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This time they are coming for Jeremy Hefner. According to Marc Carig of The Athletic, the New York Mets are set to interview the Twins' bullpen coach. Hefner has had a meteoric rise in the pitching ranks, first as a middle man between the organization's analytics team and the players and then into a uniformed role in the bullpen in 2019. Hefner's presence has been cited as one of the reasons several Twins' pitchers saw improvements during the season.While a lot of the attention this spring was on the hiring of Wes Johnson, numerous pitchers and coaches lauded Hefner's contributions, deeming the pair a two-headed monster of pitching development. "When you look up and see Jeremy Hefner next to [Johnson] and they speak the same languages but also with different experiences, I think it’s a great combination," Rocco Baldelli told reporters this spring regarding the handling of the pitchers. Eno Sarris recently posted a list of potential pitching coaches and Hefner's name was one of the top candidates. Hefner has an excellent ability to break down mechanics on video and explain deficiencies to players so that they understand and can quickly make adjustments, one pitcher told me earlier this year. With the increase in technology and video, it is almost vital to have a pitching coach that can bridge the gap. The Twins' major league coaching staff has already lost James Rowson and had the possibility of losing bench coach Derek Shelton as well. They have also lost catching coordinator Tanner Swanson to the Yankees and hitting coordinator Peter Fatse to the Red Sox. Click here to view the article

On Friday afternoon, the Twins announced most of their 2019 coaching staff. While they are still looking to fill one spot on Rocco Baldelli's coaching staff, they did make seven of their coaches official.New Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has talked since he was hired that he felt that hiring his coaching staff would be his first big decision. On Friday, they announced most of his staff. Previously, they had announced that hitting coach James Rowson and assistant hitting coach Rudy Hernandez would return to their roles. When Derek Shelton finished runner-up to Chris Woodward for the Rangers job, it was clear that he would return as the bench coach. On Thursday, Dan Hayes from The Athletic broke the news that the Twins were hiring long-time college pitching coach (most recently at the University of Arkansas), Wes Johnson for that role with the Twins, his first job in professional baseball. Later Thursday afternoon, Derek Wetmore broke the news that Jeremy Hefner would be added to the coaching staff as well. He had been an advanced scout for the Twins in 2018. Friday the Twins announced that he will be the assistant pitching coach. On Friday, the Twins announced that Tony Diaz will be their third base coach. He has spent the last 20 years managing and coaching in the Colorado Rockies organization. Most recently, he was the first base coach in the big leagues.The Dominican Republic native authored a book called Practical English for Latin Players. Tommy Watkins will be their first base coach. Watkins was the Twins 38th round pick in the 1998 draft out of high school in Ft. Myers. He slowly worked his way up the organizational ladder, and in 2007, he played nine games in the big leagues. In fact, he was hitting .357 (through nine games) and had become the starting third baseman. Unfortunately, he was injured and missed the rest of the year. He spent another year in the organization before retiring as a player and becoming a coach. He was the hitting coach in Beloit and then also when the Twins moved their Midwest League affiliate to Cedar Rapids. He moved up to Chattanooga for a year as their hitting coach, but then became the manager back in Cedar Rapids. In 2018, he was the Lookouts manager, and on Saturday, he will lead the Salt River Rafters into the Arizona Fall League championship game. Watkins has worked very closely with the core of young Twins players through their minor league careers. Watkins said that he was "stunned" when he found out the news yesterday and is excited for the opportunity. In an interview with Ft. Myers News Press writer David Dorsey, he said, "I’m excited for the opportunity, I can tell you that. It’s what we all work for. We can’t all play in the big leagues, and we can’t play forever. The next best thing would be to coach in the big leagues." The Twins also announced that they will be hiring one more coach. Baldelli talked about putting together a collection of talented coaches who can teach. He talked about the importance of diversity. Hernandez is the oldest coach at 50. Derek Shelton is 48. Rowson is 42 while Johnson and Diaz are both 41. Tommy Watkins is 38, and Jeremy Hefner is just 32 years old. Is it possible that the staff is too inexperienced, or is this group of coaches with a vast array of experiences, strong people skills and willingness to be open-minded exactly what they need right now? Click here to view the article

While toiling in obscurity for eight years since their most recent division title, the Minnesota Twins have had their share of issues, covering all sizes, shapes and forms. But the one persistent flaw plaguing these teams is poor pitching. Minnesota's new hires at pitching coach and bullpen coach, which came to light on Thursday, illustrate just how creative – and daring – they are becoming in the quest to finally overcome their perennial run-prevention problemsIn 2010, Minnesota had the fifth-best ERA in the American League, and allowed the third-fewest runs. Twins pitchers bounced back after a down spell, putting forth their best post-Johan season and seemingly vindicating the staff-building approach of Terry Ryan, Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson. Maybe that's why the trio received so much leeway as things went totally awry. In 2011 the Twins allowed the league's second-most runs. Then, they did it again in 2012 and 2013. In 2014 they finally took the AL crown for runs allowed, as an obscenely poor pitching staff doomed what was actually a pretty solid offense. That was it for Gardy and Anderson. Ryan hired Paul Molitor as manager, and sought to offset the new skipper's lack of arms expertise by pairing him with Neil Allen, a minor-league pitching coach snagged out of Tampa's organization. All-out disaster ensued in 2016, leading to Terry Ryan's dismissal. Allen survived the regime change. And in 2017, his Ervin-led staff actually did show considerable improvement, but he was sent packing afterward anyway. The Twins turned to Galvin Alston, another guy with lots of experience instructing pitchers in the minors, and a bit in the majors too. He lasted one year before being ousted in yet another shakeup, which also claimed four-year bullpen coach Eddie Guardado. On Thursday, we found out who will be filling these new vacancies for an organization suddenly characterized by churn. And this time, the Twins are really coloring outside the lines. Wes Johnson, who will be named Minnesota's new pitching coach, becomes the first collegiate coach to jump straight to the majors in nearly four decades. Johnson is a forward thinker who speaks frequently of concepts like spin access and hand tilt, and is a TrackMan evangelist. So, the analytical creds are there, but Johnson's total lack of familiarity with the pro level makes him a wild card, especially when paired with the game's youngest and greenest manager in Rocco Baldelli. With these two in place, you'd think Minnesota's front office might seek out some seasoning at bullpen coach, but... nope. It sounds like they'll be going with Jeremy Hefner for that gig. The 31-year-old, who played in the majors as recently as 2013, will join an on-field MLB coaching staff for the first time after serving in the analytics office for the last two years. His role with the team was described by La Velle E. Neal III as such: "Jeremy Hefner was hired as an advance scout, but not the kind that goes to the opposing team’s games the week before they face the Twins. Hefner travels with the Twins and scouts opponents by video. The combination of what Hefner sees on his screen and statistical analysis provides players with quality intelligence." You might've heard that the Twins are being sued by a former scout for age discrimination. And while that legal action may or may not have merit, it's plain to see that this front office is heavily favoring freshness and youth at almost every turn. Derek Falvey is acting in line with the very mindset that got him hired, which only makes sense I suppose. While this shift has been refreshing, one does wonder if the Twins have veered too far in the other direction. The team's three newest coaching hires carry essentially zero practical experience between them. The Twins organization as a whole is now shockingly short on experience. The ousting of Molitor, a franchise institution and Hall of Famer, symbolize a much larger overhaul. With Joe Mauer announcing his retirement and Brian Dozier unlikely to return, there's no real tenure anywhere in the clubhouse, no reverered figures with storied histories to draw from. Does that matter? We're about to find out. Click here to view the article

This is an excerpt of a post that appears in full on Zone Coverage here. Please click through to read it, and consider subscribing here. Tommy John celebrated his 75th birthday last Tuesday, but the surgery that bears his name is well over 40 years old. In fact, enter a room of pitchers and you’ll find that the sampling of those who’ve had Tommy John surgery is akin to going to a fraternity and trying to find a dude who has ever had a hangover. Orthopedic surgeon Frank Jobe performed the first procedure — also known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction — on the Los Angeles Dodgers lefty back in 1974. Ever since, it has not only become more ubiquitous, but also more proven in terms of players returning their previous form after extensive rehab. With a room full of pitchers who’ve had the procedure and a seemingly different story of recovery from each one, I thought why not give each pitcher a chance to explain what their triumphs and tribulations were like as they battled to come back from the surgery. Previous editions: LHP Zach Duke Every pitcher is asked the same questions; every pitcher will almost certainly give different answers. These are the Tommy John Files: Player – Twins advance video scout Jeremy Hefner The surgery — when/where/who performed it? The first one was Aug. 28, 2013 by Dr. David Altchek, the Mets’ team doctor in New York City. He does Tommy Johns for a lot of guys. Dr. James Andrews did my second one on Oct. 9, 2014 — 13 months later. The injury — when/where did it happen? I think I actually tore mine maybe in Spring Training or April in 2013. So I pitched most of the year like…not in pain necessarily, but in discomfort. It didn’t really affect my velocity or movement until like late July or August. After the All-Star break, I was really starting to hurt and it was starting to affect my performance. So that’s when we decided to go ahead and pull the plug, get the MRI and try to see what was in there. We kind of had the idea that it was torn, but we didn’t have images of it torn until August. Then I ended up having the Tommy John surgery after that. I had two of them. (Rays reliever) Jonny Venters has had three. I don’t think anyone’s ever had three in pro ball, but I’m not sure about that. I think he had one before pro ball. Was the pain instantaneous, or over time? Mine was a chronic deal. I was having discomfort, but it was manageable to where it wasn’t affecting my performance. That’s why we decided to just continue on. It eventually got to the point where it wasn’t manageable anymore. I basically handled it like Matt Magill — (writer’s note: the next Tommy John File) — with anti-inflammatories between starts. It just got progressively better as I got closer to my next start date. So like the day after (a start), I couldn’t even wash my hair. It was so painful. But then once I eventually recovered and ready for my next start, I was relatively normal. The second time around, I was rehabbing and was full go. I was in Florida State games in late July. I was throwing 90-94 mph — back to where I normally was. I had a long game against Daytona — a long first couple innings — and after that, I kind of wasn’t the same. I struggled getting through my between-start bullpen. I made another start in St. Lucie, and I was throwing like 82-83 mph on the scoreboard. I was like “OK, that was a misfire.” I was throwing against (Twins High-A affiliate) Fort Myers, actually. So I threw another fastball as hard as I could, and it was like 81 mph. So I was like “Uhhh, OK.” There was no pain — well, not much pain — like I could feel some discomfort but I thought it was normal working back and getting used to throwing again. I pulled myself out of the game. They did the tests and I was in NYC the next day for an MRI. I went and got a second opinion from Dr. Andrews. At that point, I thought I was going to retire. Like I was done. I didn’t want to do any more surgeries. I had put a full year worth of work into rehabbing and all that kind of stuff. So I took three months off, went home and talked to my wife and my family. Eventually, I got to the point where I felt like I had something to give to the game, so we had our third child and two weeks later we flew to Pensacola for the second surgery.

Buyers or Sellers As we sit here in early July, the Mets are about a dozen games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. They are more than a half-dozen games behind the Washington Nationals for second in the division. In fact, they have the second-worst record in the National League, ahead of only the Miami Marlins. If the 2014 MLB draft order were selected today, the Mets would draft fifth overall. There is no question that the Mets will, or at least should, attempt to be sellers in July. What They Need What don’t the Mets need? David Wright (.914) is the lone Mets player with an OPS over. 802. Honestly, except for third, there isn’t a position at which the Mets could not make an improvement. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Wright is a cornerstone, and the Mets are starting to see the debut of a core of talented young pitchers. Matt Harvey (24) is one of baseball’s most exciting and talented young starters. Zach Wheeler (23) recently made his debut. Dillon Gee (27), Jonathan Niese (26, signed through 2016, with 2 option years) and Jeremy Hefner (27, 3.72 ERA) are a solid group of starters. Jeurys Familia (23) can be dominant out of the bullpen. 23-year-old shortstop Ruben Tejada is posting Florimonic offensive numbers. Ike Davis (26) hit 32 homers last year, but was finally sent to AAA after hitting .161 with little power this year. The outfield of Lucas Duda, Marlon Byrd and a rotation centerfielder can certainly be improved. John Buck is adequate at catcher and they do have Travis d’Arnaud waiting, injured, in the wings. What Might Work The Twins and the Mets should both be in the sellers category, so it is unlikely that these two teams line up real well. Marlon Byrd and closer Bobby Parnell should be available, but the Twins had best not be interested in either. The Mets may be interested in acquiring a couple of veterans who are signed long-term in an attempt to compete a little more quickly. They have been rumored to have interest in the White Sox’ Alexei Ramirez. How do the Mets feel about feel about the future of Ike Davis? At the deadline could they be interested in a player like Justin Morneau and then try to lock him up for a couple of years? There could be interest in bullpen arms like Brian Duensing and Casey Fien because of their low contracts with at least a couple years of team control. One other name that might garner interest from the Mets is Trevor Plouffe. He could platoon at 1B with Davis and potentially improve one of the Mets corner outfield spots. He will become arbitration-eligible following this season. Sleeper Targets Gabriel Ynoa - RHP – Low-A - 20 years old Ynoa is not currently a highly-ranked prospect. He throws into the low 90s with encouraging but inconsistent secondary pitches, as you would expect from such a young arm. At 6-2 and just 160 pounds, he has plenty of room to grow, and hopefully be able to add some velocity. This year, he is 9-3 with a 2.89 ERA. In 87.1 innings, he has given up just 73 hits, walked only 11 and struck out 73. Matt Reynolds - SS - High A - 22 years old The middle infielder was the team’s 2nd round pick just a year ago out of the University of Arkansas where he teamed with DJ Baxendale and went to the College World Series. He is what scouts call a ball player. His tools are not great. He is not real fast. He doesn’t have huge power. He is a smart player who is quite poised on the field. Right now in the Florida State League, he is hitting .242/.327/.370 (.696) with 15 doubles, five triples, three homers and 30 RBI. It is believed that he can stick at short, but could play second, third or fulfill a utility role. Steve Matz - LHP - Low-A - 22 years old Matz was the Mets 2nd round pick in 2009 out of high school. He had Tommy John surgery in 2010 and missed all of 2011 as well. He suffered some soreness early in 2012 and did not make his professional debut until last June. He is pitching in the Sally League this year. He is just 2-4 but has a 2.53 ERA. In 64 innings, he has given up just 53 hits, walked 20 and struck out 70. The reason he may be available is the injury risk, but it is still believed that he has very good stuff. Patience would be important. Dream Target We can dream of Harvey and Wheeler and d’Arnaud all we want, but with the two teams where they are, that’s not happening. For the names mentioned above, they wouldn’t likely get Top 10 prospects. I don’t see a fit with Glen Perkins, and if we did, someone like Noah Syndergaard would have to be in play. After much research, I would love to see the Twins target one of these following mid-level prospects for the above-mentioned Twins. It would also be an acceptable haul in a deal for Morneau, in my opinion. Jack Leathersich - LHP - AAA – 22 years old There are a lot of left-handed relievers out there; few are like Glen Perkins. Those that are can be quite valuable. Leathersich fits the Perkins mold. He is just 5-11. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s. He has a sharp curveball and is looking to develop a change-up. After signing in 2011, he struck out 26 in 12.2 innings. Between two levels in 2012, he struck out 113 batters in 72 innings. He began this season in AA and struck out 25 in 29.1 innings. He has been promoted to AAA where he has struck out 15 batters in eight innings (9 games). Worst case, Leathersich looks like a dominant LOOGY. Best case scenario, he becomes a second Glen Perkins. Kevin Plawecki - C – High-A - 22 years old Plawecki was the Mets’ first-round pick in 2012 out of Purdue, where he was the Big 10 Player of the Year. Like Twins’ 2013 draft picks Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver, Plawecki was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as college’s top catcher. Catchers are valuable in the minor leagues, but the Mets do have Travis d’Arnaud as their catcher of the future. After hitting .314/.390/.494 (.884) with 24 doubles, a triple, six homers and 43 RBI in Low-A, Plawecki was recently promoted to the Florida State League where he is hitting .361 with four extra base hits in nine games. Hopefully Joe Mauer will be able to catch for several years, but it will be important to having catching options (to go along with the likes of Josmil Pinto) ready within the next two to three years. The Twins have some high-upside prospects and some veterans. Together they will, we hope, make the Twins much better in 2014 and a contender by 2015. The Mets have the kind of young pitching that will make them a team to watch, potentially quickly, if they can score any runs. Twins fans may recall the most recent trade between the Twin and the Mets. In that trade, one team (Mets) was a buyer, and the seller (Twins) received the #1, #2, #4 and #8 prospects of the Mets. It’s likely fair to say that despite the lofty rankings of those four players (Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey and Philip Humber), the Twins did not get much for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Meanwhile, after a couple of very good years, the Mets paid a lot of money to Santana while he was on the Disabled List. This year, both teams are sellers and likely unwilling to give up top prospects. So the only way the teams will deal with each other is a minor deal. Of course, those are the types of deals that Terry Ryan has made most years of his tenure. And, many of those trades have resulted in the Twins acquiring a not-highly-publicized prospect who becomes a solid contributor. View full article