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Not so long ago, hard-throwing pitchers were in high demand. As triple-digit readings became increasingly common, the Minnesota Twins notoriously lagged far behind. The organization put no shortage of effort into correcting that issue, but with mostly subpar results. Now, the Twins have fireballers to spare. And so do the rest of the league's teams.On Sunday night, Parker and I subbed for Aaron on the Gleeman and the Geek podcast. Among the topics discussed was the club's decision to non-tender 22-year-old right-hander Yorman Landa, thus opening a spot on the 40-man roster in advance of this week's Rule 5 draft. Landa has a power arm that has touched 100 MPH. In the past, releasing such a specimen would be unthinkable for a franchise starving for special heat. But Landa's expendability is a sign of the times. In Baseball America's Rule 5 draft preview, JJ Cooper notes that "at least nine pitchers who touched 100 mph or better this year" will be available to the Twins when they select first on Thursday. You can bet that a big fastball alone won't entice the Twins. The past regime has been down that path too many times. Alex Meyer and Jim Hoey were seemingly acquired largely for their overpowering velocity, but the coinciding control issues never went away. J.R. Graham was Minnesota's Rule 5 selection after his velo uptick following a switch to the bullpen caught the eyes of scouts. His 95-MPH heater never translated to dominance. Relievers that can bring the zing are no longer rare commodities, so big radar results in isolation aren't going to generate a whole lot of excitement anymore. It will be interesting to see what other qualities the new decision-makers prioritize. They are all but certain to add a new player in the Rule 5 draft, and there will be plenty of opportunities to find talent through other avenues before and after. To find out which prospects the Twins will be choosing from on Thursday, I highly recommend checking out BA's write-up, which profiles several very intriguing names. Click here to view the article

The Twins optioned two players from camp this morning and reassigned four others. Taylor Rogers, J.R. Graham, Buddy Boshers, Carlos Paulino, Buck Britton and Wilfredo Tovar were all shipped out, trimming the number of remaining players to 37.This round of cuts brings more clarity to the bullpen race. Assuming that Fernando Abad and the loser of the fifth starter competition (Ricky Nolasco?) are both in, that leaves one remaining spot in a seven-man unit. Boshers (who I wrote about in yesterday’s notes) was not really a factor in the race, but Rogers and Graham – both on the 40-man roster – were in the mix. The remaining contenders for the job: Michael Tonkin, Ryan Pressly, Brandon Kintzler, Ryan O’Rourke, Dan Runzler. Presumably they’re going to go with a righty, and in my opinion, it’s between hard-throwers Tonkin and Pressly. Who would you like to see round out the Minnesota bullpen? Click here to view the article

Minnesota Twins camp came to life over the weekend with the familiar sound of baseballs smacking mitts, as pitchers and catchers reported to camp and official bullpen sessions started getting underway. One hurler who is drawing early attention is J.R. Graham, whom the Twins acquired from the Atlanta Braves in December's Rule 5 Draft. Graham is worth tracking not only because of the upper-90s heat he's capable of bringing on the mound, but also because of the interesting decision the Twins face as they determine whether they can make room for him in a somewhat crowded bullpen and avoid sending him back to Atlanta.The Twins have a number of hard-throwing relievers in the pipeline, such as Nick Burdi, Jake Reed and Michael Cederoth, but the team can afford to patiently bring these young arms along. That's not necessarily true of Graham, who they must keep on the 25-man roster all year long or else ship back to the Braves. The Twins could work around this stipulation by hammering out a trade to keep him in the organization, as they did with Scott Diamond a few years ago, but one way or another Graham must make an impression over the next several weeks in order to force the club's hand. He'll have plenty of competition. For all intents and purposes, the Twins have committed to five relievers in the bullpen -- Glen Perkins, Casey Fien, Tim Stauffer, Brian Duensing and Caleb Thielbar -- so locking down one of those final slots will be no easy task. Graham is a rather unique specimen. While Minnesota's system is now stocked with pitchers who can touch the upper-90s, those guys all check in at well over six feet. Then you have Graham, who stands at about 5'11" but was hitting triple digits as a junior in college. It's rare to find a pitcher who can generate that kind of velocity from such a small frame, and perhaps that helps explain Graham's durability issues. Since being drafted, he has dealt with somewhat chronic shoulder pain, which substantially reduced his velocity, contributed to his shoddy results at Double-A in 2014 (5.58 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) and prompted the Braves to leave him unprotected and available to the Twins. It could be that his struggles to stay on healthy have been partially due to the Braves' decision to transition him from college reliever to pro starter. He reverted to relief duty late last season (though with little initial success) and the Twins intend to keep him on that path. If Graham can manage to shake off the injury woes, he offers no shortage of ability. Prior to the 2014 season, he had been ranked by Baseball America as the third-best Braves prospect, and was pegged as having the best control of any pitcher in the organization. Graham's brutal season last year as a 24-year-old in Double-A certainly lowered his stock considerably, and the most troubling part is that he saw no performance boost after moving to the bullpen in the final two months, allowing a .378 batting average with seven strikeouts and five walks in eight appearances. This differentiates him from Ryan Pressly, who had similarly switched from starting to relieving shortly before the Twins snagged him in the Rule 5 draft but had experienced far better results with that transition. Of course, with Graham, it all comes back to health, so the condition of his shoulder will be closely monitored in Ft. Myers. If he can keep his arm in shape and regain his velocity by pitching in one-inning stints -- as the Twins are hoping -- he offers more upside than Pressly ever did, and could end up being a major success story for Terry Ryan and Co. If nothing else, he'll go down as another example of the Twins getting creative in their efforts to add some power to the pitching staff. Click here to view the article

On Sunday, I posted a Q&A with Twins minor league Rule 5 draft pick Greg Peavey. It was fun to get to know a little about him. Today, I’m happy to provide an interview with the Twins Major League Rule 5 draft pick, JR Graham. You can learn much more about Graham in the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015.The Twins selected the right-hander with the fifth pick in the Rule 5 draft. He was a top prospect with the Braves a couple of years ago, with a fastball that touched triple digits. Shoulder injuries have stalled his progress the last two years, but the Twins scouts who saw him in 2014 liked what they saw. Twins pro scouting director Vern Followell told Mike Berardino that they saw him hit 97 and 98 mph this year. With any MLB Rule 5 pick, Graham will need to stick with the Twins, on their 25-man roster, through the 2015 season or be offered back to Atlanta. His opportunity with the Twins would be primarily out of the bullpen. He will turn 25 in January. Graham was drafted in the 46th round of the 2008 draft by his favorite team while growing up, the Oakland A’s. Graham said, “I would have to say my favorite team growing up was the Oakland As, but I did also like the San Francisco Giants. Some of my favorite players growing up were Tim Hudson, Randy Johnson (same home town and high school), and Pedro Martinez. It’s funny to look back now and realize they were all pitchers I enjoyed the most since I played shortstop growing up and rarely pitched.” He decided to go to college at Santa Clara University. Three years later, the Braves used their fourth round pick on him. He rocketed up prospect rankings with a fastball and ranked as high as the Braves #3 prospect. Unfortunately in 2013, he started experiencing some shoulder issues that have curtailed his last two seasons. “The shoulder injury had to be one of the most frustrating things in my life. You just feel helpless. It’s a moment I will never forget. I threw the pitch, and I felt it go. I remember just walking around the mound not knowing what to do. You have no way of knowing what is exactly wrong with you, but I knew whatever it was I was going to work through it and come back and be able to pitch. Right now, I feel 100% and can’t wait to get down to spring training and show everyone what I've got.” Last Thursday though, after four season in the Atlanta organization, Graham got the news that he had been selected in the Rule 5 draft. “The funny thing about the morning of the Rule 5 is that I wasn't actually paying much attention to it. I was driving from Orlando to Jacksonville to be a groomsman in my buddy’s wedding, Gus Schlosser, who pitched for Atlanta last year. So all of a sudden my phone started ringing like crazy, and I knew something good had to have happened. Once I did know I was selected by the Twins, it was a huge relief and I couldn't have been happier. I have been in contact with the Twins since the Rule 5.” Of course, with all his time spent in Atlanta, he was able to accumulate many great moments and friendships. “I had a lot of great memories with Atlanta, so it is hard to put just one down. But the one that is sticking out in my mind would have to be my first big league spring training and taking the mound for the first time. It was just a huge rush and crazy because I was on the field with the same guys I was watching on TV a year earlier.” He isn’t completely unfamiliar with the Twins organization. He knows a few of the players and recognizes many others. “I was excited to get back on the same teal as Gilly (Sean Gilmartin), but he also got Rule 5'd, and I couldn’t be happier for him. I wish him luck over with his new organization. I do know a couple of other guys in the Twins organization. One of my best friends growing up was David Hurlbut. We played travel ball growing up. I know Tyler Jones, Tim Shibuya, Zach Jones. I got to play with Jordan Schafer over with Atlanta. I also remember playing against the Elizabethton Twins in the Appy League so I am sure I will remember a few other names.” Danville is the Appalachian League affiliate of the Braves. Elizabethton and Danville are frequently the teams to beat in their divisions. That 2011 Elizabethton team included Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Niko Goodrum. So, what do we know about Graham as a pitcher? Well, why don’t we let him give us a scouting report on himself? “I am an aggressive pitcher. Once I get on that mound, I dont think anyone can beat me. I try to be a bulldog out there and have ‘No Fear.’ I throw a 4-seam and a 2-seam fastball, a slider and a change up.” Graham still spends his off-seasons in California with his parents and his sisters. He keeps pretty active away from the game of baseball as well. His hobbies include “working out, playing video games, learning to play guitar, a little bit of golf, watching movies, and going out on the boat to wakeboard and do some bare-footing.” I believe he really does have a chance to impress the Twins brass enough for them to want to keep him around. When the Twins selected Scott Diamond from the Braves in the Rule 5 several years ago, they were able to send Billy Bullock to the Braves in order to keep him in the organization. My sense is that if he doesn't make the Twins 25-man roster out of spring training, the Braves may want him back and not be willing to work out a trade this time around. Graham is excited about being selected in the Rule 5 draft and coming to the Twins organization. “Going into spring, I am just thankful for this opportunity the Twins are giving me. My dream has always been to be a major league baseball player. I can’t wait to get started with the Twins organization. It’s going to be a lot of fun!” Click here to view the article

The 2014 Rule 5 draft is complete. The Twins both added and lost a player in the AAA portion of the MLB draft. With the fifth pick in the Rule 5 Draft, the Twins selected RHP JR Graham from the Atlanta Braves. Several picks later, the Twins lost Sean Gilmartin when he was selected by the New York Mets.The Minnesota Twins selected JR Graham, a RHP from the Braves. A former top prospect in the pitching-strong Braves organization, he was able to throw 100 mph. However, shoulder problems the last two years greatly reduced his fastball, but he did pitch some in 2014. A good risk for a high-ceiling pitcher. The question is, will his velocity come back? Later in the draft, the Twins lost LHP Sean Gilmartin to the New York Mets. He came to the Twins from the Braves a year ago in exchange for Ryan Doumit. He split the 2014 season between New Britain and Rochester. He was the player most were concerned about the Twins not protecting. The former first-round pick lost some of his velocity and rarely reached 92 on the radar gun, but he does have a good four-pitch mix. It will be interesting to see if the Twins keep Graham through the 2015 season or if he is returned to the Braves. Likewise, will the Mets choose to keep Gilmartin on their active roster? In the AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft, the Twins added RHP Greg Peavey from the New York Mets organization and lost LHP Matt Tomshaw to the Marlins. These players do not have to be offered back. Peavey went 11-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 18 starts in AA last year. In 115 innings, he walked 26 and struck out 99. In six starts in AAA, he posted an ERA of 11.62. Tomshaw heads to the Miami Marlins organization. He went 11-6 with a 3.50 ERA for the Ft. Myers Miracle in 2014. No draft picks were made in the AA portion of the Rule 5 draft. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins signing Ervin Santana for $55 million, picking J.R. Graham in the Rule 5 draft, revisiting the Ricky Nolasco signing, using Harry's Razors for your holiday shopping, incident-free press conferences, full rotations, dropping Chris Parmelee and Chris Colabello, signing Shane Robinson, payroll debates, and Eduardo Escobar rumors.You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. Click here to view the article

Thursday is the final day of the 2014 Winter Meetings. The big event of the final day each year is the Rule 5 draft. The Minnesota Twins roster is currently at 39, so they will be able to participate in the Rule 5 draft. The Twins may have interest in several players from other organizations who are available. It is also possible that the Twins could lose a player or two if selected by other teams.It should be also pointed out that the MLB Rule 5 draft is just the first of three Rule 5 drafts. There is a AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft. Each organization can put up to 39 players on their AAA roster. The Twins have 38 players on their roster, according to GM Terry Ryan on the Twins Hot Stove Show last night, so they will likely make a selection in that phase. Finally, there is a AA portion of the draft, though very few players are selected in it. There are several differences between these drafts. To make an MLB selection, a team must pay $50,000. That player needs to be on the drafting team’s 25-man roster all season or be offered back to the original team for $25,000. The other option is that the teams can work out a trade. The Twins have examples of what can happen with their three most recent picks. Scott Diamond – Twins selected him from the Braves. He did not make the opening day roster, but the Twins and Braves were able to work out a trade. Diamond was taken off of the 40-man roster and the Twins sent RHP Billy Bullock to Atlanta.Terry Doyle – The Twins selected Doyle from the White Sox organization. He was returned to Chicago late in spring training.Ryan Pressly – The Twins drafted Pressly from the Red Sox organization. He remained on the Twins roster the entire 2013 season. He was able to be sent back to AAA during the 2014 season and pitched well enough to be called up during the season’s second half.To select a player in the AAA portion, the cost to the team is $12,000. For a player selected in the AA portion, the cost is $5,000. In both cases, the player remains with the new organization. It has become a lot more difficult to find high-level talent in the Rule 5. The rules changed a few years ago so that teams would have an extra year to determine whether or not to add a player to the 40 man roster. The Twins have had some success in the Rule 5 draft in their past. Diamond certainly had one very good season. Shane Mack came to the Twins in the Rule 5 draft in 1989 and was a big contributor to the Twins for five seasons. PLAYERS THE TWINS COULD LOSE We don’t know who is or isn’t on the AAA or AA roster, so it’s really hard to determine who could be lost. A year ago, the Twins lost Tim Atherton to the A’s in the AAA draft. We do know who is on the Twins roster and who is eligible to be lost by the team. We like to assume that first-round picks will be easy choices to add to the 40-man roster when that time comes. However, the Twins have several former first round picks who could be lost. There are several other players who could be taken. Alex Wimmers has been eligible to be selected the last two years and hasn’t been taken. He could be again this year. He got back to AA this year, but now he is out of the bullpen.This is the first year that Levi Michael needed to be added. The 2011 top pick was left vulnerable to be selected and could be taken as a second utility infielder for a team. He played well in Ft. Myers and then hit well over .300 in his 15 games at AA.He was the Braves first round pick in 2011, but Sean Gilmartin came to the Twins last offseason in exchange for Ryan Doumit. He pitched in AA and AAA this year and is left-handed, so he could be taken as a long-reliever or stashed away.Niko Goodrum was the Twins second round pick in 2010 out of high school in Georgia. He was moved from shortstop to third base in 2014. He didn’t hit for average or power, but he does take a lot of walks and runs well. Could a team stash him on their big league roster and use him as a pinch runner?Jason Adam came to the Twins last August in exchange for Josh Willingham. He reached AAA with the Royals organization as a 23-year-old last year. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League.Adrian Salcedo was a top starting pitching prospect in the Twins minor league system just three years ago. Then elbow and shoulder problems hit and he spent more than a season rehabbing. He’s back to throwing hard and was a solid contributor to the New Britain bullpen. He struck out 76 in 73 innings. He could have been a minor league free agent this offseason but signed with the Twins last month.Ryan O’Rourke pitched at AA New Britain in 2014. He is already 26 and the left-hander has some crazy splits. Right-handers hit .326/.398/.573 (.971), but left-handers hit just .114/.162/.129 (.291) against him. He has a good fastball and a sharp-breaking slider. He is a LOOGY who could be used in the big leagues in that role.SO, WHO COULD THE TWINS PICK? It’s impossible to know what the Twins and their decision-makers are thinking as it relates to the Rule 5 draft. It can’t be just about their stats. It can’t be just about their tools. It has to be about whether or not the player can be a contributor to the organization long-term. Here are some names that I find interesting. There may be more that you like. We’ll find out later this morning. Delino DeShields (OF/2B – Houston Astros) – We know how the Twins (and probably all scouts) like genetics. We also heard that the Twins offered DeShields’ father, a former big leaguer with the same name, their first base coaching job – which he declined to be the AAA manager for the Reds. DeShields, Jr. is a terrific athlete. He was the eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft out of high school in Georgia. In 2012 in Low A ball, he stole 100 bases. He moved up to AA for the 2014 season and hit .236/.346/.360 (.706) with 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Is he ready for the big leagues? Probably not. Could he stick on the big league roster? He could be the #5 outfielder, a pinch runner and play from time to time.JR Graham (RHP – Atlanta Braves) – Graham was the Braves fourth round pick in 2011 out of Santa Clara. He became a top 100 prospect just two years ago. However, he has struggled with shoulder issues the last couple of seasons which has taken away some of his velocity. However, if healthy, he could still regain what he had two years ago. He could be a steal.Edgar de la Rosa (RHP – Detroit Tigers) – He is 6-8, 235 pounds and throws a triple-digit fastball. He has been a starter in the minor leagues though most believe his future will be in the bullpen. That is obviously the role he would have if the Twins selected him. He went 7-9 with a 3.01 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. In 139 innings, he walked 53 and struck out 91 for High-A Lakeland. He’s also already 24 years old.Jarlin Garcia (LHP – Miami Marlins) – He won’t turn 22 until June. The 6-1, 170 pound left-hander features a fastball reaching 94 with a good curveball. He pitched in Low-A in 2014 and went 10-5 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. He gave up 152 hits in 133.2 innings, but he walked just 21 and struck out 111. He has big upside, but he’s not close to ready and would need to be stashed and rarely pitch if he were taken.Jed Bradley (RHP – Milwaukee Brewers) – The 6-4, 225 lefty was the 15th overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Georgia Tech where he was a teammate of Luke Bard. He is already 24 and split the season between High-A and AA. Overall, he went 10-10 with a 3.91 ERA (2.98 in High-A, 4.55 in AA) and a 1.40 WHIP. He’s left-handed. He is advanced enough to handle a back-of-the-bullpen role and could eventually develop into a solid lefty reliever.John Stilson (RHP – Toronto Blue Jays) – Twins fans seem to “enjoy” when the team brings back players or coaches with any sort of connection to the organization. Well, Stilson was the Twins 19th round draft pick in 2009 out of junior college. He strongly considered signing at that time, but he was also playing in the American Legion World Series in Fargo. A day after not signing, he pitched in the championship game. He went to Texas A&M and in 2011 was the Jays third round pick. He is a very talented reliever, capable of hitting 97 with the fastball and also has a good changeup and breaking ball. Why is he left unprotected? He had shoulder surgery late this season and there is a chance he will miss most of the 2015 season. The Twins could put him on the 60 day disabled list for the entire season and then they would need to keep him on the active 25-man roster for at least the first 90 days of the 2016 season or be sent back to Toronto.Jake Esch (RHP – Miami Marlins) – Another guy with a mid-90s fastball, Esch is a 24-year-old who was drafted out of Georgia Tech in the 11th round in 2011. His fastball sits 91 to 95 mph. He also has a good slider and a good curveball. In High-A in 2014, he went 6-6 with a 4.05 ERA. In 135.2 innings, he gave up 147 hits, 34 walks and struck out 105 batters.There are some very interesting names out there, available for the Twins to take with the fifth pick on Thursday morning. What would you do? What will the Twins do? Check back shortly after the Rule 5 draft and we’ll have an article on Twins players affected by the Major League and Minor League portions. Click here to view the article