in which they play. “Every kid has boyhood idols. Tons and tons of young Minnesotans look up to and idolize Joe Mauer and other Twins players. Well, here in Rochester, New York, there is a huge segment of kids who idolize Jake Reed because they feel like he’s their friend, and he is. Jake is as genuine a person as you’ll ever meet and he doesn’t just do community activities and appearances because we asked him to, he does it because he wanted to.” I was unable to reach Jake this week, but this is what he said last year when he received this award. “But getting this reward definitely reminded me of why God actually has me playing this game. It’s not about baseball. It really isn’t. It’s about loving and serving the people that you come into contact with, and the great thing about baseball is it gives us players plenty of opportunity to do so. I think men like Harmon Killebrew have set the example for us as far as what it looks like to be more than a baseball player.” Minor league players don’t get many days off from games throughout the long season. They don’t get a ton of free time. That’s why we choose to recognize these Harmon KIllebrew Award winners who were chosen by their team for going above and beyond to serve their communities during the season. Previous Red Wings Killebrew Award winners: 2011 - Kyle Gibson 2012 - JR Towles 2013 - Brian Dinkelman 2014 - Logan Darnell 2015 - Logan Darnell 2016 - Logan Darnell 2017 - DJ Baxendale 2018 - Jake Reed Other 2019 Killebrew Award Recipients Rochester Red Wings - Jake Reed Pensacola Blue Wahoos - Hector Lujan Fort Myers Miracle - Coming Soon Cedar Rapids Kernels - Brian Rapp Congratulations to Jake Reed on earning the 2019 Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service for the Rochester Red Wings. Click here to view the article

The Twins have been churning through relievers, but Jake Reed is still waiting for his opportunity. At least he's making good use of his time. Reed has been tinkering with his mechanics, and has been on a nice roll over the past month down in Rochester.I know, I know, enough minor league band-aids already, right? Well, until the Twins make some moves to acquire arms, it appears they'll continue to audition in-house candidates in the bullpen. Over the past two weeks, we've seen Zack Littell, Ryan Eades and now Fernando Romero all make cameo appearances with the big club. When is Jake Reed finally going to get his shot? Well, a lot of it will have to do with timing. Often when a bullpen move is made, the team is looking to promote a fresh arm as much as anything, or someone who could provide them with length. But Reed has a solid track record, is showing he's open to making adjustments and has been on a nice roll of late for the Red Wings. Reed delivered two scoreless innings and struck out three batters this afternoon for Rochester. His totals for the year don't jump off the page, but over his last eight appearances, Reed has only given up two earned runs over 16 1/3 innings ( 1.10 ERA) and has 19 strikeouts. He's also been tinkering with his release point. The video below contains a comparison between where he was releasing the ball earlier this year and where he was this afternoon (skip ahead to about the 1:15 mark for that). Reed has always had a lower arm slot, but he's really dropping it down to sidearm now. Will this adjustment be what (finally) gets him up with the Twins? It's hard to say, but with the rate the team is currently cycling through relievers, it feels like it's only a matter of time before Reed's number gets called. Previous 2019 Prospect Spotlights Click here to view the article

I think we can all agree that the first guys promoted from Rochester to attempt to help the Twins bullpen early this season did not perform well in their first outings. So, who else is in Rochester? Let’s get to know the rest of the Red Wings bullpen.The Twins wanted to call up Zack Littell last weekend but because the season was not yet ten days old, they were unable to. Instead, they put Chase De Jong back on the 40-man roster and Designed Tyler Austin for Assignment. At the time, the Twins needed someone available in the bullpen who could eat some innings after Jake Odorizzi didn’t get out of the first inningFriday night. De Jong was not needed after all in Philadelphia thanks to good starts by Michael Pineda and Jose Berrios. He got his first opportunity on Tuesday night against the Mets. He came in to finish the ninth inning with the Twins leading 14-4. He needed 46 pitches to finish the ninth and gave up four runs and six base runners. Following the game, he was returned to Rochester since he would be unable to pitch for the Twins for several days. Lefty Andrew Vasquez, the easy choice for 2018 Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year, was recalled to take De Jong’s spot. Unlike De Jong, Vasquez was thrown right into a tough situation. With two outs in the fifth inning last night, Jake Odorizzi loaded the bases with a walk to opposing starter Noah Syndergaard. With left-handed hitting Brandon Nimmo due up, Rocco Baldelli called on the left-hander who struck out 108 batters in 69+ innings last year. Simply put, it did not go well for Vasquez. He couldn’t throw strikes and frankly, wasn’t close. He hit Nimmo (to put one run on the board). Then he walked both Pete Alonso and Robinson Cano to score two more runs. His fastball topped out at 87 mph and he couldn’t command the slider at all. I will advocate for not giving up on Andrew Vasquez, and I would assume that most of you would look at that outing as a case of nerves in his return to the big leagues. While he had struck out four batters in 1 1/3 innings in his one Red Wings appearance, he also walked two batters and gave up a hit. I’m not advocating that Vasquez needs to be optioned right away, though it would be understandable. But if he is, or on a higher level, if at any time the Twins need to call back to Rochester looking for some relief help, what options are there? Below you’ll find the current group of Red Wings relievers, any of who could be an option at some point this season. THE RELIEVERS IN ROCHESTER (in alphabetical order) AUSTIN ADAMS Age - 32 MLB Experience - Parts of three seasons (2014-16) with Cleveland. 53 games, 58 2/3 innings, 6.29 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 Games, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K The Twins signed Adams late last year out of independent ball and he pitched briefly for Chattanooga. This year, is hitting 94-96 for the Red Wings in the early goings. Presumably, Derek Falvey is quite familiar with him due to his years in Cleveland. TYLER DUFFEY Age - 28 MLB Experience - Parts of four seasons (2015-18) with the Twins. 111 games (37 starts), 287 innings, 5.46 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 Games, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Duffey made such a strong impression on Twins fans late in the 2015 season, nearly catapulting a surprising team to the playoffs. He hasn’t been able to duplicate that performance since and was moved to the bullpen a few years ago. He has the curveball and spin rate that teams love. RYAN EADES Age - 27 MLB Experience - None 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Eades made a strong impression during an impressive run in big league spring training this year. He showed a big fastball which reached into the mid-90s. He also showed his array of pitches. Before this season, he had just seven games of Triple-A experience. PRESTON GUILMET Age - 31 MLB Experience - Parts of five seasons (2013-18) with Tampa Bay, Cleveland, St. Louis, Baltimore, Toronto, Milwaukee. 27 games, 33 innings. 9.27 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Guilmet has had a long career. He’s pitched for six teams in the big leagues to go with several other organizations in the minor leagues. He’s got enough stuff to keep getting opportunities. MIKE MORIN Age - 27 MLB Experience - Parts of five seasons (2014-18) with Angels. 186 games, 174 innings, 4.66 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Born in Minnesota, his family soon moved to the Kansas City area, but he’s still got family in the area. It would certainly be a thrill for him to play for the Twins. Morin pitched between 47 and 60 games each year out of the Angels bullpen between 2014 and 2016. He’s been hurt the last two years, but he appears to be fully healthy again. He’s a low-90s guy with a really, really good changeup. JAKE REED Age - 26 MLB Experience - None 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Reed moved up to AA really quickly after being drafted by the Twins in 2014. He’s been up and down ever since, but he was remarkable for the Red Wings after June 1st last year (23 G, 37.2 IP, 1.43 ERA, .167 opponents batting average). Walks always a concern, but Reed gets a lot of movement. His fastball is 95-97, and he’s got a sharp slider too. . FERNANDO ROMERO Age - 24 MLB Experience - Debuted with the Twins in 2018. Made 11 starts, 55 2/3 innings. 4.69 ERA. 2019 Red Wings Stats - 2 G, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K Romero was really good for his first four MLB starts last year and then struggled the rest of the way. It was surprising that the Twins decided so quickly in spring training that he would pitch out of the bullpen. He struggled in spring training and was optioned to the Red Wings. He’s off to a fast start. In his 3 1/3 hitless, no-walk innings on Wednesday, he was getting swings and misses on 97 and 98 mph fastballs. Currently DJ Baxendale (27) and Zack Weiss (26) are on the Red Wings injured list. *Note that the 2019 Red Wings Stats are for just two games, so the sample size is definitely small. THE STARTERS Chase De Jong returns to the Red Wings starting rotation. The other starters in the Red Wings rotation are 23-year-old RHP Zack Littell, 23-year-old LHP Lewis Thorpe, 24-year-old RHP Kohl Stewart, 25-year-old RHP Sean Poppen and 27-year-old MLB veteran, LHP Justin Nicolino. LHP Stephen Gonsalves is on the IL as well and should be back in early May. These guys are options if and when a long-reliever might be needed. They could also be summoned to the Twins when a starter is needed, such as in a doubleheader situation. THE INJURED LIST As a reminder, right-handers Matt Magill and Addison Reed, along with LHP Gabriel Moya are on the injured list. We haven’t heard updates on them recently. They are also options to join the big league bullpen when they are ready, though a rehab stint would seem very likely for all three as they have not pitched in a long time. THE FREE AGENTS I’ll just throw this tweet from Nick Nelson here: So, do you have a current hierarchy of who the Twins should call up next as they have needs? How about breaking that out between whether they need a long reliever, or a lefty, or a short-term option versus a more long-term guy? Share your thoughts below. Click here to view the article

The Twins opened spring training play this afternoon, meaning it’s time to start searching for the 2019 Sire of Fort Myers. You generally shouldn’t pay any attention to stats this time of year, but there’s always a population of players who have a ton to gain from putting together an impressive spring. This is their opportunity to show the Twins coaching staff what they can do, not to mention the other teams across baseball.So this spring, we will set out to identify those players who have the most to gain from posting impressive stat lines and eventually crown one of them Sire of Fort Myers. I know what some of you are thinking, “really, are we that desperate for baseball we’re going to keep an eye on a bunch of has-beens and never-beens?” Well first off, yes. It’s February and the snow piled around my house is taller than Michael Pineda, so I am that desperate for baseball. Secondly, how dare you speak ill of Sire Ryan LaMarre, he who smote the Clevelanders in the Battle of Puerto Rico. Lastly, this is like a really, really serious honor, OK? Show some respect. Last year was really the perfect time to debut this idea. Coming into spring, who could have seen LaMarre heading north with the Twins? Here’s part of what I wrote in my preview last year: “But, just to be clear, these guys' chances of breaking camp with the Twins are anywhere from remote to downright unthinkable.” He did it. Ryan LaMarre dreamed the impossible dream and made the team. That was crazy. So I’m not ruling anything out this time around. Who are the top contenders for this year’s crown? Let's go over who’s eligible first. Anyone who’s not on the 40-man roster is eligible, as well as the few players who are on the 40 man but haven’t made their MLB debut. So before anybody asks, no, Willians Astudillo (a 2018 Sire of Fort Myers honorable mention) is not eligible this year. Just a reminder, this isn't about identifying the player most likely to make the team, it's simply honoring the player who had the most impressive spring training performance. Without further ado, here’s who I think are the top 10 contenders for 2019 Sire of Fort Myers, in alphabetical order: Randy Cesar, 24, 3B/1B This guy seems interesting. Cesar hit .296/.348/.428 (.777 OPS) for Houston’s Double-A team and had a 42-game hitting streak last year. His BABIP dropped from an insane .444 through his first 64 games (which coincided with the end of that impressive streak) to just .277 over his final 52 games. So maybe his success was a complete mirage, but he’s a fun guy to bring in on a minor league deal. Cesar split time between third base and first base last year. Tim Collins, 29, LHP Remember this guy? Collins was a long-time member of the Royals’ bullpen before he had to suffer through not one but two Tommy John surgeries. He worked his way back to the big leagues for the first time since 2014, pitching to a 4.37 ERA in 22 2/3 innings with the Nationals last year. His fastball velocity was pretty much back to where it was when he was with Kansas City, averaging 92.5 mph. Chase De Jong, 25, RHP The Twins removed De Jong from the 40-man roster earlier this offseason, but he cleared waivers. Acquired in the trade that sent Zach Duke to Seattle, De Jong barely hits 90 mph but manages to induce a fair amount of weak contact. He had a 3.57 ERA in 17 2/3 innings with the Twins, 3.20 ERA in 39 1/3 innings with Rochester and a 3.80 mark in 120 2/3 innings with the Mariners’ Double-A team. Lucas Duda, 33, 1B Duda is hands down the favorite this year. He boasts a career 118 OPS+ and has hit 27 or more home runs three times in the big leagues. They’re trending in two different directions, but Duda’s resume is really even more impressive than that of projected starting first baseman C.J. Cron. The past few years have not been kind to one-dimensional players such as Duda. The fact he had to settle on a minor league deal illustrates that, but he still hit .264/.336/.477 (813 OPS) against right-handers last season. Ryan Eades, 27, RHP Eades was drafted in the second round in 2013 but his prospect shine faded fairly quickly. Last year was his second season pitching primarily out of the bullpen. Something clicked. After averaging 6.7 K/9 previously, Eades posted a 10.4 K/9 in 2018. He finished on a particularly high note, giving up just five earned runs over his final 30 1/3 innings (0.89 ERA) while holding opposing hitters to a .198/.244/.225 line, earning a promotion to Rochester in the process. Nick Gordon, 23, SS/2B Probably the most recognizable name on this list to Twins fans, Gordon’s stock dropped some after an uninspiring first showing in Triple A. In 164 games at Double A, however, Gordon hit .285/.350/.436 (.787 OPS) with 39 doubles, 11 triples and 14 home runs. He also stole 20 bases during his time in Chattanooga, had 86 RBIs and scored 102 runs. Even in a down season, Gordon posted his best OPS against left-handed pitching (.636) since his draft year. Mike Morin, 27, RHP Morin was a mainstay in the Angels’ bullpen from 2014-17, pitching to a 4.49 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 3.42 K:BB ratio over 177 appearances. He spent the majority of last season with Seattle’s Triple-A team, where he had a 3.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, though he also pitched in three games for the Mariners. Morin’s fastball sits 91.5 mph but he mixes in a changeup about a third of the time and relies on his slider for roughly a quarter of his pitches. I think he’ll get plenty of looks this spring, making him a strong contender for the crown. Morin was born in Andover but grew up in Kansas. Jake Reed, 26, RHP FREE REED! This guy has a 1.92 ERA in 89 career Triple-A innings. Considering some of the other guys the Twins have trotted out in their bullpen the past few years it’s pretty incredible he hasn’t had an opportunity to make his debut. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out 50 batters in 47 2/3 innings for Rochester last year. In 246 2/3 career innings in the minor leagues, Reed has surrendered just seven home runs. He’s faced 576 right-handed hitters and they’ve taken him deep just four times. That’s crazy. Here are the other non-roster invitees I didn’t include in the top 10: Preston Guilmet, Ryne Harper, Justin Nicolino, Brian Navarreto, Ben Rortvedt, Wynston Sawyer, Tomas Telis, Luis Arraez, Randy Cesar, Royce Lewis, Adam Rosales, Alex Kirilloff, Luke Raley and Brent Rooker. Just a couple quick notes on those included on that list above: I’d expect Lewis and Kirilloff to be among the first cuts. It wouldn’t surprise me if Arraez turned some heads, he just missed my top 10. Harper was another guy who just missed, he had an insane 8.60 K:BB ratio down on the farm for the Twins last year (65 IP, 86 K, 10 BB). Guilmet's another guy who could've very easliy been named in the top 10. He has some ugly MLB numbers but a 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 in 265 career innings at Triple A. Rosales is 35 now, but he’s coming off of somewhat of a power outburst, as he popped 18 home runs for Cleveland’s Triple-A team last year. There will be other minor leaguers who work their way in from time to time, especially on the days where the Twins have split squad games on the schedule, but I wouldn’t anticipate them getting enough playing time to be in contention for this most prestigious honor. So what do you think? I’ve tabbed Duda as the favorite among hitters and Morin among pitchers. Will anybody give either of those guys a run for their money? Click here to view the article

Friday afternoon, Derek Falvey revealed the names of the internal Twins players who have received an invitation to Minnesota Twins big league spring training. The list includes top prospects Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff and Brent Rooker.We have seen some Twins minor league signings trickle in over the past month or more. Some of them may receive an invitation to big league camp. On Friday, Derek Falvey only announced the Twins internal players who will be invited to spring training. The list includes infielders Royce Lewis and Brent Rooker, outfielders Luke Raley and Alex Kirilloff, catchers Ben Rortvedt and Brian Navarreto, and pitchers Ryan Eades and Jake Reed. Regarding the invites, Derek Falvey noted, "I never look at invites, especially internal invites, as saying they're all competing to make the team. In fact, a lot of times I tell them at the front end that they're not because that last thing you want is somebody to go out in his first bullpen of the year and try to throw 100 mph. It's not good for anybody." Royce Lewis (19), the top overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft, put together a strong professional debut season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He ended the season with a month in Ft. Myers where he helped lead the Miracle to a Florida State League championship. He hit a combined .292 with an .803 OPS. He added 29 doubles, 14 homers and an organization-leading 28 stolen bases. Alex Kirilloff (21) also played in his first full minor league season. The 2016 first-round pick missed all of 2017 due to Tommy John surgery, but he came back in 2018 and was one of the best all-around hitters in all of baseball. The Sherry Robertson Award winner as the Twins Minor League Player of the Year evenly split his season between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He hit .348 with a .970 OPS in 2018. He led minor league baseball with 44 doubles and added 20 homers and 105 RBI. Falvey added, "It's about exposure. For some of our young guys, and I know a lot of attention will go to Royce and Alex, those are two young guys and you obviously know how we feel about them, and we're excited about the investment in them from a development standpoint. It's a chance to get them around Rocco and the major-league staff. We anticipate they'll get back on the minor league side to get their seasons rolling. That's a great taste in my mind, to get a major league feel before you take a run. "I think from a timeline standpoint, that's aggressive, clearly. But I've always said don't put limitations or ceilings on guys and I'm not going to put it on those two, and I think there's a number of others in that group at could find their ways to the big leagues at some point, certainly in the next couple of years." Here is more about those other guys. Brent Rooker (24) was the Twins supplemental first-round pick in 2017 after finishing the 2017 season as the Triple Crown award winner in the SEC. He spent 2018 in Double-A Chattanooga where he hit 32 doubles and 22 home runs. Luke Raley (24) joined the Twins organization at the trade deadline this year. He was acquired from the Dodgers organization in the Brian Dozier deal. Raley joined the Lookouts and ended the season with 20 combined home runs on the season. Ben Rortvedt (21) was the Twins second-round pick in 2016 out of high school in Wisconsin. He split 2018 between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He hit .262 with 16 doubles and five homers over 90 games in 2018 and plays strong defense. Brian Navarreto (24) will return for a second big league camp. The 2013 sixth round pick from high school in Florida spent the 2018 season Chattanooga. He hit .247 with 19 doubles and four homers. However, it is his defense that makes him a prospect. Jake Reed (26) also returns for another big league camp. The fifth round pick in 2014 out of Oregon was nearly unhittable over the final four months of the 2018 season at Rochester. Hopefully 2019 is the year he finally gets an opportunity. Ryan Eades (27) was the Twins second-round pick in 2013 out of LSU. He spent most of 2018 in Chattanooga though he ended the season strong with a month in Rochester as well. Click here to view the article

The Winter Meetings in Las Vegas have been fairly quiet against in 2018. Certainly there are meetings, but there haven't been a lot of signings or trades. Thursday is the final day of the Winter Meetings. The highlight of the final day of the Winter Meetings is the Rule 5 draft (11:00 central time). The Twins have stated publicly that it is unlikely that they will make a Rule 5 selection, but could they lose players? What will happen in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. Check back to this article throughout the morning for more updates. This article will be update throughout the Rule 5 draft.Morning Updates (The Rule 5 draft just started. Players selected by the Twins or from the Twins will be mentioned here): Only 14 total players were selected in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft. The Twins did not lose any players. In the AAA portion, the Twins selected RHP Dusten Knight from the Giants. The team lost no one in the AAA portion. -------------------------------------------------- Stop by this article throughout the morning on Thursday for any updates regarding the Rule 5 draft. Again, reports from the Twins beat writers on hand in Las Vegas noted that Derek Falvey said the Twins are not likely to make a selection in the Rule 5 draft. The roster is currently at 40, so potentially they could remove a player before the draft to make a pick. The other side of that is that the Twins could lose players in the Major League Rule 5 draft. Who are players that have a chance to be selected? Here's a quick list: Tyler Jay - LH RP Jay is one of several former first-round picks, ,and a few top 10 picks, who went unprotected and are eligible. The Twins top pick in 2015 out of Illinois has had several injuries and struggled in his roles (starter and then reliever). The potential is still there for him to be a quality late-inning reliever if he can be healthy. Jake Reed - RH RP Jake Reed was incredible over the final three months of the 2018 season, so it was very surprising (disappointing) that he didn't receive a September call up. He was left unprotected from the Rule 5 draft for the third straight year. His stuff is still really good, and he put up the strong numbers to back it. He's done everything he can in AAA. If I was a team with a spot, I'd strongly consider him. But I said the same thing the last two years. Johan Quezada - RH RP Definitely the sleeper of the group since he has less than ten innings in his professional career above the rookie leagues, and that was late last season in Cedar Rapids. He missed all of 2017 with a shoulder injury. However, he was hitting 98 late last year. Would he be able to stick on a big league roster all year? Seems unlikely, but there are teams that might be willing to take a shot on the flame thrower. Hector Lujan - RH RP Lujan has been really good the last couple of seasons. He led the organization (minor leagues) in saves in 2017 in Cedar Rapids. He finished very strong for Ft. Myers in 2018 and then pitched in the Arizona Fall League. Lujan played in college at UC-Santa Barbara and then at Westmont College with Andrew Vasquez. He throws hard, 94-96 mph, and he's been great in the community. Lewin Diaz - 1B Diaz was coming off of a strong season in Cedar Rapids in 2017, hitting doubles and home runs. He went undrafted in the Rule 5 draft. 2018 was not a good year for the Dominican slugger. He didn't hit well, and then he broke his wrist and missed the rest of the season. It's probably less likely that he gets drafted, but not out of the realm of possibility. He was a big, big man when he was signed, but he has worked really hard. He is now down to 220 pounds and when he gets out of the Florida State League, his power could really start to show. Other Twins Players Potentially Selected: RH SP Andro Cutura, OF/1B Zander Wiel, RH RP Ryan Eades, C Brian Navarreto, OF Jaylin Davis, RH RP Cody Stashak, 3B Brian Schales, IF Randy Cesar, RHP Preston Guilmet and RHP Zack Weiss. JJ Cooper of Baseball America posted a list of many of the players who are available in the MLB Rule 5 draft on Thursday. Check out his list and see if there are any players that the Twins should be interested in. As you know, it costs $100,000 to make a Rule 5 selection. Then that player must remain on the draft team's active roster all year or be offered back to the original team for $50,000. Trades can be worked out as well Minor League Rule 5 Draft While we can spend hours going over a list of which players are eligible for the MLB Rule 5 draft, there is no way to prepare for the minor league portion. Those rosters aren't made public. Unlike the MLB portion, players selected in the minor league Rule 5 draft go to the other team. They can be placed anywhere in the system and do not have to be offered back. The Twins selected Yancarlos Baez last year in the minor league portion. He didn't pitch after having Tommy John surgery, but he should return to the mound in 2019. Feel free to discuss the Rule 5 draft here as it happens or rumors before and after. The article will be updated after the MLB portion of the Rule 5 and after the Minor League portion of the Rule 5. Click here to view the article

The MLB offseason is upon us. There are many decisions that this front office will need to make. Some will happen soon. One big decision that is made every November is which players to add to the 40-man roster. Being added to the 40-man roster is a huge thing for players. They make a little more money in the minor leagues, but more important, a huge obstacle to being called up to the big leagues is removed. Here is a list of Twins minor leaguers who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected.As a reminder, here are some of the criteria for who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected. Here is this year’s criteria: Players who signed when they were 18 or younger in 2014 (during the minor league season).Players who signed when they were 19 or older in 2015.Players who were eligible in previous seasons are also eligible again.Players drafted or signed during the 2012 season became free agents after the World Series was complete. That includes Luke Bard and DJ Baxendale. If the Twins signed them (or other minor league free agents) before the Rule 5 draft, they would be eligible to for the Rule 5 draft.But back to the players needing to be added or risk losing to the Rule 5 draft, I’ll break them into a few categories. The Givens are players that I think have to be added or there is a high percentage that they will be selected if they are not. The next are players that are more On The Bubble. It will be interesting to see which of these guys are added. How many spots are available on the team’s 40-man roster, etc. I’m going to add a couple of Sleepers. Finally, the Next category are those players that probably won’t be added and yet do have a chance to be selected by the right team with the right need or the right report. The Givens Andrew Vasquez would have been in this list, but he was called up to the Twins on September 1st. I have two players listed as givens. SS/2B Nick Gordon - He may have struggled in the second half of the season after his promotion to the Red Wings, but Gordon, the team’s top pick in 2014 just turned 23 and remains a quality prospect. Will he play second base or shortstop, or both, in the big leagues? Yes.OF LaMonte Wade - Wade will turn 25 on New Years Day. He returned to AA to start 2018 and hit the same number of home runs in less than half as many games. He hit .229 in Rochester and still got on base 33% of the time. The outfielder is close and for the right team, he could start in the big leagues now.On The Bubble Again, this group is the players on the bubble. Depending upon how many players the Twins add, a couple of these players could be added. 2B Luis Arraez - After missing most of 2017, Arraez returned to form with the Miracle in 2018 and ended the season with two months in Chattanooga. While not a high ranking prospect, the second baseman can hit single after single.RHP Jake Reed - If it was me, Reed would be a given, but he already didn’t get selected a year ago in the Rule 5 draft, and he didn’t get a September call up despite being tremendous over the final three months of the season. Now 26, he is ready for a big league opportunity.RHP Nick Anderson - As good as Reed was over the final three months, that’s how good Anderson was during the season’s first three months. Another inexplicable exclusion from the September roster adds, Anderson is absolutely ready for a big league opportunity, making him a strong Rule 5 candidate.LHP Tyler Jay - The Twins top pick in 2015 has endured a series of arm injuries which have cost him time and some of his stuff. Now a reliever, he still has a chance to be a big league contributor.The Sleepers Here are a couple of guys who might be brought up some places as possible . RHP Johan Quezada - Signed way back in September of 2012, Quezada only has four games pitched above the rookie leagues. He was very raw when he signed. He grew a ton, but then he struggled with shoulder issues for a couple of years. He returned this year and found an upper-90s fastball. He turned 24 late in the season and isn’t likely to stick, but he is a very intriguing arm.RHP Andro Cutura - Cutura returned in May after missing two years due to Tommy John surgery. The former seventh-round pick threw well for the Miracle in his return. Again, probably not so much a Rule 5 guy as one to watch in 2019.The Next This is a group that contains some intriguing names. While they aren’t obvious choices, there could be a team that likes them enough to take a shot with a Rule 5 pick. 1B/OF Zander Wiel - Now playing first base and left field, Wiel had a really nice season in AA Chattanooga before a late-season promotion to Rochester.RHP Ryan Eades - The Twins second round pick in 2013, Eades continued to pitch in multiple roles. Not a starter, and not a late-inning guy, Eades could be intriguing for teams interested in using him as an Opener candidate.C Brian Navarreto - Navaretto is such a strong defensive catcher. If he can hit even a little bit, he could have a long big league career. He’s got the size, but he just hasn’t put up the numbers offensively.OF Jaylin Davis - Davis is playing well in the Arizona Fall League. He was able to cut down his K-rate and increase his walk rate in 2018.RHP Hector Lujan - Another AFL candidate, Lujan has slowly worked up the system and continued to add pieces to his game. He throws hard and has some intriguing secondary pitches.RHP Cody Stashak - Stashak moved to the bullpen in 2018 and really had a nice season. He too could be intriguing as teams look to use the Opener of bullpening strategies in coming years.The Rest Here is a list of other players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Twins organization. LHP Sam ClayOF Tanner EnglishRHP Randy LeBlancIF Alex Perez LHP Alex Robinson1B/3B Chris PaulOF Jean-Carlos AriasRHP Miguel De Jesus RHP Sandy Lugo LHP Lachlan WellsRHP Yancarlos Baez RHP Williams Ramirez RHP Moises Gomez Now, the number of players added to the 40-man roster will in large part depend upon how many players that the front office is willing to remove from the 40-man roster over the next couple of weeks. In the comments below, discuss my ranking and rank them by how you would protect them. Click here to view the article